Monthly Archives: February 2019

Teaching This Old Dog a New Trick: Still Learning

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Attic Heirlooms January 2019 Ornament

My wonderful co-worker provided me with a kit of wool and supplies for this month’s ornament pattern from Attic Heirlooms. I’d put it into the pile of projects that I am amassing and it seems that this morning was the morning to get it done!

As I stitched away, I realized that I was doing the blanket stitch all wrong. All wrong, all along. I pulled out the outside edge but decided to leave the stitching on the flower in the center just to remind myself that I can still learn. I grew up hearing “can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I am here to tell you that I am calling BS on this one! I am proof that you can keep learning no matter how old or young you are!

You can see that I have left the “wrong” stitching around the pink part of the flower and continued in the “right” stitching around the red leaves. I pulled out the green around the mitten after a little bit of thought because I really do want to be proud of my work.

I had always wondered why my blanket stitches didn’t really stay square. Now I know. I was doing it the wrong way! That’s what happens when you teach yourself (sometimes!)

All done! All I need is a little string to hang the ornament with and it’s ready for our tree … in a few months, anyway!

Attic Heirlooms is on Main Street in beautiful Damariscotta, Maine. You can find the free patterns or reasonably priced kits on their website. There are some cute shops, good food and a lovely coastal feel to Damariscotta. You should visit!

Gone knitting!

You can find me on Facebook at Queen Bee Knits by Linda Warner and on Instagram as QueenBeeKnits. I’m on Ravelry @lindar. I hope you’ll join me there!

A Safe Place for All People

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An Inclusive, Accepting, Safe Place for all People

The community of makers: knitters, crocheters, stitchers of all kinds has been having a discussion around racism and inclusiveness in our community and the broader communities we all live in, in our country, in the world.

When my children were little, I volunteered to run a program in the elementary school called “Everybody Counts.” It was to teach young children what it is like to live with physical challenges. As part of the program, the children wore socks on their hands, walked blindfolded with a cane, wore eyeglasses covered with scotch tape, and more. The idea being that if they experienced what it felt like to live with these challenges then they would be compassionate and accepting of others who are “differently abled.” Who are different.

I wish that we, as adults. could all spend some time in the shoes /lives of others; those with different skin colors, those who live in different countries, who are a different gender, religion. To better understand their experiences. I have friends who are white and have children who are black. I know their experience of having sons is different from my experience. I never thought that my son’s life would be in danger if he was stopped for a minor traffic infraction. My friends do. This is not acceptable. My daughters aren’t (to the best of my knowledge) followed by clerks in stores. My friend’s daughter is. This is not acceptable. These are only two experiences that I know about. I’m sure there are many, many more.

I can’t step into your lives, your shoes, your bodies but I want you to know that I am listening to the stories on Instagram and elsewhere by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) and I will continue to listen and to do my own work. I can do better. My goal is to make my little world here on the internet and in my classes, safe and accessible for all people. ALL people.

I see you, I hear you. I am listening. Thank you for your stories.

(Any negative comments will be deleted. If there is to be a discussion, keep it positive and civil. Thank you.)

Lallybroch

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I’ve finished something! One WIP finished, a million to go!

Ruffle and Spine of Lallybroch in Malabrigo Arroyo

Lallybroch Shawl is a satisfying knit that doesn’t use up too much head space because the majority of the shawl is garter stitch! One needs to be cognizant of the spine (I marked mine with stitch markers) but otherwise, the only thing you’d need to worry about is the “right” and “wrong” side.

I fretted, as I’ve said before, about my yarn choice. I have a customer who has knitted this shawl in Malabrigo Rios. I really don’t like to wear shawls made in a worsted weight yarn … even if it’s a light worsted weight. It’s just too warm to wear inside! So, I chose a yarn in Malabrigo Arroyo, the sport weight little brother (or sister?) of Rios. I’m really glad that I did.

66 Lavanda

I love the Lavanda colorway, it’s a rustic purple to gray to brown that I thought would be a good match for this shawl. Since the design is based on the Outlander show I didn’t want to use a more modern colorful colorway.(If you haven’t seen Outlander, you really and truly should watch it on the Stars network, it’s absolutely amazing!) I bought three hanks of the yarn and used almost all of it. I did knit beyond the stitch count in the pattern. I knitted the body of the shawl with two hanks and then started the third with the middle and ruffle sections. It worked out well. No major yarn chicken here! (This time!)

My shawl is blocking now and I will look forward to wearing it to work this week.

Ends woven in, blocking … on my guest room bed!

You can read more about my Lallybroch Shawl on my Raverly project page. I’m Lindar on Ravelry. Follow me on at Queen Bee Knits by Linda Warner Facebook and Instagram @QueenBeeKnits.