Blogiversary Special #5

I don't want to jinx it, but the busy busy part of my job is just about behind me!!!  Yay!!  All my reports are done for the year, one more IEP, and now just for some fun holiday "meetings"!  I even made fudge tonight for our holiday staff meeting tomorrow.  Let the holiday baking begin!

First, let's announce the winner of the Blogiversary Prize!

Congrats to Peppermint Mocha Mama!!!  I'll be sending you a package of yarny goodness just in time for Christmas!  And I can't wait to try your apple crumble recipe.

I also picked a few other winners to pick a free IGK pattern from my Ravelry shop!  They are...

EliArendt
CelticCastOn (ok, beware of the adorable sweater and the beyond cute kiddo when you click that link!)
Janmarie

I'll message you all tomorrow, but if you see this before I do, feel free to let me know which pattern you'd like.  You can message me on ravelry (irishgirlieknits) or email me irishgirlieknits AT gmail DOT com

Thank you all again for participating!  I loved reading everyone's holiday traditions.  If you haven't read through the comments, I suggest you do.  It'll make you smile.  Well, and you may want to try FowlervillesDeb's Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream.  Seriously, that is on my to-do list.

A few of my favorite holdiay traditions...

Watching Christmas movies.....my sister texted me late one night a week or two ago telling me Meet Me in St. Louis was on and I immediately began watching it.  Didn't matter that I own the DVD.  Other favorites include Love Actually, Christmas in Connecticut, the Ally McBeal Christmas episodes with Robert Downey Jr...... I could go on and on.


Holiday knitting.  Even if it is just a gift or two, there is something about the deadline, late night holiday knitting that I do love.  Especially next week when I'll have a few days off...knit knit knit.  Everyone wants socks this year.  Well, technically, Irish Dad wants his socks mended.  ugh.

Holiday baking.  I love it!  I used to go all out, but I've scaled back a bit lately (that should read I'm too tempted to eat the treats!).  That fudge in the fridge from earlier tonight will be delish tomorrow!!  I'll definitely be making Mimi's Sugar cookies this year.  Ok, re-reading that post just made me teary.  It'll be our first Christmas without Mimi.  And that is why I love traditions....memories...

My mom, sister, and I started what I hope will be a tradition, doing something special to get us in the holiday spirit.  Last weekend we spent the day in the city shopping, looking at the holiday decorations, just having a nice day together.  I love the city around the holidays.




Now for our last Blogiversary special!!  Only fitting to offer Winter Wonder for a special 50% off sale price of $3 from now until the end of Dec. 16 (11:59pm PST)! 



And since this is our last special, and tomorrow (Friday) is my mom's birthday, I'm also offering Maryanne for the same special 50% off sale price of $3 from now until the end of Dec. 16 (11:59pm PST)! 



Feel free to wish my mom Happy Birthday in the comments too!  I know I have at least one glove knit for her.  Better than last year, I guess!

Oh, and today is Bailey's birthday!  She's 7.  This is one of my favorite pictures of her from last year.



Okay, it is late late late.  Must to bed.  I'll be back a bit more though this weekend.  I have the best Christmas decoration ever to share with you.  A new holiday tradition for me :)

Happy Holidays!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Maryanne

I am so excited to share my new design with you.  Miss Babs and I collaborated to bring you this  pattern and it will be featured in her booth this coming weekend at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival!

Introducing... 

Maryanne

My mom, Maryanne. Loving, beautiful, strong, joyful, elegant.

With these socks I tried to capture what I love so much about my mother, from the beautiful lace, to the strong, elegant lines that form as the lace transitions to the toes.

Perfectly paired with Miss Babs' Windsor Handpainted Sock Yarn, in a colorway aptly named Forever.

I love you mom, forever.

Pattern:  Maryanne 

Notes: Instructions are written for a cuff-down sock.  Charts are provided on the last page.

Yarn: 350-380 yards of fingering sock yarn such as Miss Babs Windsor Hand-

Painted Sock Yarn

Materials: US 1.5 (2.5mm) needles or size needed to obtain gauge, 

DPNs or circular needles, stitch markers, tapestry needle

Gauge: 36 sts and 36 rows = 4" over stockinette stitch

Sizes: adult women's medium (large)

Finished measurements: 7" (7¾") unstretched (up to 8½" (9¼") slightly stretched) foot circumference; 

6¼" (5¼”) ~leg length

A special thanks to Miss Babs for collaborating on this project with me.  I'm so excited that she is my first official wholesale account!  If you'll be attending Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this weekend, please stop by her booth to check out the pattern and her gorgeous yarns!

Once again, my fabulous test knitter, Gaylen did an amazing job under very, very tight deadlines!  What would I do without you G! Thank you!

Another thank you to my amazing graphic designer, Jill Zielinski, aka Knitterella, for her asssistance with the pattern layout!  She continues to make my job so much easier!  Look for more reformatted patterns from IGK soon!

And thank you mom!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

A Bit of Catch-Up!

What a busy few weeks this has been?!  Let's catch-up a bit, shall we?

1. Did you watch the Royal Wedding?  I did.  Loved it.  Love, love, loved it.

2. Have you seen Woolgirl's April Sock Club Kit yet?  If you don't want to be spoiled, look away around #5.

3. Sock Summit registration begins on Wednesday, May 4!!  I'm hoping to maybe get a class or two, in addition to my own!!!!!

4.  I drove Mimi back home to Reno this weekend.  Not such a fun drive when I have a horrible migraine/sinus headache.  So I treated myself today to a trip to Jimmy Beans Wool.  Love that store, but really try not to stop at it every time I'm in Reno. I don't need yarn, remember.  But, in honor of Madelinetosh May, I bought a little something today.




Two skeins of Madelinetosh Prairie in colorway Cove

5. Woolgirl's April Sock Club shipment arrived earlier this week and I heart everything about it!

Two awesome patterns, and yes, I may be biased because one of them is mine!  When Woolgirl asked me to design something for her Favorite Things/Raindrops on Roses themed kit, I jumped at the chance.  Especially when she told me about the yarn!  I absolutely loved knitting with Stricken Smitten's yarn....the color is just stunning!

Raindrops on Roses Shawlette, by Irishgirlieknits

feel free to favorite it, but it won't be available to the public until June 2012!  But you might be able to score one in the Woolgirl's Sock Club Forum on Ravelry here

6. Podcasts.  I've finally discovered the joy of knitting podcasts.  Don't ask me what took so long?!  Current faves include FiberBeat, Knitmore Girls, SavvyGirls.....any others you'd recommend?

7.  You know that sneak peek I showed you the other day?  I'm so excited to share it with you this week.  Miss Babs will be selling the pattern in her shop at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival next weekend!  This will be the first (of hopefully many more!) pattern that I will be wholesaling and I thought a bit of a professional pattern layout was needed.  Knitterella to the rescue!  I'll tell you more about the pattern in my next post, but today, I have to share a picture of the new pattern layout.

I love it!  Working with Jill has made my designing job so much easier!  We will gradually be moving many of my patterns over to this new layout as I hope to start expanding my wholesale accounts!

8.  I have barely knit a stitch this week!  Tends to happen when I finish a new design.  I have another design in the works, just haven't cast on yet.  So let me live vicariously through you guys for a moment....what are you knitting?  What project can you just not put down?  Do tell :)

Happy Knitting!!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Sneak Peek!

Coming Soon!

Maryanne, a new IGK pattern featuring Miss Babs Yarns Windsor Sock Yarn, colorway Forever

Happy almost Friday!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits