Giftalong

Happy December!! Are you guys all working on your holiday knitting? Or are you opting for a little less stress this year...hahaha! I'm busy working on a design deadline but I'm still hoping to get a few holiday gifts in. We'll see.

I can't believe this will be my 9th year of blogging! Happy blogiversary month! We've got a few fun things planned in the next few weeks for you. To kick it off, I thought we'd have a guest post! Erica is going to talk a little about some of her favorite designs she's seen over in the Indie Design Gift-A-Long. I'm so excited to be one of the Designers participating this year! And be sure to read to the end....we're starting blogiversary month off with some fun!!
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Tick tock, tick tock...19 days left until Christmas. Can you believe it? I can't! I bet you want to knit a couple things and get them under the tree or in a stocking. Me too. I went searching through the Indie Design Gift-A-Long designs and thought I'd share my discoveries.

Mikkey by Lee Meredith



A chunky cowl using slip stitches, one of my favorite techniques for working with color that is deceptively simple with a super cool result. Imagine how striking it would be in black and white!

Snowy Woods Cowl by Michele Bernstein



I love the reverse stockinette design, leaving the tree branches highly visible. Fun, quick knit in Aran weight.

Faro by Jen Lucas



Slip stitches. Stripes. Aran weight. What a fun and fast knit!

Owl in the Thicket by Sara Burch



Cables and lace, with beads or buttons to accentuate the owl's eyes. Too cute!

Bluet by Bonnie Sennott



Cables and lace? How could you go wrong?

X-Intercept by Star Athena



Knits and purls that spiral! Simple technique, yet a striking striped effect.

There are 335 designers participating in the Indie Giftalong, with several KALs to participate in with oodles of prizes. It's not too late to join in the fun (details here) and get some gift knitting started and finished by December 31. Speaking of KALs, our Q4 KAL has started and the theme is Gift Knitting! Join in the fun here and also double dip by entering your WIPs and FOs into both ravelry group contests. I have SO MANY Irish Girlie favorites, as you may have guessed, but I thought I'd highlight a few of my go-tos for gift knitting.

Seamus by Irishgirlieknits



I can't even remember how many of these I knit. So quick and so fun because the cables are easy, plus you have a ton of vacation rows in between. I recently knit one for Padraig in a tweed and he is obsessed with how squishy it is!

Alpine Lake by Irishgirlieknits



This textured cowl is a dream to knit and works up in a flash in bulky. The loop is easily doubled for a warmer cowl and I love that the striking stitch pattern is unisex. I loved the version I knit in a bulky single



and I'm going to stash dive to whip up another for a quick teacher gift.

Rathmore by Irishgirlieknits



I love this for a gift knit! Stripes and lace make this a unique and impressive knit, that definitely delights the recipient. I knit this as a gift for a friend, and I must admit that I was a little sad when the knitting was done. It was such a dream to work up!

So tell me, tell me! What's your favorite IGK pattern to gift? And, hey, why not come on over and join us in the Irish Girlie Ravelry Group December KAL which is all about gift knitting to tie in with the Indie Design GAL! See you there. - Erica

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We usually celebrate blogiversary month with some fabulous specials and this time is no different. For the next two weeks, I'll be picking a few favorite patterns, with a little help from Erica and Tricia aka Cheeky Attitude, and marking them down for 50% off for 2-days only! So you'll need to check back here frequently so you don't miss out!

Erica's post reminded me of an old favorite, Alpine Lake. It really does knit up quickly in Bulky. The pattern is easy to memorize too! Don't have any bulky yarn? Double up some worsted and you are good to go...go up a needle size maybe if you aren't getting gauge.

So, from now until Dec. 8, 11:59pm PST, Alpine Lake is 50%, just $3.00! No coupon necessary!


Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Good Things.

Two very good things.

1. This past weekend I wasn't at TNNA, the knitting industry's trade show, but my designs were. I love working with Anzula Yarns, and I have a new design that I'll be releasing soon featuring their new yarn, Croquet. Can you see it below?

Cannon Beach in For Better or Worsted, at Anzula's Booth at TNNA

There is one day left of TNNA, so if you are there, be sure to stop by Anzula in Booth #747 to see my designs and then stop by Deep South Fibers in Booth #1048, my wholesale distributor to order them! 

2. One reason I'm not at TNNA is because at the end of June, I'm moving to Anchorage, Alaska! Yes, this San Francisco Bay Area born and raised girlie is going on an Alaska Adventure! I have an exciting job opportunity working at a small, ABA company with children with autism, and I'll be able to see that new special guy everyday too! My current job has been really stressful given my health issues this past few years, so I'm looking forward to a little less responsibility, while still doing the same work. I'll still be home every few months for my preventative treatments, so I'm hoping I won't miss my family too much (who am I kidding! I'm heartbroken that I won't be seeing Magpie, Lil Snowboarder, and Lil Guy whenever I want, but thank goodness for FaceTime!). 

To help celebrate, I'm having an Alaska Adventure sale on all my patterns $6.00 or less all month long! Receive 20% off by entering the code: adventure  This includes my new pattern, Kenmare Lace Fingerless Gloves, which is already on sale until June 10.

Lots of good things happening. Hope good things are happening for you too!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Ring of Kerry

Thank you so much for all the Irish Girlie love during my birthday month-long celebration. I can't wait to see the projects pop up on ravelry! And here we are entering another exciting month! Happy March everyone!

I released a new pattern just in time for STITCHES West in two colors of Anzula Cole and it was a big hit at the show.

Introducing, Ring of Kerry. 



How can you not love a quick, gratifying knit in Aran weight on size 8 needles!?



This past week Erica has had a ton of fun knitting the 3-color version in Plucky Knitter Primo Aran. I just love the three color version!! She chatted it up on Instagram and in our ravelry group and earlier today she took Ring of Kerry on a big day out with her family. They got to escape the frigid Michigan weather



inside a conservatory surrounded by pretty plants.




Shown in Plucky Knitter Primo Aran colorways Rachel, Corduroy, Wintry Mix

Those Plucky colors are definitely Erica!





A trip to Ireland isn't complete without taking in the spectacular beauty of the Ring of Kerry on the west coast of Ireland. The 179-km route includes scenic views of beaches, the lakes of Killarney, mystical castles, the town of Kenmare and their lace-making industry, and so much more. This infinity scarf captures a bit of that mystical, magical landscape and includes a bit of everything too... lace, color, and more!  

Ring of Kerry is $4.75 for the month of March, along with Rathmore



and Knocknagree.



Why? Because we are having a super fun, super special Ireland Destinations KAL on ravelry! Pick any one of these patterns and knit-a-long with us! We'll have weekly contests and at the end of the month there will be fabulous prizes for some lucky winners. Join the KAL here. We'll be sharing the prizes there in the next week or so...they are awesome!!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Rathmore

I have a new design to share this weekend....the fifth in the Sullivan Family Collection, with one more coming later this week.  Here is....

Rathmore

My grandfather was born in Knocknagree, a small village located in the north-west of County Cork, Ireland, just a few miles up the road from the small town of Rathmore, County Kerry.  This infinity scarf was inspired by that rural and lush countryside.

Designed with Anzula For Better or Worsted, this infinity scarf knit up in a flash! The yarn is to die for. Serioulsy. It is my new favorite and the colors are so lovely! One skein of each color is all it needs. 

Rathmore         

Notes: Instructions are written for an infinity scarf that is knit in the round. Both charted and written instructions are provided.  Notes on how to increase the size of the scarf are at the end of the pattern; however you will need additional yardage.

Finished measurements:  25” wide and 8 1/2” long

Suggested Yarns: ~335 yards total of worsted weight yarn or for 2-colors ~135 yards (A) and 200 yards (B) of worsted weight yarn such as Anzula For Better or Worsted, The Plucky Knitter Primo Worsted, Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage, Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Worsted

Materials:

·         Size US 8 (5.0 mm) or size to obtain gauge, circular knitting needle

·         Tapestry needle

·         Blocking pins

Gauge:  18 sts and 24 rows= 4” over st st before blocking

A very special thank you to the amazing Jill Zielinski, aka Knitterella, for her graphic design work and modeling! Doesn't she look fabulous in these pictures?!  Thanks Jill!! She'll also be modeling my other design that you'll see later this week!

Rathmore is on  sale for $5.00 through March 13, 2013 

or it can be purchased as part of the Sullivan Family Collection for $18 for six designs.     

If the lace pattern looks familiar, it is the same pattern used on the edging of Knocknagree.  I loved it so much, I had to use it again!!  It is definitely a fun knit!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits