How can you not smile...

when this shows up in your email?

Hi Lil' Guy!!

Looks like he is having a great time in Yosemite!

Seriously cute kid, don't you think?!

I think my brother and SIL just found their Christmas card picture!

Um....note to self...go to Yosemite soon. Born and raised in California and I still haven't been there...seriously. Go. Soon.

And is it Friday yet?! Almost. Thanks everyone for the hugs. I'm hanging in there.

Happy almost, almost, Friday!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

One good thing.

Ever have one of those days (or maybe two of those days), where you just can't get a break? One thing after the next? Well, it has been that kind of day or two. You know, the kind where lil' Snowboarder asks her daddy about the water in my eyes. Ugh. But, at least I have my knitting.



A finished pair of socks. One good thing.



IrishDad's Father's Day socks are finally done. Uncle Frank socks in STR heavyweight were just what the doctor ordered! That and a little more college football with this great Boise St. vs. Virginia Tech game that is on.



At least I had the day off today and it is now a short work week ahead. So, two good things. Well, and you guys makes three :)

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Perfect Saturday

Doggies....

Knitting...

Cotty Sock in Fightin' Irish handspun from ilikecake

on Signature DPNs (a treat from Stitches Midwest)

And a Notre Dame Victory!

Perfect Saturday to me!

Happy Weekend!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

p.s. Sweet Baby Kate sale continues through "Labor" Day (as Discoknits mentioned...perfect theme for a baby knit pattern sale!)

Sweet Baby Kate

Babies, babies, babies! When faced with at least 6 babies being born in the next few months, I knew I needed to knit something fast! That's when I was inspired to make a sweet, wee version of my Cotty socks, which were named after my great-aunt Katherine. The Cotty socks have been referred to as "potato chip socks" as in you can't knit just one pair. With an easy to memorize pattern that works with just about any yarn, I knew this would solve my baby knitting dilemna!

Shown in BMFA Socks that Rock lightweight, colorway Goody Goody


Also shown in Kollage Yarns Sock-a-licious, colorway Blue Mist

Shown in BMFA Socks that Rock mediumweight, colorway Peek-a-Boo Peony

This set includes a baby hat and socks. The socks are a perfect way for using up leftover sock yarns. Can you imagine a matching pair of Mommy Cotty socks too! Make these even daintier by adding a matching ribbon trim to the lace!

Thank goodness I'm not hosting a baby shower anytime soon! Wouldn't these make perfect decorations that could go home with the mommy-to-be?!

Pattern: Sweet Baby Kate

Yarn: ~65 yards of fingering weight yarn for the socks and ~80 yards of fingering weight yarn for the hat; for a slightly smaller size, and using smaller needles, approximately the same yardage may be used for lighter fingering yarn (e.g., BMFA Socks that Rock lightweight, Madelinetosh Tosh Sock, The Plucky Knitter MCN)

Needles: US 2 (2.75 mm) for socks, US 6 (4.00 mm) for hat

Gauge: 32 sts=4" for socks; 24 sts=4" for hat

Finished Measurements: 2 1/4" foot circumference, 1 1/2" leg length for socks; 6" width, 6" length for hat

Size: 3-6 months

I'm offering the pattern at an introductory sale price of $4 for Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 3-6)!

Happy Baby Knitting!

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

Was it just a week ago?

...that I was at STITCHES Midwest? Hard to believe. This week kicked my butt back into reality bigtime, so it is nice to be able to take a moment to relive last week's fun.

Hanging out in the Kollage Yarns' booth was so much fun!


On Friday, Kathy Zimmerman was demonstrating cables (see her cute scarf...yes, she whipped that up just a day or two before Stitches!).


Franklin Habit stopped by the booth Friday too. Of course, I missed that (I think I was doing some yarn shopping....)! Thanks Erica for letting me borrow the photo.



And here I am having Sandi Rosner sign my pattern of the Four Seasons Wrap. I fell in love with this at the fashion show!





Isn't it gorgeous?! And I think it would be a quick knit! Erica and I are thinking KAL....anyone else?



After the fashion show, SomeBunnysLove hosted the Pajama Party in the hotel lobby! So fun to just hang out and knit! Well, that is where I stayed until 3am trying to finish my Bellingrath for the next morning!



Benjamin had the cutest slippers I thought!

And then came Saturday, my meet and greet day! It was so fun meeting other knitters!







I especially loved meeting Molly (aka MHardersen on ravelry)! It is so nice to meet people who read the blog! I can't wait to see her Bellingrath knit out of Sock-a-licious Heather!

And yes, I know I need to show you some of my yummy yarn purchases....but I haven't been home this week when the sun was still out! So hopefully this weekend!

But, I can announce the winner of the Knitterella contest! Thank you for all the entries! The lucky winner is.....

GypsyKnits

Congratulations! Email me at irishgirlieknits AT gmail DOT com your address and I'll get the cards out to you next week! Thank you again Knitterella for donating the prize too.

I promise....yarn pictures and more contests soon! Until then..

Happy Weekend!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Wordless Wednesday

Treats.....

Thank you Erica for the yummy Yappy Meal treats!

xoxo Bailey & Puddles

P.S. Not to late to enter my contest here. And another contest here to win yarn and a copy of Bellingrath!! More STITCHES pictures tomorrow too!

STITCHES Fun!

I have so much to share about Stitches Midwest, but I really need to catch up on sleep tonight before the reality of going back to work sets in, so I'm going to break this out over a couple of posts! There will be prizes though, so bear with me!

Friday was a fabulous day! My friends Thayer and Cheryl flew back to Chicago for a visit home and a day at Stitches Midwest! It was too fun having Thayer (my gorgeous model, btw!) there with the debut of Bellingrath.


We may have gotten a bit silly!


Susie, the fabulous woman behind Kollage Yarns, loved meeting her too!



Cheryl, me, Thayer, and Angela

Being from Chicago, Thayer and Cheryl insisted we have Portillos for lunch. And I'm so glad they did insist! Yummy!! It was delicious!


Their Italian Beef sandwich was soooooooooooo good! Thank goodness I don't live there!

After lunch it was back to shopping!



I loved Jennie the Potter's booth! Her yarn bowls, mugs, buttons, all of it are too cute and it was so nice to be able to hang out and chat with her for a bit too! Guess what?! She's planning to come to Stitches West next year! Start saving your pennies :) Or if you can't wait, she does have an Etsy shop.




I couldn't resist the necklace that matched my new Bellingrath just perfectly!



Erica, Melynda, Jill, and Allegra

Erica also introduced me to Melynda (of French Press Knits fame!), Jill (Knitterella fame!), and Allegra (from Petite Purls!). We all had so much fun and it was so nice to be able to talk to other knitters who are branching out in the industry side of knitting! Hanging out with them just made me more excited to keep up the designing! I even asked Jill if she would consider doing a proper logo for me (her graphics are fabulous....she did logos for Plucky Knitter and Through the Loops, just to name a few!).

And since I know you'll ask (I did!), Allegra's sweater is a Women's version of her adorable baby sweater Boheme and it is knit out of BMFA DeVine (love love love that yarn!). She's planning to release the pattern soon! I can't wait to knit it! Along with a pair of French Press slippers too! Seriously, my queue of patterns grew over the weekend!




Jill was kind enough to donate a few Knitterella cards and tags as a prize for one lucky winner too! I love her cards and tags (and she will have notepads soon too! I got one of those for me!). Just leave a comment and I'll pick a winner in the next few days!

And I've extended the sale on Sweet Home for a few more days :)

Now I need to go unpack. And wind some new yarn. Don't let this post fool you. There was definitely yarn shopping! I'll show you soon!

Happy knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits