Keegan Baby Hat + Socks

Are you ready for some cute?




Can you believe how itty bitty Magpie is in these pics? I knit this set for her last March. She's grown so much since then.

This baby hat and sock set is a great last minute gift and a perfect way to use up leftover sock yarn! Cabling is done every six rows, making a relaxing knit and an ideal travel project for an experienced knitter and a great project for beginners learning cables. I suggest knitting a few so you always have a baby gift on hand!

And look at those oh too cute feet!

This set was knit in Anzula Squishy, colorway Country Green. I just love this colorway.

I think I need to cast on a new one for her. Maybe one for Valentine's Day? Or I could wait a bit and knit one in a nice springy green for St. Patrick's Day. 

Pattern: Keegan

Notes: Instructions are written for a cuff-down sock, with charts provided. Sizes for socks and hat can be modified by using lighter fingering weight yarns and smaller needles, or sport weight yarn and larger needles. 

Yarn: 75 (100) yards for socks and 80 (110, 140) yards for hat of heavier fingering weight yarn such as Anzula Squishy, The Plucky Knitter Primo Sport, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Mediumweight, Kollage Yarns Sock-a-licious, Knitted Wit Victory DK, Koigu KPPM. 

Needles: Size US 2.5 (3 mm) for socks and Size US 5 (3.75 mm) either DPNs or circular 16" with DPNs needed for decreases for hat, or size need to obtain gauge

Gauge: 32 sts and 48 rows = 4" over st st for socks and 24 sts and 32 rows = 4" over st st for hat

Size: 3-6 months (6-12 months) for socks and newborn (3-6 months, 6-12 months) for hat

Finished Measurements: 2 1/4" foot circumference, 1 1/2" approximate leg length for socks and 5" (6", 7") wide, 6" (6 1/2", 7") length for hat

It looks like my sweet niece's modeling career is taking off already....thanks Magpie! Your college fund will be growing!

And thank you for the lovely graphic design work Jill Zielinski, aka Knitterella!

Available for purchase at an introductory rate of $4.00 until January 31, no coupon needed!  

Happy baby knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

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

Dear Baby Francis

You guys have been so patient.  A year ago I blogged about these adorable baby socks. Well, good news!  Today I have not only the socks, but the cutest matching hat to go with them!  Introducing.....

Dear Baby Francis

Okay.  Before we go further.  Isn't Baby Dex beyond CUTE!!!!  Seriously such a good baby and those eyes.  I could just eat him up!  All I want to do is start knitting more baby things so that he and his twin brother (I know!! Double the cute!!!) can keep modeling! 

Miss Babs Yummy Sport, colorway Roasted Pumpkin for the 6-9 month size

The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Fingering, colorways Flannel Shimmy and Pure Calm

I’ve been hooked on making wee baby socks inspired by their matching adult socks for quite some time.  Here the cable pattern from the Uncle Frank socks makes for a perfect unisex baby gift!

This set includes a baby hat and socks.  The socks are a perfect way to use up leftover sock yarns.  Adding a trim of contrasting color gives this set that something extra!

The pattern will be on sale from now until Oct. 3 for $4, returning to $6 on Tuesday, Oct. 4!        

The details.....

Dear Baby Francis Socks

Notes: Instructions are written for a cuff-down sock.  Charts are provided on the last page.  Size can be modified by using lighter fingering weight yarns and smaller needles, or sport weight yarn and larger needles.                                                                 

Suggested Yarns: ~ 75 yards of fingering weight yarn such as The Plucky Knitter Merino Cashmere Nylon fingering, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock mediumweight, Kolláge Yarns Sock-a-licious, Knitted Wit Superwash Merino Fingering, Anzula Squishy

~3 yards of fingering weight yarn for contrasting trim, if desired

Materials:

Size US 2 (2.75mm) or size to obtain gauge either DPNs or circular needles

Cable Needle

Stitch markers

Tapestry needle

Gauge: 28 sts and 44 rows = 4” over st st          

Size: 3-6 months                                        

Finished measurements:  2 ¼” foot circumference, 1 ½” approximate leg length 

Dear Baby Francis Hat

Suggested Yarns: ~ 80 yards of fingering weight yarn as suggested above, or 70 yards of sport weight yarn such as Miss Babs Yummy Superwash Sport, Madelinetosh Pashmina, Sunshine Yarns Sport, The Plucky Knitter Primo Sport         

~5-7 yards of fingering weight yarn for contrasting trim, if desired

Materials:

Size US 6 (4.00 mm) either DPNs or Circular 16” with DPNs needed for decreases or size to obtain gauge for both fingering and sport weight yarns

Cable needle

Stitch markers

Tapesty needle                                                                                                 

Gauge: 22-24 sts and 36 rows = 4” over st st for fingering weight yarn;        
21-22 sts and 32 rows = 4” over st st for sport weight yarn;

Size: 3-6 months for fingering weight yarn; 6-9 months for sport weight yarn                                    

Finished measurements:  5” unstretched (6 ½” streteched) width, 6 ¼” length for fingering weight yarn

5 ¼” unstretched (7” stretched) width, 7” length for sport weight yarn

Thank you again to my amazing graphic designer, Jill Zielinski, for her assistance with the pattern layout!  I know I've said it before, but I could not do this job without Jill! Thank you!

A very, very special thank you to baby Dex, my good friend Nicole, and Dex's mommies, Annie and Jeannine for making this pattern come to life!  I can't thank you enough!


This is Dex's modeling debut, so let's show him some love you guys!


Happy, happy baby knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

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

I have been knitting things other than baby socks.

I promise. But, those projects aren't done yet, and the baby shower frenzy is happening in July and August. Must knit wee little cute things!

Before I show you the fun pictures from this weekend (it really is amazing how even just a short weekend away with friends can rejuvenate you!), I thought I'd share the one finished project from the weekend.

For a very special baby boy, a sweet, tiny version of the Uncle Frank socks.

I'm thinking of calling them Dear Baby Francis.

I'm still loving these wee little socks! Imagine, these are about a 6-month size, which means, there is the potential for even cuter, tinier versions! More details on my project page here.

Ahhhh.....hope this picture can hold you over on this Wednesday. The holiday weekend will soon be here!

Oh, and if you participate in the knitalongs over in the Socks that Rock group on Ravelry, my Blackberry Brambles pattern is nominated and its a pretty tight race, so if you think you may want to join us this round, go here and vote :) Blackberry Brambles is one of the paid patterns (it'll be marked down to $4 for two weeks if it wins) and voting ends today. And if you haven't done the knitalongs, come join us!! It is one of my favorite groups on ravelry!

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits