Fall in Love Fridays: The Bailey Edition

Before the camera died, the doggies were wanting a photo shoot. Seriously, they never just stare at me with the camera like they did last weekend. Maybe they knew what was in store for the camera. So rather than fall in love with my stash this week (which I feel a bit guilty about since I've added two skeins of Casbah to it recently, and another sock club shipment....oh dear stash...you continue to grow!), I'm in love with the many faces of Bailey....



The hey-I'm-looking-at-you face. Stop looking at the stash in the background people.


The sad-doggy face.


The that-treat-is-for-me face.

Happy Friday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Hit the Slopes!

The Freestyle Snowboarder Hat

by IrishgirlieKnits

Snowboarder’s annual Christmas gift is a hat designed by me for when he hits the slopes. Requirements….it needs to have earflaps and look cool! Beyond cool! This year I didn’t even check with him on the design. I just did it! Freestyle. And then I made one for my nephew. And then my sister. Freestyle works for everyone, don’t you think?!

Snowboarder, modeling the adult large size hat
in ShibuiKnits Merino Alpaca, colorway Seaweed
provided by my fabulous local dealers ... Purlescence Yarns (thanks Nathania!)

Lil' Guy, modeling the toddler size hat I think he likes it!!

Rowan, modeling the adult small size
in the gorgeous Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon Worsted in the coveted colorway, Early Light
It was Rowan's birthday present! Cashmere, right?! Happy Belated Birthday little sis!

Yarn: Shibui Knits Merino Alpaca (50% baby alpaca, 50% merino), 132 yards/skein; 1 skein Pagoda and 1 skein Bark for toddler size; 2 skeins of Seaweed for adult large size; The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon Worsted (80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon), 185 yards/skein; 1 skein Early Light for adult small size

Needles: Size US 8 (either DPNs or Circular 16” with DPNs needed for decreases) for toddler and adult large size; US 7 (either DPNs or Circular 16” with DPNs needed for decreases) for adult small size

Gauge: ~4” stitches/inch for toddler and adult large size; ~4 ½” stitches/inch for adult small size

Width: 7 ¼” inches for toddler size; 8 ¼” inches for adult small size; 9 ¼” inches for adult large size

Note: The adult small size was made by using a slightly lighter worsted yarn and reducing the needle size for a tighter gauge. Also, for the adult large size, less than half of the second skein was necessary (less than 200 yards needed for the hat).

The decrease on this hat was a favorite!

Lil' Guy and his dad, Boondock Saint (he sooooo doesn't want a hat from me!)

This is will be my first official "for sale" pattern (sorry for the delay! a little ravelry hiccup I wasn't anticipating!!)!! Probably why I test knit it for my family...they have high expectations when it comes to their hats!

Available for purchase here!



As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions at irishgirlieknits AT gmail DOT com

Happy Snowboarding!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

The Socks that Killed the Camera

I do love these socks.



But they shall always be remembered as the socks that killed my camera. How? Well, I just had to show you how cute they matched my shoes. My favorite work shoes. But, um, taking that said picture and not being a yoga master yet, well, let's just say...the camera fell. Hard. And, well. It may not be completely dead, but its on life-support, maybe. Ugh.



Just these two photos survived the fall. Well, at least you can see how cute they match :)

The quick details:

Pattern: Tesserae by Anne Hanson
Needles: US 1 (2.25mm)
Yarn: Pigeonroof Studios Original Sock, colorway Plum Tortie
Notes: Loved this pattern! Can't wait to knit it again with some STR.

Note to the Camera Gods.... I promise to take my next few sock pictures either on sock blockers or sitting down if I do indeed get a new camera.

xoxo Irishgirlieklutz :)

Spring Ahead!

After quite a rainy week, the sun has been shining all weekend!











Did anyone else cast on their Spring Forward socks last night, like me? I forgot how quickly this pattern knits up! It may also have to do with the yummy yummy Plucky Knitter merino cashmere nylon yarn I'm using!

Happy Spring!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Fall in Love Fridays: A Small Victory!

BMFA Peru, colorway Rose Quartz

A quick post for a small victory that occurred last weekend at Stitches! I decided rather than buying some of the gorgeous BMFA Peru yarn that I was surrounded by all weekend, I would go home and cast on the lovely skein that had been marinating in my stash for over 2 years! Well before this yarn was even available online! So Saturday night, after an evening of fun at Purlescence, I went home, wound up the gorgeous skein, and cast on for another Gathered Scarf!

I was quite proud of my little victory! Falling in love with my stash is helping....a bit...

Have any of you fallen in love with your stash lately? I know Neuroknitter has!

Happy Friday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Friends, Fun, Fiber! part 3

I think working at the Blue Moon booth this year actually helped me stay within my budget at Stitches. There was a point, late Saturday afternoon, where...wait for it... I was sick of looking at yarn! Well, not the socks that rock (that booth made me happy all weekend!), but the wandering around looking at other stuff... yeah, I was tired!

My plan for Stitches included Pigeonroof Studios and Socks that Rock! There were one or two others that were on my maybe list, but nothing quite caught my eye (or, if it did, it was already in my stash!)!

First, the gorgeous gorgeous pigeonroof...




One of these pretties was a birthday gift from Tapmouse! I heart her!


We interrupt this color explosion to show you the skein Snowboarder wanted. Yes, black. As close to solid black as I could let myself get. He wants a "solid black hat." There you go.


Awwww!!! The pretties!! Look at these Rare Gems!!! How I restrained myself, I just don't know!


Maybe I held back on the Rare Gems because I knew I couldn't resist this lovely, lovely skein of De-Vine! Sam first enabled me when she got back from Madrona! I knew I had to have it! And Tina, please please please make "Meet Brown, Joe" a colorway in everything!! I heart this!!!


Okay. I couldn't resist a second skein. Sorry.


And finally (well, I didn't photo the couple millends of STR), my two skeins of LSS Bleeding Hearts! They were calling my name for four days and in the end, I caved! I really heart them!!


This is not a Stitches purchase. But I knew it was coming, so maybe it helped me not go too crazy with the yarn buying! Its Woolgirl's Glinda Kit (she's doing a whole Wizard of Oz themed kits)! The yarn is Madelinetosh (another fave!). And look Cockeyed, a magic wand!! Love love love these kits!! For more fabulous pictures, go see Gail's. You won't even think this is the same kit!

And so we end the post-Stitches week. So sad. But such a fabulous weekend with wonderful friends, gorgeous yarn, and many many memories!!! Now its time to knit up these pretties! Let the countdown to sock camp begin!!

Happy Yarning!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Friends, Fun, Fiber! part 2

Now for the fun!


Killian's and socks. Perfect.


My favorite photographer.


Smile Cockeyed!


Spin baby spin!!!



Go Disco! Learning to spin in 3 minutes!

Coming soon...the fiber!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Knitting!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Friends, Fun, Fiber! part 1

First, the friends! I seriously had way too much fun this weekend! I haven't laughed so much in such a short period of time since sock camp last year!

"My team!"

Disco and me! The best knitster a friend could have!


Woolgirl, Disco, me, and Neuroknitter! Now do you see why I had sooooooo much fun this weekend! Warning...don't click on that Woolgirl link...she just posted all the details of the Wizard of Oz sock kits!! Evil temptress....right after stitches!! I heart her!

For Zonda....we missed you!! Cpurl and Leftcoastknits




I heart these two women more than you know!!




I miss them already!!!!

Happy happy stitches!!! Tomorrow....the fun....
xoxo Irishgirlieknits