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

Steward

There are some designs that mean a little bit more to me than others. The ones named after my family I'm especially fond of. And the pattern I'm releasing today is one of those types of designs.


Steward, shown in The Plucky Knitter Snug Worsted, colorway Icey Audrey

Knitting this hat healed my heart a bit. I just didn't realize it at the time. I knit this hat over and over and over last year. It was probably the only thing I knit for months. The name came to me one night at bible study when my Pastor spoke about stewardship and that we needed to be good stewards of the gifts God had given us. I could knit. And knit I did.



Six times to be exact. The only thing I could knit because I had lost my knitting motivation. You know its bad when you're not doing the things you love to do. This was just easy enough to knit a row here or there.



And I thought things were better. I was knitting again. Being diagnosed with cancer twice and the pain and fear that comes with that would not beat me. But I could not get the pattern written down. I was stuck. For months.



That's where the journey of this design really healed my heart a bit. Realizing I needed to let a lot go has cleared my mind of so much lately. In that act of letting go, surrendering if you will, I was able to write this pattern. Something that I struggled with (let's be clear guys, it's an easy 2-page pattern!) for months became so easy all of a sudden.



That is an entirely different type of gift. One I'm learning to be grateful for daily.



I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

P.S. The pattern is on sale for $5 through the end of January, but you can get an extra 20% off this pattern and any other IGK pattern ($6 or less) with the coupon code: GIFTS through Sunday, 1/22/17.

Happenings

Taking a few moments to share and reflect on all the lovely things that have been happening this past week.  

{writing}

 

Yes. I sent Knitterella, my graphic designer extraordinaire, my first pattern of 2017. It felt incredible to be able to have the focus to sit down and write a knitting pattern.                

{reading}



Technically, I'm listening to and reading this one. My only regret is not discovering Brene Brown's work sooner. But I'm not sure I would have appreciated it the same way.



She Reads Truth. The just enough bible study I was looking for last year and it has been nice to get back to my daily readings when I can. Peace and calm is something I'm focusing on this year, so this quote was exactly what I needed this week.

{seeing}

Cows. I love that my new town feels like it is just on the edge of suburbia/city life. I see cows everyday. And I love it. It brings a smile to my face. I hope I say that in the summer when I'm sure it smells a bit too.

{enjoying}



Fresh flowers. These beauties from Trader Joe's have lasted all week and I'm so glad that I've started filling my home with a few fresh stems.

{wanting}



Isn't it a lovely way of knowing you're in the right place, when you walk into your favorite local coffee shop, and your local yarn store owner is hanging out knitting with her friends?! Today was just a lovely afternoon where I felt like I was where I belonged. And, I didn't know such a ginormous pompom maker existed, so I'll be stopping into Knitique sometime soon to get me one (yep, they ship too).

{listening to}



Lauren Daigle, love her entire album, but this song has been my anthem this week

{loving}



Myself. Easier said than done, but loving and taking care of myself is my number one priority this year.

{anticipating}



Soon.

I'd love to hear what has been happening with you. What are you loving, reading, listening to, knitting? Here's to a great week ahead.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

I Knit a Hat.

And a few other things I think I need to catch you all up on. Where has the time gone?!

First. The hat. Plucky Knitter designed the perfect hat to watch Netflix subtitled Mystery Series to (note: I loved Dicte and Witnesses). Meet the Conversationalist Hat. Modeled by not so little snowboarder, but I pretty much have worn it every rainy day we've had!





The gray definitely makes my blue eyes pop! It seems to do the trick for Emmypie's blue eyes too!



At the beginning of January I went to TNNA in San Diego. I debuted a new design there, Cobh, in Anzula's lovely fingering and DK yarns. I love this design....it's basically a Summer Wind shawl and perfect for playing with color.




Sabrina and Charlie, the lovely ladies from Anzula, and my shawl at Sample It





And our holidays were all about making memories, as they should be. I sure do hope you all had a lovely holiday and new year with your families too. Despite my absence here and ravelry, I've tried to keep up on Facebook and instagram and it looks like most of you have been busy too!


Because I LOVE this picture.









And sweet baby Emmypie looked like a Downton Abbey baby at her baptism too.



So there's the catching up. Today, I still haven't quite found my knitting mojo. I finished this single Ballydesmond back at the beginning of January at TNNA, and I'm still working on the second one?!



I have three new designs I need to write up, and I think that is what has stumped my mojo. I want to cast on a new design, but I won't let myself until I get those designs done. But at the same time, I don't really want to knit anything else.

But the days are getting longer, which is lovely. This was my view after work tonight.



A reminder to look up once in awhile :)

And I know this is late, but like last year, for the rest of the month we'll be celebrating birthday month around here! All patterns are 20% off for February! No coupon necessary. And hopefully by the end of the month I'll have those three new ones ready to go!



Next week is Stitches West so I'll definitely be back MUCH sooner to talk knitting!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Good things.

This time of year I can't help but reflect and focus on all the good things, even though it may be hard with what is going on in the world around us or around the holidays when people we love aren't with us. Two years ago at this time I was going through radiation, so it is hard to not feel blessed. I'll be honest, last year was a hard year too, and this year has been filled with so many blessings. So my list of good things may be a bit random. From sentimental, to my typical good knitting things, to a favorite recipe. And our blogiversary sale continues. Just a heads up :) I'm trying to find the light.

1. I'm going to start with an easy one. Did you see Clara Parke's 2015 Gift List? So many lovely things on it. I'll be honest. I ordered a little something for myself from Tolt Yarn and Wool. Sister, don't look....I have dreams of knitting this for Magpie (or me and Pa someday!). 

2. For all of us MI-5 lovers out there, did you know there was a movie that just came out?! Quite enjoyable!! We rented it this weekend and loved it. Oh how I wish Netflix would bring MI-5 back. It was perfect for knitting deadline marathons. I should also mention Jon Snow is in MI-5. Enough said.

3. Balancing the holiday treats with healthy cooking! I'm still trying new healthy recipes to keep it interesting too. New favorites include this Baked Oatmeal (so good for a holiday brunch!). There are a few different versions of the same style recipe by Heidi Swanson here and here. I used raspberries and almonds, btw. Delish!

Another winner was this beef, leek and barley soup from Smitten Kitchen. I made this for the second time this past weekend and substituted stew meat (less fat) instead of the short ribs and added more veggies (green beans and carrots and celery). Another winner!

4. Knitting by the fire. I'm on a secret design deadline, so the view of the fire is all you get for now (sorry!).

 

5. 'Tis the season for flannel sheets and falling asleep to the nutcracker soundtrack. My seasonal favorites.....da da da da da da da da da da dadadadadada....

6. Our next pattern sale! Adare and Adare Fingerless Gloves. I just love this set, and I especially love some of the projects that have been popping up on the project pages too! You should check them out (this is my favorite probably...every hat now needs a pompom!)

Each pattern is 50% through Dec. 10, 11:59pm PST, so just $3 each! Maybe a knitter you know has them in their queue....perfect time for a RAK?

Speaking of which....those of you on Instagram, have you seen the #getyouryarnwishesgranted? Talk about warm and fuzzy...I love it! I've already granted one wish....I'm just not fast enough granting the other wishes before someone else has gotten there. And also self-striping sock yarn is a very highly-wished for item. And I have none. Well, one skein of Canon Hand Dyed on my needles.

7. The munchkins in my life. My cup runneth over when I'm with them.






Someone else loves gingerbread cookies just as much as Auntie does!!

8. Yesterday (well, technically I'm still up late so really today in my book!) marked the start of the Year of Mercy for the Catholic Church. It is a Jubilee Year and Pope Francis has deemed it the Year of Mercy. Quite fitting for our world right now. A good thing in my book.

mercy: a broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts.

Notre Dame has a prayer site that I kind of love. It emails you daily prayers (anyone can sign up). I don't check the email every day, but on days that I need it, it is perfect. A small passage from the bible, a prayer, and a relevant story. And by relevant, I mean meaningful for us. How I remember the homily being during Mass when I was in college. Not something over my head or about something I couldn't relate too. Anyways, I thought I would share this today, in case one of you needed a little extra love and light.  Insert your words for your God/faith/divine power where it says Holy Spirit/Lord or instead of Church, I like to think of me/us/community.



9. Happy Hanukkah to those that celebrate it!

10. Not necessarily a good thing....but 15 knitting days til Christmas. I'm so behind!

11. YAY!! I'm adding this one...it wasn't available last night when I posted. Kate Davies' new book is available (or here it is on ravelry). I've enjoyed seeing each of the new patterns she's released....the one club I've kicked myself for not joining! It looks lovely. I splurged and just ordered it. Thanks Santa!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits