Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It may not be decorated yet, but I love having the tree in the house.



Cranberry orange muffins. Now we are ready for the holidays. Something about cranberries just mean Christmas to me. Here's the recipe. And in a pinch I've used orange juice in that recipe and they still taste perfect :)



And some Christmas socks for me. I probably should be working on the gift knitting, but Saturday I was exhausted and needed some comfort knitting. My friends often tease me for having matchy-matchy project bags and yarn, but this yarn was specifically dyed to match this fabric! Yarn is from Canon Hand Dyes and I'm loving it!

Today is the last day to take advantage of the first blogiversary sale!



More details in the last post. I'm also loving your holiday traditions comments in the contest too! Still time to enter that too.

I hope your week is off to a good start. We'll be back tomorrow with the next group of patterns on sale!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Good Things.

There are so many good things to be thankful for this time of year. Especially considering how things were at this time last year. I'm still not quite where I hoped I would be, but I'm grateful that I'm having better days and my doctors are working diligently at helping me figure out the chronic pain issues. And best yet, I'm getting back to KNITTING! Thank you guys for your continued support, positive thoughts and prayers! I love you guys!

So on to the good things.

1. A new pattern!! A more detailed post to follow, but it is a great slouchy hat and a quick knit. Here is Sorin.      

The pattern is on sale for $5.00 through Dec. 7 (but see below for the Thanksgiving sale that has started for an additional discount!!!).



It seems fitting to release this pattern today of all days. 172 years ago today, a 28-year-old priest and seven companions took possession of 524 acres of land on a cold afternoon in Indiana. Father Sorin's vision and dream became the University of Notre Dame.



I finished this hat right before my trip back to my alma mater and I knew it would be the perfect place for a photo shoot. Thank you Erica for taking the photos!



2. I made Jam. I know, nothing earth shattering, but I've been wanting to make jam for awhile and finally made raspberry freezer jam last weekend. Freezer jam is much easier than regular jam. For some reason I'm scared of making "real" jam. I need either Maggie aka Socksdoc or Candy aka Erica's Mom to walk me through it. Or an entire weekend to just do it.



But the freezer is stocked with delicious raspberry jam!!

3. Dear sweet Puddy. She had surgery last week and had 14 teeth pulled :(  That's in addition to the many she had pulled a few years ago. The vet said it is most likely genetic and she'll be fine even though she only has 13 teeth left. And she is fine. But you know, a rough week for worrying me mama. Good thing is she is fine and has a cute new little smile.



Yes. That little tongue hangs out pretty much all the time now.

4. Christmas knitting. The grand plans. I'm making them. Who knows how far I'll get? How about you?



5. A quick afternoon in the city last week was just lovely. And thank goodness Tartine is not right around the corner from me. I would eat their break EVERY. DAY.









6. It is time for our annual After-Thanksgiving sale!! And I thought why not start it early. Receive 25% off all IGK patterns and ebook collections (the only time of year I include the collections in the coupon) in my Ravelry Store. NO COUPON necessary, through December 1. 




Wishing those of you who celebrate it a very happy Thanksgiving, and for those of you who don't, Happy 28 knitting days til Christmas!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Happenings and The Haul

I know, I know. You want to see the haul from Stitches West. But first, some happenings.

1. If I went to a work conference everyday (I don't. Went to one last Friday though), I sure would have a lot of hats. I cranked out the baby hat for little magpie during the first few presentations. And all I thought the entire time was why isn't everyone else knitting? Seriously, I get it was a "professional" conference, but I sat in the back of about 1000 attendees, and no one was knitting. Almost no one was taking notes. Quite a few were playing on their phones, which made me not feel bad at all for knitting. I know I listened better while knitting, and was at the easy point of the hat where it was easy to look up most of the time. The last presentation of the day, when I had finished the hat and didn't have any knitting, was pretty hard to sit through. Again, made me wonder why no one else was knitting.

2. The IGK group on Ravelry has a sock knit-along going right now. It runs through the end of March, so you still have plenty of time to join. I finished a wee pair of baby Keegan socks for the magpie this weekend. I'm prepping the pattern for my IGK pattern line (yay!) and just need to find the hat I finished so we can have a proper photoshoot (seriously! Hat was finished months ago?!?! Where is it?). I'm casting on a new one, with the hopes that then the old one will appear. Either way, pattern should be ready in the next week or two. Until then, here are a few cute pics to tide you over.





Seriously, this baby kills me with cute (see #3 below).

Speaking of IGK socks, if you need more inspiration, check out Neuroknitter's Cotty socks. Love them!

3. Doggies! And baby! The cute!





And now the haul. Well, some of it!



I could not resist the kit from A Verb for Keeping Warm, featuring a yarn exclusive to Stitches, and a gorgeous shawl pin and design from Romi! Love it!





I fell in love with Amy from Canon Hand Dyes and her gorgeous yarns back at Interweave's Knitting Lab. I couldn't resist the self-striping sock yarn or the Downton Abbey mini-set or this gradient set (LOVE the name! Oh, Lady Mary!). 

If you love Amy's yarn, they are being featuring in an upcoming {Among Friends} yarn club shipment, Best of the Northwest, Take 2. I was featured in their recent Best of the Bay Area shipment, and was able to see what was in it while at Stitches West. Wow! I wish I had signed up for it!  The kits are fabulous and I would highly recommend them! Plus the Northwest kit also includes one of my favorite dyers, Knitted Wit!



Ah. The Plucky. I fell down the rabbit hole when I felt what Plucky Knitter Bello felt like when knit up. Ah-May-ZING! The first three colors are from the "Candy Dish" especially for Stitches West. A bunch of colors that were fabulous! Seriously, I could have bought the whole bin of Candy Dishes! I added the skein of Milk Maid because I think I have a design in mind.....inspiration!



I also picked up the special Mixed Kit. Love this hat! Can't wait to cast on.

A few more skeins of Plucky may have fallen into my bag, but a girl has to have some secrets, right?!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Making

A year of making.... an interesting idea, isn't it? I follow Miriam Felton on twitter and last year she posted pictures or commented on how she was being present in the moment and making each day. From knitting to sewing to baking. She's doing it again this year and some of us are joining in. Nothing formal. A hashtag really.

#yearofmaking

Sounds simple enough, but I've been pretty tired these last few weeks. My multi-tasking magical abilities seem to have disappeared. I used to be able to watch tv and knit and read and email. Nope. Must focus all energy on one thing. Ugh. Really hoping this is just a side effect. I've been making an effort though to take a few minutes for making, even if initially I'm not feeling up to it. Just need to get going, if that makes sense. It seems to be helping.







I feel like the slowest knitter in the world right now. But a few rows each night....slowly but surely.

I was definitely silly to think I'd get any knitting done the other night when I was babysitting this sweet pea.



Isn't she the sweetest?!?!



My sister said her husband teased that they left her with me just a few hours and she already had her Notre Dame bib on. I clarified that that was the second bib I put on her. The my auntie thinks I'm cute bib was spit up on first :)

And now the end of the holiday season. Monday is looming. Back to work I go. Kind of nice that we can ease into that tonight with the premiere of Downton Abbey!



My mom picked up this tea a few weeks ago for me at Cost Plus World Market. The yarn I picked up from the lovely Amy at Canon Hand Dyes.



Fall at Downton Abbey. Isn't it grand? It'll be waiting for me for when my knitting mojo returns!

I hope you've eased into the new year and it is going well so far. Any making on your end? I'd love to hear.

Here's to a good week ahead for us!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Almost Nine Days til Christmas

Are you freaking out or counting down with excitement? Hopefully, it is the latter (and if you are freaking out, I've got some last minute gift ideas at the end of this post). I've been trying to get a jumpstart on the holiday to-do list things since I'm getting more and more tired each week. But, well, reality is setting in. I'm definitely not going to get much baking done this year, but I had two little elves who helped this weekend.



Mimi's sugar cookies still remind me on my childhood and I miss Grandma, Mimi and Cotty more than ever around the holidays.

Most of the gifts are almost done. Just a few things left. How about you guys? As much as I'd like to knit more things this year, again, just not going to happen. The one favorite teacher present of cashmere toasties is just about done. I've been wanting to knit a little hat for the magpie and so Saturday night I started with this....



Here are the makings of a not-just-for-Christmas hat for the magpie. A skein of Plucky Knitter Primo Sport in Blazing Saddle (that fabulous red!), and a bunch of minis that I picked up from Canon Hand Dyes when she was here for Interweave Knitting Lab I've had this particular color combo idea on my mind for awhile.(beware, clicking the Canon Hand Dyes link takes you to her fabulous etsy shop filled with Downton Abbey inspired colorways. I try not to click often because it is soooo hard to resist!).




Knitting away by the fire last night. I stayed up late so that she'd look like this today...





We had a fabulous day at the Dicken's Christmas Fair today! I'll show you more photos this week...too many for this post!

Anyways, I can check that gift off the list now :)  I have been coming across some fun last minute gifts that I thought I would share with you guys, in case you have a few items you still need to check off your list. Or put under the tree yourself!

In the book department...


Melissa Leapman's new stitch dictionary is lovely, with both charted and written directions.


Clara's new book is fabulous as well!


Still my favorite cookbook of the year. Hoping to try more recipes over the holidays too!


I loved this book! I read it this fall (well, Audible read it to me! Thank you guys for convincing me to finally try audiobooks!).



I'm reading The Book Thief now because I've had it for forever and really, really wanted to read it before I see the movie.


This was my favorite read this summer. In case I forgot to tell you :) 

 
Well, this one is more for people like me who can't wait for this one to come out. Pre-order. March will be here before you know it! Just love the cover too and from what I can tell, looks to not be knitting related- I kind of love that because if you read her blog, Steph has a funny spin on pretty much anything!

Ok, that's it on the easy amazon links. If you do by chance purchase through those links, whether it be the books or anything else once you click through, a little bit goes back to me, so thank you!

I do love Joy the Baker's book of winter reads....quite a few of those are on my to-read list.

Now in the knitting department.....


Many of you know that I love the yarns that have been released this year from Anne Hanson's Bare Naked Wools line, so of course it is on my list!I'm really hoping to get the Herrington Cowl on the needles at some point, which is what I ordered the Breakfast Blend shown above for. I'd also strongly suggest signing up for The Bare Naked Yarn Club! It starts in January!

I love the ladies from Sincere Sheep and Knitted Wit and am very familiar with the different clubs they offer through their Among Friends collaboration. So I clicked on this ad above when I saw it in my Ravelry group and was so excited that they had also joined up with Canon Hand Dyes! This kit looks fabulous, but I just ordered the gradient minis kit!  No hexipuffs for me, I'm just loving the idea of using these gradient minis creatively...I'm feeling inspired! Plus, the kits ship this week, so under the tree for me.



Remember the lovely gradient yarns I ordered last month from Black Trillium? Well, through Dec. 16th, she's having a birthday sale (info here, but receive 20% off if use the coupon code FLASH). I'm trying hard to resist another set.


I do love my new ornament from Jennie the Potter. Ok, I love anything she makes. I hope she does these again next year! Although she is out of this ornament, her store is stocked with her lovely stitch markers, necklaces (I've purposely NOT opened the box with mine in it so I will be a little surprised on Christmas!), and more.

More yarn....The Plucky Knitter will be having her cashmere update on Friday, Dec. 20. Cashmere. Plucky. Done.

Other stuff on the list...

Nordstrom- Still time left to order online, free returns, love them. Especially for that hard to get for person.

Etsy- dangerous, creative, you can get lost here. Ok, actually, any of you have a particular jewelry store on there you'd recommend? Or other favorite etsy shop?

There you go. My last minute gift list. Hope it helps.

Don't forget you have til Monday night to enter my blogiversary bonanza contest or purchase any of the sale patterns that are 50% off. Details here. Feel free to share the info too!

Here's to a fabulous week ahead!

Happy knitting!!!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Time to kick some butt.

Cancer's butt, to be more specific.

I know I've mentioned on the blog that I haven't been feeling well. Last year I was diagnosed with a rare, indolent (slow-growing) type of b-cell follicular lymphoma (my doctors all say that if you have to have cancer, at least it is a good kind). That's the bump that has been on my head. Well, technically, in my head, but the inflammation looks like a bump. The excisional biopsy last year had hopefully removed it all, but it didn't, and that was before I was referred to the fabulous team I have at Stanford. So we've been in the watchful waiting stage this year. Back in October, I began having a lot of pain on the left side of my face/head that was similar to the incidents I've had before with the tumor. My doctor trusted me right away, despite there not being a large amount of swelling.  An ultrasound showed a mass, two weeks later the swelling was definitely there again along with excruciating pain, and a biopsy confirmed the tumor. A PETscan last week showed the cancer hasn't spread anywhere else (yay!!). Next step is radiation for 4 weeks. I was supposed to start this coming week, but the PETscan showed the tumor is a bit closer to my eye than they thought, so they want to do a different type of radiation, and that'll probably start in another week or two (waiting for insurance to approve it). But my radiation oncologist is 100% confident that radiation will kill the type of tumor I have!

The hardest thing the past few weeks has been the pain in my temple/head area and the crazy amount of fatigue. Like sleeping 14-15 hours a day. With a fancy ice machine on my head the entire time I'm asleep (thank you sister! She invested in this crazy fancy ice mask machine that stays continuously cool after one of her sinus surgeries since it helps her migraines.....I will never tease her again for the funny looking mask! She's let me borrow it for the past month and it has been amazing!). You know it's bad when I can barely knit. They started me on a new medication that kicked in two weeks ago and seems to be helping a lot with the pain. When I met with the radiation oncologist two weeks ago, I knew I was going to need radiation. But the nurses had prepped me for 3-4 days. So I was a bit surprised to find out it would be 3-4 weeks because my tumor is different. I'll be honest, I was a bit stressed about that.  So what's a girl to do?



It was the first thing I saw at Nordstrom later that day, on sale, and so bright and cheery I could just hear it say, "F.... cancer! You got this!" A positive attitude and a fabulous handbag make all the difference, right?!

And what's a knitter who is too tired to knit do?



When Interweave Knitting Lab was here a few weeks ago, I did a little retail therapy. I couldn't help it. You might not help it either, so be careful of these links....

• Canon Hand Dyes (Amy is so fun and I met her a few years ago at Sock Summit, but I can't wait to collaborate with her next year! I fell down at her shop!)
• A Needle Runs Through It (you guys know I LOVE Maria's bags! The Christmas one is my new fave! I always stock up at Stitches West!)
• Knitted Wit (love love love) 
• Sincere Sheep (love love love).

Fortunately, I've been feeling a bit better and the knitting mojo is coming back. Plucky Knitter bulky yarn certainly makes that easier too.



So I'm thankful today for so many things....I'm feeling well today, I'm going to kick this cancer's butt, I'm going to use the extra week or two before radiation to get the holidays started, I have the best family and friends, Notre Dame won today, and I had time to blog. I've missed you guys! I even have another post or two that I think I'll share in the next few days....don't worry, this is probably the only post I'm going to mention stupid cancer in.... back to yarn, knitting, doggies, baby niece, and fun! I believe in prayers and positive thinking and I know you guys rock that, so I did want to share what I've been going through.

I know I've barely been around the blog and ravelry the past few months, so thanks for sticking with me. A little thank you appreciate sale sounded good too! So from now through 11:59pm PST on Monday evening, I'm offering you guys a coupon code for 50% off any of my IGK patterns that are $6.00 or less! Time for gift knitting right!  Coupon code: grateful

Now back to watching some football and knitting!!!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits