Happy Halloween!

Lucky Aunties!! Since Halloween was on a Saturday this year, we headed up to Folsom to hang with Lil' Guy on Halloween! So much fun.

Where to start though....



My brother goes all out in decorating the house.



I discovered easy ways to torture Lil' Guy...hehehehe.



He didn't want to necessarily sit by the baby zombie, but he was able to show me where the baby zombie was.



And read the book to baby zombie.



And showed baby zombie the cement truck. hehehe. Cruel auntie, I know. But if you have a baby zombie on your lawn, well, your kid has got to be desensitized, right?!



There were yummy cupcakes.




And puppies. I know, Bailey looks concerned.



And the cutest fireman I know.



The fireman later almost became vampire food. Note the lipstick blood on his arm. Lil' Guy loved it!



And my brother and SIL took advantage of auntie babysitters and headed out to a party. Can you believe their costumes?!! Awesome!!



My SIL made them both! And lots of the items she got from the thrift shop! I'm having her make me a costume someday!!

And while Boondock Saint and Lil' Guy's Mom were out partying, and Lil' Guy slept, I figured out how to make this (more details to come!).

Happy Halloween!!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

For the Girls

I finished "the girl version" of my Uncle Frank socks.



Only one had been finished for the pattern photo shoot, remember?




My sister had no problem volunteering to model these, red is one of her favorite colors! I think she's a bit in denial about them being a bit too long for her.



Such a gorgeous red!

Pattern: Uncle Frank (women's size)
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon fingering, colorway Tracy Lord Haven
Needles: US 2 (2.75mm)

Happy Friday!! Hope you all have a great Halloween weekend! We'll be in Folsom celebrating Halloween with Lil' Guy!!! Don't worry, they'll be lots of pictures!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

What are you up to Wednesday?

Well I've been up to lots of things lately, I just haven't had a chance to blog about them! Nothing too exciting, just busy. Where to start?

1. I knit up a Blackberry Brambles cowl.


In the yummy Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon Worsted, colorway Doris.



2. It matches these Toasty gloves that I don't think I ever posted about.



3. I also knit up a hat in the same pattern, but I haven't had a chance to take photos of it or write up the pattern notes. But it is in Plucky's Honey Wilkes color....a gorgeous gorgeous honey color!

4. I finished the girl version of my Uncle Frank socks (the red ones....only one was done for the photo shoot/pattern, but one of the sisters is going to get this for Christmas so I needed to finish them...yeah, I know they read the blog, but really, I think they just look at the pictures, so perhaps they won't even read this....hehehehe). Still haven't taken the photos yet.

5. I've also knit two other hats. Again, must take pictures. Why is it always so dark when I get home?!

6. I need to cast on something new but can't decide what. Suggestions??

7. I'm distracted tonight by this. And this. What to do? Knit? Cook? Bake? Knit? Read?

8. And Friday Night Lights is back (thanks DirectTV!). Amen to Coach Taylor and Tim Riggins.

9. Speaking of TV, did any of you watch The Biggest Loser last night and cry buckets of tears like me??!! I thank Disco for turning me on to this show last year...so inspiring!

10. Its almost-almost Friday!!

What are you up to this week?

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Uncle Frank

My Great Uncle Frank loved the hip-hips (what my Great Aunt Mimi calls country songs).



He always brought home friends for dinner and said to his mother to just give them his (it was the Depression, but his mother always made sure to make enough go around).



My Great Aunt also tells me the Irish favor their boys, and favored he was, she says.



He died fighting during WWII. He received the Purple Heart Medal.



I never met my Great Uncle Frank, but from the stories and memories, he is an important part of my family.


(Thanks Boondock Saint for the modeling! But you still can't have dad's socks. Maybe for Christmas, maybe.)

These socks were knit in his honor.

Pattern: Uncle Frank

Notes: Instructions are written for a cuff-down sock. Sizes are provided for either a men’s sock with sport weight yarn or a women’s sock with fingering weight yarn. Written instructions are included and charts specific to each size are provided on the last pages. Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Yarn: 300-350 yards of sport weight yarn for men’s/sport size. Shown in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock heavyweight, 350 yds/skein; 1 skein colorway Manly yes, but I like it too! or 350-380 yards of fingering weight yarn for women’s/fingering size. Shown in The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon, 385 yds/skein; 1 skein colorway Tracy Lord Haven

Materials: Needles Size US 4 (3.5mm) or size to obtain gauge for men’s/sport size; or Size US 2 (2.75mm) or size to obtain gauge for women’s/ fingering size; cable needle, stitch markers

Gauge: 24 sts = 4” over st st for men’s/sport size or 28 sts = 4” over st st for women’s/fingering size

Size: men’s average/medium or women’s average/medium

Finished measurements: 7” foot circumference relaxed, up to 11” stretched; 6 ½ ” approximate leg length for men’s or 6” foot circumference relaxed, up to 9 ½” stretched; 6” approximate leg length for women’s

Pattern is on sale until the end of October for $4 (the October challenge in the Sock Knitter's Anonymous group over on Ravelry is to knit men's socks, so you've still got time to join us and cast on!). Pattern is available here.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions at irishgirlieknits AT gmail DOT com

Happy Knitting!!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

The Photo Shoot!

Woohoo!!! The Uncle Frank socks are done and I'm just putting the final touches on the pattern!



After Apple Hill last weekend, I tortured Boondock Saint and Lil' Guys' Mom (aka brother and SIL) with helping with the photo shoot! Don't worry, no one fell in!

More pictures soon!!
Happy almost Friday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Apple Hill

This past Sunday my sister and I went up to Apple Hill in Placerville, CA with my brother, SIL, and Lil' Guy! We had a great time!



There were sheepies!


One seriously cute lil' guy!!


Pony rides!


Lil' Guy and his girlfriend :)


Apples! Lots of apples!

Hmmm...I seemed to have forgotten to take pictures of all the pies (apple berry pie, apple pumpkin pie, apple pie, etc!) that came home with us and are now tucked in our freezer for the holidays!!

Hope you are having a great week!
xoxo Irishgilrieknits

Look Dad

A new sock for you!



A new design no less!




And what does IrishDad say? "Wouldn't it be easier if you just fixed the holes in my other socks?"



Seriously Dad. What fun would that be!


Thanks Boondock Saint (my brother!) for the sock modeling! Well done!

I'm loving how my new sock pattern is coming out! Over in the Sock Knitters Anonymous group, one of our monthly KAL themes is to knit socks for a man. I thought I'd design my Uncle Frank socks. Disco had suggested cables and it stuck. I'm using STR heavyweight, in Manly yes, but I like it!

More details coming soon!

Happy Socktober!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

A perfect evening...

Well, pretty close at least.

Got my workout in for October Smackdown.

Enjoyed a yummy bowl of this.

I'm knitting a bit on my Socktoberfest Mystery Sock with the yummy Plucky Knitter MCN in Pumpkin Latte.




Its almost Friday and I've worked 11 days straight. One more day til the weekend!

Almost all the ingredients for a perfect evening.

What makes this really perfect though? This arrived today.


Ally McBeal: The Complete Series

My sister and I have been waiting YEARS!! for Ally McBeal to be available on DVD (heck, I would have been happy with it on VHS!). Ally McBeal is probably one of my favorite, if not most favorite, tv shows! Truth be told, there isn't a Christmas that hasn't gone by that my sister and I haven't watch all the Ally McBeal Christmas episodes from the season with Robert Downey Jr. that we have saved on VHS (a very, very fuzzy VHS tape). Its actually in my VHS player right now (its been there probably since the last time I had a bad day and needed a pick-me-up!).

Now its a perfect evening!

Happy Almost Friday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Saturday Night

So what are you up to tonight?



Yes, I'm in New Orleans, and should be having beignets and partying on Bourbon St. But I'm exhausted from work and staying out in the suburbs and I need to work tomorrow and Monday. However, the family I work with just dropped this Daiquiri off at my hotel room, so I'm not complaining :)



And I'm loving my new Plucky cowl!

And Notre Dame beat Washington 37-30 in overtime, so I'm pretty happy!

What are you up to this weekend?

Happy Saturday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Best part about airplane flights...

Finishing your knitting!



I'm in New Orleans again for business, and the two long flights out here were perfect for napping and knitting! I finished my Lacy Baktus scarf yesterday on the flight here. After a nice blocking, this scarf is so soft and drapey!! Love it!!


Madelinetosh Tosh Sock fingering, colorway Kale from Woolgirl



I worked a long day today, and have four more days of the same ahead of me (maybe some time on Sunday for a local music festival, we'll see!). At least there's sweet tea. And shrimp po-boys. And gumbo. And sweet tea.

Happy just about Friday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits