Queen Bee Knits

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

Knit City Montreal 2023

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

We arrived Le Centre Sheraton Montreal on Thursday afternoon after an easy drive from Belgrade (Maine). GPS took us all the way to Canada and nearly to Montreal on back roads and it was a beautiful day for a drive.

The hotel has been undergoing some renovations and as such, Glenda, my knitting adventure companion, upgraded us to the Club level of the hotel where we would be able to have breakfast in the mornings included in our room rate. There was also an option to have hors d’oeuvres in the evenings but we only made that once. We were busy! The hotel was nice, the rooms were above average and we were able to park the car in the hotel parking so I didn’t worry about it at all.

After we checked in we checked out the Club level and had some hors d’oeuvres before our first adventure. The photo above was the view from the 37th floor of Montreal.

Thursday evening’s excursion was to “knit night” at Espace Tricot. Espace Tricot is one of those iconic yarn shops that you dream about visiting. My friend Michele from The Medomak Fiber Arts Retreat lives in Montreal and her LYS is Espace Tricot. So … when in Montreal … we headed out of the downtown area on the metro requesting a “soiree illimitee” ticket.

Espace Trico is on the second floor of the building and is an attractive, light-filled, well organized space full of delicious yarns. They have their own brand of yarns in addition to many other brands that we don’t normally see down here in the States. There were five women there, a smaller-than-normal group, and the four of us. It was Cindy’s birthday so Michele brought vegan cupcakes. I am looking forward to getting her recipe. They were delicious! (Happy Birthday, Cindy!)

On Friday morning we had classes. Mine was Slip it, Float it, Tuck it with Bristol Ivy. It was a wonderful class and Bristol is a generous, organized teacher. We made a “wonky” swatch of practice stitch patterns but I learned a lot. Slipped stitches do so many different things and make so many different stitch patterns.

Since our official tour guide had to work on Friday, we headed off on our own, Glenda, Cindy and me, to find two local attractions that we heard were not to be missed. So back to the metro we went and headed to a kosher Jewish bakery called Boulangerie Cheskie.

Oh my goodness, if there was a world in which I could have one of each, this is the world! Yummm!!! The bakery was filled with locals who were preparing for the sabbath. Older kids with their younger siblings in strollers, families, and us. We met a lovely older woman who’d lived in the neighborhood for decades. She was warm and happy to chat with me in line. I brought home some rugelach, babka and some potato knishes.

Then off to the “button shop”, Rix Rax, aka the candy store. I’m not even sure that there are words for this place beyond WOW! I’ve never seen so many buttons in one place before. A rainbow of buttons of every size. And the proprietress knew where we needed to look for anything we asked for. It was incredible. I got little orange buttons for the sweater I’m going to make for Sylvie and I got some little navy buttons to replace the ones that I put on my Elton cardigan. I also bought some gorgeous orange glossy shell buttons … guess I’m going to have to knit myself a sweater for them. They’re so special!

We also visited a little yarn shop in the same neighborhood. None of us can pass a yarn shop without going in.

La Maison Tricotee was a sweet little yarn shop with some beautiful yarns. They had the Knitting for Olive yarns that I’d never seen before and never touched. It’s lovely for knitting and particularly nice for knitting for little people. I was saving my money for Saturday so I didn’t buy anything there but I could have.

Saturday we went to the Knit City marketplace.

We had previewed the different vendors and shops and had a “plan” but after walking into the market place, we bought our first yarn at almost the first booth we saw and it was not part of our plan! I bought a 100g hank of peach and two mini-hanks of the same black tweed fingering weight yarn to make a cowl. We both loved the colorwork cowl sample that was shown to us. It was really pretty. I’ll be making the First Snowfall Neck-warmer by Runningyarn.

I also bought a hank of yarn at Mailles a Part which is owned by one of Michele’s friends, Catherine, who we met at knit night. I’m not sure what this yarn will want to be yet, but I was thinking a one-skein shawl. I loved the color! I also bought a beautiful enamel row counter. It has pins on the back of it so you can pin it to your project bag. (Glenda has already noticed that the numbers don’t “lock” so we are. both a bit concerned about how it will really work. I haven’t tried it yet.)

Last, I bought some fingering weight yarn in a gray/pink wool, Nurtured Fine from Julie Asselin. Julie herself rang me out. I loved the sample that they had in the shop in this yarn. It was called Poet by Sari Nodlund. It’s amazing to think that I can make a sweater (although it is a tee and without sleeves) in two cones of yarn. I am looking forward to working with this yarn. And it seems like I’ve got my knitting plans all charted out, doesn’t it? We had a blast at the marketplace and the plan was to to not return because we’d bought our fill.

We both took a Saturday afternoon class with Stephanie Purl McPhee … and she was amazing. Funny and light but also providing lots of tips and tricks as we talk-walked through the process of knitting a garment from visiting a yarn store and choosing yarns to blocking. I had heard that the class was a lecture (a 3-hour lecture) and was prepared to be entertained more than informed. Boy was I wrong. Stephanie’s lecture was totally note-taking-worthy. I only wish I’d taken pictures of her. (And Bristol, too!)

After breakfast on Sunday we went back to the marketplace “to get Glenda’s book signed” and … OOPS!

I got into a little bit more “trouble” (but it’s good trouble!) Wool insoles from Revolution Wool Company for our shoes for obvious reasons. His will be a birthday gift next week. A mug with pink insides and handle and lots of cute knitted garments adorn the outside. It was too cute to pass up. I also bought from the same vendor some stick on/wash off embroidery patterns intended for knitwear. This water soluble fabric stabilizer isn’t foreign to me but I thought this was a good way to try it for the first time. Knitted Bliss Stitching had a really sweet pair of mittens, Framework Mittens, that I’ll knit and then embroider on to give this a try – and she uses embroidery floss! I have that.

On Saturday after we were at the market I learned about special yarn colorways that were made for KCM. I “had” to buy one of each. One was a mohair blend from La Bien Aimee and the other an untreated BFL wool by Akara. I’m not sure what they’ll be yet but I was thinking a shawl with stripes of each yarn. Time will tell. I also bought two skeins of Sonder Yarn Co’s Muse yarn. This will be used to knit a tank top called Staple Linen Top by Joji Locatelli. It’s a relatively simple pattern and the pale peach yarn will be a favorite, I’m sure.

Highlights and Lowlights:

For me the least fun was the knit night on Friday evening. The room was packed to the rafters with people, ten to a table and there wasn’t room to move around and visit with our other friends. Seats were assigned so Glenda and I were away from the friends we really wanted to visit but we met a nice woman (between us) named Kim from RI. There were games and raffle prizes but to me, the music was too loud, I couldn’t hear the emcees well at times and, frankly, I think I’d have rather just visited and knitted with my friends from all around the US and Canada. BUT the high part of the low part was that there were so many younger people there. We were the oldest women at our table of ten. That was thrilling.

The best part of this weekend was the people. All of the vendors, organizers and unofficial city hosts in Montreal (those in the restaurants, the metro, the hotel staff, volunteers, etc.) were so friendly and helpful. And the best of the best was getting to spend time with old friends and meeting new friends. Again, we felt warmly welcomed at knit night at Espace Tricot and everywhere else we went. This “shiksa” was welcomed at a kosher Jewish patisserie by an 80+ year old local … how much better than that does it get? Montreal really showed us what a treasure sits on their little island. (I learned that Montreal is an island!)

We took a GPS-chosen route home yesterday and had some good laughs. We touched two countries and three states in our return trip – crossed into the US in Vermont, New Hampshire and then Maine on what we are calling the avoidance route – we avoided all two-lane roads after Canada’s Route 10 – and yet, we arrived at Glenda’s house in 5 hours. And it was a beautiful day for a drive.

Thank you, Montreal, Knit City Canada and to Glenda for going with me. We will be back next year especially since we are bilingual. (Je pense que non!) Ha! Ha! Ha!

Gone knitting.

A Post About Our Lake

Posted on May 8, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

We are so fortunate to live on the shores of Messalonskee Lake. Some of you may know that I’ve been serving as the lake association’s president for nearly two years and have served on the board of trustees for six or more years. The Friends of Messalonskee is a grassroots volunteer organization that has been operating on this lake for ten years (or more) and, by the way, doing great work; often leading the way for other lake associations in our region.

FOM’s dedicated volunteers and paid seasonal employees conduct Courtesy Boat Inspections to keep fragments of invasive plants from entering or exiting the lake and stop the spread of invasive plants to or from other waterbodies. FOM also contracts with New England Milfoil to DASH (Diver Assisted Suction Harvest) milfoil beds from our lake in order to retain control over our current infestation. We also hire a crew of hand-pullers each summer to pull invasive milfoil from areas where we can’t DASH. Each year we are supported by the state, local towns and businesses, and our members. Last year we removed over 13 TONS of milfoil from our lake through the combined programs.

This week we had a nightmare situation happen on the lake. We had record rain on Sunday, April 30th and lots of runoff caused a railroad culvert in Belgrade to fail. When the culvert failed tons of packed dirt and debris in the culvert shot into the lake and the railroad tracks were left unsupported by the ground underneath. The storm caused each lake above us in our chain of lakes to open their dams and our lake filled to near capacity. Our dam was open but because we have a stream below us, they had to be cautious not to flood the stream. It was pretty hairy for awhile – docks and dock panels were floating away as were kayaks. Lakeside residents were rightly concerned for their properties.

The back story:

On Monday the end of our road was heaped with piles of rock and dirt and several construction-type vehicles. They appeared to be digging and since they were so close to the lake, I called the Belgrade town office to report the situation because the laws about digging within 250 feet of the lake are strict. The Code Enforcement Officer for Belgrade was to have been informed – and I was hoping for come communication back about steps taken. I also reached out to a partner organization to let them know what was happening and to find out what steps I (or we) might take to mitigate sediment/additional yucky stuff from entering the lake. They suggested that I reach out to our local DEP inspector, too. He called me and I emailed him the pictures below (not the mailboxes, that’s more a neighborhood situation.)

On Tuesday on my way to work the piles of rocks and dirt were even bigger. It was difficult to get by the vehicles that were working on moving the materials. There were huge dump trucks, two earth-movers and several “supervisor vehicles”, men in yellow vests managing resident’s vehicle traffic, and more materials being dumped. There was a lineup of dump trucks up on the main highway, too. When I came home, I asked one of the supervisors what was going on and he told me that there was a big hole about two miles down the tracks between Thistle Hill and Hazlet Woods.

There were at least 3 dump trucks in a choreographed dance going back and forth two or three times an hour. I later learned there was another railroad vehicle that would travel the same part of the tracks lifting the rails back to where they are supposed to be because the weight of the trucks was pressing the rails down.

Staging area at the bottom of Station Road

Despite having twice sent photos to the local DEP inspector and calling and emailing our lake-loving partners, it became evident that there was too little communication about what was being done to mitigate MORE damage to the lake or what the railroad was being asked to do to protect the lake. Any time the earth is “moved” there is potential for harm to the lake. A lakeside resident on Wednesday had called the news and they came to see what was happening. She said that the railroad tracks were hanging like rubber bands. We saw the rails when they were being replaced several years ago and they looked like they were being extruded from a play dough machine but they were quarter-mile-long lengths of metal.

Yesterday I walked down to the “giant hole” with two friends. The entire pile under the railroad tracks has been rebuilt. There are railroad ties (creosote being a bad chemical to have in our lake) piled on either end of the repaired tracks and on the sides of the new “levee”. We took a lot of photos but these show the area now.

You can see the new culvert in the middle of the span. You can also see the path of the surge of dirt, silt, etc. in front of the culvert. This is what we need to be concerned about. This and whatever detritus was expelled into the lake when the culvert failed. Years of “junk” built up in the old culvert that was “shot” into the lake with the force of the water runoff down the hill. I can only imagine what it looked like when the culvert blew. The force had to have been remarkable.

The week ahead looks like it will be busy following up with the town and the state/DEP to make sure that our lake’s water will be tested, that the roads that the railroad expanded will be put back to their original state – one of the challenges of dealing with run-off is on roads that are big and wide because they’re an easy path for water. We want the old railroad ties to be removed along the lake.

One of two roads altered for RR Vehicles

My concern, too, is that there are other culverts along the RR tracks that may not have been maintained over the decades and that a similar failure can happen again. I’ll likely spend the last few months of my term trying to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

Gone knitting.

Typhoid Mary …. Covid Carol? (Sorry Carol!)

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

This really stinks! I was all ready to go back to work this week and get back to a more “normal” life. Yesterday I started to feel like I had a sinus infection and this morning I thought I’d just test to make sure. I’m almost sorry I did. I tested three times hoping for a negative test. They were all positive.

Ugh!

So, I had a virtual doctor’s appointment (she said this situation was “rare”) and she wasn’t sure how to treat me. But it turned out that the antivirals that I took last week in NY were good but it’s too early to take them again. So, we are treating the symptoms with cough meds, nasal spray and an albuterol inhaler and now we wait … for heaven’s sake! I don’t need this and I sure hope that my newly-hipped husband doesn’t get it and I hope his kids who came to help don’t get it. Time will tell.

It looks like I’ll be spending a bunch of time over the next few days in my studio on the second floor while my husband is on the first floor and I’ll be masking when dinner or other help is needed. I’ll be washing my hands even more, and cleaning the communal areas that I touched. The weather is beautiful so the windows can be open today and the air cleaners are running on high. I’m doing everything I know how to keep the germs from spreading.

Aaaand … I’m knitting a little bit. I’ve been working on my granddaughter’s cardigan. Worsted weight cotton knits up so quickly in a little size. I love the color.

I’m also trying to get the socks for my brother finished before his birthday. I’m working on them today in hopes of reaching the toe. He’s got big feet so it’s a lot of knitting. But he’s worth it. I’ve been using Yankee Knitter’s sock pattern and the leg and top of the foot are 3×1 rib. They look pretty good if you ask me. I know he’ll love them.

My plan is to work on the Arne and Carlos mini jumpers and clean up and organize my studio as well. I’m going to get some quality knitting time in and make the best of this second round of isolation. We’ve got lots of food in the fridge/freezer and some left-overs from the weekend. We are so fortunate that we are as healthy as we are. This is just a little hiccup, right?

Gone knitting.

PS – This little bunny has covid, too. Luckily she has no symptoms. Nor does her father. Spreading love around the family.

Home and Recovery

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

On Thursday morning I tested negative for Covid. Yay! My kids said that ideally I’d test twice 24 hours apart but when your husband has had a hip replacement surgery and you weren’t able to be there with him, you really want to get home as quickly as possible. So I took an extra test with me on the road and agreed to test again before I went into the house.

Uber to Metro North train to car to Maine. I really need to find a more passive way for me to get to the city and back because the drive is quite long when you’re doing it yourself and only staying for a couple of days. And since I stay with the kids in their apartments, it can only be a couple of days because we’re all tripping over each other. It’s great for a couple of days but then it’s time for them to return to their normal lives.

Anyway, I got home Thursday night and was thrilled to see that my hubby had survived his surgery handily (hippily? LOL) The procedure went “perfectly” according to his surgeon and his recovery is going well. This seems to be the joint that you want to need to replace. It’s so good to be home.

I’ve been knitting a little bit while I was in NY. I took two projects: my brother’s birthday socks and some cotton to make a sweater for Sylvie.

My brother’s socks are big. He has big feet. He’s a tall man! I’ve finished the first sock and have passed the heel of the second one. I love knitting with Emma’s Practically Perfect Sock yarn. It’s a delight to work with and this is a perfect color for my brother who loves green! I’ll be wrapping them up once their done because my “baby brother” is turning the big 6-0 this year and when we were there last he mentioned that he couldn’t find one of the other “fancy socks” that I made him a while back.

I saw this adorable little cardigan on Instagram and sent it to my daughter thinking it’d be adorable for Sylvie this summer/fall. Since they live in NY, their apartments are warm but when you go outside you sometimes need a little sweater. She loved it and I have several hanks of a “robin’s egg” blue cotton that I thought I’d knit it in. I’ll have to look through my stash to see what I have in white and yellow/gold for the daisies which I’ll embroider on after the cardi is finished. My granddaughter has grown so much but she’s still fairly petite and in smaller-than-her-age clothing. So, I’m knitting the 6 month size and we’ll see how it goes. I have five hanks of the yarn so I can knit two or three sweaters from this yarn for a little one.

The pattern is Elizabeth Smith’s Little Coffee Bean Cardigan, a free pattern on Ravelry. I’m knitting it with Universal Yarn Cotton Supreme in the Aqua colorway.

I’ve got other projects started, of course, but they were left behind when I went to NY. Heck, I was only going to be gone for a couple of days … and it turned into a week. The best laid plans, right?

Gone knitting.

And All I Got Was …

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

Covid!

It took three years for me to get it. I’ve been incredibly careful but apparently I wasn’t careful enough this time.

I came into New York for a quick visit with my kids and granddaughter before my husband’s surgery. He’s getting a hip replaced. Needless to say, Covid doesn’t figure into a successful recovery from surgery. Right?

We had a blast Thursday and Friday and even Saturday. I even babysat with backup from my son and his girlfriend on Saturday night. I thought I was reacting to allergens … New York is abloom. Maine is not. Saturday night I felt “hot” and thought I may have a sinus infection. Again, not a surprise. And then I mentioned to my daughter that I felt warm and she got a quizzical look on her face and went to get a Covid test. I was convinced I didn’t have Covid. I didn’t feel badly. But she had a gut instinct and the kids have all had it at least once.

We all know who was right.

I’ll be in New York until I test negative. My husband’s daughter will be minding his surgery and our house until it’s safe for me to go home. I’m being well cared for by my wonderful kids and have been on Paxlovid since yesterday. It’s a wonderful drug.

Gone knitting.

My Favorite Genser – My Next Knitting Adventure

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

We are home again after a wonderful weekend in Marblehead with the family. My brother from Louisiana, my sister from Arizona and their “spice” (plural of spouse, right?) came to see Noah … and his parents. There is never enough time together and we are always grateful for the time we have – life is never guaranteed.

While there, I had a little knitting issue. My neck and jaw felt weird when I was knitting for awhile. I first noticed it in class on Friday and then in the car driving down to Massachusetts. When I stopped knitting, the weird feeling stopped, too. I stretch my neck and shoulders pretty often when I knit but I seem to have a muscle or nerve something going on. So, I didn’t knit a lot or for long periods of time and it’s feeling better enough that I knitted last night and it didn’t happen. I’ll be cautious and may book a massage this week.

I cast on a Sophie Scarf in Berroco Folio on a US 4 needle. I don’t know why Berroco discontinued this yarn. It’s got such a great hand and it knits up so nicely. I grabbed up a couple of gray colorways to make a few Sophie scarves. Sophie is a simple garter stitch scarf surrounded by an i-cord edge. I’m making the small version this time and will make a second (and maybe a third) larger one next.

I cast on my Favorite Genser last week and did my swatching with purpose. Last night I measured my gauge and I have missed the mark. I am supposed to have 24 stitches to four inches and I have 26. Ugh. Ah well, that’s the way it goes sometimes. This is a new yarn that I am working with and a lot of new information from Patricia at Knitography Farm in Norway. So, I’ll pull it out to the ribbing and knit it again with a slightly larger needle and see what happens.

I’m excited about learning something new, though. I love working with new yarns. I have two skeins of this yarn in my stash … my recollection is that it was to knit a pair of mittens designed by Arne & Carlos but I can’t find the pattern. Eventually I will figure it out or use it to make something else. I’ll be writing about this genser project again as I get going … and as I get the gauge right. It’s always interesting to work through the process. I’m doing this through the Knitography Farm website where they have online classes. I’ve bought a couple of the classes and the support is incredible. Patricia is certified to teach these traditional Norwegian patterns and she has endless knowledge that she generously shares. She also is a good steward of a flock of sheep and makes yarn from their fleece. Check her out at knitographyfarm dot com.

Gone knitting.

Bookends

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

This morning was beautiful. We had an additional inch of fresh snow on the lake and it was that sparkly white snow that is so pretty to look at.

We had breakfast out at the Early Bird and ran a few errands. Went to get bagels and some bread at our local bagel shop and bread shop. We waited a long time to get a really high quality bagel place here and we love it. Sunrise Bagels is the dream of a Waterville woman who went to bagel school and opened to great fanfare a year or more ago. BEST BAGELS in Central Maine. Universal Bread is our bread store. Adrian is the bread baker and a nicer guy you’d never want to meet. His bread is phenomenal. The baguettes rival those found in Paris (France, not Maine.)

A stop at the bank and at the grocery store … hubby has to have lox with his bagels. (Yuck!)

We got my car washed twice … and it’s back in the driveway dirty.

And then I looked out my studio window and saw this. Sometimes it’s so beautiful that it almost shocks me. Today was a breathtakingly beauty.

Gone knitting.

The Non-Winter Winter

Posted on February 19, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

Sunrise is happening about 30 minutes earlier than a few weeks ago and it’s moving back over to the left of the music camp. That’s a good indication that we are moving out of winter and into spring. Our camp road has been posted (this is an official town posting that prohibits heavy trucks from driving on the town roads when they are least stable – aka “mud season”.)

This is a blessing and a curse this year because we haven’t really had a good cold winter. Signs that this hasn’t happened are that we have had very few, if any, pickup trucks on the ice. I’ve seen exactly one. Normally, they’re everywhere for several weeks at a minimum. While this seems like a blessing, we have to be concerned about what this means for the health of our lake.

I’ve learned a lot about invasive plant species while being the president of our lake association and the future of Maine lakes is at risk. On our lake, we always had one seasonal bloom of our single invasive milfoil species. We now have two blooms per season. With the warm winter, there is evidence of the plant’s adaptation to colder water. Not a good thing.

Meanwhile, on the shores of Messalonskee, our snow is melting and I’ve been spending time in my studio. I’ve been working to clean up and clean out. I even took three bags of odds and ends of yarn to GoodWill this week. I even used my sewing machine this week.

My friend Deb gifted me this “kit” to make a bee tote. It’s printed on a loose weave cotton and it’s gorgeous! I decided that I needed to line it and to make it a bit stiffer so it’ll sit up by itself. So one day last week I went off to Yardgoods Center and picked the brain of the sewists on the fabric side. Vicki helped me choose an iron-on interfacing that will make the fabric stiffen up a bit. This week I cut out the pieces from the kit and cut the lining pieces as well. Of course I had to line it … which meant that I had to figure out how to sew it together without directions. Which, because I am not a confident sewist, proved to be a challenge. But I DID figure it out.

I ironed the interfacing to the wrong sides of the fabric, sewed the pocket (lined and with interfacing, too) to the bag lining, and turned the straps to the right side. That turning all by itself was a challenge but with a pin and knitting needle, I managed to get it done. I top-stitched both sides of the handles and set them aside while I figured out how to sew the pieces of the bag together. After one complete f@#%-up, I started over from the beginning and stitched each part, lining and bag, individually with the boxed bottom and all. It occurred to me that I had done a lined bag once before in the distant past. That spark of a memory helped me figure out how to sew the parts together and have the handles be in the right place, too. Woo! Hoo! Success! Yay, me!

I started a pair of Christmas socks for my hubby. Before you congratulate me for planning ahead, let me tell you that these socks were promised for LAST Christmas. I’ve chosen this pattern, Urban Rustic Socks, because he was wearing MY pair (and thought they were a bit small). Ha! Ha! Now he’ll have his own pair. And they’re fun to knit, the cables are lovely and I love mine. The yarn is Raggi by Jarbo Garn. We can’t get this in our LYS any more and when they announced it, I had the forethought to buy a bit “extra” because I really like how it knits and wears. Hubby benefits from my good plan!

I discovered a problem with the larger size, though. When I got to the increase round, the ribbing didn’t line up when I knitted the pattern as written. So, on the third try, I just kept an eye on my knitting and “forced” the ribbing to line up. I will write down what I did when I knit the second sock, For now, though, I’m off and running – and I’ve reached the heel flap on the first sock. Another thing to note … using US 4 needles with an Aran-weight yarn causes my hands and arm to hurt. I might have tried knitting these on a US 5 needle and it might have been easier on my hands. But it’s too late now.

Emsworth Vest in Patagonia (you’ve seen this photo before)

My Emsworth is also really really really close to being done. I reached the 11 3/4″ mark on the body of the vest on Friday but when I held it up to my body, it felt too short. My knitting class confirmed it and I kept on knitting. I’m going to try another inch or two and see if that isn’t better for me. I hope that I can get it finished in the next week so that when my yarn arrives from Norway, I can begin knitting my genser without having to put aside my vest. (*crosses fingers and toes.)

My “knitting chair” that I ordered in mid-January was promised in mid-March. It seems that it has been delayed and I’m trying to be patient. I cleaned up the studio last week and have been thinking about moving some of the furniture around in advance of my new chair’s arrival. It seems I can take my time.

Gone knitting. (Enjoy a few sights from the lake.)

I Left my Heart in NY City

Posted on January 29, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

I’m back from a whirlwind trip to New York City to help my daughter when her husband was out of town and, obviously, to see my granddaughter and the rest of the family. I drove down to Westport, CT a day ahead of when I had planned to be there because we were supposed to have a big winter storm on the day I was supposed to leave.

Luckily my college “Roomie” lives there and she puts up with me (happily) when I come down her way. Thursday night we had dinner with another college friend and, as is apt to happen, talked until we were ready for bed. We’ve been friends for 47 years! Those friendships are so special and I am so grateful for these wonderful and dear friends.

On Friday I hopped on the train into the city. I can’t wait until this summer when I become an official senior citizen because the train fare becomes $9 each way even though $13.50 isn’t bad. The train ride to Harlem is so easy and my daughter picked me up at the station there. It’s such an easy trip and with no driving traffic, it was a 5-hour drive to Westport. Not bad at all.

This child. I have always disliked leaving the kids at the end of a visit. I love being around my children and I love that they all live close enough to each other and like each other enough to get together. This child, my granddaughter, their niece and daughter, is an amazing addition to the mix. I took precious few photographs because I had way too much fun playing with her, feeding her, and helping her very competent mom take care of her and her 4-legged sisters.

The last time we were in the city was at Christmas and in the month since, Sylvie has changed so much! She is actually making eye contact with people, she really engages, she’s generous with smiles, has a lot of new ways to be heard and she even clicks. Ha! Ha! Her hands are always busy and you can see the concentration when she reaches for things. It’s so intentional now. She sees what she wants and reaches for it. She still needs a little help but it won’t be long before she’s grabbing things all by herself.

I brought her a Knubbelchen “doll” that I made with scraps of left-over fingering weight yarn and I was thrilled that she loves it. It’s a perfectly sized toy for little bitty hands which have the most perfect knuckle dimples. The knots at the “hands” and “feet” of the Knubbelchen are just the little bit of help she needs to be able to hold onto it. And, of course, everything goes in her mouth!

I also brought the silver rattles that were given to my children when they were born. I had saved them for just this moment and our little Sylvie didn’t disappoint. She loves to lie on her back and kick and wiggle and the rattles were a fun addition. It’s the most wonderful feeling to see my child totally in love with her child. I really believe that our appreciation of our mothers only comes when we become mothers ourselves. I never tire of watching all of my children love on this baby girl. it’s remarkable, emotional, rewarding, it makes my heart grow even more full of love for them all.

The funniest part of the trip was that I was carrying ten pounds of corn-filled microwaveable heating pads that I had made for them all and only a year later. I promised to make these for them last winter when they came up skiing and well, life being what it is, the corn and fabric sat until last week. (I wrote about it here. My suitcase was incredibly heavy going there and significantly lighter heading home. Kate’s has already been spit up on which means that it’s already in use. And then there was the night that Kate received a “goodnight sweet pea” text from my husband. (I was meant for me.) And all of the kids sent him a good night text with a spontaneous term of endearment. Ned was entertaining us all from Maine and we had a good laugh at his expense and with lots of love – my kids all love my husband and he loves them. Another thing to be so grateful for. He’s already said that if we can take the train into the city, he’ll come with me next time. Yay!

I left New York yesterday with my heart so full and tears in my eyes. I managed to collect lots of snuggles and smile and belly tickles and kisses until next time. I can’t wait until next time.

Gone knitting. (Because I didn’t knit a stitch except for on the train.)

Weddings and Grandma Duties and Family, Oh My!

Posted on December 14, 2022 by Queen Bee Knits

All of a sudden I have nearly 20,000 miles on my car! The past month has been a whirlwind of travel and we’re not used to it. Not one little bit. But it sure has been fun!

It all started when my eldest bonus daughter got married in Virginia at the start of December. We drove down because she had asked her dad to make the chuppah for the wedding. He gathered beautiful Maine Birch logs and fashioned a large chuppah with them. It was gorgeous! BUT we had to also get it to the wedding venue, so … we bought a roof rack for my car and strapped the logs (now disassembled) to the top of the car and a few of the shorter logs were inside. The ride down and the proceedings up to the wedding itself were fun and it was great to see the kids and their significant others. My son and his girlfriend also came down to the wedding so we got to see them, too. The wedding day was *gasp* rainy but we were inside getting hair and makeup done and then photos and cocktails and the wedding ceremony.

The venue was the River View at Occoquan in Lorton, VA. A lovely natural area in the middle of suburban Washington, DC. The ceremony was outside and then the reception was in the building on premises and it was a stunning venue. The bride was beautiful, her attendants were lovely and loving and they were celebrated in an appropriate manner. We are so happy to have Evan join our family.

After the wedding my hubby dropped me off in New York City for my first grandmotherly babysitting job. What a privilege to be asked to stay with my darling love for a few days. Her dad had business in California and her mom had rehearsals and a performance. I had a blast! BUT I can now say that I fully understand what my friends who are grandmothers have told me about it being the best title in the whole world. I fell head over heels in love with this little girl while I was there and it was really difficult to leave when the time came. Needless to say, we are thinking about heading back to the city for Christmas for a couple of days and I can hardly wait!

I did some knitting in the car on the way to Virginia and back to NYC but after that, my hands were busy and I might as well have sent my knitting bag home with my hubby. I didn’t knit a stitch while I was in New York. Somehow I have found a new activity that surpasses knitting and that’s holding my granddaughter! Home is my happy place and now she is, too. It’s a life changing experience. I am so eager to spend more and more time with her as she grows up and I grow old. I loved spending time, too, with my daughter. She’s already an incredible mom. I’m so proud of her.

I’ve finished my Musselburgh hat in Berroco Vintage Sock. I didn’t love the yarn, to be completely honest. BUT it is washable and the hat should be a good one for New York CIty winters. My kids all wear a lot of grays and black – it’s what you do in NYC. I hope she’ll like the hat and if not, there are plenty of people to give it to. Musselburgh is a long tube with increases on one end and decreases on the other. In black there’s not a lot to look at but I’ll get a photo on my daughter’s head (if I remember!) It was a fun knit to be sure.

I’ve finished one sock and am half-way done with the second one. The yarn was in my stash – I’ve been knitting 12 socks a year before this year and I was feeling like I needed to knit some socks. So I did. And it was a good idea, too, since we were traveling. Socks are always a good project for the road. I’m using the Yankee Knitter sock pattern which I almost have memorized in the fingering weight yarn for women. My daughter claimed these socks at Thanksgiving so they’ll also be going to NYC at Christmas time. Yarn details are on my Ravelry project page. The only thing I tend to change is the needle size. I like to knit socks on a slightly smaller needle. In this case, I’m using a US 1 1/2. I feel like it makes the socks hold up to wear better.

I’ve also cast on a sweater for my granddaughter because the little Newborn Vertebrae cardigans are getting too small – well, actually, the rainbow one was felted in the laundry and the Christmas one may (or may not fit). It’s in the mail on the way so she can wear it for a few days. The one I’m knitting now is a fingering weight cardigan in On the Round sock yarn that I had stashed in a beautiful blue tonal. I’m using Knitting Plain and Simple’s pattern #1506 Baby Cardigan/ Lightweight Baby Cardigan. I love knitting little sweaters, they really make me feel accomplished and finishing things is a pretty wonderful thing, too.

That might be all that I’ve done recently.

I flew home from NYC so I could teach on Friday and Friday night my friend Sarah and her Great Dane puppy, Esme, came for the weekend. What fun it was to see this giant puppy and get to know what a giant breed is like. At six months, she’s 90 pounds and she’s a little floppy like puppies tend to be. But she made me laugh more often than not – often when she tried to climb up into my lap.

Sarah left on Monday and I took off on Tuesday to visit briefly with my Salem and Marblehead family and to pick up the ashes of my grand-dog, Willow. Willow passed away the day after Thanksgiving. I’ll be delivering her ashes to my daughter and her husband. We all were touched by this sweet rescue dog who started out suffering (and making my daughter and anyone who loved her suffer) from severe separation anxiety. She was still anxious as an older dog but she had made great strides; mostly because my daughter loved her so much and was willing to put in the time and effort to help her feel a little more secure.

I arrived back home today and I’m heading back to work tomorrow. Friday there is supposed to be a “big” winter storm. My husband’s boss has called work for Friday already and my boss seems to be leaning that way, too. There will be three of us in the shop tomorrow – hopeful that we get some restocking done!

I’ll sleep well tonight and most of the weekend is “mine” for finishing my Christmas shopping and getting some gifts wrapped. Crossing my fingers that everything arrives in time – I’m getting really good at shopping online! I was a little bit late getting started. The wedding preparations threw me off. But I got our Christmas cards ordered, addressed and sent! Last year I didn’t manage to get cards ordered or sent so I really wanted to get them done this year. I’m so happy with them.

Gone knitting (after I switch the laundry again!)