Category Archives: Knitting

Sweat a Little, Knit a Little

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Last week I made the mistake of bragging that we hadn’t been hit by the heatwave. Oops! I blew it. It’s hot here now … almost too hot to knit. I’m sure glad that I have no afghans or baby blankets on the needles!

I’ve started a second pair of Baby Life Rings Socks by Cat Bordhi for a friend. They’ll be matched with a little hat. I think I will use the same idea as the socks and make a couple of life rings on the edge of the hat but will add a solid color in stripes. This little toe-up sock with a short row heel is just adorable. I “need” to buy some solid color yarns and see how they knit up in solid colors. I’ve chosen to use Cascade Fixation yarn in a colorway that’s lime green, pink and lavender. Mom’s favorite color is purple … and that may be my accent color in the hat. Baby’s due in late fall.

My tunic is making slow progress in its second iteration. If you remember, I had the back nearly done when I realized that I was making the wrong size. Frogged and re-started. I still love the color.

I’ve finished the Gaia Shoulder Hug shawl. I am not a huge fan of the Noro colorway that I chose but the finished product is nice and I think it will be a good addition to a plain white blouse in the fall and winter. The Noro wool started out scratchy and stiff but it softened up quite nicely through the knitting process and I’ve blocked it but without blocking wires. If I’m going to do lace knitting, I have to make an investment in blocking wires!

My Maine Lobstah socks are coming along. Have gotten to the place where I need to turn the second heel. I will be happy to have them finished and start wearing them!

This Little Piggie baby hat is coming along. I’ve put it away for a few days because I was getting frustrated with the design process. I have knit the ears five or six times and finally got them right. And then the snout was out of place. So, I have to re-knit the snout and then   embroider some eyes and nostrils on it and knit the matching mittens. Fortunately, they’re a holiday gift and I still have time.

Next projects in my queue … a Penny Straker design sweater that I knit when my kids were little. Making one up for my new niece or nephew in a cornflower blue. Have a lace scarf in the bag … the one that I tried to make for Ravelympics several years ago (and couldn’t even manage the cast-on.) This time, I’ll be able to cast on and complete the scarf … and I’m casting it on on July 27 during the Opening Ceremonies (despite the Olympic Committee believing that it’s denigrating. Harumph!)

I wish I had brought my swift and winder to Maine … I have some Buffalo Wool Company yarn that I want to knit into a lovely purple shawl using the falling leaves pattern (more information later!) And I have the yarn that I bought at the Maine Fiber Frolic and the cool and crazy pattern that I bought for that – it will be a cardigan for yours truly.

There you have it. All this typing has made me hot … could be because my laptop is on my lap?!

Gone swimming!

This Little … pppppProject!

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Ya know … some days this blogging stuff is for the birds. I had a whole (yes, WHOLE) post typed and the front half of it just disappeared. Vanished. Gone. Perhaps stolen by the Blogging Gods?

Anyway …

I just cut off the piggy’s snout.

Don’t feel badly. It was only the second version.

The ears have been frogged and cut off multiple times. Note to self, don’t weave in the ends until you’re absolutely sure that all the parts are placed JUST where you want them to be!

While I’m not ready to show you the whole hat (yet!) … here are some sneak peeks at the porcine pieces!

First, the tail …

This Little Piggy … curly tail
(In the design process.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And secondly, one of the little ears …

This Little Piggie … one little ear

I think this ear looks authentic. The first ones were way too tiny. They looked more like a cat’s ear. That’s the problem that I see when I look at patterns online. Cat’s ears. Not pig’s ears. Think about Piglet!!!

 

 

 

 

 

So, now I have a bit more work to do … but there’s your little sneak peek at my “This Little Piggy”.

Gone knitting!

Design Can Be Frustrating

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I am in the process of designing a little hat that looks porcine for a customer of mine. She had seen a crocheted hat that she loved and I, not being a crocheter, wanted to make her a hat that was comparable … or better.

Designing, for a perfectionist such as myself, can be thrilling. Or frustrating. Or downright annoying. I got the hat all knitted up in no time and love the little tail that is a four-stitch i-cord at the top of the hat. Twisted around itself a couple of times and pulled through, it’s a really cute little twisty piggy tail.

Ears, however, are not that easy. I have, twice, knitted two ears that looked too small. Once I even (being hopeful, I guess) wove in the ends. Had to cut the ears off that time. I’m going for the look of a piglet and in many of the photographs that I’ve seen while researching pig ears (who knew!?) the ears look too big for the little pig. They also seem to have “lobes” on the outside side of their ears. Here are a couple of examples …

 

 

 

 

 

 

See what I mean?

The last attempt that I was making when I was called to get ready to go see the new Woody Allen movie, To Rome With Love (If I hadn’t already seen it, I wouldn’t rush out to see it), was going really well and I hope that I can pick it up tomorrow and finish the first ear to my own satisfaction and then knit up a mirror-ear on the other side of the little hat.

Must run out and get a bit of black yarn for nostrils and eyes and then stitch them on.

Next on the needles are little pink mittens to match … perhaps with a bit of embroidery to make them look like little cloven hooves? And an i-cord string between them because we know all little children lose one mitten! Right?

Gone knitting!

Three Cheers for the …

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Fourth of July “weekend” was not too knitty for me but I am really pleased with the “This Little Piggy” hat that I am designing for an order!

It’s turning out to be really cute. I have the hat knitted with the little i-cord tail on top. Love it! Next was to decide how and where to put the ears. And what do pigs’ ears look like? (No, not the ones that you feed to your dogs as treats! Real pigs ears that are still attached to the pig!) I think I managed pretty well by picking up eight stitches a bit in front of the tail and on the sides of the hat.

And for the snout?!

I couldn’t just sew on a button or a piece of felt. That feels like cheating. So, after perusing pictures of pink pigs on Pinterest (ha! actually it was Google images but that doesn’t start with a “P”) I decided that it had to be a 3-D snout and knitted up a short tube and then figured out how to make an edge and then knit a circle in the middle by decreasing just enough to make it work. Now it needs to be attached. BUT first I need a bit of black or darker pink yarn to make the nostrils and some eyes for my little piggie!

I will probably knit this pattern up a couple more times (after I write it down, that is) … as I design, I take notes about what I am doing and then tweak it as I knit again and again … and this may decide to be the first pattern that I offer for sale. Or maybe the lobster mittens. Keep your eyes on the prize … or piggy pattern!

Gone knitting.

A Little Bit of Progress

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Those of you who know me well, know that I like to eat. I also like to bake (can anybody say, “sweet tooth”?) And over the years, it’s become my mother that I see when I walk to the mirror. Now don’t get me wrong, my mother was a lovely woman and I love her a lot. But I never wanted to have her body. SO, I’ve been to see a lovely woman In Portland, Maine who is helping me try to get my hormones into balance with food. Of course, I’m also going to have to move my body up off the knitting couch … but since my feet are finally healed (or healthy for now, anyway), I feel confident that we can start walking and hiking at the very least!

Gaia Shoulder Hug by Anne Carol Gilmour
(A FREE pattern on Ravelry!)

So, tonight’s knitting night again and while we drove to Portland and back, I didn’t knit on the way home. I slept. I’m looking forward to visiting with the “girls” and I hope to finish the last few repeats of my Gaia Shoulder Hug.

Piggy Hat Pink

I think that I will start the commissioned piggie hat next … and it’s going to be sent with matching mittens. (Since they’re for a baby, she’ll need the little stringy thing to go through her jacket so mittens don’t get lost! I) think I can sew/embroider a cloven hoof on the mitten and that will be cute. I’ll try!

Maine Woods Yarn & Fiber “Maine Lobstah” Superwash Sock

 

 

I have finished one Maine Lobstah sock and it’s quite tight. Since this is my handy-dandy go-to pattern for socks, I am a bit surprised but am not going to worry much. On occasion, even Queen Bees make mistakes. I may be using a smaller needle … or maybe was using a bigger, inappropriate needle before. Whatever the reason, if they’re too small, they’ll be a gift for someone in my family with slightly smaller feet than I have at Christmas time. I bought two hanks of the yarn because I loved it so much and the woman said I can probably get three socks out of each hank! Woo-hoo! I love knitting with this yarn. It’s really got a great hand, it’s washable and it’s not “splitty” at all! I also happen to love the colorway that I chose!

Dropps Tunic … going nowhere! But check out the beautiful Signature needles!

My poor tunic hasn’t budged out of my knitting bag. Oh well! I still love the yarn color and I adore knitting on my first of many pairs of Signature needles (green is US6).

I will be knitting up a Falling Leaves scarf designed by Lucy Neatby with some yarn that I bought at the Maine Fiber Frolic last year (2011). I fell in love with the pattern and have bought it on Ravelry.com with my white bunny blend yarn in mind. Another gift for a friend who is so deserving!

Had a lobster roll for lunch after fasting for a blood test. Not sure what’s for dinner but I’m looking forward to balancing these hormones and seeing myself in the mirror again! A big grocery shop tomorrow!

Gone knitting.

(An aside … bought some new stitch markers and thought you should see the cutest ones … by Lantern Moon, purchased online! They’re buzzing around my Gaia!)

 

 

My Maine LYS

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In Maine, the yarn scene is so much richer than in Central Florida. There are all sorts of fiber farms, most of which spin their own fibers. Many of whom sell at local yarn shops. My LYS when I’m here is the Yardgoods Center in Waterville.

The Yardgoods Center has been in business for more than sixty years. Before Joyce and her brother owned it, their father was the proprietor. Half of the store is wall-to-wall fabrics, a sewer’s paradise. The other half (and where I spend my time) is yarn (and a little bit of stamping.)

Yardgoods Center offers classes almost every day that it’s open … and more than one class on some days. They are open six days a week – Sunday is their day of rest. They have a huge selection of yarns and should be able to please just about anybody. From the relatively inexpensive yarns to the very expensive … beads, notions, needles. It’s pretty amazing! They have a big wall of sock yarns, novelty yarns, and always several bins of sale yarns that are at least twenty percent off. If you take a class, you enjoy a ten percent discount on anything that you buy (a good time to plan your next project!)

I’ve attended a class on Wednesday nights for several years. I have also attended once on Tuesday night (when I thought it was Wednesday – no wonder I didn’t know a soul!) and just took a class on Friday afternoon. The teachers and students are friendly and you can get help with any project … or the teacher will suggest one for you.

The only “weakness” that I can find is that their technology is not always up to date. Blog is currently stalled since February. When you click on the classes link, no classes are listed. Facebook is seldom updated … at least from the yarn side. Maybe they can hire me to do that for them!?

If you’re ever in Waterville, I highly recommend the Yardgoods Center.

Yardgoods Center, Downtown Concourse, Waterville, Maine

Monday through Saturday 9:30am to 6:00pm

Like them on Facebook

Knitting with Friends

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Camp Smedley – From the Water

We have our first house guests (maybe I should call them “camp guests” since this house is really a “camp”).

Our friend Bob comes up with kids each summer and the kids keep on growing. They’re fun to watch around the lake each year and it’s interesting to witness the excitement that they get when they’re “let loose” at the lake.

Coffee discussion this morning centered around what it is that one of the kids likes about fishing. Talk amongst yourselves….

We decided that Bob was probably “right” in his observation that the joy of fishing is in not knowing what you’ll get. The adventure of the hunt. Walking through the grass and finding a snake or up on the railroad tracks and finding a long-dead porcupine or dipping a hook into the lake over past the boathouse and waiting for the thrill of the first underwater tug. The joy of the unknown? Would that that joy continued into an adventurous spirit in adults rather than fear!

Meanwhile, I’ve had lunch and attended a knitting class with a new knitting friend. My post about the Ravelympics was picked up by a reporter for an Olympics News-related website and I was asked to respond. (Little old me?!)

On my needles … my tunic sweater is growing again after its too-large frogging. 🙂 I really love knitting with my Signature needles. The cord is so flexible. Much more so than the other needles that I have. I’ve finished my first Maine Lobstah sock and must admit it’s a tight fit … not sure if I’ve knitted it more tightly or if the yarn is a bit heavier than typical sock yarn but they’ll be fun. Sock number 2 is cast on and a new WIP. I’ve decided to pull out a few of the older projects and yarn that has been in my stash for a (long) while. I’ve cast on the Gaia Shoulder Hug shawl by Anne Carroll Gilmour. It’s a simple lace design knit in Noro Kureyon Sock (or Silk Garden Sock) and the lace/eyelet rows are knit as the colors transition. The color way that I chose is difficult to knit with as the color transitions are so slight. But, I’ll finish it this time … if for no other reason than to do it. And, last, I’ve pulled out my mohair lace yarn to cast on the lace scarf that I had attempted years ago. I’ve done a successful cast on as required in the pattern and I’m ready to try the pattern again.

Bought a bit more yarn the other day, too! (I don’t know what to say, I can’t seem to help it! Must be just like I wrote above … the wonder in the discovery!)  Ron Miskin had another surprise purchase (with an excellent discount) on The Buffalo Wool Company‘s Facebook page. And, I’ve had an order from that wonderful grandma who won the socks give-away. A little hat and mittens for her grand-daughter for the holidays! More goodness to come! Blessings are all around me!

Gone knitting!

Frustration Strikes!

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Yes, it did strike today … and on more than one level. Kind of like the s#%t that hit the fan a couple of days/posts ago. Many little annoyances … placed carefully in one day so that I’ll appreciate the easier days, perhaps?

I had gotten pretty close to done with the back of my Dropps tunic. Only to realize today that I was making the XXL size rather than the XL. I’m simply not an XXL. So … without further ado, I had to frog it. Had to. There was no way to finagle it to be right without a battle. I’ve pulled my beautiful green Signature needles out again and have cast on the proper number of stitches for the XL tunic and will get back to where I need to be!

I did finish the fingerless mitts that have been languishing in my project bag for ages. I think they were started way back before Christmas when I was making oodles of fingerless mitts for an order. These were made with Lana Bamboo by Cascade and they’re really pretty – will go well with denim as they’re a lovely mottled blue color way. I am pleased with the pattern even though I didn’t care for the needles that I used (at least for the second one). Nor did I mark the pattern well when I knitted up the first mitt so that I made a couple of matching errors on mitt number two. No matter, I frogged a few rows and started again so they were “right” and they matched each other.

The “throne” at our Maine house has been malfunctioning this summer. It’s been “out of service” for several days. Today I was told it was finished and ready to be used again. Discovered that it’s not really and will have to wait until Thursday … in the meantime, I guess I’m grateful for the upstairs bathroom!

Company arrives Thursday and we still haven’t gotten a new vacuum – well, we did but it didn’t suck. Literally. It’s been returned but the house needs vacuuming NOW! 🙂 Maybe we can get a new vacuum with suction included tomorrow. I don’t think our blankets will be back from the dry cleaner in time for their beds. Sure hope the weekend is warmer than it’s been so they don’t miss them. Antique wool blankets are wonderful but they do have to be cleaned once every decade or so. LOL!

Please don’t notice the dirty/old stove! Thanks!

I did make a successful breakfast food – pull-apart cinnamon bread. It looks pretty good and I hope it tastes equally good. I was in the way in the kitchen but dinner was also on the table at a decent hour. With construction and dogs and all that has been happening in this house over the last few days, it’s a miracle that I can get anything accomplished.

If I could see in the dark, I’d be going for a bit of a walk tonight to walk off the frustration. For now, I’m not knitting. I’m just done. Maybe it’s time for bed.

 

Finishing and Starting Over Again

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The other day it was miserably cold and rainy and we were beginning to have a bit of cabin fever. Late in the afternoon, however, the weather changed and we had a lovely double rainbow on the other side of the lake. Clear. Colorful. Perfect in every way! And then the rain came back with a vengence.

I liked being reminded (thanks Mother Nature!) that every day is a new opportunity to start over again. Sometimes we get to start over more than once. Life is full of choices – the question is whether we make an effort to start over … or not.

When I got home after four days on the road and on the run, I was exhausted and a little bit cranky (hard to believe, I know!) When I found out that my daughter went to bed at ten, I didn’t feel quite so badly that I went to bed at nine thirty. I started over several times in those couple of cranky, tired, sensitive days.

I’ve been able to start and finish several knitting projects, too. Started a pair of socks with my Maine Fiber Frolic “Maine Lobstah” sock yarn. Loving the way it is knitting up – bright and so lobstery! FInished the cute little sweater for the baby-to-be also in bright rainbow colors – perfect to start a new winter season in! Finished the “Lakeside Log Cabin” baby blanket with a crocheted edge to give it a really stable, finished-looking edge. Started and (almost) finished a couple of loads of laundry today and have been enjoying the sunny day and an opportunity to sit on the front porch (aka my Northern Atelier) in the sun and cool breeze.

I like the idea of starting a new day every day. Giving myself a new opportunity to pursue my dreams. I still dream of owning a yarn shop. A place that is warm and welcoming and has two little dogs to greet customers. Where I can teach knitting and be surrounded by the fiber that I love so much. I’d love to learn to spin and teach spinning and maybe even weaving. One day maybe pottery too (.. what a mess pottery would make in a yarn shop!) But certainly it will be a place where my personality is infused in every corner – happy, warm, honest, sincere, always learning, full of love. I also dream of traveling in my RV – doesn’t have to be huge or fancy. Just warm and safe.

So, off I go to finish some projects and to start some new ones. Every day I am learning more about myself and just how little I really need to be content in my own skin. I keep simplifying and it’s all good!

Gone knitting!

321

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I like that number … 321 … so when we get to “like” #321 on Facebook, there will be another wonderful gift given to a random person … you can be someone who’s been following me for years or someone who just “liked” my Facebook page. All’s fair in my knitting world!

So, the promise made was that I would post the pictures that I took yesterday at the University of Maine Museum of Art in Bangor. We meandered our way through several different Maine towns and saw some fun art. For me, however, the knitted life-sized animal pelts was the best – inspiring as someone who has designed a pair of mittens and a couple of garments for ten-pound dogs!

“Vanished into Stitches” by Ruth Marshall. She knit these life-size, anatomically correct pelts with wool. By hand. After making a full-size chart of the pelt with an accurate replication of the coloring … the artist studied real pelts and animals to make sure that her knitted ones were spot-on (no pun intended.) Many of them are more than six feet tall and when suspended from their bamboo “frames” …

The are awesome!

The artist wants you to know that only 3,200 tigers live in the wild today. Maybe we knitters can make a difference by refusing to buy their pelts in any form … unless they’re knitted, of course!

so you can see the stitches ... just in case you had any doubt

Remember the number 321. Have all your friends and family “like” Queen Bee Knits. So far, I’ve given away a pair of wonderful green fingerless gloves and a pair of “Circle of Life” socks (designed cleverly to stay on a baby’s feet by Cat Bordhi). You’ll never know what I’ll come up with next!

And for now, I’ve gone knitting … not animal pelts, though!