Blogstalking Assignment #1: Who Am I?

Blogstalking Part 2! Over on the Knittyboards they decided to bring back blogstalking, where each week there is a theme to post to your blog and we all read each's others posts, etc. Of course, I'm way behind, so you'll see assignments #1-3 in the next few days so that I can catch up.

First topic. Who am I? Couldn't have picked an easier topic? Who am I? Well, we know I'm a crazy girl who knits. And is quite obsessed with the knitting. Beyond that.... I could make the list...daughter, sister, friend, etc. But I'm not quite sure that really captures me. My perfect day captures me.

My perfect "everyday" day (you know, not the fabulous vacation days or momentous life event days, just the day-to-day day) is probably a Saturday. Sleep in a bit, and then go to the farmer's market. I learned/taught myself to cook a few years ago and haven't looked back! One of my favorite things about cooking is the fresh ingredients (note: my friends will confirm that up until five or six years ago, I would not have been able to identify fresh basil in a grocery store. Now, its one of my favorite ingredients!).

After the farmer's market, if its fall, usually my sister and I (and the doggies too!) are at my Dad's house watching Notre Dame football (note: a perfect day would involve the Irish winning of course...and maybe even USC losing...hehehehe). My brother calls throughout the game (he lives two hours away). And of course, there's always knitting during the game (unless things get really stressful!).






My perfect day could end lots of ways....typically doing something with Snowboarder or my friends. That could be dinner, a movie, or just hanging out! Guaranteed there will be lots of laughter. I guess you could say I'm a bit silly too :)

Well, maybe this doesn't totally capture who I am. One other thing that I never talk about on my blog is my job. Probably because knitting is a huge outlet for me with the stress that comes with my job and I like to keep those two things separate! However, I feel blessed to have a career that I love. I'm a director of a clinic that provides early intensive behavioral intervention for children with autism. I'm been working with children with autism since I was in high school and in college I just realized this was what I wanted to do (this was back when autism was something most people had never heard of and its rates of occurrence were much lower than the current rates of 1 in every 166 children being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder). I absolutely love working with the children I work with and seeing them make the incredible gains they can make (note: of course being a manager/director comes with lots of other drama/stress as every job does, but when it comes down to it, teaching a child his or her first words is a pretty awesome job).


So there you go. Family, friends, doggies, teaching, kids, and Notre Dame football. I guess I'm a girl who values those things :) Oh and yarn. Don't forget the yarn.

Wouldn't be me if I didn't include a picture of Bailey and Puddles, even if its a recycled old picture :)

xoxoxo Irishgirlieknits

WIP: The One I Didn't Get a Chance to Tell You About

And look! Its done! The Kai Cable Sweater from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding. A fairly quick knit, if you don't get sick right in the middle of it. I finished picking up the neck stitches and seaming (yuck! I like the top-down baby sweaters so much better) tonight. This is for Little Guy's trip to Ireland (lucky kid! he and his mom and dad leave next week). All his other sweaters are still a bit too big.




Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton, 1 skein (and maybe 3-4 yards of a second skein)
Size: 3-months size; another modified pattern (smallest size was 6 months)



I didn't need to borrow one of Rowan's teddy bears tonight. This one is mine! Thanks Pashyknits! She may have kinda/sorta stopped blogging (I'll still hope for the once a quarter posts still), but when she sent flowers to the hospital, she specifically sent a teddy bear so that I could use him as a model for the blog :) Now that's a good friend!

xoxox Irishgirlieknits

There Was Sewing Too!

As my friend Christy noted in the comments of my last post, yes there was sewing! Probably the reason why she can understand my STR addiction is because her fabric stash rivals my yarn stash! I should have taken a picture of her sewing room because it is what I would LOVE my craft room to look like. Instead, she gave me some sewing lessons (she's a great teacher...I said I'd just watch...she wouldn't let me get away with that!).

She makes the cutest bags (perfect for gift bags or party favor bags) and sells them here and on Etsy (cute little pumpkin bags and baby blankets too!). Two of these are going to my favorite little blogger boys (that's right Disco...how could I resist!).



(see that cute STR Gingerbread Dude mill end for reference)

And this is the bag she taught me to make! I'd never used the rotary cutter before (yeap...I'm definately a beginner) or the zigzag (or probably make anything straight!). Her lesson definately made me less afraid of my machine. Thanks Christy!

Okay, and a few more pictures of the pretty Rare Gems colors. These are two of my favorites.


STR mediumweight, Rare Gems

STR lightweight, Rare Gems

BEWARE!! NEXT PICTURE MAY BE TOO MUCH TO TAKE IN AT ONCE!!!

That was "THE BOX" that Tina was restocking from when we had our chat. It was a bit hard to not just dig in!! That pretty blue one on the top left is the one I took home and is pictured above. Isn't that the prettiest box of Rare Gems you ever did see?? Oh, if only I could see the ones on the bottom!

xoxox Irishgirlieknits

The Starry Night Socks

They are done. Phew! One is a bit too big. One a bit too short. Oh well. Although I decided they are more "Starry Night Socks" the process and result resemble a bit more my first choice of "Notre Dame Socks" (we are 0-4 people...just horrible start to the football season...maybe now that the socks are done we can win a game?). My gauge was wayyyyyyyyy off (actually, I guess I just cast on too many stitches), and I figured this out while I was in the hospital and it was the only knitting project I had and I didn't want to frog it, so I said, what the heck and changed the stitch count once I decreased the gusset. So 1 1/2 socks are knit on 64 stitches, 1/2 sock knit on 72 stitches. Again, oh well. I still love them.

Yarn: STR mediumweight, color Dreidel
Pattern: Seeded Ribbing, from More Sensational Knitted Socks (thanks Zonda!)


Now, on to more important things. Which STR socks to cast on next? Here are three of the new colors I bought at OFFF (the other colors I got were Rare Gems or Mill Ends of other colors....it was so hard to choose! I turned down some of the other new colors that were online because I figured I could always buy them later......its an addiction...).

Probably my favorite. Faulty Dyer. Tina said that she just finished it on Friday!! Christy and I got to talk to Tina. That may have been one of my highlights. We were just talking away, didn't realize she was Tina, and then when she said she was Tina, I was a bit star struck! She truly is a color genius!!



STR lightweight, color Faulty Dyer

STR mediumweight, color Pirate's Booty

STR mediumweight, Count Cluckula (hehehehe)

I can't wait to cast on a new pair of socks!!

Oh, and the cupcakes, they were just because!! That's how much fun we had! Don't worry, more yarny pictures to come. Did I tell you I did Portland LYS shopping on Friday....oops, I left that out didn't I? :)

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

The BEST Medicine!

What's the best medicine when you are just about 90% recovered from the 2 kidney-infection, acute sepsis incident, 3 days in the hospital on morphine, sickness??? Go to visit one of your best friends who you've known for 17 years and she just happens to live near a fiber festival where your absolute favorite yarn store is going to be!! Oh yeah.

I'm definately all better now!! Just got home tonight...so here's a few pictures to tide you over until I can give you more details later this week!

Here's the prescription......


1)Go visit the Blue Moon Booth at the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival.


2) Bring your best friend, who will hold lots of yarn for you, since she knits a scarf a year and doesn't want to buy yarn (she just wants to hang out with you, seriously!).

3) Meet new friends who know you love yarn too! Jessica is just as fabulous in person as she is on her blog and on the knittyboards! We missed you Disco (just insert Disco's picture and then it would have been a super-perfect day).

4) Say hi to the animals!

5) Pet the animals!

6) Buy gorgeous skeins of STR Rare Gems and new colors (that cute model is Christy's daughter...we told her to just act like I had been all day!!).

7) Love the yarn!

8) Eat cupcakes. Lots of cupcakes.

It was just what the yarn doctor ordered. Now how to figure out how to work my budget to arrange a visit for the "Barn Sale" in November. Why oh why did Tina have to tell us?!!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Lots of Catching Up to Do!

It feels like forever since I've really blogged. I've got tons of catching up to do. First, on the first day of being home sick, I received my Ravelry Summer Swap package from Xtina. Wow! Did she spoil me!! Addi Turbo Lace needles for Magic Loop! I've never tried the lace needles and have heard such great things!!Gorgeous blue skeins of sock yarn to feed my addiction!
Koigu!
Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks 50% tencel, 50% wool socks....gorgeous! And all the other goodies...seriously! Thank you thank you Xtina!!


Now on to my WIPs! There hasn't been too much working lately due to being exhausted and sick, but I did finish my Starry Night/Notre Dame Sock (the second sock is below) and couldn't wait to cast on the socks from the Woolgirl Sock Club.


Before I got sick, I was really, really trying to be dedicated to my Pickle. I mean Tomato. Actually, the color is Pickle (and the color of the original pattern was Tomato, so I've named mine my Pickle sweater). I'm just about to the part where I think I join everything (haven't touched since I've been out of the hospital).
My stitch markers arrived just in time from Discoknits and they match my sweater perfectly!! Disco still has a few left in the shop too!!
I guess I've been on a bit of a stitch marker craze. I can't wait to use my lettered stitch markers from Turtlegirl on a new pair of socks. I know Turtlegirl will be proud that I picked up my Tomato and got my butt in gear!!

Oh, and I have one other project that is just about done, so I'll save it for a FO post hopefully. It was a quick project for Little Guy!


Phew, that seemed exhausting just posting. My doctor says it'll take a few more days to beat the bug completely (but I'm bound and determined to make it up to Portland to visit my friends this weekend and go to Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival!). I've come home from work yesterday and today and gone straight to bed. I feel like I haven't slept so much in my life! Puddy loves it, I think!!

why are you waking me up with that flash?

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Yarnival!!

Guess what??!!! My submission to this issues's Yarnival was accepted!! Now that's gonna make a girl feel better :) (Seriously, in the short half time break of the sad Michigan slaughter of Notre Dame right now...the Yarntini shop was updated and I got a skein or two with my destash money and then I saw that my post was accepted to Yarnival! Does this mean ND is going to come from down 31 points in the second half too??!! nope). Go read all the other fun knitting blogs in this issue. I had read about submissions on Stitch n Sue's blog last month, and this month she is accepting submissions!

I'm feeling a lot better! Thanks for the get well wishes. Still sleeping a lot though. Have a great weekend!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Hospitals Stink!

Just thought I'd share that! Unfortunately, I've spent the last three days in the hospital, quite unexpectedly. I'll spare you all the icky details, but just tell you that I'd been sick since Friday but got medicine and was feeling better by Sunday. Monday was horrible again (very horrible) and Tuesday was even worse (the I-can't-even-knit-worse), and that's when my doctor sent me to the emergency room. Lots of drugs and morphine later, I'm now home (well, technically at Dad's). Hopefully regular knitting will resume tomorrow. For now, I'm off to bed (like the cute doggies below...had to put a picture in such a depressing post!).

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

The Littlest Fan!

Little Guy has a new hat just in time for the football game (phew! glad I modified and finished the larger size).

Go Irish!!

Game was close for awhile, right Little Guy?

Uh-oh! Even Little Guy realizes its going to be a long long season.......

Pattern: Cabled Baby Hat (cast on 16 extra stitches and did cable pattern 2-3 more times than suggested)
Yarn: Socks that Rock, heavyweight, color In the Navy

Have a great weekend!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

WIP: The Rockin' Edition

First, thank you Zonda for nominating me as a Rockin' Girl Blogger! I was so flattered to be nominated, especially by you!!

In turn, I'd like to nomimate a few bloggers that I love!

Discoknits - She sure can knit some FOs!! That alone amazes and motivates me at the same time! And she is always using such gorgeous yarns. If you are doing the TKGA Master Knitting Program, last month she started a few posts discussing her feedback from them too. Okay, and really, those two cutie boys of hers always make me smile!!

Stilaholic Nartian- Zonda nominated me partially because of my love for all things BMFA. Well, that's how I found Stilaholic's blog and why I love it. She has such drool-worthy, stunning projects and stash! She and Zonda......enablers the both of them! I'd nominate tapmouse too, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Stilaholic will!!!

So here is what is Rockin' lately in my project bag. Another Scarf that Rocks! aka the Chevron Scarf.

I wanted one to go with my fall wardrobe. I'm using Harlotty and January One, both in STR lightweight. I LOVE this combination. Talk about two Rockin' Girl Bloggers...their colorways make a nice combination, don't you think?

I'm ready to start the heel on the Starry Night Sock. I'll admit, this sock suffered a bit during Saturday's football game. Put it away at halftime to see if it would help the Irish turn it around.... it didn't (our household has some superstitions when it comes to wins and losses....however, I have a feeling it might be a long season).

A slightly bigger version of the Baby Hat that Rocks just in case the itty bitty one is too little for Little Guy.

And then we have Tuscany. In BMFA Posh yarn. I love this pattern, but I almost need to decide to only work on it exclusively for a bit if I'm going to make some serious headway. Maybe I should take a Turtlegirl approach to this (she soooo Rocks! She can whip out those projects like nobodies business!). This is actually quite a bit of progress considering I only worked on it on our NYC trip. It was the main project I worked on there and I felt like that helped. Easy pattern to memorize (of course, that was a few weeks ago, so now I'll have to get the swing of it again). I love the drape of the yarn and pattern together though.

And in sad news, Tomato has not been touched. In over six weeks!! Hopefully my sweater mojo will come back soon. Focus power!

Have a great week!!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Destash Flickr set.....you know you want some.....hehehehe

The Biggest WIP....the Stash!!

Or should I say the Destash!! Even Rowan got in on the action tonight (not good when Rowan is going through the sock yarn and making decisions....she doesn't quite get that my two tiny skeins of Sundara ARE gorgeous and were hard to come by!). Of course, she knows we don't go near the STR box :)

So, enjoy!! My need to organize/destash/ravelrize (not a word, yet) is your good fortune (lots of sock yarns, then some tess, twinkle, BMFA cotton, etc.). The Destash Flickr set is here! And I also have it posted at Ravelry in my trade/sell stash section here (I think...I'm Irishgirlieknits)Thanks Zonda for the tips too!!

If you are interested in anything, email me at Irishgirlieknits AT gmail DOT com I'll be accepting paypal (but email me first to make sure its still there!).

And, I can't leave you without the cutest model yet!! Modeling her Monica...Miss Baby H!! Ready for this weeks mini-heat wave!! Hopefully I'll have my real WIP pics up later tonight!

Baby Hats!

Cabled Baby Hat that Rocks!

Upside-Down Daisy
Just waiting to be delivered to special little babies (the daisy hat is for Little Guy's girlfriend, and the Cabled Baby Hat is probably a bit too bitty for Little Guy, so its going to Hot Mama's baby boy-on-the-way). The Cabled Baby Hat that Rocks is knit with.....Socks that Rock Heavyweight, colorway In the Navy. Leftovers from the Blanket that Rocks. I used size 7 needles.

This week may be my baby hats week! Little Guy is going to Ireland in October with my brother and SIL (lucky them!), and his current hats are still a bit too big. However, I think this one turned out a bit too small (I get to try it on him Saturday though!). I'm going to make some modifications and make it a bit bigger- either way I'm way behind on knitting for Hot Mama's baby boy (one of my best friends!). I also want to knit a few hats for the Hats for Alex project and if any of you are on the fence, its for a good cause, and Weezalana is having a contest for it too! As Weezalana says, "Spread the juju!"

Have a great week!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits