Getting Ready for the New Year: Organizing Yarn

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We've enjoyed all the happy activities that were shared in the comments. I can't believe it is almost time to ring in 2015.

Congratulations to our contest winners:

Debbie is the winner of the pretty Plucky yarn.
And we decided to choose two more lucky knitters to receive an IGK Pattern of their choice.

Congratulations Marcy and Kelly-ann!

Please private message Irish Girlie on Ravelry to arrange for the prizes.



Taking time to fill out a new calendar and think about the year ahead always gets me excited about all the possibilities. Right now I have visions of an uncluttered and organized craft space of my own. First on the agenda is to get a handle on my yarn stash.

I did a bit of poking around and Webbs (Yarn.com) has a whole series on organizing yarn with wonderful tips on destashing, organizing patterns, and (my favorite) organizing yarn.

I'm leaning toward putting yarn together by weight rather than color or fiber. It seems when I dive into the bags o yarn that I have, it is in search of something pretty to go with a pattern / project.

I've started a pinterest board for yarn organizing ideas and while I'll never have space the size of a yarn store, a knitter can dream.

Lucky Hanks "Yarn Office"

How do you organize your yarn? Does every skein have a project and every project have a place?

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

10 good things.

1. Tomorrow is Wednesday, which means we are two days closer to the weekend.  I could use a weekend right about now :)

2. I swam today after a long day of work.  Good for so many reasons, but especially because I made time for me.

3.  New pretty yarn.  I couldn't resist stopping at A Verb for Keeping Warm last Friday on my way up to visit little guy (see, any reason to justify a yarn store visit).  They have such lovely yarns, hard to resist.


A pretty skein of AVFKW Toasted, for a Comfort Food Cowl I think.


Madelinetosh Chunky.  Pretttttttyy!  I can't wait to try this yarn!

4.  Inspiration.  I go in to Verb to buy yarn, and leave with the material to sew the gorgeous navy scarf below.



I blame Cupcakefaerie for talking about her sewing machine the night before, and Kristine for offering an awesome class to take to learn how to make this.  I'm hoping it works with my schedule!

5.  Interweave Knitting Lab is coming to San Mateo, literally right next to my office, in about two weeks!!!  Yarn, right next store to work.  Can't wait to see! Plus Knitted Wit will be there, along with Miss Babs, carrying my patterns.  So fun.  I think we may even do an IGK meet-and-greet at Knitted Wit's Booth! I'll keep you posted.

6.  One of my LYS, Nine Rubies, is a sponsor for Knitting Lab and they are having a special Local Designers' Night on the Friday night of Knitting Lab.  And guess who they asked to participate?!  Me!  I'm so honored to be featured with Hilary Smith Callis.  Save the date if you are a local...I'd love to see you!!



7.  Pumpkin bread.  I'm craving some.  Might need to make some tomorrow night.

8.  Twisted.  I love that store :)

9.  Having healthy food in the fridge for the week....dinner, lunch, already made :)

10.  Doggies fresh from the groomers!  It was too late to take a picture when I got home tonight, but I can't wait to show you their new Halloween bandanas.

What good things are happening in your life?

Happy knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Distraction

distraction: a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else

This arrived in my mail last week.



It was an evil attempt by Erica to distract me.  Shiny, brand-spankin' new, never seen before, not even yet listed in Raverly new yarn (as soon as it is listed, I'll let you know, promise.)  Kollage Yarns has a gorgeous new yarn.... Lofty.

So very, very, very lofty. And lovely.



In my absolute favorite color.  I think that was the evil part.  She knows me too well!  How can one not cast on with this immediately?!



Doesn't Erica know I have designs I have to knit?  Patterns to finish writing?  Why, oh, why does she attempt to distract me?!  All I want to do is knit this stuff up.  It would make a gorgeous Winter Wonder.  Or Snowboarder Hat that Rocks.  Or. or. or...so many potentials!  100% Merino Wool, with a suggested gauge of 14 stitches = 4" on US 10.5 (6.5mm), you KNOW this would knit up so quickly.  A cabled hat is calling its name.  I know it.  Erica knows it.  Evil temptress. And in my favorite jewel-toned color, Seaport. 

But I resisted.  If only because I have a deadline looming. I'm not sure how much longer I can resist though.



I did finish the second Sunshine Yarns sock.

Any yarn or pattern distractions for you guys this past weekend?  If you need additional distractions, I love the Ravelry Roundup posts that have been happening on French Press Knits.  Although I don't want to be distracted more, I would love to hear what has been catching your eyes lately...do tell!

Happy Distraction-Free Knitting!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

A Bit of Catch-Up!

What a busy few weeks this has been?!  Let's catch-up a bit, shall we?

1. Did you watch the Royal Wedding?  I did.  Loved it.  Love, love, loved it.

2. Have you seen Woolgirl's April Sock Club Kit yet?  If you don't want to be spoiled, look away around #5.

3. Sock Summit registration begins on Wednesday, May 4!!  I'm hoping to maybe get a class or two, in addition to my own!!!!!

4.  I drove Mimi back home to Reno this weekend.  Not such a fun drive when I have a horrible migraine/sinus headache.  So I treated myself today to a trip to Jimmy Beans Wool.  Love that store, but really try not to stop at it every time I'm in Reno. I don't need yarn, remember.  But, in honor of Madelinetosh May, I bought a little something today.




Two skeins of Madelinetosh Prairie in colorway Cove

5. Woolgirl's April Sock Club shipment arrived earlier this week and I heart everything about it!

Two awesome patterns, and yes, I may be biased because one of them is mine!  When Woolgirl asked me to design something for her Favorite Things/Raindrops on Roses themed kit, I jumped at the chance.  Especially when she told me about the yarn!  I absolutely loved knitting with Stricken Smitten's yarn....the color is just stunning!

Raindrops on Roses Shawlette, by Irishgirlieknits

feel free to favorite it, but it won't be available to the public until June 2012!  But you might be able to score one in the Woolgirl's Sock Club Forum on Ravelry here

6. Podcasts.  I've finally discovered the joy of knitting podcasts.  Don't ask me what took so long?!  Current faves include FiberBeat, Knitmore Girls, SavvyGirls.....any others you'd recommend?

7.  You know that sneak peek I showed you the other day?  I'm so excited to share it with you this week.  Miss Babs will be selling the pattern in her shop at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival next weekend!  This will be the first (of hopefully many more!) pattern that I will be wholesaling and I thought a bit of a professional pattern layout was needed.  Knitterella to the rescue!  I'll tell you more about the pattern in my next post, but today, I have to share a picture of the new pattern layout.

I love it!  Working with Jill has made my designing job so much easier!  We will gradually be moving many of my patterns over to this new layout as I hope to start expanding my wholesale accounts!

8.  I have barely knit a stitch this week!  Tends to happen when I finish a new design.  I have another design in the works, just haven't cast on yet.  So let me live vicariously through you guys for a moment....what are you knitting?  What project can you just not put down?  Do tell :)

Happy Knitting!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Happy Things

Five to be exact.

1. Lil' Snowboarder and I have had lots of time for crafting! Check out the scarf she fingerknit in less than an hour.

And she is wearing the Dotty socks I knit for her. Be still my heart.

She also insisted on trying the needles! She's been insisting for awhile. I thought I'd just start her out on the good needles, Kollage's Square Needles!

2. My Kollage Solace yarn arrived for the Four Seasons Wrap KAL (come join us here..it hasn't started yet)! I'm using the Shadow colorway...such a pretty shade of gray! I can't wait to cast on! It has been awhile since anything resembling a sweater for me has been on the needles.

3. Glee arrived! Best extra features include karaoke (great reading practice for Lil' Snowboarder!) and a songs only summary of each episode which means I don't have to fast forward everything for her to watch (because not really a 7-year-old show I think, but she loves the "kids" and the music and dancing).

4. My Queen Alice sock pattern, originally designed for Woolgirl's Alice in Wonderland Sock Club, is now available to purchase. I'll do a proper post later this week, but wanted to give you a heads up if you've been waiting for this one.

5. I'm in New Orleans for another business trip. Shrimp Po' Boy. I only had half, I promise. Soooo good.

Happy Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Fresh Start

It is just about Friday, which means the weekend is almost here. I'm ready for a fresh start.


Kollage Yarns Creamy, colorway Purple Poem

And I'm taking Disco's advice...I'm starting a new book despite the fact that I haven't finished the one I'm reading), casting on something new (despite the fact that I have a gazillion projects on the needles), and rewatching Sunday's episode of Mad Men (because it was probably one of my favorite episodes yet and Jon Hamm is well, dreamy).

Happy almost Friday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

September?!

Seriously? How did September get here so quickly? August may have kicked my butt, but September is going to be a great month! I just know it! Fall is almost here....yay!!!

And just two more days til Notre Dame Football begins!! Can't wait!

I have lots of projects to share with you (can someone say cast-on-itis?!), but have not been home during daylight hours! And I'm finishing up the Sweet Baby Cate pattern, so I'm hoping to release that soon. Until then...let's talk yarn!

Yes, there were a few yarn purchases at Stitches Midwest. All for "designs" I tell myself. Stop laughing.



First up, this gorgeous skein of Luxe Merino Fine from Kitchen Sink Dyeworks. I fell in love with her pretty yarns at Sock Summit and this skein just screamed my name the whole weekend! When there was just one left on Saturday, I couldn't resist any longer! I admit my weakness for that hint of cashmere.


Speaking of cashmere, another pretty! This was my first time seeing Dragonfly Fibers in person, and soooooo pretty! This skein of Djinni, in Blue Spruce, had to come home with me!


Then there was Miss Babs. Why oh why can't I resist her yarns?! I love them! And she had quite a few new colors that I tried to resist! The red is a gorgeous, intense colorway, Vlads, in her Yummy sport yarn. The two Yummy socks below are A Day at Red Lettuce Farm and Field Mouse (love love love!!)!



And then there was this one lonely skein of Madelinetosh Pashmina from WEBS. Again, the cashmere. Weakness.

Now I must knit.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Happy Easter!!

The holiday weekend was fun-filled and flew by, just like Lil' Guy on a scooter!

Happy Easter!!
xoxo IrishgirlieKnits

P.S. Why, yes, the Easter Bunny brought me that lovely skein of Plucky Knitter yarn (my Easter Bunny is also known as Plucky Classics sock club!).