Queen Bee Knits

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

Home Again – Quebec City Trip

Posted on April 11, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

While I was away the ice went out and the loons returned. What a glorious morning it is when we can once again hear the loons calling! This morning was that morning. “Our” loon pair was out in front of the house letting us know that they’re back. And since they were out front, we got the chair cushions out of winter storage so we could have some coffee on the porch (with blankets) just to spend a few minutes out in advance of the warmer weather.

My trip to Quebec City was everything I hoped it would be. Knitting friend and student, Rudy, and I had tickets to see Arne & Carlos at the Chateau Frontenac on Thursday evening. We made a girts trip out of it and drove up to Quebec City on Wednesday. Rudy has been there before and was a wonderful “tour guide” leading me on the best wanders around town, some great restaurants and more. We stayed at the Hotel du Vieux-Quebec which was exceptional. My room was comfortable and modern with historic details. We spent some down-time in the lounge by the fireplace knitting when we weren’t out and about. The art in the hotel was exceptional and there were a couple of pieces that I would buy for my house. The staff were very friendly and welcoming (as were all the people we me along our way.) Each room has a coffee maker and a tea kettle, a small refrigerator and a full bath with a towel warmer! Everything is labeled in French and some with English translations and it was just a short walk up hill to the shops.

We wandered shops in the Quartier du Petite Champlain where the streets were cobblestones and many of the buildings original (old!) We had some cheese for a snack and a maple “lollipop” made just for us. We went up to the Chateau Frontenac on the Funicular, an automated tram that climbs the steep (STEEP) hill up to the Chateau, and wandered around the shops between there and our hotel.

I highly recommend a ride UP the Funicular! We had our Wednesday dinner at Hortus, connected to our hotel. It’s a farm to table-style restaurant and we had a lovely meal with dessert, too! As we were waiting for our food, we saw Arne and Carlos for the first time – walking by on the sidewalk on their way to dinner. We nearly flew out of our seats to go speak with them … but thought better of it. (Later Arne said we should have come out to say hello. Bummer that we didn’t but oh, well!)

Thursday we had breakfast at a crepes restaurant – savory for me and dessert for Rudy! They were delicious. And then we did some wandering around the shops near our hotel. We took a historical tour of the Chateau Frontenac area that afternoon and it was very interesting. The guide was wonderful; a perfect mix of history, comedy, and acting. We had a late lunch/early dinner at Bello near the Chateau. They serve wonderful Italian food. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and then headed on to the Chateau where the main attraction was happening. Arne and Carlos were sponsored by Boutique de Tricot, Les Laines Biscotte in the new part of the city. (More on our visit there later) We arrived early and were among the first registered and were milling in the ballroom (salle de balle) when out walked Arne and Carlos. Arne walked right into our “circle” winding a ball of blue yarn and picked up the conversation. It was thrilling to stand and chat with one of my knitting heroes. Carlos came over a bit later and also joined the group for a little bit before their talk. They talked for an hour about their creative endeavors and what inspires them, their home (that Arne bought without consulting Carlos and without any electric or heat), their gardens and their travel. It was inspiring listening to them.

We didn’t win any of the drawings but we felt like winners just being there! After the talk, Arne and Carlos autographed their newest book and put up with us all wanting photos with them. Hey, there’s no proof without photos!

I’d heard that they were warm and kind and welcoming and they were exactly that! Carlos was wearing his (now) famous denim shirt that Arne got the security tag off of (they talked about it on their youtube channel) and they were simple delightful to meet. I need to go on one of their trips now to allow me to spend a little more time with them. (I’ll be saving my pennies!) We also met some lovely women and men who traveled to Quebec to meet “the guys”. The Canadians, no matter what province they’re from, are so lovely to visit with!

And we have arrived at Friday already and time to head home. Rudy ordered us breakfast to be delivered to our room on Friday morning to allow us time to pack up and relax a bit. Imagine my surprise when I opened my door at 6:30am to see this …

Breakfast was beautifully presented in a rattan picnic basket with a red and white checked cloth and included orange juice, yogurt, cheddar cheese, honey (from the hotel’s rooftop bees) and two items from a patisserie – a perfect croissant and a fruit and cheese danish. I will tell you that it was my first idea to eat one and bring one home but I ate them both. LOL. And the yogurt. We met around 8 in the lounge for some knitting near my favorite piece of art there until the three shops that we wanted to stop at to buy a few gifts to bring home.

We ran out at 10am to the Atelier Les Trois Corbeaux for some glass pieces that were made right there in the store. Needless to say, it was plenty warm there with a forge in the building! On to the shoe store for a gift for Rudy and then to Mary’s Popcorn. Yes, we did bring popcorn home and it is something worth mention – if you’re there, buy it! The small size isn’t big enough. Trust me.

And then we were off to the yarn shop! The store space is large and open and well organized. I always love to see what different shops carry and what is different and how they organize their yarns. It was so much fun! La Laine Biscotte carries their own line of yarn, too. It was difficult to not buy more … I controlled myself.

I chose a hank of Arne & Carlos’ new sock yarn for my hubby’s socks, a couple of Biscotte sock yarns to make myself a pair of socks and enough charcoal gray Felted Tweed for another Easy Folded Poncho (or similar). I also bought the commemorative canvas bag. Of course! You can also see my autographed copy of the new ornaments book. I may have to knit a couple just because I have more of the yarn that matches my hand-knit Christmas items that ALL happen to be Arne and Carlos’ designs.

Our drive home was peppered with us saying “I can’t believe we met Arne & Carlos”! And how thrilled we were to get up there to meet them. It was a marvelous trip and we will have fun sharing our experience with the Friday morning knitters at Yardgoods Yarn.

I did get a little bit of knitting done. I’ve worked on the body of the Vanilla Sweater in lavender for my college roommate. I’m getting almost to the bottom of the body. And I’ve worked on my Shawl KAL project, the Hansel Hap Half. I made a little mistake in the first couple of rows in the setup for the border so I frogged back and reknit it last night. It’s much better now. I’m not sure where I made the mistake but I was probably talking too much. I’ve run out of the MC and am finishing the center triangle with a “stripe” of a close colorway that presents as more brown than gray. But it’s ok – I think it will look like another stripe in the shawl. It’s for me and I’ve blessed the project as it uses up some of my stashed J&S jumper weight wool. I have a few hats or a colorwork sweater or two still in my stash. I have no photos of said knitting, however. I’ll update again after I settle back in at home. It was delightful to find some crocus blooming in the yard when I got home.

Gone knititng.

A Case of the Mondays

Posted on April 6, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

And here we are at Monday again! I took three photos this morning and had to pick just one for the first post photo … this was the last one I took. I turned to go inside with my photo of the day and saw the moon reflected in the water and then saw it up in the tree. It reminds me what it’s like to have the open water back on a calm morning. I am always sad to see the ice go out but I’m happy to have the open water back. One of our lakeside neighbors (across the lake and north of us) posted a photo of a boat on the water yesterday. They must have put the boat in in Oakland because Sidney is still iced in. I’ll bet there are loons somewhere on the lake, too. Just not by us.

I was up on the later side last night recording a lullaby for my granddaughter and knitting, of course, after a day of sewing. I decided to uncover my sewing machine after several months of inactivity and I’m glad I did. The spongey/foam disc on the thread spindle had completely disintegrated and I had a little mess to clean up. While cleaning that little mess, I cleaned the whole cabinet/table, too. Good to go for another bit. I was inspired by Kate at the Last Homely House YouTube channel and then, also, by one of my Friday afternoon knitters, to make a patchwork pouch. I have lots of fabric and thought I could cut up some bee-themed fabric pre-cuts that I have and make said pouch. And that I did.

I find sewing fun but way more brain power is used when sewing because it’s not intuitive to me. I made a bunch of mistakes along the way but I am completely satisfied with the end result. I have since added a bee-utiful ribbon to the top so I can tie it closed. But suffice it to say that the better part of the day was spent cutting squares (I cut the 5×5 inch pre-cuts into four) and then arranging and rearranging them into a pattern that I liked, sewing them together in strips and then sewing the strips together to make a 12×12 inch square of fabric. I sandwiched them together with a 12″ square of lining fabric and turned it right side out before stitching all the way around. (Kate didn’t do this and I don’t know if I would the next time but it’s good.) I hand quilted it next … and remembered how I like to stitch by hand. I have another project that’s been sitting in time out and maybe it’s time to resurrect it, too. I am so happy with the result and now I just have to figure out how I want to use it.

Once done with my pouch, I pulled out my Hansel Hap and got some knitting done. I am happy to report that I am at 154 stitches (I’ve added some of my favorite stitch markers to mark 50 stitches so the counting is easier as I grow this shawl.) I’m happy with the yarn and it’s a good project to pull out at the end of the day when my brain is tired. A few more rows and I will be able to start the border which will be even more fun and take a little more brain power (the Vanilla Sweater will then take on the late knitting role.)

I have added the third little ball of MC yarn with a spit splice so there are no ends to weave in at the end and it’s getting bigger for sure. I have a feeling this will become my atelier shawl for those times when I need a little something over my shoulders as I work.

The plumber has arrived this morning to repair the water intake system that broke about 8 weeks ago so the water has been turned off and we’ll likely be without it most of the day, So I was up and showered and dressed earlier than usual. A gift of a little bit more time to be up in my atelier to clean up a bit from yesterday’s adventure and maybe I’ll get a little bit of time to knit, too.

Oh! Here are the other two morning photos from this morning at 6am. The ice is so thin but the skating rink next door is still visible!

Gone knitting.

Easter Sunday

Posted on April 5, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

Happy Easter to those of your who celebrate. We are having a (very) quiet (too quiet?) day here today. It’s rather gloomy outside and expected to stay that way so no gardening but I know that I will be up in my atelier knitting and cleaning up a little bit, too. It’s a bit of a disaster up here after a busy week. I went to a dance recital yesterday afternoon at Maine Arts Academy and was impressed by the talent and the large crowd who came on the day before Easter. It was a pretty day yesterday and 51 degrees! Spring is coming.

The lake ice is thinning a lot and ice will no doubt be out very soon. Maybe by the time I get back from my trip to Quebec City? Maybe before. There are parts of the lake where the ice is already gone and we have some water at the edge of the lake. The big sheets of ice that cover the shoreline are gone. The ice has shrunken a lot and will start breaking up and moving north with the flow of the water soon. If I’m here, there will be a video.

I’ve been working away at my knitting but not as much as I might like because I have overdone it just a bit and I have to rest my left arm just a bit. I’m making good progress on my three active projects, though.

I’ve made it past the heel (it’s a forethought heel on my Escher socks which means a strand of yarn is knitted into the spot where the heel will go and then you knit over those in pattern and down to the toe.) I’m working my way down the foot now. I do enjoy the colorwork pattern! I’ve changed over to a 9″ circular needle by Knit Pro (formerly Knitters Pride) and I’m not a huge fan although I do like that I don’t have to switch needles like with DPNs. We didn’t have any Chiao Goo 9″ needles in a US 2 at the shop but I’ll try them when they’re restocked. Hopefully soon.

I’ve cast on a new shawl project for the Wooly Thistle’s Shawl KAL. I decided to knit the Hansel Hap Half mostly because I have the wool in my stash and I’m really working on using up some of what I have (and so I can order more?) I’m working this shawl in Jamieson & Smith and Jamieson’s jumper weight 100% Shetland wool. I’m loving it! The shawl is a simple garter stitch triangle and then the fun starts with the addition of a border in more of the main color (or in my case, slightly different color but close enough) and a super dark blue, a teal for a pop of color and a white. I’m really excited to get to the border and I’m about two thirds of the way there.

And because I’ve started the shawl, I’ve let the Vanilla Sweater get neglected just a little bit. I did work on it for a short while on Friday when I was teaching because it’s easy to put down when I need to. But, it’s easy to put down when it’s just stockinette stitch in the round for eleven or so inches because it’s not very exciting or challenging. But I will get it done! I’m eager to cast on my daughter’s wrap cardigan because I think that will be “more fun”. I haven’t even taken a more recent photo of the Vanilla Sweater but I’ve only made minimal progress.

I did bake! I found a box of bran flakes in our pantry cupboard as I was straightening the other day and so I went hunting for a bran muffin recipe so I could use them up. I found a recipe that made some tasty muffins that we both are enjoying this week. My hubby, in particular, loves to have a little something sweet with his coffee in the morning. They were another simple recipe and freeze beautifully (for two of us to eat a dozen muffins, they’ve got to be frozen or they’d be moldy.)

The plumbers are supposed to be here first thing tomorrow morning. (See my post here to get the background on this story.) I sure hope they come on time and get the job done right. Our bathroom rug was soaking wet yesterday morning because the water unit thingy was leaking again. Nothing better than wondering what you stepped in before your eyes were even open. So … the water will be turned off tomorrow for most of the day and I won’t be able to do laundry for my trip until Tuesday (I refuse to do laundry today.) Tuesday will be laundry day this week and that leaves today … I think I will sew a pouch a la Kate at the Last Lonely House. I just need to piece and quilt a square and then sew it together like an envelope. One of my knitting students had made one and brought it to class Friday and I was reminded that I loved the pouch. It’s a good project for today – and maybe it’ll make me sew more often?

Gone sewing.

Home Again, Home Again

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

Not a particularly beautiful welcome home weather-wise but it was so good to sleep in my own bed despite my snoring partner. LOL. I had a wonderful family visit in New York City, got to spend time with all of my kids and their significant others; the dogs, too! Nothing feeds this mama’s soul more than spending time with my adult children – they’re really terrific people and I’m so proud to be their mother! And now I’m home and this is a three-day work week for me as it’s my Saturday to work so I’m trying to get myself cleaned up and organized but also save some of my energy for the end of the week.

While I was gone, I finished my Thistle on the Moor vest. I am so pleased with the finished project! I knit this vest in Berroco Lanas Light, a sport weight 100% wool yarn with really great yardage (383 yards to 100 grams). I used only two balls for the fourth size thus making this project very affordable at $23.00. I will have to wear this to work on Thursday to try it out! The vest pre-blocking had some really wonky stitches but it’s gorgeous after blocking and it feels gloriously soft for a 100% wool that’s neither super wash nor merino!

Thistle on the Moor Vest on the blocking mat

I have also made a couple of purchases while I was away (or just before I left). I bought a sweater worth of Rauma Garn Finull in a beautiful heathered lavender for my second Vanilla Sweater by Corrine Tomlinson. This time it’s for my college roommate. I am excited to knit another version of this sweater and I love the colorway she chose.

I also ordered a total splurge yarn from Tribe Life Yarns in the UK. It’s a hand-dyed Art Yarns silk mohair with which I’ll be making a pullover that their Millie designed and it was free with the purchase of the yarn. The yarn was incredibly expensive, even for me, a self-proclaimed yarn snob, but I hope it’ll be a gorgeous sweater and a joy to wear. And I loved their packaging! The yarn is a creamy-white, blue, and shades of brown, beige, gray-ish and almost peachy. It’s quite different from any sweaters that I already have and if it’s really wonderful, I may have to buy some more! Oops.

I have ordered a new pouch to keep my bullet journal planner/calendar in, too. It hasn’t arrived yet but I hope it will be a favorite “tool” going forward. It’s by Soolla and appears to be a good weight of canvas with lots of outside and inside pockets where I can keep my pens, etc. A good way to carry those essentials that I need when I use my bullet journal. (And I never like to be without it!)

Last night I worked on my Frabjous Fibers socks again. I’ve turned the heel and completed the gusset decreases so I’ve just got to finish the foot and toe of the first sock and then get the second one started. I was pretty tired after my drive from CT to ME yesterday so I didn’t stay up late. I’ve got a bunch of chores to get done today and I’ll work on the socks and get the Vanilla Sweater cast on. I will be knitting a sweater for my daughter, too, this week. She’s asked for (and I’ve swatched for) Levitate Wrap by My Favorite Things. I’m excited to get started on another couple of sweaters.

I got home to some very dry plants and my Clivia up in my studio was covered in white mealy bugs. I gave it a good wash with some diluted soap and have done a shallow dive into how to treat mealy bugs on my Clivia plant … looks like I need an insecticide and some antibacterial dish soap so I’ll be back at it again today. Meanwhile, three of my four orchids are blooming and they’re being soaked in the kitchen sink because it’s been awhile! I’d best wrap this up and get back to it.

Gone knitting.

Snowmageddon

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

I started this post yesterday, Sunday when the big one was coming! LOL. It has now been here for less than 24 hours and we’ve had about a foot of snow. It’s beautiful light and fluffy snow. As I type this morning, the flakes are getting bigger and, according to my weather app, it’s going to stop early this afternoon. Hopefully we (the royal we) can get some clean up done before it begins again this evening. We’re only supposed to get a couple more inches overnight and Tuesday is supposed to be cold but sunny.

We ran a couple of errands Saturday after we sat through a 4 hour town meeting. Things are still done here the old fashioned way, in person at a town meeting. Full-time residents are invited to participate in the democratic process and vote to approve (or not) the town budget. It was a fairly grueling meeting as our taxes have gone way up over a relatively short amount of time and it seems they’re going to go up more. It feels like the majority of town residents don’t want the services to be cut (we have a library, a town history building, a rec center and a volunteer fire department with very old, outdated facilities) and yet, don’t want to pay more taxes. I’d like to see the town cut expenses somewhere but I can’t really criticize because I’m not involved enough to really know how they operate. I may become more involved.

Anyway, we treated ourselves to lunch at the Red Barn (filled our bellies with fried seafood) after the meeting. It was yummy.

Sunday we ran out ahead of the storm so I could get yarn. I have learned about the “Melt Ice” hat that came from Norway in the 1940s as a silent protest against the Nazi’s occupation of their country. There were enough of them then to be banned by the Nazis in a couple of years! Anyway, the pattern for the hat was rewritten for knitters today and is the top selling pattern right now on Ravelry. We’ve had a lot of customers in the store late in the week buying red yarn and I decided this morning that I have to make a couple of red hats. So my husband and I got into the car to make a run into town to procure some red yarn. I chose a DK Patagonia Organic Merino and a light worsted Malabrigo Rios.

We zipped back home with a stop for a green pepper for our chili for dinner. My plan was to start knitting right away but I ended up in the kitchen baking what I am now dubbing “Snowmageddon Cookies” (aka peanut butter blossoms). They’ll be yummy to nibble on while we watch the snow fall for the next 24 hours. We are supposed to get up to 16 inches of snow over the next 24 hours. The biggest storm we’ve had in years. And it’s also going to be cold all week.

I have fully recovered from my bout with the flu and I am so grateful for modern science and vaccines. It wasn’t fun but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been either. I had a lot of time to knit over the three weeks that I wasn’t feeling well.

I have finished my Gansey Afghan. Yay! And I am so happy with the finished blanket. I am seriously thinking of making another one for us to have (me to have) in my studio. Maybe in orange!

I’ve been working on my husband’s Christmas socks and am making good progress there. I really like this pattern, too, but they’re worked on a smaller needle with pretty heavy-weight yarn so they’re hard on my hands and I can only work on them for a limited time. But I’ve only got one more repeat of the cable pattern before I can speed up to the cuff. There’s a little bit of color work and then I’ll be done! I still love the Raggi yarn so much and wish we could still stock it at our LYS! It makes the warmest boot socks!

I haven’t worked on my Ranunculus at all. I decided to cast on my good trouble “Le Bandana” shawl. I cast on with my sport weight yarn on a US 4 and I’m not thrilled about the fabric. It seems stiff and I’m concerned about the drape or lack thereof. I have more yarn than the pattern calls for so I wonder if I go up a needle size if I’d like the fabric better. I think I am leaning toward giving a larger needle a try. This is Lola Bean Yarn Company’s Soy Bean base in the Good Trouble colorway that I pre-ordered. I love the colors and it will match the red hat!

Le Bandana in LolaBean Yarn Company “good trouble” colorway

I’ve also been working on a new pair of socks. The yarn is so deeply stashed that I’m not sure how long ago I ordered it. Dare I say we were still living in Florida? It’s very possible. I bought the yarn from an indie dyer, The Yarn Enabler, after I bought her Number 2 Pencil sock yarn. This one is her Paper colorway … dyed to remind us of the notebook paper we used in school. I’ve got the first leg knitted and need to choose what heel I’m going to knit. I’m basing the sock on the Yankee Knitter pattern. I use a 1.5US dpn and cast on 64 sts. I’m knitting the leg in stockinette stitch to show off the yarn. Aren’t they fun?

I have also cast on my Melt Ice hat in Malabrigo Rios. The pattern is written for fingering, DK/sport and worsted. I chose Rios because it’s a light worsted, maybe even closer to a sport, and it’s soft. I chose the Ravelry Red colorway. I love the color across all of the Malabrigo bases. I expect it will bleed a bit when I block it. I’ll have vinegar at the ready!

There is six inches of 1×1 rib to begin the hat … I’ll be ribbing for a while!

I have pulled a couple of my hubby’s hand knit wool sweaters to snow wash them. They need it. I’ve never tried to snow wash sweaters but “they” say it works and I have before photos to see if I can prove or disprove the theory. I sure hope it works! I’d be really bummed if I spent time out in the cold and the sweaters were still dirty! I’ll let you know if it happens.

I’ve found a cute crochet pattern for a car key fob holder(?) that I thought was really silly. I pulled some cotton out of my bins of left-over yarn and have very slowly begun to give it a try. I will show you my progress as I make some. I’m not a confident crocheter and I am painfully slow. BUT I’m trying and we’ll see if I succeed!

Speaking of learning, I had an opportunity to teach some new knitters ten days or so ago. One of my friends and co-workers was my super helper because what I thought was six students turned out to be six-teen students. That’s a big group to teach to knit in one hour! BUT together we taught them how to cast on and knit. There are a few in the group who had knitting experience and they will teach further. This group was part of Colby College’s Jan Plan class that’s being taught by my friend Katherine Ferrier. The students will learn to mend, to hand sew patchwork, to knit/crochet and yarn bomb and I may have forgotten something. I’ll be heading to Colby after work on Thursday to see what they have accomplished in their short month-long class. It was really fun to work with Katherine and to see the students pick up knitting. I look forward to seeing their yarn bombing! I love helping new knitters learn to knit – and grateful for Bette’s help!

Jan Plan “Radical Stitches” Class – I hope I got the title of the class right!

I’ve written way too much today but I wanted to get caught up. I’ll leave you with this morning’s post from the porch. It’s so pretty in the snow! The rocks along the shoreline are all covered up! I hope this snow and cold kills some ticks!

Gone knitting!

Monday, Monday

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

This darned bug! I didn’t sleep well last night and there is finally a new cough medicine at the pharmacy for me this morning. Hubby will be fetching it soon. Meanwhile, I’m trying to get enough energy to vacuum my atelier which is knee-deep in dog hair. Anybody who thinks short haired dogs don’t shed much … our lab sheds like he’s getting paid for it! I may be allergic to him so I wonder if the mountains of dog hair floating around are adding to my coughing problems. I may have to vacuum in a couple of rounds.

I wish I’d bought stock in tissues! I have been going through tissues like crazy … seriously, perhaps a box or two every day! Is that sharing too much?

Yesterday I worked a lot on my Gansey Afghan. I am really enjoying the pattern and it’s a good, low level challenge for my brain right now. It’s not boring because of the different texture patterns but it’s not a huge challenge either. And it’s really pretty. I have been thinking about making another one for me, an orange one perhaps, for my atelier. We shall see. I do have a long list of things to knit already formed.

I have one virtual meeting today and I managed two loads of laundry yesterday. I had run out of clean pajamas! My hubby changed the sheets on our bed so I’m in compliance with my allergy doc’s advice … does anybody wash their bed sheets every week anymore? I’m allergic to dust mites and even with a new mattress, new pillows and no curtains or rugs in our bedroom, that was her recommendation. I think I need to buy another set of sheets!

This is almost the right color green. I’m not sure why it refuses to photograph well but, alas, it does. Anyway, the directions say to knit until it’s 48 inches long. I haven’t measured the length yet but I think that I’ll knit until about 12 rows shy of the end of the fourth repeat of the chart which should use up most of my yarn before the last 11 rows of garter stitch to end the project. AND end having bits and bobs of yarn left over. The last afghan I made, for my bonus daughter and her hubby, used just over two balls leaving me almost an entire 900 yards of yarn “left over”. Ugh! At that rate, I’ll never not have a ton of yarn. LOL

It’s a beautiful sunny day today and the lake out front is empty of ice fishermen but their shacks dot the ice as far as the eye can see. It’s so quiet here. How lucky we are to be able to live here in this special place at this crazy time in our nation’s history. I’m so saddened by the division and hatred at all levels of our government and locally, often between just the average Joe who has to be feeling the financial hurt that we are feeling. Groceries are so much more expensive and healthcare costs are rising as are insurance costs and real estate taxes. My credit card bills have been on the rise exponentially without buying anything “extra”. I feel very fortunate to have a roof over our heads that won’t require any big expenses (likely anyway) because it’s new enough and we are going to try to rent our guest cottage this summer to bring in some money, we hope, to help with the ever-increasing real estate taxes in our town. We are fortunate, indeed, to be able to afford it. For now. Many others our age, in our community can’t and they’re at risk of losing their homes.

Gone knitting.

Christmas 2025 New York City

Posted on December 28, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

The year is winding down and we are home after a wonderful Christmas with my kids and our granddaughter in New York City. We agreed to simplify the holiday this year and participated in a secret Santa gift swap (we each were assigned a person to buy for) which took all the pressure of shopping and threw it out the window. We are all so grateful to have a roof over our heads, jobs that allow us to live in our homes and have food on our tables and that we can spend time together. Time together is the best gift ever.

We spent one night with my college roommate in Westport, CT and headed into the city the following day after we had a bit of an adventure. I have started collecting little art prints from Inciardi print machines and had seen one in Cos Cob, CT which was on our way to NYC. We stopped at the Greenwich Historical Society and I collected some new cards there!

When we got into the car, I checked and there was one other spot, the Greenwich Botanical Center, that had a machine and it was only a few minutes away so we went there next. We got a few more cards!

We had a fun breakfast at a diner in Greenwich before heading in to the City. We stayed in our “suite” at my son’s house that he shares with this girlfriend and their two doggos. We had our lumpy old boy with us, too, so he didn’t have to spend Christmas in a kennel. It was a wonderful few days AND we went to Grand Central for the Holiday event where they had more Inciardi machines and we got some more cards. I had to wait in a line for 30+ minutes to get some. Who knew I was so trendy?! LOL

We also had a Santa’s Workshop morning with Sylvie, our granddaughter on Christmas Eve where she made ornaments for all of her family. I had made the ornaments and cut them out and she decorated them. We sealed them and put a string on them. She was so proud to hand them out on Christmas morning! She also helped string popcorn and cranberries for the tree and made “24-hour Salad” with Auntie Kyla. We played games, fed her lunch and then she went home for a nap. It was a huge success and I hope we can do it every year as she grows up. She’s getting so big and she’s such a hoot to be around. Three is a wonderful age!

It has become a tradition to hit the Costco in Harlem for Christmas dinner supplies (and a bunch of other stuff) and we did that, too. After my son came home from work on Tuesday (Christmas Eve Eve). This year we were “smart” going later. The crowds were very small compared to last year and we were able to actually SEE the store and go through at our leisure. We also went to a gorgeous butcher shop for the Christmas ham. My son wanted to cook a fresh ham (none of us had ever done it) and they’re not easy to find, I guess. The butcher shop was a step back in time and the ham was delicious after being brined over night and then baked. Yum!

This kind of shop is why living in New York City is wonderful. Next door was a sausage sandwich shop walk-up window. Of course the boys got a sandwich. NYC food is one of the things we both miss in Maine. We live in a rural part of the state and there’s nothing like this here. We had a wonderful lunch at Margon, a cuban restaurant, and at Lovely’s, a burger place (great onion rings!) in Hell’s Kitchen. Both of these restaurants are where my son goes for lunch from work – he’s in the theater business, currently replacing all the original wiring in the Barymore Theater. Our bellies were so full but, YUM!

I haven’t been doing a lot of knitting but I have managed to finish my Stockholm Slipover and it’s currently blocking in my atelier. I am so happy with it! I made it with stashed yarn and it didn’t use up all three hanks of fingering weight yarn. I still have one hank left (and some alpaca lace “mohair”). I am going to come up with an idea to use it up. I am! I can hardly wait for it to dry before I wear it. Suffice it to say, it will happen this week. The color of the photo isn’t perfect, it’s more of a plummy color but it’s close. The fabric is so soft and I love the tonal quality of both yarns. It will be boxy on me and that’s ok, too. I’m excited. AND it only two three weeks to finish. It’s amazing how fast a garment can go if you don’t have to visit sleeve island. (IYKYK)

I’ve also been working on a new Musselburgh hat in some stashed yarn and some new mohair! I bought the pink yarn at Knitty City in Manahattan last winter when I found out my daughter had been diagnosed (very early, thank goodness and she has been through her treatments and is healthy today) with breast cancer. I was going to make her a F*^k Cancer hat. It didn’t happen. So, I bought some Berroco Aerial peachy-pink mohair and have made a Musselburgh for myself, I hope. I am almost to where I want to add a new color and I have to find one that will go with a pink brim. It’s an interesting challenge and one I hope I’m up for!

Now that Christmas is over I can bring my husband’s Christmas socks out from hiding. I didn’t finish them this year and I haven’t made much progress, frankly. I have to be able to sit and focus on the pattern of these socks. I’m well into the heel of the first sock and, well, that’s where I stalled. Even with the simpler holiday gifting, I had a last minute rush to fill my middle daughter’s stocking because we didn’t talk about it. Stockings are a big deal in our family and she doesn’t have a partner right now to fill hers. On Christmas Eve Kyla and I snuck out of our dinner party and into her apartment to “steal” her stocking and get it filled for Christmas. It’s what we do!

I was really sad to leave, of course, there’s never enough time with my kids. On our last night in the City it snowed and that was a special treat. The City is so beautiful coated in a new layer of snow! And so quiet! We have had a wonderful trip, a glorious holiday and we are glad to be home before the ice storm that is supposed to come tonight. Our wonderful neighbor ran his snowblower down our driveway and cleared it up for us to come home to – what a lovely surprise!

Gone knitting.

Saturday Before Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

It’s cloudy today but the sun is still shining on the south side of the house. Enough so that it’s warm enough to venture outside for a late morning photograph. The loons are still on the lake in their winter feathers but soon enough they’ll be gone again to their winter home on the coast.

This weekend is all about getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday coming up next week. We have plans with our Massachusetts family for the day and we are looking forward to being together after what seems like “forever”. I am tasked with making a couple of desserts chosen by my nephew who will be with us after several years away at veterinary school – cheesecake and an apple pie are the requests. I have also found a recipe for pumpkin dinner rolls that I think I’ll try. I just have to get a grocery order together so I can pick it all up tomorrow or Monday. That’ll be next on my list.

This morning I’ve been catching up and trying to finish some of my crafty projects so that I can wash my favorite hand knit vest to wear around the holiday. I’ve worn it a lot and yesterday I dripped on it at lunchtime. Oops. So, today before I could block it out, I had to finish this unicorn hair clip hanger for my granddaughter. Her mother saw one on Pinterest or somewhere and made the request so Sylvie’s hair clips and headbands can be corralled and she can see them, too. I am pretty pleased with the end result. I hope they will be, too.

And I’ve been knitting a lot trying to get Christmas knitting done. I don’t have a lot left to do but I always make my hubby a pair of socks and this year I’ve decided to go with a second pair using a pattern that I’ve used before. I have some balls of Raggi yarn left that I bought when we were losing the distributor in the US at the shop and I loved knitting the first pair (despite a pattern reading mistake). I’ll knit them the right way this time. LOL. I first saw the pattern for the Thompson River Socks in Interweave Knits back in 2016 and it’s available to purchase on their website but I saved my pattern so I started knitting last week. I have to be careful to knit them when he won’t catch me so they’ll be a surprise. I hope I’ll have them both done for him in time.

I’ve finished the knitting part of the Jamberry Cardigan for Sylvie’s Christmas gift and I have begun the duplicate stitch yoke decorations. Why, I wonder, didn’t I just knit the yoke in colorwork? It would have had some long floats but the duplicate stitch floats are equally long and the process isn’t nearly as enjoyable. Regardless, I made the decision to follow the pattern and I’m duplicate stitching. It’s really a cute sweater and I hope she loves it. It does look huge! I made the 4-year size so she can grow into it and she can always roll up the sleeves if it’s too big now. I’m excited for her to see it.

I have finished the Wee Liam pullover sweater and the little Billie pants for our nugget, the grandson out in Colorado. My hubby picked the buttons and I am quite happy with these two little garments. Hopefully he hasn’t grown too much and will be able to wear them. (All the size details and yarn, etc. are on my Ravelry project page.) The buttons are solid wood and I like the way they pop off the sweater. And I love the color. It’s showing as more gray here in the photo, it’s really more of a dark sage green.

I am spending the later evenings when my eyes and brain are tired working on the endless stockinette stitch of the Easy Folded Poncho in orange (Zinnia colorway) Rowan Felted Tweed. I really like the color and it’s going to be fun to wear. I am around the 30-36″ mark, I think. I haven’t got the guts to really measure it because it seems to take forever to get any significant progress made on it. But I am making some progress.

AND I have cast on two more projects. I couldn’t wait to cast on the Alpine Bloom Hat by Caitlin Hunter. I’ve had the Patagonia Organic Merino in charcoal and light gray in my stash for a while waiting to cast this one and I need a hat that I love. I don’t like myself in hats and I’m praying that I do like this one because it makes me so happy knitting it! I’m about half-way through the chart and I made the ribbing extra long so I can fold it over. This is what I WANT to work on but I “make” myself work on the things I need to get done first and knit this as a reward.

My sister-in-love asked me to make a blanket for her brother’s partner whose daughter is about to have the first grandchild. I have also cast this on hoping that I can get it finished before Thanksgiving and hand deliver it to her. I chose Berroco Vintage Chunky in a sage green colorway and am knitting the Three Cable Baby Blanket which is a free pattern we have in the store. I’m not sure where it came from but it’s my go-to pattern for baby gifts and I’ve made several of them. I am loving the green yarn. Green is my brother’s favorite color and this is a lovely soft yarn. I got almost one hank of yarn knitted yesterday afternoon … if I stick to it, I should be able to finish it by the end of the week. Crossing my fingers. I’ll have to resist knitting everything else.

I have pulled out the beautiful green linen yarn that I bought to make the Broadgate Tabbard and I really want to start knitting that. I have a new white blouse that will be perfect under this “vest” and I can’t wait to see the color! Another new green project and I have very little that’s green. It’s never been a favorite color but when I saw it in a photograph on social media, I had to have that exact color. I think I will be able to wear the tabbard (it’s like a vest but not closed up on the sides) in the summer, too. Over a tank or a tee. We’ll see. But the color green that I bought is stunning. It will wait until I have finished my Christmas knitting.

And with that, I will sign off and get to knitting the baby blanket. If I can get it nearly to the half-way marker today, that would be a huge win … first, though, I have got to put a grocery order together. So until the next time … gone knitting!

WIP Wednesday

Posted on November 12, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

Sunrise this morning was pretty spectacular. I woke myself up at 5am coughing … my sinuses continue to take away my sleep. Ugh. BUT what a view to wake up to! We installed insulated curtains in our living room where there is a wall of glass looking at the lake. It feels cold when the sun goes down now and we were hoping to warm it up a bit. We’ve been talking about it for a year or more. Anyway, we finally made it happen with curtain wires from IKEA and linen-look draperies from Amazon and we do feel like it’s warmed up the downstairs. Mission accomplished.

Yesterday the “girls” I work with went to visit a new yarn shop in Maine. New to us, anyway. Seems it’s been open since May. Olde School Fiber and Craft is in Gorham, Maine. It is described as “A curated fiber craft supply shop + community: encouraging a slower lifestyle that embraces time for making.” We all agreed that this was perfectly described. There is a curated collection of yarns that are thoughtfully displayed in a clean, orderly, quite beautiful way. We all ooohed and aaaahed over the knitting needle cabinet that held needles out of sight and neatly organized. There is also a lovely collection of needlework and sewing kits and materials that would delight any maker. I found the perfect little “sewing” kit for my granddaughter that’s similar to the lacing kits I’ve seen elsewhere and I think it’s going to be a perfect Christmas gift to work on with Yaya.

We also ventured to Mother of Purl in Freeport, Maine. Mostly because it was right where we met our coastal buddy at the park and ride and we couldn’t go home without going in, right? The shop has changed ownership since I’ve been in and it was, as it has been, a lovely visit with the most beautiful samples all around the store. I think they may win the beautiful sample contest in the state of Maine. (There is no such contest but maybe there should be?) Anyway, I behaved well and bought only one little ball of pompom yarn in almost neon colors and I’ll be making a hat for Sylvie, once again. It was a sample they had right inside the front (darn!) door

They carry Knitting for Olive yarns and others. Not a lot of yarn but lots of interesting brands that you don’t see everywhere else. I bought a pre-made kit for a pair of fingerless mitts – it was beautifully packaged with the yarn and pattern included. I’m excited to cast them on … but I’m requiring that I finish a couple of little sweaters first. Three to be exact.

The first one is in my last post and hasn’t changed one bit since I wrote about it. It’s been terrorizing me from my desk as I sit in my knitting chair working. I’ll get to it this weekend and finish it up. This one is my granddaughter’s Christmas sweater for 2025 and is a “Frozen” themed pullover. I sure hope she loves it.

The next two are gifts for the grands. Sylvie is getting a Jamberry Cardigan. Her mother reports that she loves the purple cardigan that I made for her over the summer and she thinks she likes it because she can put it on and take it off herself. And she picked the buttons. So, for Christmas, when I saw the Jamberry cardigan at the Cashmere Goat in Camden, Maine, I had to buy the yarn to make it for her – she loves the book! And for our grandson, Mac, a Wee Lima by Taiga Hilliard. I’m using washable yarns for both sweaters. Jamberry is in Berroco Vintage DK in three colors and there is some duplicate stitching to be done on the yoke when the knitting is finished. I found five buttons in what I believe to be the perfect purple yesterday at Olde School. Wee Lima I’m making in Cascade 220 Superwash Merino to “match” the Billie Pants I made in the same yarn. It’s perfect for wearing against the skin of a baby. I have no idea how it will wear considering that it’s Merino (short staple fiber, susceptible to pilling) but we’ll see. He’s a baby, he’ll grow out of it before it’s too “worn” right? The photo above is from last night before I went to bed. I’m making the 3-6 month size so it’s quick to knit – got that much done in an evening. I’m working down the body today and hope to get started on a sleeve tonight.

Rowan Felted Tweed in Zinnia – brighter than my “normal” pallet but wow!

I have another WIP to report on. I had bought, ages ago, some Rowan Felted Tweed in the Zinnia colorway. It’s a pretty bright orange for me but I have a pair of orange boots that I love and thought it’d be fun to have a poncho thing to match them. So, when I saw the orange Felted Tweed I bought it to make a vest or poncho and I’ve been admiring the Churchmouse Yarn Easy Folded Poncho pattern, for ages, too. SO guess who’s knitting the Easy Folded Poncho by Churchmouse Yarn in orange Felted Tweed? You’re right, this girl. I’ve got a little less than 50 inches of stockinette stitch to knit. Yes, you heard me right – 50 inches of stockinette stitch. I found right away that I had trouble remembering to slip the first stitch at the start of every row so I have put a marker in both ends to remind me and that seems to be working well. It’s perfect knitting for watching TV or driving in the car or for working on when I’m teaching class. I hope it won’t take me forever because I have so many sweaters that I want to knit. I’ve cast on the Poet sweater but haven’t gotten very far with it and I think I may have to knit the green vest that I bought the yarn for next. After the Christmas knitting is done.

I “finished” the red onion socks for Sylvie but one sock is slightly longer than the other. I just need to measure them both and figure out which one is closer to her size and adjust the other one. No worries with that. I’d love to get them finished and sent off with the crazy little hat I made as a sample for the store that’s for her … I’ll send both in a bit, maybe next week. Even the “experts” make mistakes. LOL

We are having some beautiful fall/winter weather here. Yesterday and last night we had some fun snow flurries. We woke up to a thin coat of snow on the grass but it was gone by the time I left for Bangor this morning. Soon enough it’ll be a winter wonderland here at home. I spent the day on Sunday in my atelier getting it cleaned up and a little bit of organizing. My yarn shelves have all been cleared off, cleaned, lavender refreshed, yarn re-stacked and some has been photographed for my stash and so I remember why I bought it. Some I’ve already forgotten but suffice it to say that I have several sweaters worth of yarn tucked away. I should be good in case there’s another pandemic – God forbid.

Gone knitting.

Live From New York!

Posted on October 9, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

Today’s outdoor shot is from my eldest daughter’s family home in Washington Heights in New York City. We are here to provide grandparenting support to their little family while some are traveling for work and some are working in the city during the day and at night. My daughter is going into the off Broadway show, Heathers, tomorrow (or maybe today). Today is the first day that it really feels like fall and I am happily wearing a sweater and socks today with my jeans rather than a short-sleeved dress. The sun is shining and I’m trying to get a little bit of my work done while our granddaughter is in school. This afternoon we are planning our first subway ride to mid-town to visit a museum that my hubby wants to see and we’ll see how Sylvie does. She’s an experienced subway traveler and can probably teach us a thing or two. *wink

I’ve been doing just a tiny little bit of knitting since we’ve been here but this morning I frogged the work I had managed to do because I thought I knew what I was doing and started knitting the hand of the second mitt just like the first one … forgetting, of course, that there is a definite left and right. SO … I frogged it back and will start anew. Thankfully, I hadn’t made a ton of progress because there would have been more to frog.

These mitts are a lot of effort for a couple of reasons. They’re black and blue which is a really stunning color combination but hard on old eyes. I wish I’d brought my neck light so that I could really see the stitches. I need to sit in bright light when I work on these and do it in the morning when I’m rested. The first one is done but for the thumb so I have a bit of a ways to go. I’ve been having a bunch of volunteer meetings this week and some school stuff that needed my attention but, for the most part, my mornings during the week are going to be my own next week and I hope to make some good progress. I’d love to get them finished and delivered before the end of the month. Lofty goals.

I have two finished objects to report about. I finished my Murmuration Socks and I’ve worn them already. I really like the way these came out and I made the leg shorter than usual hoping they’ll be fun to wear with my Blundstones now that it’s cooler. I also finished the knitting on the Sorento Cardigan (the photo doesn’t represent that, obviously since it has no collar) that I’m making for a client. I have to decide on the buttons and put them on when we arrive back home. It’s blocked and ends are woven in and once it has buttons, it’ll get a Queen Bee Knits label and be sent off to Louisiana. It’s a lovely sweater and I hope my client will be as happy with it as I am.

AAAAnd, since I finished a couple of projects, I cast on a couple of projects, too. I have started a “hunting orange” hat for my hubby in a wooly wool, Briggs and LIttle Heritage 2-ply. It’ll be a workhorse hat for him in the fall and winter. I also cast on for a pair of Billie pants for our grandson in Denver. I’m using Cascade’s 220 Superwash Merino for this project and I love this yarn for baby garments. It’s incredibly soft for being against baby skin. I just wish I had bought a little bit more so I could make a matching sweater. I may need to reach out to the Denver yarn shop and see if I can get one more ball, even if I buy a second color and do a striped sweater. Regardless, it’s all good and the pants will be adorable on baby Mac.

We have been spending a lot of time at the playground after school and having fun with our littlest girl. We’ve even made apple pie together; she cut up a lot of apples! And our time isn’t nearly done. This weekend her daddy is home for a couple of days and mom has two-show days so we hope to get to the Botanical Gardens or the Zoo or even out to a sculpture garden outside of the city. This afternoon we are headed to an art museum at Columbus Circle and we’ll see how much she likes an adult museum. We may end up playing in Central Park instead. We are all learning about living in New York City as grandparents and grandchild. I’m so grateful to be able to have the chance and to be physically able to do the job. (I’m really tired by the time she’s asleep!)

Gone knitting.