Spring Awakening

It's not just one of my favorite musicals.



Which by the way is going to be made into a movie.

It's this time of year where it is so nice to sit knitting at a softball game at 7pm, but still be a bit chilly. April showers, spring flowers. A bit more daylight. A bit more energy.

And with the transition of the seasons, you also need those transitional knits....cowls, scarves, hats. I've got a few new ones to share with you!

Sluggy





Designed with the lovely Shalimar Yarns Homage DK, this hat was originally designed to celebrate ShaliMarch. But what the heck, we can still knit with Shalimar in April, right?



My favorite thing about this design is that it looks great on the whole family.



Lil' Snowboarder is modeling the same hat as her dad, but it has a slouchier fit on her. I think he wants another knit in the large size too now.





Awwww....little Magpie looks so sweet in her hat, don't you think? I know, I know. I'm a biased auntie.


 Her hat is knit with Big Bad Wool's Weepaca yarn. This yarn is Ah-mazing! I just love how soft it is.


Notes: Instructions are written for a multiple-sized, slouchy hat. If a slouchier hat is preferred, you can either work the body of hat until desired length or go up a needle size for the body of hat. Modifications will require more yardage. Charts are provided.

                                                                                                              

Suggested Yarns: ~95 (140, 170, 200) yards of dk/light worsted weight yarn such as Shalimar Yarns Homage DK, Big Bad Wool Weepaca, The Plucky Knitter Bello Worsted, Bare Naked Wools Stone Soup DK

I can't wait to knit another one of these for me!

FYI, Sluggy is on sale through April 15, for $5.00 and then will retail for $6.00 

The other design available this week is Seamus.





A special thank you to Disco who knit this sample up quickly in the new Bare Naked Wools Confection. I'll admit, I was a bit jealous she was able to knit with this lovely yarn. But at least I get to wear this lovely infinity scarf. I just love this combination of cables and yarn.



I knit the smaller cowl version with one skein of A Verb for Keeping Warm Pioneer. Another lovely, gorgeous yarn.

This cabled infinity scarf or cowl is the perfect beginner project for learning cables, as there are only five rounds of cables. It is also perfect to show off that special skein you’ve wanted to cast on. Cables and worsted weight yarn makes this a quick knit!

Pattern Notes: Instructions are written for two sizes, a cowl and an infinity scarf, knit in the round. Written for cowl with instructions for infinity scarf given in parentheses if different. Charts are provided on the back page.

Suggested Yarns: 165 (370) yards of heavy worsted weight yarn such as Bare Naked Wools Confection, Anzula For Better or Worsted, A Verb for Keeping Warm Pioneer, Kolláge Yarns Fantastic, The Plucky Knitter Rustic, Brooklyn Tweed Shelter

 



Jill Zielinski, aka Knitterella, did an excellent job on the photo shoot (isn't her cousin Dani gorgeous?!!). Thanks Jill! I feel for her a bit with all that snow though.

Seamus is also on sale through April 15 for $5.00 (then retails for $6.00).

I also released Snow Plants this week, the shawl I designed for A Verb for Keeping Warm's Pro-Verbial Club. I'll be blogging more about this pattern, but did want to let you know it is available and on sale!





It is definitely springtime with all of these new designs. Three in one week! When it rains, it pours.

A few more quick announcements....

If you are in the LA area this weekend, then hopefully you already know about the LA Yarn Crawl, April 3-6.



Please be sure to stop by Knit Culture Studio to see some of my designs that are there for a trunk show. I love that they've picked some of their favorite designs from a number of designers to put together a pretty amazing trunk show. Plus, check out this gorgeous design that Hilary, the Yarniad, designed for them this weekend. Gorgeous!

The other announcement is that the Irish Girlie Knits Ravelry Group has picked our next KAL. Wish I Might and any other Stripey IGK patterns! Come join us for the fun (oh, and there is a coupon code there too!).

And with that, I think I better get to bed. Phew. I'd love to hear how your spring has been going? Any exciting plans for the weekend?

Happy Friday!!Happy Spring!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

A weekend of celebrating!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We started celebrating this weekend- baking Soda Bread, watching Darby O'Gill and the Little People, playing Irish music all day. I think I love this holiday because it brings back such fond memories of my childhood and grandparents and St. Patrick's Day parades and Irish Dancing and family. There was lots of family time this weekend.



What a happy smile Magpie has! I just love her to bits! It is ridiculous the amounts of photos I have of her because every time I see her she is changing. And the baby coooing....I love the reciprocity when I coo, she coos. So sweet!



Haha! Here she is modeling for Keegan.Those socks are coming off if she has her way. Too funny!

There was time for knitting this weekend too.





At softball...





With sangria by the pool. A quick one skein cowl, Seamus, which is being prepped for a new IGK release. The yarn is A Verb for Keeping Warm's Pioneer and it is beyond lovely. The cowl is blocking now, so I can cast on for my Polartorte hat. The yarn arrived Friday and wow oh wow is Bare Naked Wools Stone Soup DK just fabulous!



So soft!



This was in with my package from Knitspot. Do tell Erica or Anne?!? Don't make us wait...hints??

Speaking of Bare Naked Wools, I finally released Contorta, my new design in Breakfast Blend fingering.





I'll do a proper blog post about them later this week, but did want to let you know the pattern was available in case you wanted to take advantage of the St. Patrick's Day Sale!

Here are the details everyone...
March 17-18

BOGO Free! with the coupon code: LUCKY

Buy one pattern, get one free (lesser priced pattern will be free; Merrily and Sleepy Hollow Collections included, but other ebook collections excluded)!

Only includes patterns published by Irish Girlie Knits Designs in my Ravelry shop here (e.g., does not include patterns published by Kollage Yarns, BMFA). However, see below for some new patterns that are now IGK patterns as well!

Discount can be used more than once, but patterns must be bought in multiples of 2 (e.g., 2, 4, 6…). Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Feel free to share this info with your friends or any appropriate groups on Ravelry. The more the merrier!

Here are the details everyone...
March 17-18

BOGO Free! with the coupon code: LUCKY

Buy one pattern, get one free (lesser priced pattern will be free; Merrily and Sleepy Hollow Collections included, but other ebook collections excluded)!

Only includes patterns published by Irish Girlie Knits Designs in my Ravelry shop here (e.g., does not include patterns published by Kollage Yarns, BMFA). However, see below for some new patterns that are now IGK patterns as well!

Discount can be used more than once, but patterns must be bought in multiples of 2 (e.g., 2, 4, 6…). Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Feel free to share this info with your friends or any appropriate groups on Ravelry. The more the merrier! - See more at: http://wedonothaveaknittingproblem.blogspot.com/#sthash.TM6JDBht.dpuf

Here are the details everyone...
March 17-18

BOGO Free! with the coupon code: LUCKY

Buy one pattern, get one free (lesser priced pattern will be free; Merrily and Sleepy Hollow Collections included, but other ebook collections excluded)!

Only includes patterns published by Irish Girlie Knits Designs in my Ravelry shop here (e.g., does not include patterns published by Kollage Yarns, BMFA). However, see below for some new patterns that are now IGK patterns as well!

Discount can be used more than once, but patterns must be bought in multiples of 2 (e.g., 2, 4, 6…). Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Feel free to share this info with your friends or any appropriate groups on Ravelry. The more the merrier! - See more at: http://wedonothaveaknittingproblem.blogspot.com/#sthash.TM6JDBht.dpuf

I'm glad we did most of our celebrating this weekend because I did not feel well at all today :(  Really tired and lots of head pain. So I spent a lot of the day sleeping, but don't worry, I did enjoy the leftovers from last night's dinner again today! And I think a spot of tea and soda bread is just perfect. And these photos that my sister texted me....





Guess who rolled over this weekend?!



Tired from all the celebrating! And don't touch her giraffe....

And because I love you guys, I think I'll release Glacier Point  in time for the sale too! Sneak peek....



Happy St. Patrick's Day!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

The Blogging To-Do List

My to-do lists have been a bit overwhelming lately. I finally have lots to blog about, but no time to do it!  So, as a quick saying hi post, I thought I might as well make my blogging to-do list to give you a peek at more to come in the next week or so.

1) Finish sharing some fun pictures from my trip to New Orleans last week. Like how much I love the vibrant and charming aspects of the city.  This building just made me smile :)



2) I released my new design, San Mateo, this week. I promise to tell you all about it but for now you should know that it is on sale for $5.00 through May 13, 2013 and even more on sale if you read #3. There is more info on Ravelry until I have time for a proper post.





3) Mad May!! It is Madelinetosh May over on Ravelry and to celebrate I'm offering 20% off all of my IGK patterns that are $6.00 or less through May 15, 2013 when you enter the code: madmay    

I'm starting Mad May off right with hopefully finishing this version of San Mateo this weekend.



Wait, I just told you about my Mad May special, so I think I can cross that off the list :)  Check.

4) I can't wait to tell you about my awesome afternoon yesterday helping A Verb for Keeping Warm celebrate the debut of their new yarn, Pioneer.



I'm casting on as soon as I finish that scarf above. Who cares if it has been 90 degrees here this week. Give me the sheepy wool!!



And yes, that is my dear friend Debbi in that picture.  More to come :)

5) New books to share. Fun tv shows. Other fun stuff. My happy post.

Hopefully I'll catch up soon.  In the meantime, what have you guys been up to? I'd love to hear! Oh, and thank goodness tomorrow is Friday, right?!?!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits