Winner!

Congratulations to Meg, winner of a copy of Sock-yarn Shawls II by Jen Lucas!

Meg, you will receive an email shortly at the address you provided.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated - it was great seeing all the love for Jen's designs.


It's Irish Girlie's Birthday month and still plenty of time to get in on the discounted patterns!

Happy Knitting!
Tricia (cheekyattitude)

Getting Ready for the New Year: Organizing Yarn

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We've enjoyed all the happy activities that were shared in the comments. I can't believe it is almost time to ring in 2015.

Congratulations to our contest winners:

Debbie is the winner of the pretty Plucky yarn.
And we decided to choose two more lucky knitters to receive an IGK Pattern of their choice.

Congratulations Marcy and Kelly-ann!

Please private message Irish Girlie on Ravelry to arrange for the prizes.



Taking time to fill out a new calendar and think about the year ahead always gets me excited about all the possibilities. Right now I have visions of an uncluttered and organized craft space of my own. First on the agenda is to get a handle on my yarn stash.

I did a bit of poking around and Webbs (Yarn.com) has a whole series on organizing yarn with wonderful tips on destashing, organizing patterns, and (my favorite) organizing yarn.

I'm leaning toward putting yarn together by weight rather than color or fiber. It seems when I dive into the bags o yarn that I have, it is in search of something pretty to go with a pattern / project.

I've started a pinterest board for yarn organizing ideas and while I'll never have space the size of a yarn store, a knitter can dream.

Lucky Hanks "Yarn Office"

How do you organize your yarn? Does every skein have a project and every project have a place?

Holiday Magic

I may not have any presents wrapped yet, but I made cookies today. The most delicious crispy, chewy  gingersnap cookies from In Jennie's Kitchen. I've had a thing for gingerbread all holiday season so I'm glad I finally had a chance to make these.

They were delicious. Next on the list I want to make these and gingerbread coffeecake once my copy of simple scratch cooking arrives this week. 

More freezer jam. We'll see how this one tastes tomorrow. 

Baking and catching up on sleep has been how I've spent my first few days of holiday vacation so far. The next few days will be spent enjoying the holiday magic with family. I've loved seeing how our sweet little Magpie is experiencing the holidays this year.

She already knows the tree is just for looking :)

And loves reading with her big cousin.

That smile melts my heart every time.

We also have an extra family member visiting this week. Bailey and Puddy don't seem to mind sharing the couch with my mom's sweet dog, Maddie.

Baking, sleeping, relaxing, family, and .......knitting (and writing about knitting, as in those patterns). That's my plan this vacation. Speaking of which....

Sorin Fingerless Gloves    

Pattern photos by Tricia Soto, aka Cheekyattitude

Shown in The Plucky Knitter Primo Sport, colorway Decorum Dictates

These fingerless gloves are so versatile. The pattern is written for either sport or worsted weight yarns, and the worsted version is a quick gift knit too! The cables pop in a variety of yarns and will look good on everyone in the family. 

Shown in The Plucky Knitter Scholar, colorway Strawberry Wine (worsted weight version)

Suggested Yarns:  ~155 yards for sport weight version such as The Plucky Knitter Primo Sport, Bare Naked Wools Stone Soup DK, Anzula Cricket, Knitted Wit Victory DK

~185 yards for worsted weight version such as The Plucky Knitter Scholar or Primo Worsted, Anzula For Better or Worsted, Big Bad Wool Weepaca

Sorin Fingerless Gloves are on sale for $5.00 through Dec. 28 BUT use coupon code: HAPPYHOLIDAYS to receive an additional 20% off this pattern and any other Irish Girlie Knits Design pattern $6.00 or less (through January 4, 11:59pm EST) 

I certainly haven't gotten very far on the tween's Sorin Fingerless Glove. One is almost done at least. I'm looking forward to getting some knitting done tomorrow.

Oh, Cheekyattitude and I have a present for one lucky reader that doesn't need wrapping. Contest time!!

Time lovely skein of Plucky Knitter Primo Sport would be lovely for a pair of Sorin Fingerless Gloves, but it could be anything you want it to be! Just leave a comment on this post with what you have planned for the week ahead....will you be baking, relaxing, knitting, entertaining family? Anything special? Have you wrapped all of your presents? Are all of your holiday gifts knit? Will you be casting on something special for you soon? Be sure to leave a way to reach you if you win (e.g., ravelry ID or email).

Oh, and our relatively new family tradition the past few years...tomorrow night we are seeing the Nutcracker. I can't wait.

Happy Holidays!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Good Juju

It sure has been a tough few weeks around here, but especially this past week. Pa is in the hospital for a knee replacement surgery.  He had one five years ago and this is the other knee. Well, he was supposed to go home yesterday, but that's not happening. Hoping he'll get transferred to a rehab center soon, but he definitely could use some prayers and good juju.

So this post was delayed, but in a way, maybe it was fitting. I've been wanting to send some good juju to Discoknits the past few weeks.



Many of you know she's one of my knitting besties and she is doing something a bit spectacular for her. She's running a half-marathon in just a few weeks. More specifically, she's running in the world's largest half-marathon! AND I still remember a few years ago when she was trying to do the couch to 5k program and was dying trying it. But the past few weekend she's been running 9, 10, 11 miles at a time!!!!  She is sooooooo inspiring!!!

She's running the race in memory of her late brother and is also raising money for two wonderful children's charities! And if you donate just $5 to help her, you'll be entered in a chance to win a handknit beekeeper's quilt, knit out of Socks that Rock!!! Every $5 gets you a chance to be entered.  It is gorgeous....go check it out!



I've made my donation (I sooooo love that blanket!!) but I've been wanting to do more to support her! So, here's your chance to get either of my pattern collections,  The Sullivan Family Collection or The Woods Family Collection, for just $5!!!  The first 20 people to make the $5 donation and email me will receive the collection of their choice. UPDATE: ALL SPOTS FILLED. Thank yoU! I'll do my best to update here when those 20 spots have been filled.

Make a donation on Disco's fundraiser page (US charity is here, UK charity is here).  I'll check those pages to confirm your donation, but also email me:  irishgirlieknits AT gmail DOT com  (please note which collection you would like and a ravelry ID that I can send it to) and please also email disco so she can enter you into her drawing. She is:  discoknits  AT gmail DOT com . By the way, every $5 really does help. Disco sent me an email earlier this week about someone's $5 donation that just made her day! Sure, if you can donate more that is great, but really, if 30 of you donate $5, Disco has raised $150 more! And that is what it is all about :)

Now a few other prizes. UPDATE: CONTEST CLOSED.

• If you'd prefer to pick 3 IGK patterns ($18 value, same as the collections but excludes other yarn company patterns), I'll offer that option to 10 people. Just email me the info and I'll update here when these are gone!
• If you want to donate $10, I'll send 10 people BOTH collections. This will however count as 1 towards the 20 collections mentioned above.
• Some of you have already made a donation! Feel free to email me any 2 patterns from my IGK patterns that you'd like me to gift you through ravelry :)
• MORE prizes!! If you've already made a donation or if you make a new donation, I'll enter you guys into a yarny giveaway later this week! I'm thinking Socks that Rock prizes (at least 2) since that's what Disco's blanket is made from and probably a skein or two of Plucky since Plucktember is coming up!!!  Just email me so I know to enter you :)

Feel free to spread the word! Oh, and give me a day or two to get you your prizes as I'll be at the hospital the next few days probably. But, I've been wanting to do this for Disco for the past two weeks so I hope you understand waiting a day or two!

Despite the busy few weeks, there has been knitting. Here's a peek at an upcoming pattern.  Another Peek-a-boo Penelope for another co-worker (that's three girls in a row for my lovely co-workers).



More details on that soon!

Wishing us all a little extra good juju this weekend!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

P.S. There are Plucktember specials on my patterns....check out the thread here (IGK ravelry group) for discount codes.

P is for

• pink travel mug from Davids Tea

• painful head/migraine stuff today that kept me home from work

• Pom Tango tea from the Spring Collection at Davids Tea.  It is delish!

• perfectly pink yarn from Baah Yarns!

• prize winner!  G Marie (aka Gaylen) won the Sock Yarn Shawls book giveaway!  Congrats!!

• St. Patrick's Day is 6 days away.  That means time for the Annual IGK BOGO free pattern sale!! And I'm so excited to spend time with the family :)

• pattern prizes galore!!  Leave a comment sticking with the p is for....theme and I'll pick three random winners to receive two of my IGK patterns :)  Winner will be announced later this week.

Happy Knitting!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

March Madness

March is going to be a great month!

Did any of you catch Notre Dame's triple overtime win against UConn last night?!  I'm a huge fan of Skylar Diggin's and I so hope we make it to the national championship and win this year! Great win to start off march madness!

But it won't be all about basketball here, I promise.  There's a Mitts KAL going on over in the Bare Naked Wool group on Ravelry.  You've all seen my sleepy hollow socks that I'm working on. Well, I'm pretty sure Bare Naked Wool Breakfast Blend would work perfectly for the Sleepy Hollow Fingerless Gloves or Cotty Fingerless Gloves.  And if you pop over to that group, you just might find a coupon code for those two patterns :)

I'm also kicking off March Madness with a book giveaway!!

I'm sure many of you have seen the new Sock-Yarn Shawls  book by Jen Lucas, right?  I met Jen at the first sock summit and have followed her blog ever since.  It has been exciting to see her success as a designer the past few years, but I was thrilled to see her first book published!! So stinking proud of her!!

 

Jen and I had a great time hanging out at TNNA in January and we plotted this little giveaway for you guys.  

Why yes, we may have purchased new Namaste purses.  But back to the book :)

The book covers a variety of shawl constructions and designs, from top down triangle shawls to crescent shaped shawls, from all over lace motifs to garter stitch with lace edging.

Timpani

Francolin

I'm pretty sure you guys may be able to figure out that one of the main reasons I love the designs in this collection is because a few of them look deceptively simple, but are perfectly gorgeous.  I'm a big fan of easy knitting that has just enough style and design to make it a fabulous handknit.  I think quite a few of these fit that bill.  Well, and a few to challenge you a bit too, if you are looking for that!  

Wedgewood

Briargate

I don't know how you decide which one to knit first :)

One more favorite thing about this book.  Sock yarn.  You know we all have plenty of that in our stashes, right?!

Congratulations Jen on a job well done!!  Oh, and check out the fabulous book party her husband threw for her!  That post was one of my recent favorites because Jen is such a sweet, fun, and creative designer, and I love that her blog shares a peek into her life.  

So if you'd like to win a copy and have it personally signed by Jen, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post (and an email or ravelry id to get in touch with you if you win) with which one of Jen's shawls you think you'd like to knit.  Whether from her book, or her awesome ravelry designer page (beware! lovely shawl shopping alert!).  Contest will be open through Sunday, March 11.

Happy Knitting!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

p.s. March Madness will definitely continue this month!  I'm planning to still have my St. Patrick's Day BOGO free sale that I have every year on that day!  If you aren't already in my Irish Girlie Knits Designs ravelry group, you may want to join so you don't miss out on that!!

Blogiversary Special #3 & #4

Happy Friday!  Busy busy week, but now it is countdown to holiday vacation time!!  And another weekend filled with holiday fun....work party tonight, shopping downtown tomorrow with the family, and maybe getting some holiday baking done :)  Must not forget the knitting too....



Today's treat :)  Yummy!

To continue with the blogiversary fun, here's specials #3 and #4.

Tonight until the end of Saturday (11:59pm PST), Dancette is on sale for 50% off!  $3.00 for a gorgeous shawl that you still have time to knit before Christmas if you want.  No coupon needed! 



Blogiversary special #4.... a yarny contest!!!  One special winner will be receiving a few skeins of gorgeous yarn and an IGK tote bag!  Just leave a comment sharing one of your favorite holiday traditions...whether it be an activity, recipe, favorite song to decorate the tree to....  Please leave a way to contact you if you win (e.g., ravelry name, email).  Plus a few others will win an IGK pattern too!

Off to get ready for the holiday party!!  Happy Friday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Weekend Wrap-Up!

Oh, it is Sunday afternoon already, and although this weekend has zoomed by, I feel like I was able to get lots accomplished this weekend!  I feel like I have so much to catch you all up on, so here goes.  A bit of my weekend, a bit of an update, and heck, a contest if you make it through the end of the post.

1. New designs in the works!

An infinity scarf design featuring The Plucky Knitter Primo.  I'm loving this one!!  Oh, and yes, it matches my new project bag perfectly. 

I showed you a peek at my new design for Sunshine Yarns on Friday, but thought you'd enjoy a close-up.  I'm on to sock two now, and since this is a sportweight yarn, Luxury Sport, it is knitting up quickly.  And I"ll admit, this yarn is a bit like crack.  Seriously.  Love love love.  I keep looking at the website to see what other colors I would knit this with and try really hard not to click order.

2. Another pattern has been reformatted.  Here is Winter Wonder. It's never too soon to start thinking holiday knitting.

On all of my new patterns I'm now featuring suggested yarns instead of limiting the pattern to just the one or two yarns I used to design it with. There are so many lovely yarns out there that would often work. For this pattern, in addition to the Malabrigo Rios, Kollage Yarns Fantastic and The Plucky Knitter MCN Lite, I've added a few other yarns to tempt you with: The Plucky Knitter Primo Worsted, Miss Babs Yowza, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Gaea, A Verb for Keeping Warm Toasted.

Winter Wonder is also now featured on Malabrigo Yarns website here! So cool!  And once again, Knitterella has done an amazing job with my pattern layout!  If you need any graphic design work, she is fabulous!

3.  Doggies!! Lot's of snuggle time this weekend with Bailey and Puddy!

How can I resist those eyes?!!?!

4. Walk Now for Autism Speaks is just a week away, and so far we've raised $340 from the sales of my Walk Now pattern.  Thank you all so much!  I'd love to get to $400 by the time of the walk next weekend!

5.  A bit of retail therapy arrived on Friday.  A new project bag from Knitterella!

Love!! Seriously cute! She has a few other designs here!

6. I spent a bit of timing updating things in our Irish Girlie Knits group over on Ravelry.  Can you believe we're up to 287 members!!!  So fun!   Our Sweet Home KAL is coming to a close at the end of the month and I just posted our lovely prizes from Kollage Yarns and Dubai Knits.  It's not too late to join the KAL here.

7.  Cotty was picked for the Year of Stash Socks June KAL!  Yay!!  I'm doing a coupon code for 20% off Cotty from now until May 31st with the coupon code: yoss     Come join the fun!

8. I've also spent some time this weekend adding new blogs to my Google Reader.  When bloglines went away, my blog reading dropped a bit.  But now that I've figured things out with Google Reader and Flipboard on my iPad, I'm back in blog reading mode!  I've discovered a few new non-knitting ones that I'm enjoying too ( Crafting an MBA, Single Dad Laughing).

So for today's contest, leave me some fun blog recommendations to add to my google reader!  If you have a blog, let me know too!  Knitting blogs, foodie blogs, other blogs I should be reading....let me know! And then from the list of comments I'll pick 5 winners to receive a copy of my Sweet Home Pattern!  ETA:  You guys rock the baking blogs (already added a few!).  Keep them coming, but for the sake of my tummy, if you have any healthy eating/cooking blogs to recommend I'd love those too :)

ETA: Contest closed.  Check for winners here.

Phew! I think we're all caught up on my end!  So how was your weekend?  Catch me up :)


Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

4 Years!!

Happy Blogiversary to us!

Yes, I said us.

As in we.

Even though really,

for the most part,

it has been just me.

But four years ago

it started out as we.

She got shy,

I kept blabbing.

I mean blogging.

But we are still we.

And last Friday we reunited at A Verb for Keeping Warm for a bit of fun!

You see, Pashyknits already had a drop spindle AND belonged to a fiber club AND had a gift certificate for spinning knits, but still had not learned. Until I told her I was officially sucked in, and she immediately forced me to show her how to use a drop spindle (she learned, despite my poor teaching!).

She loves it! And I still love her, even though she fell off the face of the blog circa June 2007. Oh, but her stash has grown and her knitting has been prolific!

This was my purchase. Cookie's new book, Knit. Sock. Love., is just gorgeous! I couldn't resist.

And it wouldn't be a blogiversary celebration without a little giveaway, would it!?!? Thank you all so much for reading and being here and being part of this wonderful knitting community that I couldn't imagine my life without! So, I'm doing a pattern giveaway a day for the next week! Not sure I'll be able to blog daily (you never know!), but if I miss a day, the next post will have two patterns to giveaway!!

Today's giveaway, Cotty, my very first sock pattern. Who knew it would be #74 on Ravelry's most popular sock patterns (yeah, I'm geeky like that! it is so super exciting to me!!)! I'll be giving away 4 copies to celebrate our 4 years of blogging! If you have Cotty and win, you can gift it to someone else or pick a different pattern from my Raverly shop!

Just leave a comment telling me what project you are working on right now and/or if you are deluded like me and think you can finish all of your holiday knitting and get sleep at the same time!! And be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if you win!

Happy Blogiversary!! Love ya!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits (and Pashyknits too!)

Contest Time!

Best way to beat away the Monday blahs, well, other than counting down the number of sleeps until Stitches East, would be a contest, right?!

I've been meaning to give away a skein of Sock-a-licious and my Bellingrath Pattern for awhile now!



Kollage also donated a set of square DPNs and a clear project bag too!

The contest is easy....just leave a comment :) And if you having any thoughts on the following, that would be great too (you guys always have the best info/recommendations!)...
*favorite new-to-you blog of any kind
*favorite app for an Android phone (I've had the Sprint HTC EVO for a few months now and feel like I still don't know much about all the "extras")
*the "it" knitting pattern for the holidays or what you want to knit now!
*any other favorite you want to share

I'll announce a winner at the end of the week. In the meantime, don't forget about my pattern sale. Receive 20% off any of my individually sold patterns by using the coupon code stitcheseast from now until Nov.1.

And check back soon for the new patterns being released! It is going to be a great week here, I can feel it!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Sock-a-licious!

Meet one of my new favorite sock yarns. And I promise, it is not just the name that makes me love this yarn.



Although, with a name like Sock-a-licious, it's hard not to love. Now, sing it to this. Hehehe.



For me, it is all about the colors! Those semi-solid colors, the varying shades and depth of color that keep you interested while knitting, look gorgeous knit up, and are perfect for just about any pattern.



I'll admit. This colorway, Chateau, is probably my favorite!



But the color isn't the only reason why I love it! You know I love color, but I'm also a yarn snob. I'll admit it. My stash doesn't really lie. You all know this about me. And this yarn, with 70% Fine Superwash Merino Wool, 10% Silk, and 20% Nylon, well, it feels snobby! It feels so squishy and soft just like some of my favorite sock yarns.

Color, yarn content, name I love, perfect, right? But there's more. Wait for it.



It is going to retail for just under $20 a skein, with each skein having 350 yards!! Told you I love it!

I say going to, because it has just been released by Kollage Yarns and should be hitting the stores soon (ETA: Paradise Fibers is taking pre-orders, yarn arrives next week, oh, and it is retailing there for $18.75)! One of my good friends from Sock Camp, Erica, sent me 3 skeins of Sock-a-licious!! Seriously!! Sometimes its nice to have friends who work for yarn companies!!



Best part, one of the skeins is for you!! Time for a little contest, don't you think!! I saved this gorgeous one, colorway Heather, for you guys (sorry I can't part with the Chateau!). Wouldn't it make a perfect pair of Blackberry Brambles? You don't have to knit it in Blackberry Brambles, but I will be including the pattern with the yarn!



So how can you win this yarn and the pattern? Just leave me a comment of what pattern or item you'd love to knit this with!

I'll admit, this yarn is so nice, I know I'm going to knit some type of cowl or scarflette with it too...want that pretty silk by my face!

Bonus contest.... if you rewrite the lyrics to Fergalicious (doesn't have to be the whole song) with Sock-a-licious (hehehe...because someone should, right??), you'll be entered twice! and the first five song writers will automatically win a copy of Blackberry Brambles!

Contest will run through Sunday morning at 10am.

And yes, I said she sent me 3 skeins. I couldn't wait, one skein is already wound, swatch started and everything!!

Happy Knitting!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits