Good things.

Definitely one of those weeks where daily I tried to find the good things. Here are just a few as I look back over my week.

1. OMG. Want. All of these. Seriously. The one that caught my attention originally was 'Unfriended a Racist' but other faves include 'Stopped Caring About Bullshit,' '   I could cover my Field bag in them.

2. Speaking of my knitting bag, I love it.



Yep. That's unfinished Christmas knitting. Oh well. It happens to the best of us.

3. And I was pretty proud to be part of the knitting community last weekend. I was there in spirit. I was working with an awesome team of women that morning and we shared our own stories... our own mini-march of sorts, since we couldn't be there. Four American women. Diverse and similar our small group was- Christian, Muslim, mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, people of color, white, affected by autoimmune disease, cancer, autism....And that's just what little we know about each other. We don't know everyone's complete story. When one of the women talked about the pink pussyhats, I was so honored to share pictures of you guys on IG and explain more about it. Whether or not you agree with the movement, it is still an awesome thing to see the power of knitters. Kay Gardiner summed it up perfectly I think.

4. Knitted Wit's new colorway, Be Mine, where 10% of the sales of this colorway will forever go to Planned Parenthood.

Photo courtesy of Knitted Wit, colorway Be Mine

5. Knitting sure does soothe the soul. I'm so glad I've found my needles again after such a hard year last year. This morning I knit a bit while I was watching church on Facebook. Yep. That's a thing now. I try to get home to Church every other weekend. I love my Love Center Church family and am so blessed to have found a church family, and then I moved. I'm sure there are lovely churches here, but I'm just not ready yet having just found a church family I love. It is such a welcoming, non-denominational church, if you happen to live in the Oakland/Bay Area community, with an amazing music ministry too (you can check out some of the services/music on periscope).



Pattern: Naylor Street

I also took it to my mani/pedi  this afternoon, part of my self-care routine these past few months.



6. Yes, that is sparkly gold nail polish. Not my typical go-to color, but kinda goes with one of my anthems this month.



Now if that isn't bubblegum pop, I don't know what is. I don't even know who Britt Nicole is. Little Snowboarder must have downloaded this song on my phone way back when. I added it to my workout playlist this January since it was peppy. But damn. Those lyrics got to me.

You're one in a million. This, this is for all the girls
Boys all over the world
Whatever you've been told
You're worth more than gold
So hold your head up high
It's your time to shine
From the inside out it shows
You're worth more than gold
You're worth more than gold.

We are enough and so worth it. But I think sometimes we women need to hear this message a little bit more, and definitely more from each other. So sure, sparkly gold nail polish today :) Shine.

7. Victoria. And not just because of the Cavi.



8. Baby sweater just needs a button. Woohooo!!



And yes, this one is a new design at some point.

9. Sunsets. Seriously, this beauty was on my drive home this week.



10. All the Steward love you guys have shown this past week! Thank you supporting my new pattern release.



The Plucky Knitter featured it as The Ox Mystery Match too!



I wanted to share better photos of the one I knit with speckled Plucky yarn and a contrast brim, but unfortunately this is the best I can do. With the crazy rain we had a week ago, my hat went missing somewhere. Hopefully, someone is wearing it and giving it lots of love. One can hope.



It is on sale for a few more days if you haven't had a chance to purchase it.  


11.  Daily gratitude list in my bullet journal, which I love by the way. This daily act of remembering all I have to be grateful for has been helpful in so many ways.



11. Candle light. I've found this simple act of lighting a candle calming these past few weeks, especially amongst such chaos. Focusing on the positive, the light, instead of the darkness.   A daily act, similar to the gratitude list, that is making it easier to focus.



It prompted me to find a few of my favorite light/dark quotes to share with you guys, in case you needed a bit of inspiration for the week ahead.













Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Steward

There are some designs that mean a little bit more to me than others. The ones named after my family I'm especially fond of. And the pattern I'm releasing today is one of those types of designs.


Steward, shown in The Plucky Knitter Snug Worsted, colorway Icey Audrey

Knitting this hat healed my heart a bit. I just didn't realize it at the time. I knit this hat over and over and over last year. It was probably the only thing I knit for months. The name came to me one night at bible study when my Pastor spoke about stewardship and that we needed to be good stewards of the gifts God had given us. I could knit. And knit I did.



Six times to be exact. The only thing I could knit because I had lost my knitting motivation. You know its bad when you're not doing the things you love to do. This was just easy enough to knit a row here or there.



And I thought things were better. I was knitting again. Being diagnosed with cancer twice and the pain and fear that comes with that would not beat me. But I could not get the pattern written down. I was stuck. For months.



That's where the journey of this design really healed my heart a bit. Realizing I needed to let a lot go has cleared my mind of so much lately. In that act of letting go, surrendering if you will, I was able to write this pattern. Something that I struggled with (let's be clear guys, it's an easy 2-page pattern!) for months became so easy all of a sudden.



That is an entirely different type of gift. One I'm learning to be grateful for daily.



I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

P.S. The pattern is on sale for $5 through the end of January, but you can get an extra 20% off this pattern and any other IGK pattern ($6 or less) with the coupon code: GIFTS through Sunday, 1/22/17.

Happenings

Taking a few moments to share and reflect on all the lovely things that have been happening this past week.  

{writing}

 

Yes. I sent Knitterella, my graphic designer extraordinaire, my first pattern of 2017. It felt incredible to be able to have the focus to sit down and write a knitting pattern.                

{reading}



Technically, I'm listening to and reading this one. My only regret is not discovering Brene Brown's work sooner. But I'm not sure I would have appreciated it the same way.



She Reads Truth. The just enough bible study I was looking for last year and it has been nice to get back to my daily readings when I can. Peace and calm is something I'm focusing on this year, so this quote was exactly what I needed this week.

{seeing}

Cows. I love that my new town feels like it is just on the edge of suburbia/city life. I see cows everyday. And I love it. It brings a smile to my face. I hope I say that in the summer when I'm sure it smells a bit too.

{enjoying}



Fresh flowers. These beauties from Trader Joe's have lasted all week and I'm so glad that I've started filling my home with a few fresh stems.

{wanting}



Isn't it a lovely way of knowing you're in the right place, when you walk into your favorite local coffee shop, and your local yarn store owner is hanging out knitting with her friends?! Today was just a lovely afternoon where I felt like I was where I belonged. And, I didn't know such a ginormous pompom maker existed, so I'll be stopping into Knitique sometime soon to get me one (yep, they ship too).

{listening to}



Lauren Daigle, love her entire album, but this song has been my anthem this week

{loving}



Myself. Easier said than done, but loving and taking care of myself is my number one priority this year.

{anticipating}



Soon.

I'd love to hear what has been happening with you. What are you loving, reading, listening to, knitting? Here's to a great week ahead.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Home Sweet Home

Amazing how a simple picture can capture so much.



It has been quite awhile since I've been able to sit down and watch a movie and knit. Let's face it. The knitting mojo went 'poof' the last year or two. That we already knew. So just the fact that I was knitting is exciting. But watching a movie and knitting, something so many of us knitters can do, has been challenging for me the past year or two. When my dad and I would watch tv together, he would ask why I wasn't knitting and I'd say it was too hard to concentrate or my head hurt or I just couldn't. HUH??!?!

I know. If you're a knitter, that may sound odd. If you aren't a knitter, give us a netflix marathon and watch the knitting magic happen. Movies and tv knitting are my jam. Were.

Yes, yesterday it was lovely to find the calm and stillness that I've been needing for a long time to be able to sit, enjoy a movie and knit at the same time. Maybe not the best movie choice to go along with that as someone teased, but I've been wanting to see that movie since I saw the preview way back when. And goodness, technically this wee baby sweater was going to be the blue-eyed princess',  and she's already 15 months old!



So it is exciting that today I just need to finish a wee sleeve.



It is also exciting that today I'm not wandering anymore. HUH??!?! My home life has been in transition in one way or another since December 2009. It has taken longer than expected, but last month I made a big step in planting roots for where I want my home to be during this next season of my life.

I knit that sweater and watched that movie in my home. In a space that I chose and created and am  still creating.





It may have been fueled by amazing coffee too, ha. I love exploring new places, and discovered Temple Coffee yesterday. Any other local faves in the Sacramento area?

The glassybaby candle above was a gift, and I've fallen in love with the company. When perusing their website I gravitated right to the blues and the one below, before I even read the name.

It may be a thousand miles from where you were born, maybe you've never been there before, but if people that you love are near, maybe it's home sweet home.

I think you can guess which candle my destash money may be going towards. (pssst: mention moving sale and receive 10% off any of my destash here).



One more thing about my knitting and movie time that I'm grateful for is that it also helped me find my voice for this blog post. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.... there's so much social media out there and I've missed my blog, my virtual home sweet home. I think it's the Yarn Harlot who describes her blog as her home, her space. Yes. I get to chose the layout and if I want ads or if I want the feed to show in chronological order or not (oh Instagram...you messed that up!). I've missed my knitting and connecting with you guys. So hi. Here I am today, on my way to my favorite coffee place to write this post for me and for you.



More love. Less fear.

My hope and prayer for us all this year. Happy New Year!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits