Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig / Happy St Patricks Day

I’m wearing my shamrock today, are you?

For those of you who’ve missed it, today is 

Saint Patricks’ Day.  

Saint Patrick is the patron Saint of Ireland. 

It’s funny, now that I’m back in Ireland it’s not such a big day but when I lived in London and New York it was a huge day for me!  My favourite Saint Patrick’s Day has to have been when I worked in a law firm in London and I was asked to organise a party for the whole office.  I cooked bacon and cabbage for them all and got to order in Irish cheese and taytos and even kegs of guinness.  Yeah I’m wondering too … why I left that job too ? 

Ok  I digress – surely you’re used to me by now?  :O)

Right, shamrocks …  do you like my corsage?

Well, because i’m feeling so proud to be Irish and as we are known for our generosity and friendliness and all the rest I’m sharing my pattern with you, hot off the press!

 

I say ‘hot of the press’ as I only just came up with this this morning!

Here goes …

Grab yourself some green wool/yarn

I used double knit (DK) in a lovely mossy green colour

I used size 12 needles but if you don’t have them use whatever you have – bearing in mind the bigger the needle, the bigger the shamrock!

Are you ready?
Cast on 16 stitches

Row 1  – K 

(for each knit row, knit into the back of the first and last stitch to make it neater)

Row 2 – K6, SSK, K2tog, K6

Row 3, 5 – K

Row 4 – K5, SSK, K2tog, K5

Row 6 – Cast off

This makes one leaf of the shamrock, you need three for the corsage (or four if you’re feeling like you need some luck!)

For the stem I just cast on 12 stitches and knit 3 rows.  Then cast off, thread the end of the yarn into a darning needle and sew the long edges together. 

 

Once you have sewed all the leaves together you can sew on a brooch pin and wear with pride :O)

I don’t know about you but I’d much rather see people wearing these as opposed to tacky “Kiss me I’m Irish” t-shirts and leprachaun hats.

And for the record …. I don’t know anybody in Ireland that has EVER said “top of the morning to ya”.   

Have a lovely St Patrick’s Day

M x