Category Archives: Knitting

I’m One Egg Short – About Baking Substitutions

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Who knew, when I went to the computer to find out what would be an appropriate substitute for an egg in my banana bread recipe, that there were so many choices? I’m actually glad that I only have one egg left in the house because I learned a lot!

I found the most comprehensive list at Eggless Cooking dot com where, not only are the different ideas for substitution listed in detail but also where you’re likely to find the best results with that substitution. So, since I’m baking banana bread (in the form of muffins) I am going to substitute apple sauce … which I happen to have in my refrigerator. And I’m going to dump in some blueberries and some chopped pecans. All in an effort to empty the ‘fridge before we head to our Maine house for a bit.

I know I could also have found this information in one of my “old fashioned” cookbooks, but the Internet provides such quick and thorough information!

Banana bread with one egg … coming up!

Gone baking!

And the Winner IS ….

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I made these darling Circle of Life socks for my nephew- or niece-to-be and then I went and hit 200 “likes” on my Facebook page. SO, without a second thought, they became my give-away.

And after randomly selecting a winner from my 200, the winner is Mimi Steele from Ohio (Go Bucks!) who, I just happen to know, is a new grandmother! I hope her little darling will enjoy wearing the socks. No, Mimi, they won’t fit you! 🙂

I will message you privately for your address for mailing! Watch your mailbox! … and congratulations!

My Boy is Going to Rock the Boat!

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This is a proud day for me. My number one (and only) son just called to share that he’s been offered a job working for a cruise line. He’s a lighting technician, having studied lighting for theater for four years in college. He’ll be in charge of cleaning and setting and fixing any lighting on the ship. Cool, huh? And they’ll pay him, feed him four squares a day and house him. He’s thrilled to be heading out to sea in June and into the real world.

That makes three for me! The first two kids, daughters, are also working and have been doing so since they graduated from college. Not sure what I did to encourage their ability to head off into the real world under their own steam, but somehow the parenting that I offered worked. They’re productive and (most of the time) happy adults! Yay for them … and Yay for me, too!

Wishing my boy a bon voyage – what a way to start the adventure that is life!

Gone knitting!

Hot! Lobster Claws … fresh out of the pot

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Hot, hot, hot weekend! We’re having June weather in May. It’s too hot to go outside and I dream of having a car with auto-start so I could get the A/C going before I have to leave. Are you figuring out that I dislike the heat? Even our back “sun room” is super hot … by the time I’m awake, it’s time to get out of there to my cooler Atelier!

My inside activities have been cleaning up and knitting … and knitting planning! I have several original patterns that I’ve written and have been “afraid” to put out for test knitting. Partly because I didn’t know how to do it … but I’ve found a Ravelry group that does test knitting and as soon as I knit my patterns one more time, off they’re going!

"Cooked Lobster" Mittens

First one to be leaving the fold is the “Cooked Lobster” mittens for children. This is one that I wrote after having bought a pattern that didn’t look like lobster claws at all! I love my pattern, though – complete with the knitted band … looks like it’s just out of the pot! And if it was just out of the pot, it would be steaming hot!

Gone knitting (in my cooler Atelier!)

 

Proof – on the needles and newly finished

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Here are the photos, as promised!

Socks for my Boy!

Socks for my boy in Trekking XXL (75% super wash wool, 25% polyamid). This yarn might be the most wonderful sock yarn ever but knitting with it has been a nightmare! The center-pull ball has been in knots from the first pull. Grrr! What a pain in the neck (or needles!) But the socks are looking good and the boy has asked for them (the third pair!) Promised for graduation in mid-June.

New yarn arrival!

Yes, you can ooooh and ahhhh!

I bought the Berroco Pure Pima and Cascade Yarns Fixation for two projects. The Berroco is for a cotton sweater (sleeveless tunic) for moi. The Fixation is for a pair or two of baby socks … trying a new pattern!

Also FO –

HUGE socks ... soon to be felted!

Two super huge socks all ready to be felted. These are for my Etsy shop at the end of the summer. One lavender and one multi-colored, fall colors (green, orange, brown, purple, burgundy) both will be felted to size and be ready to go to some cold tootsies!

Flower Power Dish Cloth

Also trying to use up some of the cotton yarn that I’ve been carrying around. This green turned into a dish cloth. Perhaps it will live in my kitchen (replacing the icky ones that are there) or perhaps it will be matched with a couple more and sold in my shop. We’ll see what I decide.

Cooked Lobster Mittens (a Queen Bee Knits Original Pattern)

Since I have a bunch of wonderful merino wool that I bought in Maine last summer, I decided to resurrect my original pattern and make some more Cooked Lobster Mittens. I love these cute little mittens for kids. I’ll be knitting up several small pairs (and knitting up the bands for the claws, too) for my shop. One down … if you want a pair in a specific size, best to request because I know they’ll fly off the shelves!

Meantime, a friend of mine and her partner welcomed to the world a beautiful baby girl yesterday. I’m thinking a pair of those lovely cabled baby booties needs to be knit up and sent to West Palm Beach! What yarn to use? What yarn to buy?

Oh, the challenges this Queen Bee faces every day! (The last was said in sarcasm … next, in all truth and sincerity) How lucky I am!

Got to wait for my camera battery to charge so I can post the pictures. For now, I’m gone knitting!

New on the Needles

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I bought some yummy cotton yarn to make myself a Drops knitted tunic that I saw somewhere online when I was wandering. The pattern is a free Ravelry download. The yarn was on sale (serious sale! I think it was $3.99 a skein!) at WEBS. It’s Berroco’s Pure Pima (color #2243 “Barely Blue”). I love that Jimmy Bean’s sent me a bag and matched the dye lots of the extra few skeins. It’s a pretty sky blue color with a bit of a gray undertone and I really like it. The pattern is found here!


Classic and simple patterning … I loved the yellow but my mother always said that when I wore yellow I looked green. I don’t want to look green!

Will be winding a skein and doing a swatch … because I know that if I don’t swatch, I will make the sweater in the wrong size! I guess I had best measure my chest, too … just in case! (Note to self – gauge is not for wussies!)

Also trying a pair of baby socks by Cat Bordhi – you can find out all about Cat at her website CatBordhi dot com. All of a sudden, I have an interest in knitting baby things … could be that there’s a new little niece or nephew in the oven!? Anyway, it’s the Baby Life Rings socks and they’re cuter than cute. Found some Cascade Yarns Fixation (also at WEBS) in a couple of colors … color #9030 (“denim”, if my memory serves) and color #9936 (“pacific”in really great ocean colors.) It looks like they’ll stay on the baby feet with three rings around the ankles. Always an issue for new parents, keeping feet on those wiggle pigs … I aim to please!

Already on the needles, my son’s socks. I’ll report on the yarn … because it’s not making this knitter happy. I’ve never had a ball of sock yarn “fight” with me quite so much! Promised by his graduation in June … who can believe that my baby will be graduating from college? And the baby blanket – reversible cables in a white acrylic yarn (to make it easier to wash over and over!)

Finished – a pair of lobster mittens (cooked, of course!) and two pairs of slipper socks. Also finished is a dishcloth … ours are getting pretty yucky! Photos will come soon … maybe tomorrow!

Grateful for fingers that work.

Gone knitting!

Future Knitting

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I haven’t been doing a whole lot of knitting that I “want” to do … rather, it’s been knitting that I have been doing for others. Often for work. And I’m so grateful for the friends and family members and even some perfect strangers who have bought my work!

This summer, I want to do some holiday knitting and crafting. I also want to make a tea cosy or two … just because I really like them. I may even be able to design one for my shop! But I’m starting to think about what yarn I need (and what I could use that I already have) for these projects!

I love new projects!

Gone knitting.

GINORMOUS Purple Socks

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I’ve finished another project today. This one is for my Etsy shop. Have you visited my Etsy shop yet? If not, please do! I’d be delighted to give you a tour – and soon, I’ll be heading out on a little vacation and all of my items will be expiring and there will be nothing to buy until I come back!

Use coupon code “FREESHIP” and you’ll enjoy free shipping on some of the loveliest hand-knit items ever. I really love what’s in my shop!

But I digress …

Today I finished the second of a pair of soon-to-be-felted slipper socks. These are in a lovely lavender (how’s that for alliteration?) I think I am going to go buy a bit of roving and needle felt something on these slippers once they are felted and dry. I was watching my friend Cindi at knitting on Thursday and it looks like it’s a blast. So, we’ll see!

Happy Feet Slipper Socks by Queen Bee Knits

My goal is to get one more pair knitted up before I leave on vacation … a multicolored pair just like the ones I made for my friend Erika. I really loved the way hers came out – and, coincidentally, so did she!

The pattern, once tested, will be available on my website and Ravelry. How exciting is that!?

Gone knitting!

Today’s Completed Projects

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I wrapped up a couple of projects today and it feels good to get things finished. No pressure, for sure, but good to finish none the less. Here’s my story about one – or at least it’s a partial story!

I’ve made a twelve inch square for a group gift that my group will be assembling for a special member. I’ll explain more after it’s been presented but here is my square …

"The Candle Tree"

I didn’t want to do just a plain square. Tried a couple of stitches that I was unfamiliar with and then found this one in one of my stitch books – Barbara G. Walker’s A Treasury of Knitting Patterns (if you want to buy a book of stitches, this is one of the ones to buy. Clear concise directions and a ton of different patterns. The only “problem” is that there are more than one treasury … so start your library!)

The pattern (on p. 290) is called “The Candle Tree” and it’s a panel of 35 stitches. I liked the idea of the candles as a memorial – I’ve explained my love of the Jewish tradition of Yarzeit candles before in my blog and that’s part of why I love the pattern. The tree is a symbol of family (think “family tree”) and strength (think “mighty oak”) and perhaps also a bit of the natural circle of life. and the tree as a symbol of family and strength. When I can tell you more about the gift that we’re giving, you’ll understand why this patch or square is significant!

I didn’t get the tree perfectly centered but it’s now blocked and ready to go to the assembly team (of one?) I am excited to see the end result – and if I do say so myself, it’s a really thoughtful gift – and see how its recipient likes it. I think she’ll be very touched.

I also did some baking today. Needed to attach my feet to the ground. I love this recipe which I found on the Internet … Levain Bakery’s Oatmeal Scones. I have been making this recipe for quite some time and my brother once said they were the best scones he’d ever eaten. I use a gluten-free flour and craisins in lieu of all-purpose flour and raisins. Today I even threw a few currants in because I didn’t have quite enough craisins. They are so delicious. You really should try them! And it’s easy to make scones – I mixed all the ingredients together and then added the diced butter and mix it all together with my hands until crumbly and then add the milk/cream/buttermilk and quickly mix it together with my mixer. Rather than mess up my counter, I use an ice cream scoop and have perfectly shaped, similarly sized scones that freeze really well … and we can warm up one or two each morning! I love Turbinado Sugar as a sweet and crunchy sprinkle on top! You could also make a little “frosting” with confectioners sugar and milk or orange juice and drizzle on top. Try it out!

Gone knitting (well, walking first and then knitting!)

Cabled Baby

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The hats and booties are done and adorable … if this Queen Bee does says so herself!

The patterns were both found on Ravelry and the hat pattern was flawlessly written. The pattern is Heirloom Stitches’ Little Boy Blue Hat. It knits up a hat for a 12-24 month child. I think this is a great gift to give to a new baby … because people are apt to get teeny tiny clothes but not much for the baby when he or she gets a bit bigger.

The booties were a bit more difficult and had a couple of places where I had to go to work “fixing” the pattern. So, next time, when I have to make some booties, I’ll be writing my own pattern. The pattern, also from Ravelry, is called Seamless Cable Booties by Crumbgrubbers Knits. It’s a free download and I just noticed that there are comments that repair the “problems” – so, the problems were mine! LOL! I made one pair for a girl and one for a boy – if one can’t figure out which is which … well … ’nuff said!

Gone knitting!