Favorites so far from STITCHES!

Wow! It has been a whirlwind few days here at Stitches Midwest! I have lots to tell you, but I need to get a few hours sleep (since last night was practically an all-nighter finishing my own Bellingrath to wear today!).

I have to share a few pictures from the Fashion Show last night because, well, it was awesome! Crazy fun! I haven't been to the Fashion Show before so I had no idea what to expect, and then to have my design in it, it was too much. These aren't even my pictures because mine came out too blurry (I'm pretty sure I was shaking!). Thanks Erica!

I should design something for a guy next year, don't you think?

I was so impressed with how they styled all the models for the show and have more fun pictures to share! Benjamin and the crew at XRX did a great job!

Bellingrath Shawlette, Kollage Yarns Sock-a-licious colorway Blue Mist (this one I get to keep!)

Today was my pattern signing! Another exciting day! My friend Jen and I finally met in person (Jen of Piddleloop fame is to blame for my knitting bag problem!). I met lots of people and tried to take lots of pictures.

More pictures to come! Thank you all again for being so supportive, especially the twitter comments today when I was a wee bit nervous I'd be alone in the booth :) Reminder that Sweet Home is on sale still!

Happy Stitches!!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Priority Packing

Well, the yarn is wound.


top to bottom: Plucky Primo in Headboard, Sock-a-licious in Blush, Sanquine Gryphon Bugga, BMFA STR in KMBFLA

Yes, as always, I think I can knit 3 pairs of socks and a shawlette in 5 days.



And finish my second Bellingrath Shawlette! Thank you all SO much for the Bellingrath love! I'm so glad you all like it as much as I do :)



Oh, and yes, a pair of Bellingrath Socks for me. In Bugga, colorway Nightcrawler. Yummy.

I am so excited to be attending Stitches Midwest for the first time and to be part of Kollage's design team! Plus, yesterday the Yarn Harlot finished her gorgeous Cotty socks and it has been so fun to see the hearts for Cotty on Ravelry jump up! So, I thought a sale was in order!

Sweet Home will be on sale for $4 today through Monday 8/23!



I really do appreciate all of you and your support you've shown me as I'm growing as a knitter and designer! I heart you guys!

I hope to blog from Stitches and have a contest while I'm gone too! Come back for details! Oh, and if you are on twitter, I'm irishgirlieknit over there if you want to follow the fun!


Now I need to go pack some clothes :)

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Bellingrath

I've been to Alabama just once. Over 10 years ago, I was visiting my bestest friend in the whole world, who was living in Biloxi, Mississippi at the time. She suggested that instead of going to New Orleans again (I was thinking more along the lines of why wouldn't we go back to NOLA?), we should go to Mobile, Alabama for the day. And so we did. Little did we know that pretty much nothing would be open in Mobile on a summer weekend when almost everyone was at the coast instead. I was underwhelmed. However, on the drive back we stopped at the beautiful Bellingrath Gardens and it made the day worth it (well, almost. I remember still wishing for beignets). The gardens were beautiful!

This shawlette and sock design, Bellingrath, was inspired by both those lovely gardens and the perfect Blush color yarn, Sock-a-licious, from Kollage Yarns in Alabama.

Introducing Bellingrath......

















The shawlette. One skein, gotta love that!

And I just have to say, my model and photographer....LOVE THEM! I really have some of the best friends a knitter could have. Ilikecake (you may know her by her gorgeous sock designs) worked the runway (well, garden in this case) while Cheekyattitude worked her magic behind the camera (you can check out more shawlette pictures here).

The socks feature the same lace edging and panel. I'm pretty tickled with how that works :) They are modeled perfectly by Cupcakefaerie! Again, what would I do without my friends.

The best part is that these two great projects are available in one pattern! It'll be debuting at the Stitches Midwest Fashion Show (squee!!!), kits will be for sale in the Great Yarns Booth and the Kollage Yarns Booth, and I'll be signing the pattern in Kollage's Booth on Saturday! Please stop by to say hi :)

But if you want to cast on right now, or can't make it to Stitches Midwest, Patternfish is carrying the pattern and you can download it now here (I am just so excited!).

You know the saying about it takes a village? Well, this design will always be very special for me. It really has taken a village. Erica for challenging me to this creative process (a shawlette? sure, no problem, never knit one, let alone design one....in five weeks...no problem!). Thayer and Terry for modeling. Tricia for her gorgeous photos. And my two awesome, who knits as fast as them, test knitters, Manda and Madeleine (I practically cried with relief when they agreed to test knit under very very tight deadlines). Of course, Susie from Kollage for giving me this exciting opportunity!

Now that the secret project is out, I can't wait to get back to showing you all what else I'm working on. Come back this week for more knitting, a pattern sale (yay!), and a contest or two!

Happy Knitting!

xoxo IrishgirlieKnits

Happy Birthday!

Lil' Snowboarder turned 7 today!



She had a fabulous day!



Happy Birthday Princess!
xoxo IrishgirlieKnits

Almost Friday!

Puddles, staring at something in her cute pink bandana

Phew! It has been quite a busy week, and it looks like the next week or two are going to be even busier. Let's see if I can make a list of just a few things that will be happening....

1) 7 more sleeps til Stitches Midwest!! Yay! This of course brings on a whole other list of to-do's such as what knitting to pack, clothes to pack, how much room do I leave for yarn?, laundry, etc.

2) Taking 3 days off of work for vacation always seems to equal 3 extra days of work packed into the week before. The first few days of work next week are going to be crazy long. Long. Long.

3) One little cutie princess is turning 7 on Sunday! Bounce House birthday party this weekend is going to be her first party-party with kids from her class, family, etc. Her question tonight at dinner, "Wait. When will I get the presents?" Oh goodness.

4) Cupcakes shall be made this weekend. Lots of cupcakes. Cupcakes for the party, cupcakes for school.... well, and a cupcake or two for the maker of the cupcakes to eat, right? I'm still wavering between yummy homemade ones for the grown-ups at the party, or the from the box kind. Definitely from the box for school. I think it all is going to depend on when I have time to fit in a mani-pedi.

5) Knitting. So much knitting, so little time :) The pressure of Bellingrath is done! The pattern should be released very very soon and online too (before Stitches hopefully!). It is so nice to be knitting on whatever I want right now. Of course, that means I'm knitting my own Bellingrath Shawlette as the one I designed will be a sample that I have to give to Kollage. I think that is the hardest part of designing....sending the finished knits off....



But my shawlette will be this gorgeous blue skein of Sock-a-licious, so I'm quite happy.

6) Stephanie is further along on her Cotty socks then I am. I still haven't decided which color to use, plus now I'm thinking of using this gorgeous handspun that Thayer spun for me.



After all, it is named Fightin' Irish, and with just a few weeks left until Notre Dame kicks off their season...well, maybe I need some good luck socks this year! Seriously can't wait for football season to start!

7) I'm very certain I'm forgetting things for my list. It is going to be that kind of week.

Hope you all have exciting plans for the weekend!!!

Happy almost Friday!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Already?

How can the weekend be over already? A quick trip up to Reno to visit my great-aunt Mimi this weekend, but now I'm home watching Mad Men (one nice thing about Sunday nights).

My sister told me about a cupcake shop in Reno that I hadn't been to, so of course, that was the first stop Friday. Just about the cutest cupcake shop!

Batch Cupcakery...quite yummy cupcakes, so I'm sure we'll be back. That pink one, Pretty in Pink, was my favorite (its a pink champagne cupcake!).

When I returned home, this awesome package was waiting for me! My Piddleloop bag arrived, along with lots of goodies for Lil' Snowboarder, Bailey & Puddles! Thank you Jen! You spoil us! I switched over my project (Simple Things Shawlette in Plucky Knitter MCN) right away!

And, I'll enable all of you...Piddleloop is having a sale (I believe it is 15% off until Tuesday...refund is given after purchase, see thread here). I'm so excited that I'll get to meet Jen at Stitches Midwest!! yay!!

And thank you all for the congratulations on my exciting news about Stitches Midwest! On my drive home today I realized it is just about 10 days away...eek!!! I hope to be able to show you pictures later this week of the socks and shawlette (and I think they'll be available for purchase online too!).

Here's to a great week ahead!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Woohooo!!

I am so excited that I can finally announce part of the super secret project that I've been furiously working on for the past 4 weeks (yes, you read that correctly...4 weeks to whip this together!).

I am going to Stitches Midwest because......

I am so excited to be part of Kollage Yarns' design team for Stitches Midwest and for the release of my new pattern Bellingrath, a sock AND shawlette design out of Sock-a-licious! I'll be at their booth in the market Saturday signing my pattern (crazy! crazy!)!

Other exciting news....our contest winners for my Uncle Frank sock pattern are:

Sherry

LittleBird from SurreptitiousNester

MelissaB

Victoria from Knotes From a Knit Wit

KatherineR

Please send me your email so that I can send you the pattern. You can email me at irishgirlieknits AT gmail DOT com Congratulations!

Are any of you planning to go to Stitches Midwest? Let me know because I'd love to see you!

Happy Weekend!!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Dreaming of...

Most of you know that I'm not really a one-project-at-a-time kinda girl. But, except for the 29 hour baby vest, that's what I've been doing the past few weeks. Working on one project (promise...details about it coming in the next post). And now that I'm just about done with that (about 10 rows on the toe left!!), well, I've been dreaming of all the other projects I want to knit.




Something, anything, don't know what yet, with the new Plucky Knitter Primo yarn! Her new base is 75% merino wool, 20% cashmere, and 5% nylon. It is so squishy soft!



I know what this skein of Sock-a-licious will be, but I still need to wind it.




I'm still trying to decide which color of STR I should use for the Q3 Blackberry Brambles KAL over on Raverly. I had it narrowed down to KMBFLA or Vancouver Violet until Tina just posted new colors to the BMFA website. Now I'm dreaming of Rasperry Mousse Brambles......



But, my stash overfloweth, so I'm trying to resist dreaming about new STR colors. I mean, I just got Pretty in Blue last month (along with a few others). I'm thinking of using this to cast on for a pair of Cotty socks! More Cotty socks? Well, did you see who is knitting this pattern? The Yarn Harlot blogged about it here. Pretty fun, huh?! I was quite excited yesterday when I saw her post. Of course, if I'm being realistic, I'll probably cast on with the Boobie 1 skein (it was already wound! although that Rare Gem was calling my name when I pulled Pretty in Blue out).

And because the above projects aren't enough, I've also been thinking about IrishDad's Uncle Frank socks.



Yeap. Still not done. Sorry Dad. I know they were your father's day gift and all. I promise...soon...

I better go finish those last few rows of the secret project so that I can stop dreaming about these knits and actually cast something new on tomorrow! But I thought to welcome all my new readers from the last few days, we should have a little contest. Just leave a comment on this post about any knits you're dreaming of knitting (or books you wanting to read, or recipes you're wanting to make, I like those too!)! I'll pick five lucky winners on Friday and email them a copy of my Uncle Frank Socks pattern.

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits