Happy Birthday Magpie!

I can't believe it has already been a year!



Time sure does fly!



Her party is this weekend but I love that my sister made her her own cake tonight. I just LOVE this picture!



She also had her picture taken today, in a sweater I knit for her with a matching dress I gave to her last year. Who knew it would fit perfectly today?!

This sweet baby girl has been such a blessing to our family this year.



Her and mama coming home from the hospital :)



The tiniest Gryffindor!



Here she is coming with me as my littlest cheerleader for my first radiation appointment last year.



Go Irish!!





And the cutest baby model, right?!?!?





A lovely Mother's Day this year.







Oh, that smile just melts my heart!!!

Happy Birthday Magpie! I sure hope I can finish knitting your sweater by your birthday party since it matches your dress! Anyone want to take any bets?!?

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Feels like summer

Or at least it is starting to feel like it. I think I'm just about done with the craziness of end of the school year for my day job and I'm also feeling better each day!







Memorial Day included a 4-game softball weekend, but at least we were able to have a fabulous dinner at Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing on the coast. Highly recommend it!





My summer knitting so far has been a few WIPs since they've been the easiest to bring to weekends filled with softball games for Lil Snowboarder!







But with two weekends off from softball coming up, I'm hoping my weekends look more like this! Swimming, knitting, spontaneous backyard picnics, reading. Btw, I'm loving Rachael Herron's new book,  Pack Up the Moon It feels like the perfect vacation read because I can't put it down, but I've been warned that it may break my heart. I'll keep you posted.



I can't resist sharing this adorable picture of Magpie after she enjoyed a bunch of raspberries! Is she not the cutest?! Summer berries, farmers market, swimming, bring on summer!

I'm also kicking off summer with a sale!! Receive 30% off any of my IGK pattern and ebooks from my Ravelry Store when you use the coupon code: **happysummer**         Coupon good through Monday, June 16.

How has summer started off for you guys? Any fun knits? Books you'd recommend? Recipes to try? I've missed you guys....catch me up.

Happy Summer!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Spring Awakening

It's not just one of my favorite musicals.



Which by the way is going to be made into a movie.

It's this time of year where it is so nice to sit knitting at a softball game at 7pm, but still be a bit chilly. April showers, spring flowers. A bit more daylight. A bit more energy.

And with the transition of the seasons, you also need those transitional knits....cowls, scarves, hats. I've got a few new ones to share with you!

Sluggy





Designed with the lovely Shalimar Yarns Homage DK, this hat was originally designed to celebrate ShaliMarch. But what the heck, we can still knit with Shalimar in April, right?



My favorite thing about this design is that it looks great on the whole family.



Lil' Snowboarder is modeling the same hat as her dad, but it has a slouchier fit on her. I think he wants another knit in the large size too now.





Awwww....little Magpie looks so sweet in her hat, don't you think? I know, I know. I'm a biased auntie.


 Her hat is knit with Big Bad Wool's Weepaca yarn. This yarn is Ah-mazing! I just love how soft it is.


Notes: Instructions are written for a multiple-sized, slouchy hat. If a slouchier hat is preferred, you can either work the body of hat until desired length or go up a needle size for the body of hat. Modifications will require more yardage. Charts are provided.

                                                                                                              

Suggested Yarns: ~95 (140, 170, 200) yards of dk/light worsted weight yarn such as Shalimar Yarns Homage DK, Big Bad Wool Weepaca, The Plucky Knitter Bello Worsted, Bare Naked Wools Stone Soup DK

I can't wait to knit another one of these for me!

FYI, Sluggy is on sale through April 15, for $5.00 and then will retail for $6.00 

The other design available this week is Seamus.





A special thank you to Disco who knit this sample up quickly in the new Bare Naked Wools Confection. I'll admit, I was a bit jealous she was able to knit with this lovely yarn. But at least I get to wear this lovely infinity scarf. I just love this combination of cables and yarn.



I knit the smaller cowl version with one skein of A Verb for Keeping Warm Pioneer. Another lovely, gorgeous yarn.

This cabled infinity scarf or cowl is the perfect beginner project for learning cables, as there are only five rounds of cables. It is also perfect to show off that special skein you’ve wanted to cast on. Cables and worsted weight yarn makes this a quick knit!

Pattern Notes: Instructions are written for two sizes, a cowl and an infinity scarf, knit in the round. Written for cowl with instructions for infinity scarf given in parentheses if different. Charts are provided on the back page.

Suggested Yarns: 165 (370) yards of heavy worsted weight yarn such as Bare Naked Wools Confection, Anzula For Better or Worsted, A Verb for Keeping Warm Pioneer, Kolláge Yarns Fantastic, The Plucky Knitter Rustic, Brooklyn Tweed Shelter

 



Jill Zielinski, aka Knitterella, did an excellent job on the photo shoot (isn't her cousin Dani gorgeous?!!). Thanks Jill! I feel for her a bit with all that snow though.

Seamus is also on sale through April 15 for $5.00 (then retails for $6.00).

I also released Snow Plants this week, the shawl I designed for A Verb for Keeping Warm's Pro-Verbial Club. I'll be blogging more about this pattern, but did want to let you know it is available and on sale!





It is definitely springtime with all of these new designs. Three in one week! When it rains, it pours.

A few more quick announcements....

If you are in the LA area this weekend, then hopefully you already know about the LA Yarn Crawl, April 3-6.



Please be sure to stop by Knit Culture Studio to see some of my designs that are there for a trunk show. I love that they've picked some of their favorite designs from a number of designers to put together a pretty amazing trunk show. Plus, check out this gorgeous design that Hilary, the Yarniad, designed for them this weekend. Gorgeous!

The other announcement is that the Irish Girlie Knits Ravelry Group has picked our next KAL. Wish I Might and any other Stripey IGK patterns! Come join us for the fun (oh, and there is a coupon code there too!).

And with that, I think I better get to bed. Phew. I'd love to hear how your spring has been going? Any exciting plans for the weekend?

Happy Friday!!Happy Spring!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Rainy Weekend Fun

Fun for me, but not so sure Bailey loves the rain.



Cancelled softball games allowed for a leisurely weekend, playdates (which means time for me to knit!), sitting by the fire and being home for the entire weekend for the first time in awhile.





I practiced poaching eggs. I think I'm getting the hang of it. The girls made scones which were perfect this morning with my cafe au lait.



I cast on a new sample of one of my infinity scarves this weekend. I've been wanting to knit with Black Trillium's lovely gradient sets for awhile and finally was able to. The knitting is going quickly because I can't wait to see how the next shade looks.



This is the Ice Gradient set that I'm using. And don't click that link unless you want to be tempted. There are a few other color ways I could buy in a second (like this one).



I'm making progress on my Polartorte hat. I absolutely love the yarn, Bare Naked Wools Stone Soup DK. I'm saving this project for softball knitting because it is a perfect project for that.



I also was able to work a bit on my new hat design and it should be available in the next week or so. Baby Magpie's official modeling debut...she's a cutie!

It was a perfect rainy weekend, almost a bit decadent. I just wish tomorrow wasn't Monday. So what were you guys up to this weekend? Anything exciting? I hope so.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

March Madness!

What a busy weekend! I sure would have liked that extra hour today, but oh well. I can't complain with the gorgeous weather we had this weekend.





Softball season has begun, which hopefully means lots of knitting time! I finished up my baby Keegan hat today to go with the matching socks. Surprisingly, casting on the second hat did not make the first one appear. Oh well. Just need to finish the photo shoot with baby Magpie this week and then the new IGK pattern will be ready for you guys.

Actually, I'm hoping to have a couple of IGK patterns ready for you guys in the next few weeks! Want a peek?



Recognize these?



Yes, they are Slip Jig! I'm so excited to make this one available through Ravelry just in time for St. Patrick's Day. My mom and I did a photo shoot yesterday, and as soon as it is back from my lovely graphic designer, I'll be releasing it.

Speaking of socks, remember these?



I've been so behind on writing the pattern, but the end is almost near. I will say, I absolutely love Bare Naked Wools Breakfast Blend and these socks keep my feet so warm.

Two other new ones that should be to you in the next few weeks....just as soon as I get the pattern to the test knitters (oops....are we sensing a theme?).





Originally I was hoping to get all these done for my Annual Irish Girlie Knits St. Patrick's Day BOGO sale, but that is madness. The past few months set me a bit behind, and as productive as I've been feeling, I'm not quite back up to speed. At least my knitting mojo is back! I'm hoping for at least a few to be done though, and the rest definitely done by March. Especially that shawl....I so want to knit another one!

Don't worry, I'll be sure to remind you about my annual sale, but wanted to give you a heads up. You know we love St. Patrick's Day around here. I promise Slip Jig will definitely be ready!

How was your weekend? Anything off the needles? I sure want to cast on all the things, but I'm trying to be good and get some of these patterns finished up first.

Here's to a great week ahead!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits