Day 10.

Here goes day 10 of nonstop-blogging.  I really am enjoying reading everyone else's daily posts and it reminds me why I started this blog.  To keep in touch with my knitting friends, despite their distance!  And to meet new friends too!

Since I spent most of today sleeping (ugh! stupid tooth infection that was supposed to heal in a few days seems to be taking an eternity and hurts!!), I fear I don't have a lot of knitting to show.  I have yarn I could show, but I've been having a hard time either being home or awake during the daylight hours with the time change.  I'm definitely going to prep better this weekend!

There are a few fun things around the blogosphere that I did want to point out.

1. Check out Disco's I-cord friendship bracelets!  Too cute for words!

2.  Sheri from The Loopy Ewe knit another Summer Wind because she so enjoyed knitting the first one!  This post made me smile this week, even when it hurt to smile :)  Plus, if you didn't know it, Sheri has a mini-Yarn Harlot effect! Both times that she has blogged about Summer Wind has given the pattern a nice bump in pattern sales.  Thank you again Sheri!!

3. I mailed off a new design to Kollage Yarns this week.  I used their new yarn Lofty, and boy do I love it! Perfect for those last minute holiday gifts.

4. Pinterest.  I'm slowly figuring it out.  What I can say is that this week it has me thinking all about the holidays....new recipes to try, new crafts to make.  So inspiring.  Any particular recipe/crafty thing/want for christmas gift that has you inspired for this holidays?  I'd love to hear.

5. Tomorrow the last Harry Potter movie comes out on DVD!  So excited for my copy to arrive tomorrow.

And because this post needs a picture....



Halloween trick-or-treating really makes me wish he lived 2-minutes away instead of 2+ hours away!  He is seriously going to LOVE the Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar that Auntie IGK got for him!

Recently, Disco asked me if I've enjoyed the more frequent blogging.  If I wasn't sick, I'd have to say yes!  Being sick has made it a bit challenging to have creative topics or things to share.  However, I think it is also helping me to think a bit more about what else I can blog about.  Sara blogged about some of her recent crafty book purchases. I've been meaning to do something like that.  Disco, Mary-Heather and Tricia shared recipes.  Another one that I could do.  I also think I have a longtime post coming about lingering UFOs....

What about you guys?  Are you enjoying blogging on a more regular basis?  Any topics spark your interest or want to hear more about?

Tomorrow should be a fun day....we are going wedding dress shopping for my sister's wedding dress! 

Happy knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Wordless Wednesday

Now all I need is my knitting, but if I get up, I may wake the doggies! Oh well. Tomorrow is kind of my work Friday since it is a 3-day weekend this weekend! Yay!

Happy Knitting!
Xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Knitted Wit

Saturday at Knitting Lab was spent hanging out with Lorajean of Knitted Wit.  Her yarns are such bright, happy colors! I thought her booth was one of the ones that stood out in the Market Place.  She has been carrying all of my patterns since Sock Summit, and it was so fun to help her customers who were purchasing my patterns pick out the yarn to go with them!  She has lots of lovely samples knit up too, which makes it really easy to sell her yarn and my pattern :)



I love how her Comfort Food Fingerless Gloves knit up in her Balkan MCN yarn (merino + cashmere + nylon = heaven).





Here she is modeling Winter Wonder, in her gorgeous Silky N Plied yarn.  The yarn is dreamy soft and drapey.  Plus, she's offering IGK readers a special coupon code for 15% off her Silky N Plied, since it is perfect for Winter Wonder, one of the patterns for our Knitalong.  Just enter the code: winter15 in her etsy shop for 15% off your Silky N Plied purchase.  Thanks Lorajean!

And thank you to everyone who stopped by on Saturday! I had such a great time!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Fun at Nine Rubies

I had such a great time last Friday night at Nine Rubies' Local Designers Night.



It was so nice to meet fellow designer Hilary Smith Callis.  You may be familiar with her very successful Citron pattern, but her sweaters are absolutely gorgeous!  Cloudy Sunday and the Asteria Cardigan were very popular Friday night!



Lots of my local knitting friends stopped by and I really appreciated everyone's support.  Betsy even came wearing her Summer Wind!



It was also nice to meet other knitters who came to the event, such as Audry.  She even modeled her adorable giraffe hat pattern.



I love that my sister dragged brought her fiance to the event too.  Aren't they cute?!



And that pretty basket of Plucky Knitter Primo, well there were only 3 or 4 skeins left after the evening!  I came home with that gorgeous purple one in the back.



Thank you to everyone who came to the event, and especially to Saloni and Sudha from Nine Rubies for hosting us!

Fortunately, the horrible swelling of my mouth and cheek didn't happen til yesterday.  Update on that, to spare you all the fabulous dentist details is that the dentist did a minor procedure today to get the swelling to go down.  The fun part will be next week when there will be dental surgery once the swelling goes down.  Still feeling awful, but she said it will take a few days for the antibiotics to help the swelling go down.  Thank you guys for all the positive thoughts!

And look at that...an entire week of blogging! Woohoo!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Quick Update

Just a quick update tonight because I prefer not to write posts while on super-stronger-than-vicodin pain meds.  I also prefer not to knit on those meds, so today has been mostly all about sleeping.  Here's a quick rundown of how I spent my day today.

1. Slept in and so excited to have that extra hour of sleep since I was up every three hours to take pain meds and ice my face. 
2. Woke up thinking perhaps the pain had gotten better, but then looked in the mirror and realized my entire left cheek and part of my mouth were swollen.  Very different than prior head problem, and figured perhaps I should call my dentist, but called my doctor first.
3. Awesome doctor heard my symptoms and told me to meet him in the office in 40 minutes.  On a Sunday. Bless his heart!
4. He thinks it may be some type of yucky dental infection, so prescribed antibiotic and stronger pain meds.  Positive thing is that he doesn't think it is related to other head stuff.
5. Called my dentist and I have an appointment with her tomorrow afternoon.
6. Picked up meds and then slept for 5 hours.
7.  Wondered what the dentist is going to do tomorrow since I can barely open my mouth it is so swollen.  As in more swollen than after any root canal or gum surgery I have had.
8.  This limited eating thing may do wonders for my diet this week :)
9. Ready to head back to bed.

No knitting though today.  Thoroughly bummed.  My vision of a lazy Sunday knitting on the couch didn't quite happen.
On the bright side, thank goodness I have awesome doctors who are so responsive.  And hopefully the antibiotics will kick in tonight and my face won't be so swollen tomorrow.

And thank goodness this didn't happen Friday or Saturday!  I would have been super bummed to miss the fun knitting events, which I promise to share details of hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday!

Night night!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

5 good things.

1. Supportive local yarn stores, such as Nine Rubies, who throw parties for local designers AND stock Plucky Knitter's gorgeous yarns.  Well, stock it for as long as it can stay in the store, which isn't too long!



I'll share more pictures from last night's event, but that's for another post.

2. College football Saturdays, especially when the Irish win!

3. Reading blog posts from friends who are also trying to blog more in November.  I love it!  If you haven't already, go read....

Discoknits I am so proud of her karate chop!
Goddess Knitters Fellow college football fan!
Hizknits Missing Stephen this weekend as he is at the fabulous Knot Hysteria Retreat in Port Ludlow
Knittinggolfer's Blog Check out her pretty new sweater! Love!
Rainy Day Goods  It was Mary Heather's tweets that reminded me it was NaBloPoMo!
One Stitch Short Sarah's tweets also reminded me that it was NaBloPoMo!
WildpeculiarJoy I so want to escape to that lovely fantasy house right about now!
A Day in the Life Manda is one of my fabulous test knitters! Can't wait til she shows us what she's knitting (hint, hint Manda!)!

4. Discovering new, inspiring blogs, such as Posie Gets Cozy!  Thanks for recommending it Lorajean! Now I want to make these for Christmas!

5.  An extra hour!!  So excited that tomorrow we have an extra hour due to daylight savings!  I'll admit, I desperately need that hour as the ongoing head/face pain I've been dealing with since September came back with a vengence last night.  I've been taking pain meds and icing my head/face all day :(  Hoping a good night's sleep and an extra hour will help me feel better tomorrow!

Want to share your good things?  I'd love to hear them.

Happy Weekend!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits

{this moment}

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit SouleMama leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Happy Friday!

xoxo Irishgirlieknits

Knitting Lab!

Interweave Knitting Lab is in my backyard this weekend.  Well, practically :)  Although I didn't sign up for any classes, I am looking forward to just hanging out with my knitting friends!

Since it is being hosted at the hotel right next to my office building, I just had to stop by the market for a bit after work.  Best part was hanging out for a bit with Rachel Herron, aka Yarnagogo, and author of How to Knit a Love Song (the first of the Cypress Hollow series) and A Life in Stitches (which I'm almost done with and loving!)! She was signing books in Knitted Wit's booth tonight.



Of course, I did have to admit to her that the fabulous spinning wheel she sold me last year, for $100, has been a bit neglected. But, I know I want to learn to spin because when she said I could pass it on to someone else, my immediate, without hesitation, response was no way! I just need to set aside some time to learn :)


I had so much fun that I'm even sharing this picture of us....in which you guys now see my hair at the end of a very long day...ugh!  I picked up a copy of How to Knit a Love Song, but I didn't start it tonight.  Lorajean said I wouldn't be able to put it down :)



Speaking of Lorajean, check out her gorgeous Dancette!  If you're coming to Knitting Lab, stop by and see her gorgeous yarns, many of which are knit up in Irish Girlie Knits samples!  She's carrying all my patterns if you're looking for one in particular.  And be sure to stop by Saturday at Noon when I'll be hanging out with her for an IGK Meet and Greet!

Knitted Wit's booth is right across from Nine Rubies booth, one of my LYS.  Their booth looked fabulous!



But I especially loved seeing the new Fyberspates yarn that they will be carrying.  They are taking pre-orders at the show.....tempting!



A lot of fun for a short time in the market!  Tomorrow is going to be fun!  And if you can, I'd love to see you tomorrow night at Nine Rubies, at their store which is just a few miles from Knitting Lab, for their Local Designers Night.



Plus, they've been saving their shipment of The Plucky Knitter's Primo fingering just for this event!! Yay!!

Happy Knitting!
xoxo Irishgirlieknits