Happenings.

And just like that, February, or birthday month as we like to call it around here, is almost half way over.  Here's a bit of what is happening...

{finishing}



Another version of Magpie's 1st birthday sweater, this time a smaller version. A new design coming sometime this year. Funny, going back to read that old post, I knit Magpie's larger version in less than a week. This one was started when Blue-eyed princess was born, and she's already 16 months old?!?!

{knitting}







Those fingerless gloves flew off the needles. I just started those last week. Knitting mojo is definitely back. I could have finished them last weekend, but I forced myself to put them down and do some much needed work that needed to be done.

{watching}

A bit of fluff but it pairs well with knitting. And I'm just so glad Reyna, Scarlette, and Juliette are back. And I can't wait for Juliette to sing some gospel. Go girl.

{listening to}



Duh. It happens. I can't help it. Not this song in particular, just the Nashville songs that I may or may not have downloaded over the years. Or the Pandora Nashville cast radio station. Yep. That's a thing too. My music tastes are just about as eclectic as me.

{discovering}







For some reason, yesterday morning I decided to change my routine and go for a walk instead of to the gym. Maybe it was because it had finally stopped raining. Or perhaps I just wanted to do something different for my birthday. I do know that that was the best decision I made yesterday and it set my day off just right. I wandered down a street of houses and decided to walk a certain time one way and then turn back, going somewhere I hadn't driven or gone before. I ended up discovering this beautiful walking trail, practically right around the corner. The light was beautiful. The clouds were breathtaking. When my grandma  and great-aunts moved to Reno, they used to always comment on the clouds and say how different they looked up there. As if you were closer to them. I loved how they were guaranteed to comment on their beauty, but I didn't necessarily think they looked different than in San Francisco. I find myself commenting on the clouds and sky here too, though. Yesterday I felt their presence, my grandma and great-aunts. A birthday blessing. I realized that perhaps it isn't the clouds that are different...it's our eyes. My eyes. When you have a certain sense of peace, you do see things differently. I realized that yesterday for the first time on my walk.

{anticipating}



Another new design. Grace Now. Coming soon.

{celebrating}



As is our tradition, the birthday sale is in full swing for the rest of the month! Enjoy 20% off all IGK patterns through the end of the month, including any new ones I release...I'm hoping at least one!



Goodness. Love. Dream. My gifts to myself this year.



43 feels amazing. Keep going, girlie. I'm so grateful.

I can't wait to hear what's been happening with you guys this month. Share away in the comments.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Good things.

Definitely one of those weeks where daily I tried to find the good things. Here are just a few as I look back over my week.

1. OMG. Want. All of these. Seriously. The one that caught my attention originally was 'Unfriended a Racist' but other faves include 'Stopped Caring About Bullshit,' '   I could cover my Field bag in them.

2. Speaking of my knitting bag, I love it.



Yep. That's unfinished Christmas knitting. Oh well. It happens to the best of us.

3. And I was pretty proud to be part of the knitting community last weekend. I was there in spirit. I was working with an awesome team of women that morning and we shared our own stories... our own mini-march of sorts, since we couldn't be there. Four American women. Diverse and similar our small group was- Christian, Muslim, mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, people of color, white, affected by autoimmune disease, cancer, autism....And that's just what little we know about each other. We don't know everyone's complete story. When one of the women talked about the pink pussyhats, I was so honored to share pictures of you guys on IG and explain more about it. Whether or not you agree with the movement, it is still an awesome thing to see the power of knitters. Kay Gardiner summed it up perfectly I think.

4. Knitted Wit's new colorway, Be Mine, where 10% of the sales of this colorway will forever go to Planned Parenthood.

Photo courtesy of Knitted Wit, colorway Be Mine

5. Knitting sure does soothe the soul. I'm so glad I've found my needles again after such a hard year last year. This morning I knit a bit while I was watching church on Facebook. Yep. That's a thing now. I try to get home to Church every other weekend. I love my Love Center Church family and am so blessed to have found a church family, and then I moved. I'm sure there are lovely churches here, but I'm just not ready yet having just found a church family I love. It is such a welcoming, non-denominational church, if you happen to live in the Oakland/Bay Area community, with an amazing music ministry too (you can check out some of the services/music on periscope).



Pattern: Naylor Street

I also took it to my mani/pedi  this afternoon, part of my self-care routine these past few months.



6. Yes, that is sparkly gold nail polish. Not my typical go-to color, but kinda goes with one of my anthems this month.



Now if that isn't bubblegum pop, I don't know what is. I don't even know who Britt Nicole is. Little Snowboarder must have downloaded this song on my phone way back when. I added it to my workout playlist this January since it was peppy. But damn. Those lyrics got to me.

You're one in a million. This, this is for all the girls
Boys all over the world
Whatever you've been told
You're worth more than gold
So hold your head up high
It's your time to shine
From the inside out it shows
You're worth more than gold
You're worth more than gold.

We are enough and so worth it. But I think sometimes we women need to hear this message a little bit more, and definitely more from each other. So sure, sparkly gold nail polish today :) Shine.

7. Victoria. And not just because of the Cavi.



8. Baby sweater just needs a button. Woohooo!!



And yes, this one is a new design at some point.

9. Sunsets. Seriously, this beauty was on my drive home this week.



10. All the Steward love you guys have shown this past week! Thank you supporting my new pattern release.



The Plucky Knitter featured it as The Ox Mystery Match too!



I wanted to share better photos of the one I knit with speckled Plucky yarn and a contrast brim, but unfortunately this is the best I can do. With the crazy rain we had a week ago, my hat went missing somewhere. Hopefully, someone is wearing it and giving it lots of love. One can hope.



It is on sale for a few more days if you haven't had a chance to purchase it.  


11.  Daily gratitude list in my bullet journal, which I love by the way. This daily act of remembering all I have to be grateful for has been helpful in so many ways.



11. Candle light. I've found this simple act of lighting a candle calming these past few weeks, especially amongst such chaos. Focusing on the positive, the light, instead of the darkness.   A daily act, similar to the gratitude list, that is making it easier to focus.



It prompted me to find a few of my favorite light/dark quotes to share with you guys, in case you needed a bit of inspiration for the week ahead.













Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Home Sweet Home

Amazing how a simple picture can capture so much.



It has been quite awhile since I've been able to sit down and watch a movie and knit. Let's face it. The knitting mojo went 'poof' the last year or two. That we already knew. So just the fact that I was knitting is exciting. But watching a movie and knitting, something so many of us knitters can do, has been challenging for me the past year or two. When my dad and I would watch tv together, he would ask why I wasn't knitting and I'd say it was too hard to concentrate or my head hurt or I just couldn't. HUH??!?!

I know. If you're a knitter, that may sound odd. If you aren't a knitter, give us a netflix marathon and watch the knitting magic happen. Movies and tv knitting are my jam. Were.

Yes, yesterday it was lovely to find the calm and stillness that I've been needing for a long time to be able to sit, enjoy a movie and knit at the same time. Maybe not the best movie choice to go along with that as someone teased, but I've been wanting to see that movie since I saw the preview way back when. And goodness, technically this wee baby sweater was going to be the blue-eyed princess',  and she's already 15 months old!



So it is exciting that today I just need to finish a wee sleeve.



It is also exciting that today I'm not wandering anymore. HUH??!?! My home life has been in transition in one way or another since December 2009. It has taken longer than expected, but last month I made a big step in planting roots for where I want my home to be during this next season of my life.

I knit that sweater and watched that movie in my home. In a space that I chose and created and am  still creating.





It may have been fueled by amazing coffee too, ha. I love exploring new places, and discovered Temple Coffee yesterday. Any other local faves in the Sacramento area?

The glassybaby candle above was a gift, and I've fallen in love with the company. When perusing their website I gravitated right to the blues and the one below, before I even read the name.

It may be a thousand miles from where you were born, maybe you've never been there before, but if people that you love are near, maybe it's home sweet home.

I think you can guess which candle my destash money may be going towards. (pssst: mention moving sale and receive 10% off any of my destash here).



One more thing about my knitting and movie time that I'm grateful for is that it also helped me find my voice for this blog post. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.... there's so much social media out there and I've missed my blog, my virtual home sweet home. I think it's the Yarn Harlot who describes her blog as her home, her space. Yes. I get to chose the layout and if I want ads or if I want the feed to show in chronological order or not (oh Instagram...you messed that up!). I've missed my knitting and connecting with you guys. So hi. Here I am today, on my way to my favorite coffee place to write this post for me and for you.



More love. Less fear.

My hope and prayer for us all this year. Happy New Year!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Enjoying Limbo

• limbo    noun an uncertain period of awaiting a decision or resolution; an intermediate state       

That's where I've been these past two weeks. You see, as life happens sometimes, plans may be changing. Or not. Due partly to some unforeseen family health issues and partly to me and him wanting to be closer to our families here, I'm not yet in Alaska. I might not be moving to Alaska. But I might still be. I've been in limbo these past two weeks since I quit my job. I'll know this weekend, but until then I've been enjoying the freedom that comes with this in-between state.

My friends and sister said I could be in limbo here at home or with SnBLeslie's free hotel room in NYC, so I should just go to NYC.  So last week I did.



I'll do another post about my trip, but this picture pretty much sums up how I feel these past few weeks. So damn happy!!! I don't know if it is because I know there are good things in store no matter if I'm here in CA or AK, or if it is because I'm feeling so much better, or if it is because I've taken a leap of faith and quit my job that was really stressful, but happy I am. Last year I went to NYC and couldn't imagine walking even a little of the Brooklyn Bridge. My feet were so swollen from one of my pain medications and I was in so much pain walking most of the trip. This trip I walked the entire Brooklyn Bridge and walked at least 2 miles everyday!! I felt great!



I felt so good walking that I've kept it up this week with mom. We've gone walking twice this week. See, in limbo I have time for exercising :)



And time for knitting. This new design is off the needles.



This design was released!!  More about that one in another post too, but figured I should at least tell you about Peek-a-boo Penelope.    



And I'm working on a sample of another design that will be released tomorrow. Limbo has been kinda nice (shh! don't tell anyone! I would like to know if I need to pack or not?!).



I loved reading about your summer traditions. You know one of my traditions is enjoying the farmers markets. I finally had time to do that this weekend. Oh! The smell of fresh basil! Just divine!



Delicious on this pizza too. This isn't just any pizza by the way. Nope, in limbo I've been trying new healthy recipes, determined to help me and my challengers in my challenge group enjoy eating healthy! This is a cauliflower pizza crust and it was delicious (I followed that recipe almost exactly, except that I microwaved the cauliflower instead of boiling it)! And yes, I even roasted some veggies and put them on the pizza too. I know, I know. I don't recognize me either!!

I'm going to enjoy this uncertain state for another few days but I'll keep you posted. Either way, I know I'm in for an adventure. Thank you for being along for the ride. I love you guys.

Happy knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Good Things.

So many good things the past few weeks that I've been wanting to share with you guys, I feel like I've been writing mini-blogposts in my head to you. Here goes.

1. Did everyone have a happy Halloween? I spent it with the cutest unicorn! I loved watching her walk 10-12 steps down the hallway at Grandma's house! Such a big girl. She's been taking steps for a few weeks now, but it is so exciting to see her get better and better each week.





The tween aka Lil' Snowboarder went as Beyonce and looked Flawless but you know how Beyonce has contractual issues with appearing on knitting blogs...haha!

Now, we all know how crafty Lil' Guy's mom is, right? Are you ready to see the makeup she did for his costume? They do pictures together every year for Halloween....I always look forward to their card... are you ready???





Amazing, right?! I love it!

2. Almost as amazing as #OrangeOctober and the Giants winning the World Series!



It was an awesome week! An awesome month of playoff games actually. Lil' Snowboarder and I spontaneously decided to go to the divisional game where the Giants clinched it and went on to NLCS. The game was awesome!



First, our friends who live a few hours away happened to have the seats right in front of us (crazy, right?!) and then lil' snowboarder was determined to catch the ball that Juan Perez was tossing to the crowd in between innings after the outfielders were warming up. So she went down there and lo' and behold, her pointed right to her and tossed it to her! She was on cloud nine the entire night!







3. Now if you read my last post, you may remember I mentioned I was trying to finish knitting Magpie a sweater for her birthday party last weekend. Oh, us knitters and our deadlines. I think I gave myself a week to knit a baby sweater. No problem, right? Well, here I was the Friday morning before the Sunday morning party.



I'd divided for the sleeves and was now at the body. I was feeling somewhat positive.



Saturday morning I was on the first sleeve by the end of the soccer game. Feeling very positive. But then there was party prepping for a few hours, and then my stupid head pain problems caught up with me and I was down for the count for a few hours. But then the sleeves were done, and the sweater was blocked and dried overnight with multiple fans on it! The buttons were sewn on two hours before the party.





So worth it! My own design, similar to her baptism sweater, but this time in a sport weight yarn, The Plucky Knitter Primo Sport, colorway After Dark.

Magpie had a fabulous time at her party. She loved her cake, made by her Auntie, Lil' Guy's mom (you know we LOVE her cakes!).







4. I have some fun blog news to share! Many of you longtime blog readers have heard me mention my friend Tricia, aka Cheekyattitude, over the years. She's my friend, a knitter, she's been an IGK photographer, a librarian, and an amazing blogger. And now she'll be part of the IGK team! I'm not sure assistant is the right word for what she'll be doing since she is overqualified for everything she'll be helping me with, but I'm excited to have her on board. You'll see her in our IGK ravelry group, she'll be behind the scenes cleaning up the blog about, but most exciting will be that she'll be blogging here, putting the "we" back in the "We" Do Not Have a Knitting Problem. Please help me welcome her this week when you see her post.



Cheekyattitude, behind the camera

5. I made these Banana Yogurt Crumb Muffins this morning. It seems like forever since I've had energy to bake, so  I'm slowly trying to get back into the groove. These muffins are from Jennifer Perillo's magazine, Simple Scratch Cooking, and I've been wanting to make them since the magazine arrived. They are delicious and the family has already requested more.



I've made another recipe from the magazine too, the apple salad (I can't remember the exact name off the top of my head), and I love the dressing from it. I paired it with these sweet & savory candied walnuts from her blog- so good! It was a hit at the birthday party last weekend.

6. Autumn Rainbow colorway from Knitted Wit. I ordered this yarn after falling in love with it over on Neuroknitter's blog.





So much pretty in one skein of yarn!

7. Pretty flowers. Thanks sis! They sure made my week.



8. Knitted Wit has a new sock yarn, Victory Sock, and to launch it she's donating $5 for every skein of Camo and Purple Heart purchased from Nov. 1-15 to Fisher House Foundation and Wounded Warrior Project. And what to knit with this gorgeous yarn? I'm joining her and I'm donating $2 from every pattern purchase of Uncle Frank, Dear Baby Francis, and Fine Fella from Nov. 1-15 to Fisher House Foundation to support our military families and veterans. After all, my Great Uncle Frank gave his life for our country in World War II and received the Purple Heart, and I named all of those patterns after him, so I'm glad to give back in a small way. To encourage you all a bit, I've also marked the patterns on sale during this time to $5.



Hightower Socks by Sorren Kerr (also participating in this with us) shown in Victory Sock colorway Camo (right), Uncle Frank shown in Victory Sock colorway Purple Heart

So there you go. Lots of good things. I hope your weeks have been filled with good things too. I'd love to hear about them. Here's a great week ahead filled with more good things.

Happy Knitting!
Irishgirlieknits