10 years.

That seems a bit crazy to be blogging for 10 years. And yet, here we are. I'm so glad we are still here, though posts are fewer. We still seem to stay connected via Instagram or Facebook or Ravelry. Heck, many of you are my dear real life friends now...we text, talk, meet-up, vacation, cry, laugh. All thanks to this blogging and knitting community.

This isn't a big reflection post...I'm trying to get back into the things I love, like posting more regularly, so let's not make it harder, 'mkay? 

Things I love you ask? Here are a few. Well, let's stick with the theme and make it 10.

1. Pom Poms. I want to put them on everything this year. They make everything a little bit happier, and we can all use more happy. Now if only I could knit faster.

2. Finishing things. Ha! Finally. The recipient didn't want a pom pom. I didn't understand it.

Conversationalist Hat featuring Plucky Knitter Primo Aran

3. Anything Jo Malone. You know when you hear lots of lovely things about something and you know you'll probably love it, but you don't want to go down the rabbit hole? Well that was me for so long, until I was treated to these mini perfumes. OMG. Love them all. Pretty sure I'd love everything in this line.

4. Me time! Self-care....who knew?! From acupuncture, to knitting, to swimming... making me a priority has been an awesome thing that I realized I had forgotten to do for awhile. We need to do that more often, don't you think?!

5. This song. It's been in my head since he sent it to me to listen to. I love that I have my own personal DJ now :)

6. Sales. Here you go! Our blogiversary sales start today..... 50% off these select patterns from now until Dec. 6. NO COUPON NEEDED (just add to Ravelry cart and discount is applied). Be sure to check back later this week for more patterns on sale too!

7. Tea. Thank goodness I love it, as I'm trying to slowly wean myself off of my beloved iced cafe au laits. #darnmilk

Ballydesmond featuring Plucky Knitter Primo Sport

8. Indie Design 2016 Gift-A-Long! I'm so excited to be a participating designer again this year. Jump on over to this group and check out the amazing indie designers, cast on a gift (for anyone! yourself included!), and let's enjoy this holiday season.

9. Knitting weather!! It has been chilly here for California weather...in the 40s and 50s. Just lovely.

Yep. Both new hat designs coming soon. 

10. This man.

Happy Knitting!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Good Things.

Two very good things.

1. This past weekend I wasn't at TNNA, the knitting industry's trade show, but my designs were. I love working with Anzula Yarns, and I have a new design that I'll be releasing soon featuring their new yarn, Croquet. Can you see it below?

Cannon Beach in For Better or Worsted, at Anzula's Booth at TNNA

There is one day left of TNNA, so if you are there, be sure to stop by Anzula in Booth #747 to see my designs and then stop by Deep South Fibers in Booth #1048, my wholesale distributor to order them! 

2. One reason I'm not at TNNA is because at the end of June, I'm moving to Anchorage, Alaska! Yes, this San Francisco Bay Area born and raised girlie is going on an Alaska Adventure! I have an exciting job opportunity working at a small, ABA company with children with autism, and I'll be able to see that new special guy everyday too! My current job has been really stressful given my health issues this past few years, so I'm looking forward to a little less responsibility, while still doing the same work. I'll still be home every few months for my preventative treatments, so I'm hoping I won't miss my family too much (who am I kidding! I'm heartbroken that I won't be seeing Magpie, Lil Snowboarder, and Lil Guy whenever I want, but thank goodness for FaceTime!). 

To help celebrate, I'm having an Alaska Adventure sale on all my patterns $6.00 or less all month long! Receive 20% off by entering the code: adventure  This includes my new pattern, Kenmare Lace Fingerless Gloves, which is already on sale until June 10.

Lots of good things happening. Hope good things are happening for you too!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

8 Years.

8 years of blogging! You guys rock for still stopping by this space- whether from the start, a few years ago, or just recently. It might be every few months, just to look at the pictures, it might be through a blog feeder (is that what they are called) or quickly on a break at work so I understand if the comments aren't as frequent. The main thing is that we have created this awesome knitting community through blogs, knitting, ravelry, twitter, instagram, LYS, retreats. You've become my friends, many in real life, and many more virtually. So thank you!!

The past few years we've celebrated here by putting some of my most popular patterns on sale for 50% off. This is the only time I do this, so please spread the word and take advantage! And since Tricia, aka Cheekyattitude, is on board this year as part of the IGK team and will be helping out, we are making this EXTRA fun! There will be three separate groups of patterns on sale over the next week or two, but they'll be a surprise. Plus we have some other fun things planned. It is the holiday season after all!

First up..... IGK Favorites: Accessories! All the patterns shown below are 50% through Dec. 8, NO COUPON NEEDED.



One of the most popular IGK designs this past year has been Fiar. It saw a revival this past year with the lovely gradient yarns, especially those of Black Trillium Fibres.





I also released a new sock pattern this year, Contorta, in the lovely Bare Naked Wools Breakfast Blend fingering. It had been awhile since I had designed a sock pattern so it was nice to see so many of you respond so positively to it. Thank you!



The Sleepy Hollow Collection, San Mateo,  and Cotty Socks are also on sale.



And of course, my most popular pattern by far, Summer Wind. This one and Cotty really jumpstarted my design career. But this infinity scarf (and San Mateo too) continue to be "potato chip" knitting! You can't knit just one. It also featured my fabulous duo of Thayer as my model and Tricia behind the camera, with one of my favorite yarns Plucky Knitter Primo.

Any of these would make great holiday gifts if you started now too. By the way, how is your holiday knitting going? Don't forget about our IGK fall/holiday KAL over on Ravelry. My holiday knitting is slow going while I finish prepping the new pattern that Tricia showed you in the last post. But our holiday celebrating did start last weekend with our annual trip to the Dickens' Fair.





Magpie is awake for tea this year!



And she didn't quite know what to make of Father Christmas.

Next on the holiday list is to get our Christmas tree this weekend. I'd love to hear how your holiday plans/knitting/merry-making is coming. Are you in the holiday spirit or is this time of year a harder time for you? If you don't particularly celebrate the holidays how is your December going? Any special knitting?

I did a little Black Friday shopping for you guys from Knitterella. Leave a comment sharing something about your holiday plans, traditions, knitting, etc. and one of you will win the prize below. And if you mention in the same comment that you'll spread the news about the contest or sale (e.g., twitter, instagram, ravelry, Facebook, on your blog) you'll be entered twice. Be sure to leave a way for us to contact you (e.g., rav id).



Oh, and one more sale I have to tell you about because you know I LOVE all things Knitted Wit. Lorajean's birthday is Sunday and she is celebrating with a birthday sale. Everything in her shop is 34% off with the coupon code: birthday34  More details here I'm definitely getting some Sassy Santa!!


Have a  great weekend!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

TNNA and Friends

I still can't believe that just a week ago I was at TNNA having an exhaustingly great time! Time seems to fly when I'm with my knitting friends.  TNNA was great to be able to see friends that I don't get to see very often and meet friends that I've only talked to online.



First, I was so lucky to be paired up with Hilary Smith Callis, aka The Yarniad (you know, of Citron fame!). We both have the same wholesale distributor, Deep South Fibers, which is why we were able to share a booth (one-stop shopping!). Both of us are bay area girls and had met a few times at Nine Rubies Designer events, so it was nice to hang out together over the weekend. I just love her one of her new designs, Glacierre!



And look, Hilary was one of the featured designers in Knit Scene magazine!



Knitterella is also distributed by Deep South Fibers and her booth was just perfect! I so love Jill's sense of style, which I think makes working with her so easy!  Here she is modeling next to the big poster of my San Mateo pattern!



The nice part about having a booth at TNNA is that lots of people stop by to say hi! Thank you to everyone who came by to say hi!!



The Yarnover Truck girls stopped by!! I was so excited to see that they won the TNNA Business Innovation Award! Well-deserved! I'm hoping IGK patterns will be coming soon to the truck :)



Lara, of Lara Smoot Designs, and I have been blogging friends for quite some time so it was so nice to finally meet her and her lovely husband Andy! I can't wait to show you the pretty Shalimar Yarns that Lara gave me...gorgeous!!!!



The lovely Allyson from The Sweat Shop of Love came by to say hi too! I'm so glad she did because she is super sweet and oh so nice and a college football fan! And she went to Michigan too?! haha.... We promised to be great friends 360 days out of the year....except when Michigan and Notre Dame football intersect! Go Irish!!



It was so great to give Sheri of The Loopy Ewe a big, big hug! She has been so supportive of my designs- I still think Summer Wind was so successful so quickly because she blogged about it over and over!!



Melynda of French Press Knits, another Deep South Designer, stopped by to say hi too! 

Across from my booth was the fabulous Wooly Wormhead! Here's group shot of us with Donna, the fabulous lady behind Deep South Fibers!



I was able to get out of my booth a bit too! I was so excited to see everyone loving Knitted Wit's gorgeous colors!!  Fickleknitter took this picture of us but I forgot to take a picture with her! You guys, my very first TNNA a few years ago, Michele was sooooo supportive of me as a newbie designer and I am so grateful for her advice throughout the years. If you aren't familiar with her designs (I'm sure you are) or if you haven't looked at them lately, check. them. out. To. die. for!





Since I drove down to Columbus from Detroit with Erica and her mom and baby knitspot, I was thrilled to see the Knitspot booth was also right across from the IGK booth! You guys know I'm a huge fan of Anne Hanson and her designs- I loved seeing her booth and all of the lovely knits!



You may notice that her pattern posters look similar to mine. Well, Monday before TNNA (that is you know, just 4 days before set up, and 2 days before I was leaving) I was talking to Erica about how I loved Anne's poster at their Squam pop-up shop and how I wished I had something like that for TNNA. She then tells me about Drew from Lovan Enterprises, a printer who did that for Anne and that he was super fast. Which led to me having a few very last minute posters made up and delivered by my favorite honeybadger, Anne! That Erica, she comes through for me all the time! And Anne too! Thanks ladies! I had such a great time hanging out with you guys. Oh, and in case you guys wanted to know, Erica and Anne were also my fashion consultants throughout the weekend...thank goodness for them!



I was also able to see a sneak peek of one of the yarns for Anne's Fall in Full Color club! Wow, it is gorgeous!! I'm going to be doing a blog interview with the knitspot crew this next week, so if there are any questions you have for them about the Fall in Full Color club (or I guess any other knitspot questions) please leave me a comment. I'll also pick one lucky commenter who has a question to win a knitspot pattern of their choice (up to $8.00 value...my treat!).  Check out her newly released Scottish Reel (so pretty!). Remember to leave an email or ravelry id so I can contact you if you win.

You know, when I look at all these pictures, I realize why it has taken me a few days to recover from TNNA....a whirlwind of fun!!

Quick reminder, Wish I Might and Falling Leaves, my two new shawl designs, are on sale for $4.75 through July 8!  And thank you for all the love for Wish I Might...it has been hanging out in the Ravelry Top 20 Hot Right Now patterns since yesterday!! Yay!!!

Hope you all are having a great weekend!! It is hot hot hot hot here, so I'm sitting by the fan knitting today!!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Mad May!

Are you guys celebrating all things Madelinetosh this month? I finished my San Mateo scarf last week but I still haven't blocked it. Today I thought what the heck.  It may not be as drapey and dreamy in the pictures, but I could always show you some unblocked pictures. So here goes.



Then I worried about who was around to model it and almost didn't take pictures. Then I remembered Britney S. Pierce (what, you don't name your dress forms?!). She came through with the modeling :)





Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light, colorway Nightbloom. I can't wait to block this because I know the drape will be amazing.

I'm still trying to decide if I have time to cast on one more Mad May project. I have some Pashmina Worsted in this same colorway.....hmmmm.....

Oh, and since my Mad May coupon code has been going well (thanks for spreading the word! We've had more people join the IGK Ravelry group this month!!), I've decided to extend it for the rest of the month!  Receive 20% off any IGK pattern that is $6.00 or less (excludes some collections) from my ravelry store with the coupon code: madmay 

Some perfect patterns would be.....



Summer Wind, designed for MadMay a few years ago in Tosh Merino Light



Naylor Street for that single skein of Tosh Vintage you have in your stash



Raindrops on Roses, in Tosh Sock

Whether or not you are participating in Mad May, I'd love to hear what you have on your needles.  I'll be back to show you the pretty yarn I'm using for my next design.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

The Blogging To-Do List

My to-do lists have been a bit overwhelming lately. I finally have lots to blog about, but no time to do it!  So, as a quick saying hi post, I thought I might as well make my blogging to-do list to give you a peek at more to come in the next week or so.

1) Finish sharing some fun pictures from my trip to New Orleans last week. Like how much I love the vibrant and charming aspects of the city.  This building just made me smile :)



2) I released my new design, San Mateo, this week. I promise to tell you all about it but for now you should know that it is on sale for $5.00 through May 13, 2013 and even more on sale if you read #3. There is more info on Ravelry until I have time for a proper post.





3) Mad May!! It is Madelinetosh May over on Ravelry and to celebrate I'm offering 20% off all of my IGK patterns that are $6.00 or less through May 15, 2013 when you enter the code: madmay    

I'm starting Mad May off right with hopefully finishing this version of San Mateo this weekend.



Wait, I just told you about my Mad May special, so I think I can cross that off the list :)  Check.

4) I can't wait to tell you about my awesome afternoon yesterday helping A Verb for Keeping Warm celebrate the debut of their new yarn, Pioneer.



I'm casting on as soon as I finish that scarf above. Who cares if it has been 90 degrees here this week. Give me the sheepy wool!!



And yes, that is my dear friend Debbi in that picture.  More to come :)

5) New books to share. Fun tv shows. Other fun stuff. My happy post.

Hopefully I'll catch up soon.  In the meantime, what have you guys been up to? I'd love to hear! Oh, and thank goodness tomorrow is Friday, right?!?!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits