Category Archives: Knitting

Knitting my Fingers Off!

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Boxy Cardigan in Process

I’ve had another order for a top down sweater for a baby due this fall. So, in order to get myself moving, I am working to get at least one of my sweater projects finished. It seems that my work is paying off as the back and most of the front of my Boxy Cardigan are nearly finished. I love (LOVE!) the yarn from Seacolors!  The green mottled yarn that is the bottom of the body of the sweater (topped with the salmon color) is even better when it’s knit up. There are splashes of the salmon in the green and it pops! The construction of the sweater is exactly as the title says, boxy. It’s color blocked and I am excited to get to the sleeves where the blue will be added. Just have to decide if I do two sleeves that are the same or whether I slightly alter one (I think I’m leaning to that side … at least for today!)

I haven’t spent a ton of time in the last few days knitting. I’ve been trying to get caught up and settled again into life in Florida – errands, phone calls, orders for tea and vitamins and supplements. With our construction or de-struction about to begin (long story, we have an outside wall that wasn’t built to code and needs to be … even if it wasn’t built by us) it’s likely that I will be needing to hide in my atelier with my little dogs and expect to get a lot of knitting completed.

I have a line-up of projects to knit already in the queue!

Gone knitting!

UFOs and Abracadabra, Y’all!

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They’re finished!

I sent off the Baby Life Ring socks and the hat that I designed to match with it’s little dreadlocks on top and the Grandmother-to-be loves them. Makes me so happy to please people with yarn-y wonderful-ness! And I have to be perfectly honest, the little hat is pretty stinkin’ cute!

An original Queen Bee Knits design – “Baby Dreads”

While visiting my college roommate here in Atlanta, I’ve finished knitting and embellishing the “This Little Piggy” hat that I designed for another friend’s granddaughter. I’ve knitted up a pair of thumbless mittens to match. The pattern is called Stay Put Baby Mitts by Jillian Neary. It’s on Ravelry … of course! The pattern is really simple to knit up and since it’s knit in a worsted-weight yarn (at least that’s what I used), they knit up quickly. The little single-crochet “string” tie at the wrist keeps the mitts on the baby’s hands. The string attaching them together keeps them from falling off and getting lost. They’re not embroidered yet (they need to have cloven hooves) but they will be finished and sent out as soon as I am back in my southern atelier!

“This Little Piggy” hat – an original Queen Bee Knits design

The hat pattern will be joining my other originals on Ravelry when I get it test knitted. I am really pleased with the adorable piggy ears and it’s little curly tail. I giggle when I look at it because the pig’s face seems so quizzical … like it doesn’t know what to do – go to market or stay home!

Next up, my Boxy Cardigan. Pattern and yarn by Seacolors Yarn. The process Seacolors uses is very unique. It’s hand-dyed with sea water, thus it’s name! The cardigan pattern is very simple and square. What makes it unique is color-blocking and I’ve purchased (after a long, long, long time wandering their booth at the Maine Fiber Frolic) some great colors that I’m very excited to see come together in this sweater! I’m already dreaming of buttons … they also will have to have been made in Maine! I started knitting with the US size 7 needles as the pattern suggests but have frogged that bit knitted up because it didn’t make the gauge. I’m starting again with my US size 8 needles and we’ll see how it goes! I’m knitting the large size.

I’ve also had a request to knit up another top down baby sweater in the fabulous “Grateful Threads” colorway from Coveted Yarn. I am really excited about knitting with this yarn again!

My tunic is still coming along. Knitting a ribbed stitch on US size 1 needles is slow going and very tedious so I have to break up that work with other projects.

Dropps Tunic (Dropps 111-21)

Detail of the “gathering” effect

The construction of the tunic (it’s a Dropps design) is quite simple and the switch from the US size 6 needles in stockinette stitch to the 1×1 ribbing on US size 1 needles creates a bit of a gathered effect which is very pleasing. The back is nearly complete!

I am so grateful for the friends and family who have encouraged me to follow my passion around knitting and I’m certain that the future holds all great things for my business as it grows right along with me!

Gone knitting (in Atlanta), Y’all!

Re-Entry

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I struggle every year when we have to leave Maine just in time for August in *gasp* Florida. The shock to my body and our culture is, well, shocking! The temperature has climbed from reasonable and comfortable to Oh My God, how can it be so hot that I can’t walk to the mailbox in bare feet? Even the pool in the back yard is not refreshing.

That said, while you’re all assuming that I am outside enjoying the sun down here (that’s what people in Florida do, right?) I’m really in my atelier, blinds closed, A/C and ceiling fans on, knitting and planning.

Today I’ve been working on a “basket” (bag) that I found somewhere on the internet that uses one skein of Malabrigo’s Rasta yarn. I’ve written about this yarn before but I have to reiterate just how much I love knitting with it. It’s super bulky and the color way that I have is rich purples and burgundies interjected with gold, green and orange (amongst others). Simply fabulous! And since it’s super bulky, it knits up in a flash.

The basket is an interesting construction. I couldn’t figure it out at first glance but I have really enjoyed watching the basket come along. It’s knit in the round on four DPNs but it comes out square! Very clever. I got the bottom of the basket done in an hour or so (after the hour or so that I took to realize that I wasn’t reading the directions correctly – and it was really me. Must be the heat!)  The pattern is called “Rasta Basket” by Kate Vanover and you can find it on Ravelry. I’ll add pictures to this post just as soon as it’s done.

Gone knitting!

Yarn Transported … back to Florida

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It’s difficult for me to believe that our time in Maine is over. That went by so quickly (once again!) I brought a big bag of yarn and patterns up to Maine and challenged myself to buy no yarn before I knitted up all that I carried up.

Well, I failed. I bought a bit of yarn again this summer and have carried it back to Florida with me. In fact, I spent the last part of the day today winding my new purchases from the earliest part of the summer. I did leave my yarn swift and ball winder in Florida and wasn’t able to ball the yarn … until today. And it’s so pretty!

Sea Colors Yarns in three colors for a sweater

Super Stash Addition … Marden’s
For under $40!

I also added my new Marden’s purchases to the stash list on my Ravelry page and have done some preliminary research into patterns for that yarn. I am thinking that I will have to be making hats and mittens and fingerless gloves for my shop. Some of the new yarns are really pretty … well, in fact, all of them are! That’s why I bought it!

Gone knitting

 

Attention! Attention! Knitting Queen (Bee)

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I’ve learned that I need to pay attention when I knit.

Any distractions can cause me to knit beyond a decrease, or knit where I should purl … you get the idea! And knitting with a cocktail in hand is a definite NO! Knitting group projects must be free of decreases or any counting of stitches because I never cease to be amazed at how my chatting can make me forget the simplest of each!

That said, I’ve finished a few more projects and am pleased with my progress. But, once again, I brought more projects up to Maine to complete than I completed. I also am going home with more yarn than I came with.

Completed:

Baby sweater finished. Needs to be blocked.

Socks finished; Matching hat … maybe half way done!

Bird nest – finished and being lived in (see Facebook!)

My second attempt at the Gaia Shoulder hug … finished (when I was better able to pay attention!)

Gaia Shoulder Hug by Ann Carroll Gilmour – well, it’s her pattern. I knitted this one!

And I also finished the little cabled sweater in periwinkle blue. I haven’t photographed it yet … so watch here or my Facebook page!

Gone knitting!

I win!

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The first attempt was a flop. But the second attempt at the Gaia Shoulder Hug was a success! I did it! It’s finished! Yay, me!

Gaia Shoulder Hug (FREE Ravelry download)

And I like it … more or less. I’m not totally loving the Noro Kureyon Sock (which is now discontinued in the United States) colorway that I chose, but I think it will be a pretty piece to wear in the winter with a shirt.

I’m pleased that it’s finished and pleased with it – that’s what matters most.

Gone knitting!

 

Baking … in the kitchen and out!

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We seldom have hot weather here at the lake. Only once do I remember seriously considering an air conditioner. Today … well, for the last couple of days … I’d love to have one! It’s been hot and humid – and maybe it’s the humid that makes it less bearable?

Regardless, we have family arriving tomorrow and I wanted to get my baking done. Or at least most (some) of it. Today I made a couple of desserts that I found on Pinterest – first I made an ice cream sandwich cake. It was a really quick dessert to make and since the three boys really like ice cream, I thought this would go over big! I used the small individually wrapped Reese’s candies … and intend to chop up more to go on the top when I get it out of the freezer. (Unfortunately, there were no left-over ice cream sandwiches for me to snack on. Recipe used exactly 24!)

Next, I made two peanut butter pies. N said that he’d love it … and since he’s had a rough week, I decided that I could do that for him. Also a really quick dump-dump-stir-stir dessert to make with a cookie crumb crust (bought in the store). The only change we made was that N whipped real cream rather than using the “whipped topping” that you can find in your grocer’s freezer! (You know what I’m talking about!) I bought one chocolate cookie crust and a graham cracker cookie crust … will let you know which is better! I have to buy more cream  to decorate the pies with before serving … and probably will chop up more of those Reese’s candies that are left over!

Last thing I made today was some cinnamon pull-apart bread. I’ve made this recipe once before – and it was delicious! It’s also rather simple for a yeast bread recipe. I even mixed it by hand and it came out beautifully. This time, I added chopped pecans and a drizzle of honey before I stacked up the squares of dough. It’s in the oven as we speak … and it smells so good when it’s baking! I can hardly wait to try it (again!)

N was making his home-made baked beans today, too. It’s his comfort food – and the recipe, while it changes almost every time, is getting better. He’ll eat them for breakfast … me, not so much! Maybe dinner.

Tomorrow I have to make up some muffins and since I have bananas in the freezer, I thought that I’d do banana blueberry … stay tuned! Also found a recipe for vegan pumpkin oatmeal cookies that I HAVE to try! Pumpkin and oatmeal together sound pretty wonderful.

So, that’s it – not really knitting today but the baking has been fun … the baking heat both from the oven and from the weather … well, suffice it to say, I’d rather be cool! Thank goodness we have a lake in the front yard!

Gone knitting!

Classic Straker “Johnny” – New on the Needles

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A Classic Straker Design, C772 “Johnny”

I have been carrying three (and a bit more) balls of Paton’s Decor yarn around with me for the last ten years or more. It was way back then when I bought the yarn in a tiny yarn shop in Montgomery, Ohio to make an afghan for my house. God only knows what my color scheme was back then but I picked the periwinkle colorway … it must have matched something!

Anyway, I have been moving this yarn around with me (at least three times) and decided to bring it to Maine with me this summer and use it up!

Today I cast on a new project with the yarn. A Straker Classic Design #C772 “Johnny”. It’s a cabled sweater with a hood. I knitted one of these (and my mom knitted the matching smaller version) for my girls when they were little. We knitted them in a red yarn and they had panda bear ceramic buttons. I’ve saved the buttons (and I hope the sweaters, too). But this new sweater has nobody to go live with at the time of this posting … but with all the babies that I know are being born, some lucky kiddo will be getting this sweater.

I love the Straker patterns. They are clear and concise, have good information and this one (in particular) is quite simple to knit. It would be a good first sweater pattern! I remember the first time I knit it, feeling somewhat intimidated. Today, it feels so easy and comfortable. I guess I’m growing, too!

Normally, I won’t knit with acrylic yarn because I like the natural fibers better and I feel strongly that there is a huge investment of time in each garment that is hand-knit. Why not use good wool?! Sweaters for children, however, can be washed and dried if they’re knit with acrylic yarn. And this yarn is so easy to knit with and feels pretty good in my hands!

N’s sailing, the dogs are sleeping and I’m gone 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!