Queen Bee Knits

Knitting, Living, Loving, Baking, Tips, Tools and Idle Chatter

WIP Wednesday

Posted on August 12, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, I finally got a WIP Wednesday post on a Wednesday. It seems that I don’t sit down to post often on a Wednesday but I have a few minutes before I have to leave for a board meeting and I thought I’d show you what I’ve been up to.

I have three projects on my needles (WIPs/ Works in Progress) right now that I’ve been working on. I am having a ball with the Reverie Socks by Summer Lee. This is Summer’s most recent pattern and I have knitted one other pair of lace socks that I love so I decided to cast on these. Bought the pattern and grabbed some light pink yarn from my stash. This is another stashed Socks Yeah! yarn and it’s still one of my favorite sock yarns to date. I love working with it. The stitch definition is perfect, the colors are pretty and it feels so good while I’m knitting with it. I’ve already turned the heel, decreased the gusset to the original number of stitches and I’m just working my way out the foot.

I resurrected my daughter’s Levitate Wrap from time out yesterday. It turned out that my plans for the morning changed and I decided that I didn’t want to “do” anything. SO … I just cleaned up the kitchen, and our bathroom and bedroom, did a couple loads of towels, felted my sample for the store (more later) and spent the majority of the day on the screened in porch knitting in the breeze. It was a good day. But I digress, I have finished both sides of the first part of the sweater which is a wrap sweater. I am going to wait to have her try it on because it feels like it may be a bit too short to close up the arms and start knitting the body and I have intentionally not knitted three or four rows on the front (and I can’t remember where the back was left off or what the measurement was supposed to have been.) Anyway, the fabric is nice and I hope this is a good size for her. I’ll be seeing her in early September so this is going to have to wait about a month.

I cast on a new project, too. I have been wanting to knit a Jaunty by Andrea Mowry to show my support of her design success. Apparently she’s being “bullied” for being prolific and successful. Why can’t we just be happy for her and lift her up? I do not understand the mean-spirited methods of people now-a-days. It’s easier and so much healthier for us all if we be kind! Anyway, a friend is also casting on a Jaunty and we’re going to knit together early next week. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help myself and had to cast on and see how the pattern worked. I think I’ve got it … and I’ve got two different colorways of the same yarn, Ewetopia Helix DK, so I’m alternating skeins in the first part of the scarf. It’s a fun pattern and it’s so squishy!

I have two FOs, too! I have finished my Sabai Top and both of my great-nephews’ vests are blocked with ends woven in. I also felted the bowl that I am making for the store as a sample hoping to sell some of the super bulky wool yarn by Brown Sheep. The variegated colors have been discontinued and are on clearance but the solids would be good for felted bowls, too. It was a quick and fun knitting project and it felted up quickly in my front-loader. I do have very hot hot water. I did have it go through the cycle twice but I am happy with the results. It’s rather large and I hope we can use it at the store. The photo shows it un-felted. Suffice it to say that it’s now felted. I’ll take another photo one of these days.

And with that, I have to run … I wish I was going to knit!

Gone knitting.

Batty Batty Bat

Posted on August 9, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

I was up in my atelier knitting away, trying to upload a pattern to my Knit Companion app on my iPad when I heard my hubby downstairs “kind of screaming” in disgust like he was grossed out by a cut or something. The man constantly cuts himself shaving or bumps himself and gets a cut so nothing surprises me but this time it sounded different and when I hollered down a “what’s happening?” his response was “A BAT! There’s a bat in the house.”

I put my iPad down, turned off the television and headed downstairs to “help” get the bat out. I was at the same time grossed out, fearful and anxious. I held the door open hoping it would exit … the big mistake I made is that I turned OFF the lights going up the stairs … bats don’t like the light. SO … up the stairs it went. (I had closed the 2nd floor doors, thank goodness. Can you imagine what would have happened if it had gotten into my yarn stash?!) Anyway, it settled in the highest part of the house and gave us time so hubby could get the fishing net and capture it long enough to get it downstairs and outside. It was a bit tangled in the net but with a little time and patience, it freed itself and flew off. It’ll be a while before we stop looking for bats in the house.

I have finished the knitting part of the two little boy vests. I need to block them next (after my plant is done drinking up the water in the sink) and sew in all the ends and stitch down the “v”. That’ll be two finished gifts in a week. Yay, me!

I’ve also made some good progress on my Sabai Top. I like the yarn pretty well because it’s soft but I am wishing it was that beautiful linen like my green tabard. I loved knitting that yarn. Regardless, I’m at the 18 inches point of the body and the goal is 21 inches so I have a bit more to go and then the ribbing. I suspect that if I applied myself today that I could finish it. I’m torn – because I want to knit the Reverie Socks (see the cute little pale pink sock below) that I cast on on Thursday because I’m really enjoying the pattern (so much better than the Lochside Socks that I didn’t enjoy knitting. It’s in time out and I am considering frogging.)

I also knitted a big circle with some super bulky Lambs Pride yarn that went on clearance at the store for a sample … and hope it’ll sell some yarn and be a useful container for the store. Today I’ll felt it into a “bowl”. My friend and colleague, Carol, found an old Plymouth felted bowl pattern in a donated binder and on the same day the Lambs Pride variegated Burly Spun yarns went to clearance (discontinued). We each brought a hank home to make a sample for the shop – to sell the yarn and to use as display support in the future. Mine is knitted and needs felting. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

It’s going to be another hot one today. I’ve turned on my a/c in the atelier and plan to spend some serious knitting time. The rest of the week is going to be busy – good busy but busy. I’ll take today to recover from my 3-day work week last week and store up some energy for the one that’s coming. How is life for this semi-retired person so busy?

Gone knitting.

WIP Wednesday – On Tuesday!

Posted on August 4, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

It’s a beautiful morning after a rough night. My bed partner was snoring up a storm and I was coughing. Something new must be in the air. I even took my allergy meds last night! Geesh. Regardless, it’s a beautiful, warm day today after all the rain yesterday and we have been happy to sit out on the porch with our coffee. We chose the side porch today because the front porch was simply too warm in the sun. How lucky we are … and soon it’ll be too cold.

I have two WIPs to report on today.

I have had three balls of Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint that didn’t sell well at the store and ended up on the clearance table. I grabbed it up (a year or more ago) with the plan to make a sweater for a kiddo. Instead, I’ve decided to make two vests for my great-nephews. So, on Saturday, I think, I cast on the larger of the two and got started. I immediately loved the yarn colors because they’re so cheerful and bright. I got the body knitted in a day’s time and a bit of the back and then finished the back and front the following day. Added the ribbing to the arm holes and neckline and all that needs to be done now is to weave in the ends and block it. I decided that I would cast on the second, smaller vest yesterday to get ahead of the gifting season. I will likely get that one done today. Fingers crossed.

#256 Basic Vest for Children by Diane Soucy

This vest is adorable! I love it and I hope the boys will too. I’ve also been working away at my Sabai Top in Cascade’s Hampton yarn which is a cotton/linen blend. I wish the yarn had more linen but alas, it doesn’t and it feels like a cotton sweater. I am hoping that it won’t “grow” like cotton does. Time will tell.

I wasn’t sure about the construction of this top at first. It’s basically a “collar” (boat neck) and shoulders knit all at the same time and rather quickly increasing. Then it splits for front and back. I’ve gotten to the around and around and around part now, having finished all the increases for the underarms and have enjoyed the way it’s knitting up. I do wish that the yarn was more linen than cotton but I made my choice ages ago and this is what I chose. It remains to be seen how it wears (and blocks) when I get to that point. I’m crossing my fingers. I do love the idea of a black top for summer … TBD.

And with that, I’m off to the porch with my knitting bag. I have a new one …

Ha! Ha! Gone knitting.

Two FOs before Friday and Now it’s Sunday

Posted on August 2, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

We’ve had a couple of warm days here on the lake and a little bit of rain. We need rain! Today we’re entertaining a friend of my hubby’s from our summer camp days when we were teenagers and the guys have gone into town to see the Odyssey movie and I stayed home to enjoy the beautiful day … and knit.

I’ve taken a walk around the yard and the cone flowers, daisies and black-eyed Susans are blooming like crazy and the hydrangeas are completely abuzz with bees and other pollinators. It’s wonderful to see all the bugs because it means our property is healthy for them. Yay! The veggie garden gave us the gift of another cucumber and another zucchini today and there are a couple of summer squash still on the vine. The tomatoes are coming along … I’m still waiting for my native tomato sandwich!

And I have two FOs that I finished on Thursday night and Friday while I was teaching. I’ve finished my Easy Folded Poncho in the charcoal gray colorway. I had blocked it and just needed to seam the 13″ because I am not adding any neck. They call for a slouchy neckline but I like the poncho just as it is. I can wear it with a blouse or a tee and it works. I am so excited to have a gray poncho to wear once the weather turns cooler.

I also finished my Broadgate Tabard and I wore it to work on Friday. I am happy as can be with this project. The linen yarn has the most incredible drape and it fits beautifully. I haven’t taken a completely finished photo yet but I do have photos. I will knit with this yarn again (I just have to find it in the United States.) This is a garment that I can wear in all four seasons with different shirts underneath … tank top, tee shirt and blouse will all be great under it. I’m thrilled with this project and it wasn’t a particularly difficult knit … at least once I got the hang of the pattern and could see the crossed stitches and the “lines”. Highly recommend!

The last photo is of me trying it on after the shoulders were seamed and before I added the neckline or the ties. I chose to knit about an inch of ribbing at the neckline rather than the long turtleneck because it’ll allow me to wear it all year long (Yes, I wear linen all year!) I have already worn it once and the green colorway is still stunning and I am thrilled with how this came out.

Friday afternoon I worked some more on my Sabai Top in a cotton/linen blend yarn by Cascade. I wish I had a 100% linen for this top! The pattern begins with the neckline and then splits the front and back and each side is worked down with increases at each side for the underarms.

I’ve finished one side’s increases and have begun the second side. Once they’re both done, I’ll join them in the round and knit around and around and around forever or to the bottom ribbing. I love that I won’t have to go back and pick up stitches for the sleeve openings. I think this will be a great piece and I’m happy to be making it in black. If I love it, there may be another one in my future … this time in linen (I’ll find my green linen yarn in another great color … maybe a tomato red?) Anyway, I am enjoying the construction and the yarn and I think it’ll be a great summer top.

I also decided to cast on a new project. I have three balls of Berroco Ultra Wool Handpaint that I grabbed out of the clearance section at work ages ago. I had thought I’d make something for one of the kiddos with it and I decided to do just that and knit vests for my grand-nephews in Salem. I love the cheerful yarn and I got the larger of the two vests knitted to the split of the front for the neckline in one day – admittedly, I didn’t get much done yesterday – and it was a wonderfully written pattern (by Knitting Pure and Simple). I have knitted several of her patterns and the only “complaints” that I have are twofold: 1) the sweaters are often knitted at a very loose gauge on larger than I think are reasonable needles and 2) stitch counts are various key points at a minimum should be added. I know that knitters today are more needy than their predecessors but I think, at a minimum, key spots need to know how many stitches in total there should be but it would be nice to have a breakdown of those stitches, too. My humble opinion.

I’m very happy with this yarn and the pattern and I think it’s adorable. I can’t wait to see the boys wearing them! I’ll likely gift them in early fall and I hope we get down for a visit before too long! I miss seeing the Massachusetts family and I hate leaving home at this time of year when I can enjoy the porches and the warm. Soon enough it’ll be cold again and we’ll be complaning about that just like we complain about the heat now. Right?

My TWT Sock Sprint socks are in time out. I don’t like the yarn or the pattern that I’m knitting them with. I have to decide if I want to frog the socks entirely or keep struggling and finish them. In the meantime, I think I’m going to buy another pattern by Summer Lee, actually it’s her first cuff club collection and I really really love the socks with the flower cuff (it’s the first one in the photos on her cuff club page on Ravelry). I bought the yarn for these socks in Quebec City and I think I’ll enjoy knitting them more than the ones I’m currently working on … so, why not enjoy what I’m knitting? And having said that, I think I’ll frog the Lochside socks that I am not enjoying at all and use the yarn for another project.

I spent some time going through my stash this past week-ish and found several skeins that I’ve finished the projects for and didn’t use all the yarn that I bought. I am fortunate to work in a LYS that has a liberal return policy and I have returned twelve hanks of yarn for credit which means that I have some shopping to do. I have an extensive queue of projects that I want to knit and need to knit a Christmas sweater for my granddaughter and a Santa hat as well. I’d like to knit a Christmas sweater for my grandson, too. I passed the little Santa hat on to his mom when they were here. It’ll be perfect for him this year.

I have also procured some new yarn this week. I loved the design by Isabell Kraemer called It is Magic and I liked the pop of color. I’ve sat on that thought for quite a while and bit the bullet this week and bought the kit which was discounted by mYak yarn company. I am excited to get the yarn and knit the sweater including the little patch (mine won’t say “I want magic” but will likely say “be kind” or similar). I sitll have the two hanks of hand-dyed silk mohair from Art Yarns, too, and the pattern to make the boxy sweater that I saw on Tribe Yarns socials. Good grief, I need to get off social media, it’s costing me a fortune. (*wink)

So many patterns, so little time. Gone knitting.

WIP Wednesday

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

I’ve already run an errand and checked the vegetable garden (we had a little rain this morning and I hope we get more). One more zucchini today and a couple of summer squash will be ready tomorrow. Our tomatoes are doing something funky this year … they look wonderful and they’re black on the bottom. We’ll see if they come around. I’ve asked my hubby to water them more deeply every other day. Time will tell.

I had a wonderful day yesterday all alone at home. Coffee on the porch for a good chunk of the morning and then I cleaned up, did a bit of laundry and decided I wanted to bake. I mixed up a batch of my “Ted Lasso” Shortbread cookies (I got the recipe online, there are a lot of them out there but this one is done in the cuisinart … blend all the ingredients, squish into an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and bake. So simple and so yummy. While the first batch was cooking I decided to cook up some banana bread (muffins) because I had some bananas needing attention … and discovered that we had no eggs! A quick run into town and I solved that issue and blended up the muffins with Maine blueberries and pecans added for fun. AND then I decided I needed another batch of shortbread. Ha! Ha! It was a good baking day. One batch of shortbread went to my dear friend, Barbara, who brought us some delicious chicken soup when I was feeling pretty lousy. One good turn deserves another, right? I always think of my maternal grandmother when I am baking which adds to the joy for me. Baking makes me feel centered and calm … and so does my knitting.

Our garden is producing some wonderful food! I brought in lettuces the day before and some more cukes and a summer squash. Hubby doesn’t care for the squash so it’s all mine! I love it steamed with a bit of salt and butter. Yummy! I’ll be cooking up a zucchini (not shown) side-dish tonight for dinner. I saute sliced onions, put halved (the long way) zucchini on top of them and add some spaghetti/marinara sauce, cover and heat until the zucchini is tender. Then put sliced mozzarella on top and cover again until the cheese is melted. Yummy!

And I’ve been knitting, too. Yesterday I finished the knitting for my Easy Folded Poncho and blocked it on our guest room bed which I have to get made up again. More guests coming this weekend! I only have to sew in the ends after I stitch one simple seam.

I also finished the front of my Broadgate Tabard and blocked both pieces. I knitted the 4-stitch icord ties last night and now I am ready to seam the shoulders and knit the neckline. The pattern calls for a big folded turtleneck and I’m not going to do that at all. I don’t like big, tight turtlenecks. I’ll knit about an inch of ribbing and bind off so that I can wear it in the store with a blouse. I’m excited to get this one finished too … and if I really focus, I should be able to accomplish both finishes today or Friday. I’m looking forward to wearing the poncho when the weather cools in addition to my orange one. I’ve really loved wearing that and the fall will be the perfect time!

Meanwhile, I’ve cast on my Sabai Top in Cascade Yarns Hampton (70% cotton, 30% linen) in black. I am knitting the ribbed neckline for this one (the pattern offers two necklines) and it should be a simple, quick knit. I think it’ll be a great summer top with my white pants or jeans and I think I can dress it up or be casual. The yarn feels lovely as I knit it and I am enjoying the unique construction of the neckline and shoulders. More on this later when I have enough to photograph.

Today’s focus is to get the tabard done first (because I can seam the poncho in class on Friday if I need to.) AND because I’d like to wear the tabard on Friday if I get it finished. So …

Gone knitting!

This is 68!

Posted on July 27, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, I’m not sure I believe that I’ve had another birthday! I was talking to my aunt today and she said that she’s 83 and I’m 68? How the heck did that happen? Neither one of us should be that old. And we sure don’t feel this old! Regardless, I had a most remarkable, memorable birthday! My daughter asked me to do an errand for her and pick up something she had made by an artist in Freedom, Maine. When I was thinking about going to pick it up (we’d agreed on Sunday morning) it occurred to me that we’d be close to the Lost Kitchen and had heard they were serving lunch on a “first come first served” basis. BUT they were closed on Sunday so we reached out to the artist and switched it to Saturday morning and figured we’d head to TLK after that. And we did.

The bridge to The Lost Kitchen, Freedom, Maine

We were 15th in line waiting for their 11am opening. Unsure about whether the dogs would be ok (they are) and what to expect about waiting because we read it could be a wait of up to 3 hours, we took our spot in line at 10:15-ish and forty-five minutes later, we were crossing the bridge.

They managed the line, which was longer behind us than ahead of us by 11am, efficiently and with care. Once across, we headed into the Little Lost Kitchen to order our food. We ordered one of each item on the list and tried their house-made drinks – unsweet iced tea, a fruit shrub and a lemonade. Everything was presented beautifully and everything was delicious. ~~We seem to have neglected taking a photo of the vanilla custard dessert which was all of our favorite~~. We all shared all the dishes and we all had our favorites: the fried chicken was one as was the roasted vegetable focacia. The caesar salad ~~(also un-photographed)~~ was gorgeous and delicious. Overall it was an extraordinary experience. 10 out of 10. Highly recommend!

We went on to Liberty to visit Liberty Tool and Liberty Graphics, got iced cream at Johns and then headed home. Everything fell into place on my special day and I was so grateful that my son and his girlfriend and their dogs came all the way up to celebrate witThe h me. We had a Dairy Queen cake after the kids made “ramen” for dinner with all sorts of leftovers from the fridge. We are well-fed with full hearts, too.

I haven’t been knitting much! I’ve worked a few rounds on my Lochside socks and have taken several rounds back to correct mistakes that I made. Ha! Ha! The pattern is so simple but when I get involved in conversations … oops! I’ve got a few more inches on the foot and then I’ll knit the second sock. I’m not a huge fan of the yarn as it seems “fuzzy” and my needles are so pointy that it’s splitting a lot, too. So, it’s slow going but it’s moving along. Progress is being made.

I’ve gotten some time this afternoon to work on the Easy Folded Poncho, too. I’m getting close to the 50 inches of fabric and then it’ll be blocked and seamed and ready to wear when the weather starts to cool off. We’ve had some lovely cool nights that are perfect for sleeping! My body has been healing from my pneumonia “adventure” and I find I am sleeping more and even napping. I seldom nap.

Tomorrow I’m going to try to finish the front of my tabard and get the pieces blocked before they’re seamed. I will have to make the ties that hold the sides together, too, but that’s not big deal. Once that’s finished (I have only one side of the front shoulder to finish) I am going to cast on my Sabai Top. I have some black linen for my Sabai and I am planning to knit the ribbed neckline. I think it’ll be a great top to make and wear. In early September, I’ll measure my daughter and pick up her Levitate Wrap. I don’t want to knit further before I am sure it’s going to fit – frogging anything with mohair is a monster!

August is going to be a busy month for work, volunteering at school and my knitting life, too. So, for now I’m going to sign off … gone knitting!

The Day Before WIP Wednesday

Posted on July 21, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

It’s been super breezy all day. No coffee on the porch this morning but I was up early (hubby woke me emptying the dehumidifier at 5:45am) and I decided to get a few things done and see how it feels. And it feels pretty good! I really needed to clean our bathroom which I hadn’t done since before we both got sick in early July. The spiders had taken over and I couldn’t have them in charge anymore. I also got my car registered and have called my mechanic to get it inspected but they’re on vacation this week. Next week will work.

When I got home from my one errand, I decided to make a batch of blueberry muffins which I haven’t made since the kids, version 1, were here. I don’t think I ever got the second group any blueberry muffins. We picked strawberries and my daughter made strawberry muffins instead. I must be feeling better. This is two days in a row that I have baked. Yesterday I made a batch of my granola. So, granola and muffins this week. I must be feeling better!

While I was waiting for the muffins to cool enough to take out of the pan, I took a walk around the yard. The hydrangeas and the “daisies” are all blooming … I know they’re not all daisies but they are the same shape as daisies so I am clumping them together. I also found a couple of zucchinis in the veggie garden, some lettuces and a couple more cucumbers. The tomatoes are getting there … that’s what I really am looking forward to – tomato sandwiches!

I spent the late morning hand sewing. A couple of years ago I took a class online with Heidi Parkes and started to make a “Love Letter Quilt” with her prompts. She suggests 20 6×8 inch rectangles and has 20 prompts to stitch for the quilt. I’ve been working on it with no particular regularity and have decided that I really need to get it finished, assembled and hung. It’s going to be our tenth anniversary in a bit and maybe I can get it done for that? Time will tell.

The most recent pieces that I’ve finished are “a flower” and “an artifact”. The flower was easy. We’ve had an orchid plant that belonged to Ned’s mother prior to her death. When she passed away, we inherited the plant and have cared for it since. We even moved from Florida to Maine with the plant in flower … and it’s been flowering consistently since then. So, the orchid is the plant. The artifact had to be the old house. The property was owned by hubby’s father’s aunt and his dad bought the house from her in the 1940s. They used it as a summer house forever and Ned was here every summer of his life (minus one when he and his mother had a disagreement). The orchid is on a too small piece of fabric (I need to learn to measure!) but I’ll adapt it and will make it work.

This afternoon I’ve been working on the front part of my tabard. I still love love love this color and can’t wait to wear the garment. I have the perfect blouse to wear under it! Today I got one shoulder knitted and am ready to knit the second one tomorrow. My brain is on fire from counting and concentrating and especially after getting up so early, I’m tired. Anyway, I’ll get the front finished tomorrow! Yay! I think I will block it before I seam it to see what the yarn is going to do. I’m excited to be so close!

And now I’m turning to my Sock Sprint 2026 socks. The pattern is fun and easily memorized and I’ve been working the heel flap since last night. It’s a bit different with 3 garter stitch stitches on each side of the slipped stitch heel flap. I’m interested to see how it finishes up. I may be able to get the heel flap done and turn the heel tonight.

I am heading back to work on Thursday for the first time since June 18th! I’ve been out of work for over a month … first for the kids’ visits and then because I got sick. I am so glad I took the time to rest and recover because I do think I am ready to go back now. Last week, not so much. I imagine that I’ll be really happy when it’s Saturday and I can rest again. This has been quite a ride!

Gone knitting!

Losing a Dog – Empty Dog Beds

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of losing my Lola, the shitzu who was my heart dog, my one and only sweet girl, the dog who carried me through some of the most difficult years of my life. I had to get out of bed because she (and my second shitzu, Boq) needed to go out. They needed me to get them groomed, fed, walked … and when all else felt like it was falling apart, they kept me going. One day at a time. Until life felt good again. The reminder that it’s been five years knocked me off my feet yesterday and I miss them both just as much today as I did after they died. They were the best little dogs ever and I am so grateful to them for helping me through.

And then we lost the BBD a couple of weeks ago. He was my hubby’s boy although he always came running to me when he was afraid of the thunder. LOL And now we are thinking about how to store the dog beds that have been on every floor of our house forever. I’m ready to wash and store the one in my atelier because I need the space. Hubby’s not ready to store the one in his man cave, it’s still too fresh. It doesn’t feel right. We’re figuring it out but, gee, it sure feels bizarre to come home to an empty house and to not have to rush home to let a dog out or to think about hubby traveling next month and I’ll be here absolutely alone for the first time since we built the house.

Dogs become part of the family and in so doing become a part of your heart. We’ve been lucky to have a few great dogs and a few great grand-dogs, too. And when they leave … it’s crushing. So, we choose to honor them by living on. I don’t think we’ll have another dog for a bit. I might be able to live dog-free forever but I have a feeling there’s another dog in our future. In the meantime, we’re getting up in the morning and choosing to fill up our days with joy, love, service and gratitude (and cry when we are feeling sad.) It’s all a part of the “cost” of loving a dog.

I’m continuing to get healthier and stronger and add a bit more “stuff” to my day. I’m knitting again, too. Yesterday I cast on with the Wooly Thistle in their 2026 Sock Sprint. I am knitting the Lochside Socks in John Arbon Textiles Exmoor Sock in a really lovely shade of green. The sock pattern is simple enough, a 2×2 rib and then a broken rib to the heel flap. I’ve got a bit to go before I get there but it feels good.

I’m knitting with my Signature DPNs that I collected a set of ages ago. I have to be very careful with these needles because they’re needle sharp. Truly. (Ask me how I know!) Anyway, they’re coming along nicely and will be good to work on when I don’t want to think too hard. I am going to be pulling out my Broadgate Tabard again, too. I’ve got the back finished and am working on the front and it’s time to get this project finished up. I don’t have too much more knitting to do on the front and I am eager to wear it! I still love the green linen and I think it’ll be a wonderful garment. My brainless knitting is the Easy Folded Poncho and when I don’t have the bandwidth to count stitches, I grab this. It’s just a simple stockinette rectangle and I’ve got about another twenty inches or so to knit before I can block it and sew up the seam.

Some of my leftovers went home with my daughter to NYC for a crochet project and that has inspired me to look at my stash and to purge some yarns that I don’t really want to work with. I’ll be taking one bag of yarns to the store on Thursday for the give-away pile. We have a lot of yarn in the office that needs to find a new home and maybe when the boss is away we can find a suitable person to take (at least) some of it! I also have to look through the bins and baskets in my studio because I know I have several “sweaters’ worth” that I don’t even count as part of my stash. I even have a few hanks that I can return since I’ve finished projects and don’t need the extra hank or two. Yay, me!

The good news is that if I’m cleaning up and cleaning out, I must be feeling better!

Gone knitting.

Can We Talk – About Sock Rulers?

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

This has been a beautiful day! I managed (with some little breaks) to sit on the front porch knitting for most of the day. The perfect spot for me as I continue to rest and recuperate, and I am starting to feel better.

I’ve been working on my shortie socks, the second pair that are “my design” which means I am using several patterns all mashed up together in one pair. I really like a heel flap and gusset so I’ve borrowed that from Yankee Knitter and I like a plain vanilla sock which I’ve adapted from the Crazy Sock Lady. AND I love the Coop Knits Socks Yeah! sock yarn. I think it may be my current favorite sock yarn. Anyway, as I was knitting away on the foot of the sock, I pulled out my Polka Dot Sheep sock ruler. It’s like a slap bracelet so it rolls up small. The outside is plastic and, as such, is the biggest issue I have with the ruler in general. It’s sticky. It sticks to the yarn and I have to finagle it into the heel and foot of the sock and then maneuver the sock in order to get an accurate measurement. Not my favorite tool but it travels well due to its compact size.

It does have a couple of measurements that are nice to have: shoe sizes for children, women and men and on the reverse side are inches. For my size, a woman’s 9.5 I can knit to the mark a bit past the size 9 and then start the toe.

The other Sock Ruler I have is what I would call the “original” which is a flat plastic, one-sided ruler that fits into the sock smoothly (much more smoothly than its counterpart). It’s marked in centimeters and inches. Simple and efficient. The only drawback is its size. It’s pretty big and rigid so it needs to be flat at the bottom of your knitting bag. (I have the adult ruler and the child/infant set and they’re all the same, just different sizes.) This is my prefered sock ruler because I like the way it fits into the socks and makes it easier to measure the foot lenght.

There are other sock rulers out there and if you ask me they’re all about the same. Some are made of a “wood” product, too. My concern is that this material won’t slide smoothly into the sock as the Polka Dot Sheep one doesn’t. I will keep choosing my OG Sock Ruler which you can order here or purchase at your LYS.

And, I’m happy to report that I have a FO! My second shortie socks are finished! Ta! Da!

Now to get moving on finishing Sylvie’s purple sparkly swing skirt!

Gone finishing.

It’s Been a Minute …

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

It has been a minute since I last blogged. We’ve been overrun with our family visiting and it’s been simply wonderful. My hubby’s girls and their husbands and our grandson arrived for a visit about two weeks ago and were here for ten days! We spent lots of time together at the lake with side trips to the coast and to LL Bean. Such fun to reconnect after a bit.

The kids helped repaint and repair our old bridge across the creek (and dug out a bunch of leaves) and repainted some of the porch furniture which was really needed. And now we’re all spruced up and ready for the Fourth of July and round two of family visits … there will be a few this summer and we’re totally thrilled!

While the kids were here our dog, Monk, suddenly started to be really limpy and we got some horrible news at the vet on Tuesday afternoon. One of the lumps on his hip was likely affecting his gait and may well be cancer eating his spine. We brought him home but knew what we had to do and on Wednesday we said farewell to our good boy. Our lumpy, bumpy, humpy Big Brown Dog will be waiting for us with The Littles in heaven. The house is way too quiet right now and we likely needed a few days to be sad (and wash the sheets, remake the beds and get in some provisions.)

I’ve been knitting very little for the last ten days. A few rows or rounds here and there but nothing of note. I’m way too cognizant of spending time with the family and the grands when they’re with us. Screens and yarn can wait. Suffice it to say that I’ve had yarn in my hands each day but no real progress has been made. I’ve been working away at my granddaughter’s skirt, a second pair of shortie socks for me with leftover yarn, and a couple of rows on my Easy Folded Poncho.

I finished a little hat before the kids arrived and I knitted a new store sample while they were here … This is the Buoy Kerchief by Elizabeth Smith and it’s a part of her new collection. I was privileged to be given an advance copy of the pattern to make a store sample. I love the Berroco Pima 100 cotton yarn and we have tons of colors at the shop. The pattern is a simple kerchief in two colors. A fun knit! I’m not sure the hat will fit the granddaughter’s head. It came out way too small but I have more of the slubby neon yarn and I’ll make a bigger one for her while she’s here. I also have a multi-colored pompom to put on the top. Things happen. (See me shrugging my shoulders.)

So, that’s it … I have to run and get some food in my belly, vacuum the second floor and then shower before the family (round two) arrives.

Gone knitting.