Boston!

Just some quick pictures from our fabulous weekend in Boston! Rowan and I went for her college friend's wedding. We had such a fabulous time! And, if its your first time in Boston, you couldn't be luckier if your LYS tour guide was none other than, Batty. We had such a good time on Friday (thanks so much Batty!). Three yarn stores in one quick afternoon....I couldn't have done it without my fabulous knitty friend. We went to Newbury Yarns, Windsor Button, and Woolcott & Co. Yarn pRon will follow later this week. For now, some pictures from the trip.

Here's Batty and I at Woolcotts (did I mention how hot it was Friday?! Great weather all weekend, but it was hot on Friday...so...ummm...ignore what happens to my hair when its hot).

The beautiful bride (who says she read the blog, didn't understand it, but enjoyed the pics...and wanted more of my sister) and my sister! I am so glad that I got to celebrate with them this weekend!

Don't worry, I didn't just take pictures of yarn in Boston :)

Oh, and look at this pretty sock that I had time to work on all weekend...look familiar?? Love this addicting pattern. Sock #1 is almost done!

xoxoxo Irishgirlieknits

You never forget your first.....

....secret pal! Actually, your first not-a-secret secret pal. (beware: my true knitting nerd may be revealed as you keep reading) You see, way back before our blog, and all the other knitting blogs were sharing their yarny goodness secret pal goodies, I was sad that no one was sending me yarn in the mail. What fun that would be!! So, Pashyknits (my favorite blogging partner ever...and best knitting friend ever) volunteered to be my not-a-secret pal. I sent her a package with lots of goodies (in true SP style). She hand delivered yarn to me (same effect!). We went back and forth like this for awhile. Then we started the blog and I met lots of wonderful secret pals. But, like I said, you never forget your first (Pashy...this is a public blog...be good.....are you reading this anyways?!!).

I bring this up, because two weeks ago during the week of hell (yeap, that's how Rowan and I are referring to it), Pashyknits was going on vacation (to LA!! any yarn?! pics?!) but left a wonderful cheer up message and oh something should be in the mail. Well, look what showed up to work today!!

An Options Needle Set!!! OMG!!! Pashyknits Rocks!!! I still can't believe it. I may now need to get one of these too.

And lace yarn!! Pashy, are we going to learn lace now (love her, but when she wants to learn stuff, she sometimes makes me learn first...remember the magic loop socks?!). This yarn is sooooo gorgeous!!

Seriously, thanks so much Pashy!!! You made my day!!! Tomorrow, pics from Boston! Happy Knitting! xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Peony Socks!!

Finally, the Peony socks are done!! I love the color, Peony. These socks were started back in Octoberfest! Probably a bit too ambitious for my second pair of socks so they floated around in UFO land. Finally done!! Yarn: ShiBui Knits Sock, 100% superwash merino wool, color peony (got on a trip to Knit-Purl in Portland, OR last year)

Pattern: More Fun than Cables Sock Pattern - enjoyed the pattern, but again, probably shouldn't have picked for my second pair of socks...I lost steam...a few times.

But here's my favorite part of the pattern...

Now I get to start my first pair of Monkey socks!!

Look what came in the mail yesterday! I have to be honest, I wasn't going to tell you all about this next purchase. It happened last week (remember, it was a bad week). But, then Jen at Woolgirl went a did a really nice thing, so I couldn't resist. First, here's the cutest packaging!

Zen Yarn Garden, fingering weight, 75% superwash merino, 25% nylon, colors Steel Magnolias (top) and Full Bloom (bottom)

Spunky Eclectic, Beefy Sock, 100% superwash merino, color Mahogany
So when I placed my order, there was a mix-up with the order (computer glitch, which they now fixed). Essentially, a yarn I ordered wasn't really in stock. So, Jen let me know and said she would get it to me in the next few weeks when it came in (great, no problem...you've seen my stash!). But then, for my inconvenience, Woolgirl wanted me to pick out a complimentary skein on them! Talk about customer service! I told her it wasn't a big deal, but she insisted! How cool! I was hooked with my first order, but now there's no getting rid of me!!! If only I had time to knit with all this yummy stuff!!! Here's my complimentary skein....

Spunky Eclectic, Speedster Sport-DK, 100% Superwash Merino, color Cold Night (dad will love these socks!)

Rowan and I are off to Boston Thursday for Memorial Day weekend!!! It'll be our first time there!! Can't wait!! Happy Knitting! xoxox Irishgirlieknits

I've been sorted!

I'm
a Ravenclaw!

And the winner is...

Congratulations Batty!! Thanks for playing everyone!! My weekend was fabulous!! Rowan was exhausted and went straight to bed, so Snowboarder (yes...he finally made a guest appearance on the blog...hehehe) picked the lucky winner! Of course he was quite befuddled about the whole thing (huh? contest! prize? and then when I said, oh yeah, I'm glad batty won...he was like...batty?).

So a few of the questions....Batty asked about my dreamswatch yarn: Artyarns Regal Silk in color 130 (and it wasn't until I got home that I realized it was almost the exact colorway of my Thujas!).

Turtlegirl76 asked if the Bambu yarn was at MDSW. Well, my question Turtlegirl is, weren't you like the 5th person in line there...hehehe...I didn't go to MDSW. It was at Stitches West where I did buy 2 skeins in Spring Fling to make Bambuzzled (a Cookie A. pattern published by Blue Moon Fiber Arts)- they had a sample made up there. They didn't have any of these new colorways. If I remember correctly, for awhile they carried Bambu online during the winter...so maybe it will be back. They still had some at Purlescence Yarns last week.

Jessica asked, "How do you know when you're really in love and if its going to last?" Anyone got the answers? Help us girls out! (oh, and if you go back and read the comments again, Jessica kinda tried to do a redo question, but I don't have an answer to that question either!) My answer...I don't know!! But I will leave you with this. Snowboarder and I knew each other for maybe 2-3 months and he bought me my first present, all on his own, without any help, for no particular reason. Guess what it was? YARN!!! From Imagiknit!! My absolute favorite store in the city (thank goodness he walked into that hip and cool yarn store or else he might of thought I wasn't so cool anymore!). I never even mentioned that store to him. He just happened to work near it! And he picked out two pattern books (okay, we know he probably had help) and yarn to go with it. The books til this day make me laugh. A knitting bags book (perfect! he said cause he knew I had knit lots of purses for my friends!) and get this, a debbie bliss baby knits book! Seriously, what guy would buy a baby knits book for a girl he was dating that early! I asked why he picked that out and he said well you seem to knit lots of baby stuff for your friends (oh, okay, phew!). Anyways, in my book, the way to a girl's heart, yarn. Doesn't really answer the bigger question, but its a step in the right direction.

I'll answer more of the questions later this week!! Have a great week!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

For Rowan!

Rowan will be so happy to see this. I started her Harry Potter socks this weekend. I purchased the yarn from Woolgirl (they are expecting more colors their blog says), but it is Vancalcar Acres Flock Sock in the Gryffindor colorway! And I'm reading book five too (yeap, I'm behind. I usually read the book right before the movie comes out. I may try to read six too. We'll see. Rowan, she's read them and listened to them, um...lots of times).

My weekend has been great! Got my pedicure (nope, didn't drop the needles in the water Zonda..thanks for the heads up! Although I use magic loop for my socks...since I learned that, I've stopped using DPNs for anything, although I never have tried socks on DPNs). Got my car washed. Slept. Knit. And there was a Heroes marathon on the Sci-fi channel (I never watch that channel...was flipping channels), so I thought..six hours of this...that's good knitting and knitblog reading time! I'm kinda hooked I think. Luckily, all the episodes can be seen at NBC's website!!

Off to pick up Rowan at the airport (not too late to enter the CONTEST!! see post below! leave a comment or ask a question...no girls, no extra points for leaving a comment today and yesterday :) hehehe). I haven't "advertised" the contest in the knittyboards because I wanted this one to be for you guys!! I'll have another one later!! Okay, airport, then dinner for Rowan and Snowboarder...then contest!!!

xoxox Irishgirlieknits

Chin Up Old Girl! (and an itty bitty contest!)

Chin up Old Girl is right! Well said Disco! That's the motto for the weekend around here at La Casa de Irishgirlie! Seriously, Rowan and I have survived an emotionally and physically exhausting week with my mom in the hospital. She went home today, sort of. We'll see if she's okay. All I know is that I have the weekend FREE (My brother and aunt are on mom duty)! Snowboarder is taking me out to dinner in a few minutes, then that's all I have planned. Well, except for the following: sleep, knit, watch tv, knit, maybe go to the gym, oh and get a pedicure (I can knit while I do that too!). Rowan and Snowboarder will both be gone for the rest of the weekend too, so doing the above things should be quite easy!

Oh, and yes, you read it correctly. A little thank you contest too. Read on for details.

So, you know its been a bad week when there hasn't been much knitting going on. Usually when I'm stressed, I knit. So tired this week, couldn't really knit. Just vegged on the knit blogs a bit and watched some tv. But here's what I have on the needles.

Tomato!! This is my little surprise. I actually started this way back during the Blanket that Rocks! I needed some motivation to help me finish the blanket, so I thought if I cast on something new, that might help. I started this right before Turtlegirl started her's (and wow! did she finish her's super quick!). So I'm just now really getting into starting it now that the blankets done.

And, right when the bad stuff started last week, PashyKnits and I decided to buy some fancy Artyarns silk to make a dreamswatch. I was inspired by Disco's and Jessica's. I started this in the emergency room. Got to love Rowan. She immediately picked up the phone and called Pashy and gave her a bit of hell (hehehe) for interrupting the start of her Harry Potter socks!!
The conversation went a little something like this:

Rowan: What's that you are working on?
Me: Its a dreamswatch. P and I picked it out last night.
Rowan: What!?! (grabs phone and calls PashyKnits on the phone) Pashy, what is this
dreamy thing Karabella is working on?! She's supposed to be working on my Harry
Potter socks!

I love you Rowan! Pashy thought it was funny cause she knew we were at the emergency room and Rowan called from my phone, so she was all ready to be supportive...and then she gets silly Rowan talking about yarn!!


So, now on to the contest!!! Last week, I stopped by Purlescence Yarns and as some of you remember, I made a little purchase. Here's what I got (well, not ALL of it of course, but essentially most of it). Blue Moon Fiber Arts Bambu. Pashy, pick which color you want, because then one is being swapped to LittleMy, and the other is going to one of our lovely readers!! I just wanted to send a big thank you to you guys for all the hugs and nice comments, PMs, etc. this past week. And in the spirt of Chin up, why not have a contest!!

Details: Sunday night, when Rowan gets home from the airport, we'll pick one lucky winner from a drawing to win a skein of Bambu. There are two ways to be entered in the drawing. You can be entered one time for just leaving a comment on this post (or tomorrow's or Sunday's if I have any) (one entry for a comment over the entire weekend basically). The other way is to leave a question that you have for me (Irishgirlieknits) about you know, I guess anything (you can ask, doesn't mean I have to answer...hehehehe). We'll call it a getting to know me :) So if you leave a question, that's another entry :)

Oh, and if you are just one of my friend's lurking, still feel free to say hi and play. Rowan wants a contest that she could maybe win that doesn't involve yarn (she said she wanted to play too...I told her she had to leave a comment....and not one of those anonymous ones she keeps leaving!).

Bambu, colorway Tide Pool

Bambu, colorway Calypso

Thanks again!!! xoxo Irishgirlieknits

knitting WITH tears...

Seriously. My Spring Fling Secret Pal Package could not have been delivered on a better day. My pal, Curly Top, sent it last week, and with perfect timing, it arrived yesterday, after my sister and I spent a very, very long day at the hospital with our mom (let's just leave it at that). I tried knitting at the hospital but there were a lot of tears. So I laughed when I saw the book! This package was so thoughtful with so many perfect goodies! Tea that I can't wait to try, chocolate that I immediately ate (and kept in my pocket today at the hospital!), and yarn....oh the yarn...

I just received my copy of Charmed Knits, and this Rowanspun Aran is calling out to be a Hermione Hat and mittens I think. Its perfect! And shouldn't my first attempt at lace involve alpaca?! Yummy!! Thank you thank you thank you Curly Top!! You have been a fabulous pal!!!

The day before, when things started going downhill, and Rowan and I had a horrible day, Rowan just kept saying, "Don't worry. Your package from Disco is at home." After three months of spoiling, Disco has become a dear friend and her final package was so thoughtful!

That card on top immediately called out to me to be framed and go in my office (I've been wanting to get some new art work in there and that is just perfect!). Below, a whole bunch of goodies and favorites of disco's...look at those cute puppy thank you cards!! And the Pina Colada Coconut Chocolate (oh yeah!).

And finally, a yum-O (as Disco would say) color of Amy Butler fabric, that pretty card again, and gorgeous Noro Lily Yarn (I haven't seen this before!!).

Look at that pretty blue. 30% silk and 70% cotton, perfect for summer. I'm sooooo thinking Dreamswatch! Could be because Disco made one, and Jessica made one, and Pashy is working on one, and Pashy and I actually bought some yarn to make one, but this is soooo pretty I could make another!!! Thank you so much Disco!! Hugs to you!!

And, in today's "Knitting with Not As Many tears" update I headed down to Purlescence Yarns. Just because after the week I had, well, I figured a Blue Moon something would be okay. And, let's just say, God was looking out for me. Seriously :) When I got there, the wonderful ladies were unpacking this. And they just made me smile in lots of ways.

Here's to a much better weekend, filled with lots of Knitting without Tears.

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Blanket that Rocks!!

Project: Log Cabin Blanket + Socks that Rock = Blanket that Rocks

Inspiration: Cara's Blankets and Mason-Dixon Knitting

Ingredients: STR In the Navy, Midsummers Night, Blue Moonstone in Heavyweight; one skein each; additional 1/4 skein of In the Navy for border; size 6 needles

Date Began: 4/4/07

Date Completed: 5/7/07

Measurements: 33.5" x 32"

Notes: I relied a lot on the basic Log Cabin Blanket Pattern in Mason-Dixon Knitting. In regards to the color choices when picking which strip to start next, I used the three colors in different orders, but always the three colors. For example, dark (D), medium (M), light (L), then L, M, D, then M, L, D, etc.... Had an equal number of strips on each side. Followed the border from Mason-Dixon after I got helpful input from Disco and Knit Me a River (thanks!!), and Rowan too. When I make another, I may try to find four colors that I love together to make blanket a bit bigger. But I LOVE this blanket (oh, recipient: me).





Let's see how it works in its natural environment!

On the couch.

On my bed. See how it matches my comforter. And how Bailey is not quite sure she is allowed on this blanket :)

Gratuitous Puddles photo.

Thanks for cheering me on with this project (and putting up with blue after blue after blue progress posts!). I have to agree with Little Guy... this Blanket Rocks!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

73 Days and Counting

to make Rowan her Gryffindor socks!

The perfect yarn arrived today from Wool Girl! It just might be my new favorite online store for sock yarns (and other pretty yarns too!). The yarn is Vancalcar Acres Flock Sock, in the color Gryffindor. One skein is enough for one pair of socks. We got two just in case I was crazy enough to make me a pair :) The Wool Girl blog said that they will soon be getting all the house colors in (yeah!!!). Thanks Zonda for pointing this yarn out to me, and directing me to Wool Girl! Seriously, look how cute the packaging was!!

Well, and since Rowan was buying the yarn, I told her we should probably try some other yarns too (silly to pay for shipping for just two skeins of Harry Potter yarn!).

Oh my goodness. The top yarn is Zen Yarn Garden Superwash Merino Yarn in the color, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. The yarn is soooooooo soft!! Rowan claimed it, but I'm hoping she will soon forget about this one. The bottom yarn is Lazy Perry Ranch Sport Weight Yarn in the color Pink and Brown (definately some of my favorite colors lately). This yarn is 100% 3 ply Blue faced Leicester Wool, so it is not as soft as the merino yarn (but maybe it will soften up a bit once rinsed). The colors are absolutely perfect though!

Other than my Socks that Rock, I don't think I've ever ordered sock yarn online before (never sure its going to be soft enough, the right colors, etc.). But wow! This was sooooooo much fun!

Oh, and the blanket that rocks is just about done. One border stip left!! Should be done tonight! Pictures tomorrow!!!!

Happy Sockapalooza! xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Reasons Why the Blanket is Not Quite Done Yet

Seriously, if you could hold this little man all weekend, would you want to knit? Here's the cutey-patotey baby nephew asleep.....

eating.....

testing out the blanket that rocks and wondering why Puddles won't leave him alone!

We had such a great time! I could just watch him sleep! He's one month old now, and mom and dad have the routine down pat :) We celebrated my brother's birthday this weekend and had an early dinner today before they headed home. I made roast lamb (for the first time!), with roasted potatoes, onions, and carrots (totally wanted to take pictures...but family would have questioned that a bit!). Everyone liked it. And for dessert, a yummy, and absolutely easy, blackberry crumble (recipe from my SIL...she's a fabulous mommy and great cook!).

I agree with Puddles and Bailey. I'm pooped. Now I just need to finish that border.

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Sockapalooza!

That's right! I joined Sockapalooza! Along with 1000 other sock knitters! Really, it was just Zknitter talking about it that convinced me to join (don't worry, she's knows I like to do things like her!). And my sockapalooza pal commented on my blog a few days ago with some questions, so I thought I would go ahead and post a little about me and socks! I've already blogstalked my sock pal and she did the same thing...very helpful!

Although I've been knitting for a few years now, I just learned how to make socks last year. I'm fairly certain it was the Socks that Rock that I bought at Stitches West 2006 that convinced me I wanted to make socks. Those colors are to die for. But I procrastinated and just looked at the pretty yarn. And then Pashyknits told me about Magic Loop. Now, she didn't know how to do it, mind you, she just said she saw someone knitting that way at her LYS. She suggested I learn how to do it (thus, I would teach her). And, of course, that's what I did...I'm sure she bribed me with yarn or something. I can't remember. I just remember getting the book in the mail and practicing. Wa-la!

So my first sock was the perfect sock experience. I made a Christmas stocking! The Classic Christmas Stocking from Holiday Knits. The stocking was knit on size 6 needles and with Karabella Aurora Bulky (ahem...a favorite yarn of mine), and no second sock syndrome! I was hooked! I finished right around the time Socktoberfest was beginning, and made from the same book the house socks (which live somewhere in Rowan's room...no pics). Then I made cable footies from One Skein. Next up, Log Cabin Socks for dad. Notice, all socks for somebody else. Of course, during Socktoberfest, I cast on two other socks but they got put on the back burner for holiday knitting. But right before Stitches 2007, I made sure to attempt to finish my first pair of STR socks, and for me!



That sealed the deal. The addiction began. So, in addition to adding to my sock yarn stash, I've also made Thujas (hey, just like Zonda!), another Log Cabin Sock for dad, and I'm trying to finish up the Peony Socks (because there are sooooo many other socks I want to knit!).

I'm still a bit new to the sock knitting. Really, I think I would like any! Officially, I only have one pair for myself. Of course, plenty of potential in my stash, but still. Colors....I love fall colors! But now that its springtime, I love all the spring pastel colors. I've also recently bought some solid color sock yarn because some of the patterns I like may look better in a solid color. So what patterns are on my list.... Monkey, Jaywalkers, more Thuja (love to wear thicker socks around the house as my "slippers"), Pomatomus, Hedera, Baudelaire.... See that's a little sporty, lacy, girly...probably not any plain jane though. I also have a few sock books that have a few socks marked.

I hope that helps a bit. I have to say one of the joys and kinda evils of sock knitting is that my family has become a bit addicted to them. Rowan has a list going I think. Dad wants socks every year for Christmas from now on. Maybe that's why I joined Sockapalooza.....I need someone to knit socks for me :)

Happy Sock Knitting everyone!!! xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Bits & Borders

First, blog bits. Hi Sockapalooza Pal!! Thanks for stopping by! One of my upcoming posts will be for you!! And, Pashyknits!! Thanks for stopping by too....hehehehhe!! I love you! Seriously, at least if you aren't blogging here as much as we would love, your last post is evidence that you knit like crazy!!! Come back soon!!

Now, for the Blanket that Rocks!!!



These are the blanket bits. That's it. Three skeins of heavyweight Socks that Rock, and that's all I have left. Luckily, I had the same number of strips on each side of the blanket!

Finished size, without the border, is 30.5" x 29", a little bit smaller than I had hoped, but still perfect for a lap blanket. It would be the absolute perfect size for a baby blanket, but this one is for me. When I make my next one, someday, I would probably try to have four colors total, then I think the size would be just what I wanted.

So now all I need to do is put the border around it. I have an extra skein of "In the Navy" (the darker color) and I'm going to use that all the way around. I just can't decide do I do a simple two row border or make the border half the size of each strip (there are nine garter rows in each strip, so I could do four or five rows)? What do you all think?

Proper blanket photo shoot to follow once the border is done! Hopefully by the weekend! xoxo Irishgirlieknits

So you're going to kick me off the blog, are ya????

Ok, well...I'm certainly not keeping up my end in cyberspace, but at least I have been knitting. Here is a brief rundown of finished and nearing-finished stuff. Let's call this my Spring Quartly Post.

Here is the hat I made tonight for a gift for Aise's teacher, who is due any day now. It is the Five Cable Baby Hat. Totally quick and easy, and totally cute. It is going with this cute little outfit from Naartjie:
I also did this little blankie out of some crazy yarn (Sirdar Sparkle?) that catches your fingers the whole time you knit with it. BUT, it knits up such a soft, thick and fluffy little baby blankie. I wasn't sure about it from the get-go, what with the funky yarn and all (and then I went balls-out and crochet-edged it with another funky fur yarn), but it actually came out really fun, I think. No fancy stitches or heirloom yarn, but it sure is a snuggly little thing that will be pretty hard for baby to thrash!
Now on to the Belly Button Hat from a pattern I got at one of my fave kind-of-local stores, Knitique in Elk Grove. This one is knit out of one skein of Lorna's Angel- I think the color is Neon, and I wish I had another skein to make some matching booties. Can't find it anywhere :(

So, then I got married to knitting baby stuff out of angora, and moved on to Anny Blatt Super Angora, which is a big enough ball to make hat AND booties (the belly button hat again, and the little booties from Holiday Knits). Here is the proof:

These are so soft, I just can't bring myself to give them away or even put them down. I freaking love angora yarn, and especially this yarn. Might have to pop out baby 3 just so I can keep this ensemb.

And then switching away from angora, I made the Bouquet Hat from Itty Bitty Baby Hats, and am working on a pair of booties to match from 50 Bootees to Knit - so far, 1 down:
Top view of the hat - I'm still making flowers and attaching them...slowwwwwly:
And finally, sweet little ankle-strap flower booties (made from Knit Picks Shine Sport) from Debbie Bliss Quick Baby Knits:

Sadly, this - as the other set - is not so much a set of booties, but more like just one. I seem to have an issue with making one, getting bored and wanting to move onto something else, and not making the second. Ah well, there are worse things, aren't there?

Perhaps for quarter 2 I will work on some non-baby items. I am quite intrigued with the lovely blanket that KB is working on...hmmmmmmmmmm....

Ok KB, Rowan et. al...I'll be back in town round 'bout July!!

xxPash