My Kind of Weekend

Who doesn't love a four day weekend? Even better, just a stay home and catch up weekend since my Christmas holiday vacation was a bit disrupted by a family emergency (all is well now) and my own health problems. This past weekend was just what the doctor ordered....or at least a step in the right direction.

It is late and I need to go to sleep, but I wanted to share a few photos from the weekend to remind me that sometimes it is the simple things that bring joy in our daily lives, not just with our knitting as I mentioned in my last post. Speaking of which, I'm so glad so many of you are going to try to join in with capturing and sharing your knitting everyday when you can with the hashtag #365 on instagram or twitter.

Without further ado....



macarons from Miette and their gingersnaps are to die for (I didn't want to bake on Friday)



I did decide to bake scones Sunday morning to bring to knitting brunch with friends. We call it brunch but I don't think we left until 5:30. That'll happen when good friends, food, knitting and prosseco is involved.



Beginning of brunch.....





End of brunch! I'm so thrilled with this project. Amaryllis by Amy Miller from Plucky Knitter's new All Bundled Up Collection. Other than this sheep baby blanket I knit 7 years ago and really only involved one color change, this is my first real fair isle/colorwork project and I'm just so proud of it!! I'm in love and it was easier than I thought and I can't wait to start designing with color work.



Even though I don't love love the plot lines of Downton this season, I can't help but love the fashion and the elegance and the detail of the show. And yes, I do tea for the show and try to savor and relax for every minute of it.



Pioneer Woman's Hamburger Soup. It seemed like everyone I followed on Instagram made it a week or two ago and so I made it yesterday so that I'd have lunch for the week. Done. Delish. Easy peasy. Plus it went really well with the Tartine Bread we had in the house :)

Good weekend, huh? I didn't even include a picture of the 5 loads of laundry I did or the fact that almost all the Christmas stuff is put away. The little things, you know. I hope you had a good weekend. And the nice part about a long weekend.....

tomorrow is Wednesday....almost Friday!! well, not really, but you know what I mean.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

April Favorites

April favorites, in no particular order.

{favorite recipes}


Tiny Strawberry Cream Scones

Pistachio Crusted Asparagus with Feta

and this one may become a May favorite once I try it.

{favorite books}


An excellent read.



Technically this is a March favorite. I absolutely loved this book, and the audiobook was fantastic! I couldn't stop listening to it. If you haven't read this one, put it on your list. And if you have read it, and enjoyed it, any others you'd recommend?

{favorite TV}


Game of Thrones!!! 

Bletchley Circle is back. And Orphan Black.

{favorite places}





The Inn at Port Ludlow, WA







High Tea at The Rotunda in San Francisco. A fun spring break afternoon last week with the family! It was just lovely.

{favorite yarns}



black trillium gradient sets

Addicting.



Bare Naked Wools Stone Soup DK. It is beyond lovely to knit with. I had to put the hat down to finish a few projects, but hoping to make some serious progress on it this weekend.


So there you go. A few of my favorites this past month. I can't wait to hear what have been some of your favorites this month. Please share!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

P is for

• pink travel mug from Davids Tea

• painful head/migraine stuff today that kept me home from work

• Pom Tango tea from the Spring Collection at Davids Tea.  It is delish!

• perfectly pink yarn from Baah Yarns!

• prize winner!  G Marie (aka Gaylen) won the Sock Yarn Shawls book giveaway!  Congrats!!

• St. Patrick's Day is 6 days away.  That means time for the Annual IGK BOGO free pattern sale!! And I'm so excited to spend time with the family :)

• pattern prizes galore!!  Leave a comment sticking with the p is for....theme and I'll pick three random winners to receive two of my IGK patterns :)  Winner will be announced later this week.

Happy Knitting!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

52 Weeks of Happy (1/52)

Just after I posted my good things post yesterday, I read Liberty Yarn's tweet about the 52 Weeks of Happy. I liked it and I'm going for it.  You can never have enough happy, right?  I like that it may be a bit easier to do on a weekly basis than my good things.  There will still be good things.  And now, happy things.  4 simple happy things from the week prior.

This week's happy things...

1. Lazy doggies.



2. Happy tea.  Seriously. Yume from Lupicia described as a taste of happiness with vanilla, fruits and pretty rose buds.



3. Big pictures ready for my booth at TNNA.



4. A finished mission project and a very proud 4th grader!!





What happy have you found this week?

Happy knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

First Day of Fall

My favorite season has arrived!



Highlights so far...

• Irish Breakfast by Harney & Sons
• in my new Jennie the Potter Mug
• representing the Irish with my Shamrock Stitch Marker from Knitifacts
• knitting
• getting ready for tonight's ND vs. Michigan football game by watching last night's pep rally
• the wonderful smell of Dad's Beef Stew is making the house smell delicious

What are your highlights so far?

Happy Autumn!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits