Sexy Socks!

Wow! The past two days of Sock Summit have been awesome, inspiring, exhausting, and so much fun!  I wanted to share a few pictures from the class that I taught yesterday, Dead Sexy Heels.  My students were great and really seemed to embrace the dead sexy heels concept! Check out these socks....





Look at these engaged knitters!



A few even wore their IGK socks!


Kristine's Cotty socks


Mary Ann's Sweet Home socks in STR Irishgirlie Green

Dana and Mary Ann are the awesome daughter and mom team that I've gotten to know in our Irishgirlieknits Group on Ravelry. So nice to meet them finally!







And it was so nice to see Stacy again!



I can't say enough how absolutely wonderful this experience has been. Tina and Steph have really wanted to create a supportive community for new teachers and they have far exceeded what I would have expected! All of the teachers have been so incredibly encouraging. I can't thank them enough for putting their faith in me and giving me this opportunity!

Okay, must to bed. Tomorrow more pictures!

Oh, and the yarn in the MarketPlace. Wow. Wow. Wow. Hope my wallet can survive the next two days!

Happy Sock Summit!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Sock Summit!

I have had such an awesome time the last few days in Portland and technically, Sock Summit hasn't even officially begun!!  I arrived late Monday night and yesterday Erica and I ventured to Twisted, my favorite Portland LYS! 

I just love everything about their store, from their awesome friendly staff and customer service, to the wall of socks, to the yarns, to the lovely group of people knitting!










Look, I spy a Bellingrath! So cool!



Did I show you my finished Dancette?  I don't think I did.  I love it!  I'm so excited for this pattern to be released this weekend!



We ran into Michelle, of PDXKnitterati, and she was so sweet to drop us off at an awesome restaurant, Lucca.  Dinner was To. Die. For.  We are still trying to figure out how to go back.





After dinner we made a quick stop at Voodoo Donuts.  We were too full to eat them then, but the maple bacon bar was enjoyed this morning for breakfast!





Don't worry, we passed up the $5 bucket of day old doughnuts.  Still not sure why though. hehehe

Today was a busy, exciting day and it ended with a fabulous teachers' dinner.  I am so humbled and honored to be teaching here and can't wait for my class tomorrow!  The dead sexy heels are ready to go.



And buttons and treats for my meet-ups this weekend!! Please stop by and say hi!



Happy Sock Summit!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Quick update

All is going smoothly this afternoon! ST-1 and ST-2 are doing an awesome job getting everything ready for Sock Summit and there are knitters everywhere!

Few quick pics via iPad...





Debbi and Tina hard at work.




Angela's gorgeous yarns are so lovely in person! They'll be at The Fold!





Debbi's new design, Lucy, is gorgeous! Seriously where does she find the time? Pattern is on ravelry and will be in Knitted Wit's booth.

Ok, now off to get pretty for the teacher's dinner!! So excited!

Happy sock summitting!
Xoxo irishgirlieknits

Calm before....

Sock summit time! Vendors and students start checking in in 15 minutes!












Happy sock summitting!
Xoxo irishgirlieknits

P.S. Going to try quick iPad blogposts throughout!

One Day More!!!

I can't believe it is just about Sock Summit time!!  I'm beyond excited!  I arrived in Portland late Monday night and have had a day to relax, put the finishing touches on my class notes, finish knitting up some samples..and I'm just ready for the fun to start!  I hope to have a chance to blog a bit tomorrow night, but just in case, I wanted to let those of you who are attending know where I'll be! Please stop by and say hi!  I've already met some fabulous knitters in our hotel lobby and at a quick stop tonight to Twisted, my fave Portland LYS!  Looking forward to meeting more crazy fabulous sock knitters this weekend!




July 28-31, 2011
Portland, OR

What: IrishGirlieKnits' Meet & Greet
Where: Knitted Wit's Booth #725
When: Friday, July 29 12-1pm

Knitted Wit will be carrying all of my newly reformatted IGK patterns!
Join us for special treats (e.g., buttons, candy)! I'd love to see your IGK finished knits!



What: Coffee Break Knits from Kollage Yarns Designer Book Signing
Where: Paradise Fibers Booth #623, 625, 627, 722, 724, 726
When: Saturday, July 30 12-1:30pm

Stop by and pick up your Limited Edition of Coffee Break Knits from Kollage Yarns!  Five patterns for $19.99!  You can't beat it!  My new pattern Cannon Beach is one of the five patterns.  Meet all five designers
including myself, Anne Hanson, Thayer Preece, Jen Hansen, & Sandi Rosner.


Cannon Beach shown in Kollage Yarns Luscious

Paradise Fibers will also be carrying all of my patterns for Kollage Yarns,
including my new Fall 2011 designs, Seamus and Keegan.

Also find more Irish Girlie Knits Designs at Miss Babs Booth #822, 824 and my Slip Jig pattern at Blue Moon Fiber Arts Booth #922, 924, 926, 928!



Dancette, my new design, will be sold exclusively in The Plucky Knitter's Booth #406!




And Thursday I will be teaching my Dead Sexy Heels Class at Sock Summit!

Seriously can't wait!! Thank you guys so much for your support and cheerleading during this awesome journey for me!

Happy Sock Summitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Sneak Peek!

I'm so excited to share my new design with you guys! It has been so hard keeping this one a secret!  Debuting next week at Sock Summit, my new design that I did in collaboration with Sarah from The Plucky Knitter!

Dancette

Shown in The Plucky Knitter Primo MCN 75/20/5, colorways Roasted Pumpkin and Milk Maid, one skein of each; Modeled by Thayer Preece, Photo credit: Tricia Soto

I'm pretty crazy about the lovely yarns by Sarah Dimond, The Plucky Knitter.  Sarah is mad about all things chevron.  Together, I think we are both head over heels for this shawl, Dancette.  In architecture, dancette is an ornamental molding that features a zigzag pattern.  Here, the zigzag edging gives this shawl that extra something!

The pattern will be available at Sock Summit in The Plucky Knitter Booth #406!  If you can't make it to Sock Summit, the pattern will be sold as a kit through The Plucky Knitter sometime in August.  I'll be sure to let you know when!

Happy almost Sock Summit Week!!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Soon

Soon it will be Friday.

Soon my to-do list will be smaller.

Soon I'll be able to show you a sneak peek at my new design for The Plucky Knitter at Sock Summit.




Soon these lovely patterns will be available at Miss Babs, Knitted Wit, and The Plucky Knitter booths at Sock Summit!

Soon I can tell you about my meet and greets at sock summit with Knitted Wit and Kollage Yarns.

Soon I'll be finished with the secret project on my needles that I thought I would have finished last Sunday.

Soon I'll have time to blog from my computer instead of my iPad, with the not so great photos, but it is kind cool to be able to do all this from my iPad.

Soon I'll fall asleep.

In the meantime, I can tell you that my sister and I had a great weekend visiting Mimi, loved seeing Harry Potter, I made it to knit nite last night and had an awesome time, I'm super excited about Sock Summit, I'm a wee bit nervous about Sock Summit, I've made time for exercising and eating healthy the past few weeks (probably because I'm thinking about Voodoo Donuts!), 5 more sleeps til i leave for sock summit, and most of all, I am so grateful that when I can't sleep because of all the stuff on my mind, I have the bestest knitting friends a girl could have right here in this blogging/ravelry community. Thank you!

Enough about me. What are you guys looking forward to?

Happy sleeping...I mean knitting!
Xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Queen Alice

Happy Weekend! My sister and I are up for a long weekend visit with Mimi in Reno, which means lots of relaxing and knitting!  And hopefully seeing Harry Potter tomorrow as well!

I promised another reformatted pattern and here it is....

Queen Alice

Queen Alice was originally designed for Woolgirl's Alice in Wonderland Sock Club.


As Alice's story begins in a daisy field, so too does this sock pattern.  The cuff is made up of daisy stitches, and from here, the sock tumbles down the rabbit-hole, comprised of cables.


But in Wonderland, everything is a bit different. And with these socks, the front and back are both a bit different too!


Enjoy the journey!


I've been wanting to have these socks knit up in a solid color, such as this lovely Sanguine Gryphon Bugga! I've had the colorway Adonis Butterfly set aside for awhile!  I have to thank Jana for doing such an awesome job knitting these up so that I could have the pattern reformatted!  Thank you Jana!


Another thank you to my mom for being an awesome sock model!! Thanks mom for being so patient with me and the gazillion photos!


Now, we may not have had a white rabbit available for the photo shoot, but my mom's dog Maddie was quite happy to take part!



Isn't she a sweetie?!

Queen Alice  

Notes: Instructions are written for a cuff-down sock.  Sizes are provided for either a sport weight yarn or a fingering weight yarn.  Charts are provided on the last page.

Suggested Yarns: ~ 350 yards of sport weight sock yarn such as The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga, BMFA Socks that Rock mediumweight, Miss Babs Yummy Superwash Sport, Dashing Dachs Sport Weight Sock

~ 385-400 yards of fingering weight sock yarn such as The Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga, The Plucky Knitter Primo MCN 75/20/5, Madelinetosh Tosh Sock, Wollmeise 100% Merino Superwash, Dashing Dachs Fingering Weight Sock

Materials:

Size US 2 (2.75mm) or size to obtain gauge, either DPNs or circular needles for sport size

Size US 1 (2.25mm) or size to obtain gauge, either DPNs or circular needles for fingering size

Stitch markers

Cable needle

Tapestry needle

Gauge:  32 sts = 4” over st st for sport size

               40 sts = 4” over st st for fingering size

Size:  adult women’s average/medium

Finished measurements:  6½ ” foot circumference, unstretched; up to 8½” stretched; 6” approximate leg length for sport size; 6¼ ” approximate leg length for fingering size

I'm also offering a special pricing of $4.50 until Monday, July 18! 

I want to thank Jill for doing a fabulous job with the pattern reformatting! She really makes this easy and I hope to have most of all of my patterns reformatted in the next month or two! 

Speaking of Jill, her website has a fresh new look!  Go check it out.  And she also just finished knitting her Summer Wind.  She looks fabulous in it, don't you think?   

Now back to my secret sock summit knitting! I hope to show you pictures of that soon!  9 more sleeps til I leave!

What are you guys up to this weekend?


Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Something New!

Awwww....breathing a nice big sigh of relief here today.  The last of the pattern to-do list before Sock Summit has been completed!  I'll have one new reformatted one by the end of the week for you and a brand new one that will debut in The Plucky Knitter booth at Sock Summit!

Now I just need to do some prep work for my class, print patterns, and KNIT!!  Yay!  I've got two projects I'm knitting for me to just wear :)  Here's a peek...



Two lovely skeins of The Plucky Knitter Primo, and a perfectly matched stitch marker from Knitfacts! I'll be stocking up on more of both of these at Sock Summit.

So, what is on your knitting needles this week?  Those of you going to sock summit, what are you trying to finish up?

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Let's Catch Up!

Wow! Although summer has been a bit more relaxed, it sure has been busy! I've fallen a bit behind in blogging so tonight I'll try to catch up!

Let's first start with a countdown! 19 more sleeps until Sock Summit!!!  Woohoo!!  Can't wait! I'm flying in a few days early, so 16 sleeps for me!

Who else is going to Sock Summit?  I can't wait to see both new and old friends!

I've also been wanting to release a free pattern for awhile now and I finally released it yesterday! Another thing to check-off the must-do before Sock Summit list.  Meet my new sock pattern, Honey Badger.



I think you guys will like this one.  My fabulous, speedy test knitters Disco, Manda, and Gaylen, said it flew off their needles!  Thank you again ladies for all your help this week!



The slipped stitches will work great with variegated yarns too.  But if it doesn't, well, honey badgers don't care, right?!  These socks have been brewing in my head since sock camp! 



Sock camp brings out all sorts of silliness, and learning too, but really, this sock knitting community is pretty fabulous and fun.  At camp this year, the Honey Badger seemed to become our impromptu mascot.  When it came time to name this pattern, I just couldn’t resist naming it after the Honey Badger, the most fearless animal in all of the animal kingdom.  Be fearless with your sock knitting!  Honey Badgers don’t care! 



Honey Badger

Notes: Instructions are written for a cuff-down sock. Charts are provided on the last page.

Suggested Yarns: 350-380 yards of fingering weight yarn such as BMFA Socks that Rock lightweight, The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon fingering, Miss Babs Yummy Superwash Sock, Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock, Knitted Wit Superwash Merino Fingering, Kitchen Sink Dyeworks Luxe Merino Fine

Materials: Size US 1 (2.25mm) or size to obtain gauge, either DPNs or circular needles, Stitch markers, Tapesty needle

Gauge: 32 stitches and 48 rows = 4” over st st

Size: adult women’s X-Small (Small, Medium, Large)

Finished measurements: 6 ½ (7 ¼, 8, 8 ¾)" foot circumference; 6” approximate leg length

Another special thanks to Thayer and Tricia for doing a fabulous job with the modeling and photography! I don't know where I would be without them.  Plus, I gave them the challenge of figuring out how to model just one sock :)

This is my favorite photo from the day!



And would you believe we saw this guy on the drive up to our photo shoot!  I sooooo wanted to make Thayer jump out and model the sock next to him, but um....we think he was dead.



Even though this was a free pattern, I still wanted to have it feature my new pattern format.  I really, really need to thank Jill, aka Knitterella, for being such an awesome resource for me as my graphic designer.  I highly recommend her if you are looking for graphic design work!



Not only did she do the pattern layout, but she was also a sponsor of this pattern!  Please go show her some love and thank her! I really do appreciate being able to offer this pattern for free and with such a professional look.  Thank you Jill!



I've been keeping Jill busy with pattern reformatting too!  I have two more of my previously published designs in my new layout.



From now until July 15, Dotty and Sweet Baby Kate will be specially-priced at $4.50 and then they will be $6.00, as my other patterns.

See, lots of fun stuff!  One would wonder if I am finding any time to knit.  Well, truth be told, once I had another secret project off the needles, I spent most of the week working on the extra stuff, such as pattern writing.  But last night I did finally cast on another Summer Wind.  I've loved seeing all of the Summer Winds knit up in our KAL, so I was inspired!  Plus, I need some almost mindless knitting.


Anzula Squishy (and omg....love love how squishy it is!)

Hey, I didn't say I'd made a lot of progress, just that I'd cast on!

I also hope to cast on for the Kollage Yarns' IrishgirlieKnits KAL this week too.   I plan to use this gorgeous skein of Sock-a-licous.......



.... to make Keegan, a super quick and easy baby hat and cables pattern that I designed for their Fall line. 


I just love these wee baby socks!


And I could eat her up she is so stinkin' cute!

Okay, and if you have made it through this long catch-up post, I'll treat you to some highlights from my weekend!


Homemade pizza!



And re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! I can't wait to see the movie!  Oh, and yes, that gorgeous skein of Ginny from Sunshine Yarns showed up in the mail today!

Any of you excited to see Harry Potter this week?  What do you need to catch me up on? Hope you are having a fantastic weekend!

Now off to bed I go....

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits