Comfort Food

When Irishgirlieknits usually asks me to do a test knit, I usually do and I'm glad I had the opportunity to test knit the fingerless mitts from her current pattern set, Comfort Food.  It was also an honor since the pattern has special meaning for Carrie since it was in honor of her late grandmother, Mimi.

It's the just how life goes that when I started the cowl to complete the set, that an extended family member had also passed away.  So this pattern is quite the contemplative one.

It's been a little warm, so my Monkeys were not in the mood to model any knits for me, but the younger one humored me anyway.

Yarn: Ella Rae Classic superwash in Royal
pattern size: medium for the mitts

needles: size 8 Knit Picks Harmony circs
mods: None since this was a test knit

This set will be a gift for one of the Monkeys' teachers as I have wide hands and plan to knit the larger size in the fingerless mitts pattern

More Irish Girlie Knits Love

The summer is flying by and I'm catching up on the blogging.  Didn't realize that I had a bunch of Irish Girlie Knits designs to cover again, so here we go:

Pattern: Capitola Socks (my own pair this time!)
Yarn: Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock in Purple Poison
needles: size US 1.5 (2.50 mm) KP nickel-plated circs 

mod:
Accidently forgot to do the ribbing in the cuff so did one more lace repeat in the leg section. I like how it looks so I didn't rip back to start over.

Pattern: Seamus Cowl and Infinity Scarf - did the cowl version for me
Yarn: Kollage Yarns Fantastic in Merlot
needles: size 9 KP Harmony circs
no mods

Pattern: Winter Wonder
Yarn: Miss Babs Yowza - Whatta Skein Monochrome in Navy
needles: size 9 KP Harmony circs

No mods since this will be a sample at Sock Summit 2011. With all our wacky weather, I only lightly steam-blocked it.  I didn't know if it would dry from wet blocking in time to send to Carrie before Sock Summit.  I'm not going as I have family vacation conflicts, so if you're going, have fun!

I have my own skein of Miss Babs Yowza, so I'll knit my own up (or a gift version) later.

Pattern: Top-Down Poncho for Babies & Kids
Yarn: Plymouth Encore & Encore Colorspun - color combo picked by Monkey1
needles: size 9 KP circs
pattern size: baby

This started as Monkey1's project for one of her dolls/stuff animals, but I somehow ended up finishing it for her.  (Sucker!)  At least she got to practice her knit & purls on the collar ribbing.  Her friend is also knitting her own doll poncho in the same yarn but a different color combo.  I also had to teach her to purl for the collar ribbing, but at least I haven't taken hers over. ;)  Her mom knits so hopefully she'll get help from her.

My little nephew is ever growing, so it's time to knit him the next size up in the Kiddie Cadet. My sister & baby daddy also want the matching adult hats, so I've started on those as well.

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Taupe
needles: size 7 KP circs

Lastly, I'm still weaving, this time with the yarn that came with my Cricket Loom kit. The pattern's modified from the booklet that came with the loom.  But since I was following the warp numbers with a youtube tutorial, I didn't double-check the math on my own and didn't realize we both mis-interpreted the pattern. Oops!  However, I do like it, but I may need to buy more blue yearn since the scarf will be wider than the pattern specs. 

Irish Girlie Knit Design Samples

I did a couple sample knits for Irish Girlie Knit Designs awhile ago, but had to wait to share them when they were released. So in reverse order, I knit up:

pattern: Capitola - I only had to do one sock. Carrie already did the other
yarn: Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock in Caramel Swirl
needles: US size 1.5 (2.50 mm ) Knit Picks nickel-plated dpns

The Capitola sock pattern is currently sold exclusively in a kit at Sunshine Yarns. The latest batch has almost sold out, but Dani of Sunshine Yarns will have more of the kits in her upcoming store update June 21st.

For the amount of Sunshine Yarns I have in my stash, I was surprised I didn't own any of her semi-solid sock yarn.  I have a few braids of fiber, a couple worsted weight skeins in a Twilight theme and my very first purchase from her, a multi-colored sock yarn in Dragonfly.  So during the last update I ordered 2 skeins.  On top is Purple Poison and the bottom is Algae.  I originally planned to use Algae as my pair of Capitolas, but I changed my mind once I received my order & have wound up Purple Poison instead.

The other Irishgirlie knits sample I knit up is for Kollage Yarns fall collection.

I got paid in the same colorway, so I'll be knitting up my own little cowl soon.  The colorway is totally in my palette.

Pattern: Seamus Cowl & Infinity Scarf
Yarn: Kollage Fantastic in Merlot
needles: Knit Picks Harmony circulars US size 8
no mods for the sample