Queen Bee Knits

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

Wedding Travel Diary, Yarn Purchase and a New Project

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

We arrived home last night after a week of travel to Denver and Fort Collins and a wedding of my husband’s youngest daughter to the love of her life. The wedding was perfect, the travel was acceptable and relatively trouble free and it was fun to spend some quality time with hubby’s older daughter and her hubby. Bonus was that I got to meet up with a childhood family friend and my former mentee and visited a couple of yarn shops, too!

So, we flew out of Portland, ME to Baltimore where we met up with my hubby’s daughter, Robin, and her husband Evan. Our flight to Denver was only delayed a bit and we arrived our Airbnb in Wheat Ridge, CO by 9:30 or 10pm (with a time change). Wednesday we picked up the dance floor and made a visit to Fancy Tiger Crafts, a co-op with yarn. I may have bought some local yarn and a US7 knitting needle. The project that I had intended to work on while we were away was NOT going to make me happy so I frogged it and found another project to use the yarn in.

Frogged – Staple Tank Top by Joji Locatelli

Before leaving for the wedding venue in Fort Collins, we made goodie bags and the bride’s and bridesmaids’ bouquets and arranged some flowers for the reception. The flowers were all white and they were gorgeous. Amy, the bride, ordered the flowers from Costco. They arrived on Wednesday (for the wedding on Saturday) and I had some serious concern that they wouldn’t hold up all that time but they sure did! Not one rose was droopy on Saturday afternoon! I’d say that was a success.

the bride, her mom and sister getting our mani-pedis on

From Denver to Fort Collins we went on Thursday. The wedding party and lots of guests stayed at the Armstrong Hotel. It’s a beautiful hotel, we loved the decor and the sidewalk cafe. We unloaded the bride’s car into their room and we checked in at our Airbnb there. Thursday night we had dinner as the family of the bride at a taco restaurant and it was good.

Friday I had breakfast and visited a yarn shop, Lamb Spun of Colorado, in Fort Collins where I may have bought a little more yarn. We also hunted for a book store to buy me a new book since I finished “Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon on the airplane. The rehearsal dinner was at a great brewery and the caterers were amazing! We had a delicious dinner and then the rest of the guests were invited to gather at a Welcome Party. A wonderful day and a fantastic dinner.

The wedding day was perfect and the weather couldn’t have been better. It had been unseasonably warm in Colorado (like in Maine) but Saturday gave us all a break – a little cooler and cloud cover for the ceremony. Another perfect dinner and great party. We even got lifted up in chairs with all of the parents during the Hora!

So, let’s talk about yarn … I had been knitting the Staple Linen Top by Joji Locatelli in Sonder Yarn Company’s Muse in a shade of pink that I really fell in love with up in Montreal. I thought I’d like the tank top but to get gauge I had to get out a bigger needle and it was going to be way too sheer for me to wear without another tank under it. SO … I frogged it and just happened to see a shawl/cowl pattern on Facebook that uses the same weight of yarn and I think it’ll be really beautiful. The new pattern is called River by Yumiko Alexander. It starts with a long narrow piece of cables and dropped stitches (I’m making the largest one and it’s five repeats of 66 rows.) I’m pretty sure that from there I’m going to pick up stitches along one edge and knit the rest of the cowl. I loved the photo in Ravelry with a shawl pin and I have a few that will be fun to wear with this. I’m enjoying the cables and drop stitches … there’s something really fun about dropping stitches and unravelling them all the way down!

I still have the second Hermione’s sock on the needles. I didn’t do a ton of knitting while we were traveling … there may have been other things to do!

We have started a Christmas in July KAL/CAL at work and I have to pick a pattern and cast on my stocking. I knitted one years ago that I don’t love any more so I want to knit a new one. I also have one more to make for a friend of our family. I’ve been thinking about knitting an Arne & Carlos pattern that they used as an Advent KAL last fall/winter in Patagonia Organic Merino. Or the other option is the pattern that I made for my daughter. It was a kit that I bought. I’d buy Cascade 220 for this one. Both are stranded colorwork and 100% wool because it’s the best for colorwork. Update just as soon as I get into the store!

Gone knitting!

Empty Tank. Full Heart

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

One of my college friends on social media said that she always left her grandkids with an empty tank and a full heart and I can tell you that is exactly how I feel after this week. I got home last night from Marblehead and five days of what I’m calling “grandmothering” (because babysitting just doesn’t cut it.) My daughter had a gig with the Boston Pops on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and rehearsals started Monday afternoon. We might have been in a hotel room for the week but we asked my brother and sister-in-love if we could come stay with them and they enthusiastically agreed. So we spent four nights with them in their house and we all had a blast!!! My granddaughter is a little 19 month old spitfire with a pleasant, upbeat, happy personality. She’s at that age where she’s challenging the boundaries and stinking independent and what a joy she is to be around. She’s also exhausting!

She quickly warmed up to the big dogs and was sharing a dog bed and Cheerios with Dory in her bed by the time our first day was through. She loved the garden, found puddles to splash in and loved picking and eating the kale and peekaboo. It got warm enough for the baby pool to get filled up but she liked sitting in it just as well (almost) and throwing the ball for Buck. Auntie bought a huge wonderful bubble machine and bubble “guns” and they were a huge hit with Sylvie and her cousin, Noah, who we had several play dates with. Mama visited on Thursday for a few hours and went out in the rain to blow bubbles and splash in the puddles. The lights on the garden fence and the neighbors and their dogs were another hit. We went to the playground, the Muffin Shop, the grocery store, the book store and the toy store – all via stroller. We didn’t get in the car once. And by the time I got her into bed in the evening, I was unsure whether this body of mine would make it up or down the stairs once more. Ha! Ha!

My family embraced this little girl like they do everything, with love and caring and we all made some really great memories together. And how can you not laugh when this little peanut turns a corner and sees you and smiles, waves her little hand at you and says, “hi!” She is so happy to see you every time.

Hermione’s Everyday Socks (yes, again!) – As of bedtime last night

Needless to say, I did very little knitting. I’ve started a pair of sock for my brother-in-love and I knitted exactly 21 rounds of 2×2 rib on the first sock. That has to be the least that I’ve knitted in a decade. Last night I got another inch or two knitted and the socks will be lovely. And when 9 pm arrived, this little YaYa took herself to bed and slept really well. I’ll do the same tonight and hopefully I’ll be feeling a little less exhaustion. I was very proud of my body that ached at the end of the day but was feeling pretty good again the next morning. Lifting and carrying that little 20+ pound body up and down flights of stairs and chasing her around is more action than I’ve seen since my kids were little.

Tonight we are going out for dinner to celebrate my husband’s birthday. We love being home and go out very seldom … less seldom on the weekend! But this special occasion is a good reason to celebrate in a different way. He’s chosen Front & Main at the new boutique hotel in Waterville as our spot. Tomorrow I’m attending Maine Arts Academy’s graduation ceremony and celebrating our newest graduates. What a privilege it is to volunteer my time for the school! Who knew that when I got older I’d have such a full and meaningful life?! I’m so grateful every day.

Gone knitting!

A Bee-utiful Day! A Wonderful Weekend

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

After a run of cloudy, gray days, this morning was stunningly beautiful. We had to drop my car off to get an oil change first thing this morning but after we got back, we had a cup of coffee and breakfast on the porch. Hubby was reading in the sunshine and I grabbed my crochet hook and some yarn to start yet another project that I’ve been thinking about. Castonitis is real!

At one point I looked up and the Canada Goose Family was passing by and the goslings have already gotten much bigger. We have some huge Snapping Turtles and Bald Eagles, all of whom would make a meal of a little goose. We always cross our fingers for the new babies around the lake.

AND yesterday I got so many little things checked off my list! My college roommate sent me some knits that needed repair. They’ve been sitting on the extra chair in my studio for a while now and I’ve managed to put them out of my mind but yesterday, I pulled a single crochet round off of her favorite (ugly) hat and added a new one and then blocked the hat. It’s drying as I type. She also sent me an Aran sweater that had some wear at the elbow and the folded neckline was coming apart. She’d said that she was ok with my using some visible mending and I did. The elbow will live for another few years and the neckline is repaired and the sweater has been washed and it’s drying with the hat.

I hadn’t been able to find my crochet hooks bag so I decided to clean out the cabinet that holds my “uncommitted” yarns. I emptied everything out because I also wanted to look at the collection of Jamieson & Smith 2-ply jumper weight yarn that I have for two different projects: a cowl that Goodrun Johnston is teaching in season 9 of Knits Stars AND I want to knit a clock face Yoke O’Clock. I was thinking I needed to buy a few colors of fingering weight Shetland wool but I have plenty already in my stash! I’ve now cleaned up and organized the cabinet again and put all of the like yarns in plastic bags to make finding it a wee bit easier. I hope.

I also have a sweater that I knitted for a young woman who I mentored when she was 10. She’s quite a bit older now and is about to have her third baby boy. I made her a Zip Up the Back baby sweater – pattern is Zip Up a Baby Sweater by Marge Webster. I knitted it in Cascade Pacific Prints in greens. This is a great pattern to knit and a wonderful baby sweater. What’s not so great is that I have to hand-sew a zipper into it which is not my favorite activity. But yesterday I got it done and the sweater is blocked, too. (I was shocked that a mass-manufactured yarn bled so much. The water was green!)

That’s three finished objects in one day! Yay, me! I feel lighter already. And that brings me back to the morning today – I cast on a Ruby the Mega Ray. It’s a crochet pattern that my daughter sent to me for my granddaughter and I made it relatively quickly. She suggested that I make another one for her sister and “how cool would it be if you could put one of those corn things inside” … corn things are the microwavable bags that are so wonderful on sore muscles. I’ve made a lot of them over the years. The last bunch for the kids was made after they all got sore muscles after a ski trip up here. So, I’m going to try to adapt a crochet pattern … try, I will. I have a sort-of-plan and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll go back and make the ray according to the pattern. Crossing my fingers my plan works because it sure would be cool!

I’m still making progress on my pink socks. The heel and gusset are finished and I’m working my way down the foot. And I’m also working away on the little pink cotton dress for Sylvie. It’s not a difficult pattern but it’s a lot of purling. If I were to make it again, I’d make it inside out so that there was a lot of knitting …

I’ve cast on another Emotional Support Chicken, too. I had a ball of wool that I found deep in my stash and started the tail in that and then changed to a ball of violet-ish wool that was given to me. I think she’ll have some more of the first yarn in her as stripes around her neck and that should leave me enough yarn to make yet another chicken. Ha! Ha! I’m hooked. They don’t take a ton of time or effort and I am enjoying the process of knitting them. We’ve decided that we’re going to have a chicken coop in the store window this summer and we’ve asked our customers to make Emotional Support Chickens and loan them to us for the window. We’re hearing that it’s a fun idea and hope participation will be strong.

Gone knitting!

A Quick Story

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Last night I decided to try on my first sock. That was not such a good idea because it led me down a rabbit hole. The sock, Hermione’s Everyday Sock by the Crazy Sock Lady (it may be my new favorite sock pattern), was too long. What was I thinking when I knitted the foot/toe? I wear a size 9 1/2 shoe and that means I knit to 7″ and then do the toe decreases. For some reason, I was thinking that I needed to knit to 8″ … and you know what that means, right? The sock is too long by an inch!!!

So, frog I did.

I pulled out the needles and pulled and wound up the (now) extra yarn so that when I reach the correct length, I can re-knit the toe. And then the “hard” part is to find the right stitches for each of the three needles. Luckily, the pattern repeat for the sock is 4 rounds and I could tell where the pattern started so I could easily find the top of the foot stitches and get them on the needle. Which left the other half of the sock to be divided onto the two remaining needles. Now, all I have to do is knit the toe. AGAIN!

One would think that after knitting several dozen pairs of sock that one would not make mistakes any more … and one would be wrong. This is how expectations lead to negative thinking and I started to beat myself up with “what a dope” and “dummy” … but as I realized what I was saying to myself, I stopped and remembered that I simply made a mistake and it’s all good. We all make mistakes, even experts, and I gave myself a pat on the back for catching the mistake before I tried to wear the sock.

I thought it looked long. I tell others all the time to trust their gut. I will remember to listen to my own good advice and trust my gut.

Gone knitting.

Wow! What a Week!

Posted on April 28, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

We’ve been home from our whirlwind, sad, wonderful, family-filled trip to New York City for almost a week and it’s been a super busy (almost) week. I was glad to be there for my daughter when they had to say goodbye to my first grand-dog and it’s always wonderful to squeeze all of my kids and their significant others in person. AND bonus we get to spend quality time with our granddaughter.

I love seeing my other kids, now aunts and uncles, with Sylvie. They all adore her and are so supportive of each other which is exactly what I hope would happen when they grew up. Sibling relationships are difficult and require acceptance and flexibility and we all go through our own “stuff” … it’s wonderful to have siblings to share life with. On Mabel’s last morning on Earth, we took Sylvie to the playground for a couple of hours so that her parents could focus on Mabel and not worry about the baby. We walked up to the playground and played and then stopped at a local restaurant (ostensibly for lunch but Sylvie wanted no food) and home for a nap. It was a beautiful NY day and it was wonderful to be outside. Monk is always tired out after his visits to NY but he loves being included and staying with his nephews, Gus and Picasso, and all the sniffs he gets there.

When we arrived back home I was delighted to see the developments in our garden. We are growing TULIPS! We also have daffodils and some hyacinths coming up … well the mini-daffs are in bloom and the big daffs are coming soon. I’m super excited about the tulips, though. I’ve always had to NOT plant them because critters eat them. So far, we’ve been lucky … and I hope I’m not speaking out of turn because this is the exact moment that critters will eat them to the ground. I’m crossing my fingers.

Yesterday, we took a ride to Popham Beach State Park. We ran a few errands on the way there, took a long walk on the beach, gathered a few shells and then came home. It was a gorgeous day to be outside and I am so glad we went. It’s lovely to be by the ocean and I loved spending the time alone with my hubby. We tried to take a selfie but we both looked grumpy so I deleted it – we were not grumpy and I’d rather remember the day than see an inaccurate depiction. Ha! Ha!

I have been knitting! I really have! On the way to New York, I cast on a little cotton sundress for Sylvie in bubblegum pink cotton. Sunbeam Kids Dress in Jody Long My Little Sunshine organic cotton yarn. I like the yarn and the color will be great on her this summer. I’m babysitting at the end of May and will make sure the length is a tiny bit longer than perfect then and we should have a lot of fun watching her run on the beach in September.

I’ve got my second Emotional Support Chicken ready to seam and stuff. I love the colors of this one and I hope that my friend and former camper will love her, too. If all goes well today, I will finishe her … and since it’s raining, it looks like I’ll be spending the day in my atelier!

I’m also working on a pair of socks. This yarn has been in my stash for at least a decade. My daughter bought two balls of it for me back when she was still living in Chicago. I made one pair of socks from the first ball before I was on Ravelry and chose this yarn for my next pair because it’s pink and I seem to be in a pink phase. I’m knitting the Hermione’s Everyday Sock pattern by the Crazy Sock Lady on US 1.5 DPNs. The pattern is easy to remember and makes good car knitting. I’m ready to start the heel of the first sock today.

I’ve been working a very little, tiny, incy wincy bit on my Jelly Roll Blanket. I have a basket full of scraps of sock yarn next to my desk chair so that I can knit on it during zoom meetings. I missed a couple while we were in NYC but I’ve got more coming. This blanket will be a long-term project for sure but it’s grown a little bit.

And last but not least, yesterday on our way home from Popham Beach, we stopped at Mother of Purl in Freeport where I had ordered a Lumos Lumos, aka boob, light. I have thought about buying one of these lights for a while and LYS Day was yesterday and they had a special promotion for the lights. When we went to pick it up, I had to buy a bit of yarn, too, to make a sweater for Sylvie for the fall/winter. The pattern is Binx and it’s knit in a DK weight yarn. The store sample was in Patagonia which is currently one of my favorite yarns. I don’t seem to be allergic to this yarn and it get so soft when worked/washed/worn. I have at least one more sweater worth in my stash … maybe two. Ha! Ha! I will make myself finish at least two projects before I can cast on a new one.

Gone knitting.

What I Know for Sure …

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

This morning the sun was shining when I woke up and I woke up early. We have train tracks behind our house and the train came by at 6am honking its horn all the way up the tracks. When I opened my eyes, it was fully morning; the sun was up and wayyy over to the left again as it should be in the spring.

I got home last night from a reunion (and a short family visit, too) with an au pair who was in my cluster in Cincinnati, Ohio way back when. I’m not sure I’ve spoken about those years here yet. I worked for InterExchange/AuPair USA based in New York City when my children were young. One of my neighborhood friends had started an au pair group that was getting too big for her to manage alone so I started a group, too. We managed an international group of young adults that grew to be about 50 at its largest. What I loved most about it was learning about all the cultures around the world. At that time, I had a world map and knew where all the different countries were. I had au pairs whose countries were at war, I had parents of au pairs calling me when Cincinnati’s race riots were exploding, I had au pairs with health scares and au pairs who disappeared at the end of their year. I had au pairs who stayed in the US and worked and married. It was a wonderful experience.

Janine contacted me a few months ago as they made plans to come to the states on holiday. They visited Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City and Boston. I managed to get away to Massachusetts on Sunday to meet up with her (and her husband and daughter) in Marblehead. It was a cup-filler for sure!

I am so blessed to have had these women and men in my life. Janine is one of the special ones. And there were many. It had been 27 years since we had seen each other and it was as if all the years between were erased and we picked up again from the day we said farewell. EXCEPT that I have gray hair and she has two grown daughters, one of whom was with her, and a husband. We had lunch and a stroll around Fort Sewell in Marblehead and then it was time to part again, hopeful that it won’t be another 27 years before the next reunion.

Au Pair agencies still exist out there and welcoming an international “student” (the men and women come to the US on a student visa and there is an education part to the program) is a rewarding and often times life changing experience. Au Pairs provide childcare for a minimal stipend and an opportunity to live with an American family to learn English and gain experience. A good local coordinator is essential and families need to be willing to welcome this young person as a member of their family; take them on family vacations, out for meals and family activities, etc. Done well, your family grows by one with each au pair you host. While I didn’t have an au pair myself, my family grew by many over the years and I value the contact and communication that I’ve had as I watch these “kids” get married and have families of their own. Getting to meet Janine’s family was the cherry on top!

I spent the night with my Marblehead and Salem family and when I got home yesterday afternoon I find this … yup, I’m a lucky woman! Gone knitting.

Eclipse Day – Maine Edition

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 – The Morning After

I have about eight minutes until the muffins are ready to be taken out of the oven and here I am trying to put into words how incredible our day was yesterday, Eclipse Day 2024. Maine was in the path of totality and my husband took the lead in finding a good spot from which we could see the full solar eclipse, better known as totality. Initially, he and a bunch of friends were going to go to Arkansas, rent a couple of houses and watch the eclipse but the plans fell through. And then we learned that we were in the path of totality! Right in our own back yard!

We set out early to get to the spot that he and his boss, Tom, found in The Forks, Maine. We headed for the spot which turned out to be a boat launch ramp on the Kennebec River and was not marked by a street sign. When we arrived, after stopping at the Bingham Hannaford store for provisions and use of their toilet, there were only 3 or 4 cars. During the day, though, the cars trickled in and we were probably around 20 cars by the time the eclipse started.

Eagle’s Nest in the tallest tree across the river

Of course, I brought my knitting! I should have been working to finish up either my Fiddlehead Mittens or the socks I’m knitting BUT instead, on such an auspicious day, I cast on a project that I’ve been thinking about for ages. The Braided Cable Handle Tote by Amanda Silviera. This is a free pattern on Ravelry. It’s knitted in worsted weight wool and then felted … no gauge measuring! I had been gifted some fuchsia colored Galway worsted wool from my student, Donna, before she moved to Nevada and it seemed that this bag needed to be made in that generously gifted yarn on a special day.

The eclipse experience was incredible. We donned our glasses at the start of the eclipse and sat back to watch what happens. We doubted that it would get dark enough for us to really notice. We were wrong. The temperature dropped, the birds quieted and it got dark – too dark to read but you could still see what was around you. I don’t use the word “awesome” often but I would for this experience.

Above are photos of Ned relaxing to watch the eclipse and Ned and Tom with a beer to celebrate the eclipse as it began. You can see how much darker it got during totality. For three minutes we all, all of us gathered in that little spot in The Forks, cheered and stared in awe at the miracle of nature and wondered what it would have been like for the first people to experience a full solar eclipse. In fact, a solar eclipse ended a war in the sixth century. Thanks to Tom for the tidbit!

The Battle of the Eclipse^[1] (or Battle of Halys^[2]) was fought in the early 6th century BC in Anatolia (present-day Turkey) between the Medes and the Lydians. According to ancient Greek historian Herodotus, the battle was interrupted by “day turning into night” – presumably a solar eclipse – and the result was a draw which led to both parties negotiating a peace treaty and ending a six-year war.
Wikipedia

All in all, it was such a wonderful day. Even the bumper-to-bumper traffic, at a stand-still for at least 20 minutes, was worth it. The ride up was about 90 minutes. The ride home was 3 1/2 hours. It’s maybe 60 miles total. We turned the car off at one point. But people were patient and respectful and, I think, happy to have been able to witness such an incredible sight. I don’t remember where I was seven years ago when we had another solar eclipse but this one I will never forget.

This is the photo of my knitting when I put it down last night to go to bed. I did pretty well in a day. I’m excited about this tote. One of my wonderful Friday knitters has this bag and it’s gorgeous. I’ve admired it for (probably) ten years or more. It’s time that I got around to knitting it. I have promised myself that I will work on the Fiddlehead Mittens or the Oorik Tank Top today and get one of them finished. I hope I can keep my own promise!

Gone knitting.

Sunny Day!!! … so appreciated after all the rain

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

It was a glorious morning this morning and I got to spend an hour or more on the porch with my knitting and coffee. I really (really!) needed that. We had a wonderful visit with my son and his fiancee this week and then three days of work and I was really tired when I got home from work last night. This morning I was hoping to see the sun and I did.

I’ve been working toward completing the Fiddlehead Mittens that have been on my needles. Rather than put them away and wait until fall when I will need them again, I am going to finish them, knit their lining and block them and THEN put them away. I am really enjoying this pattern. The chart isn’t too difficult and the yarns that I am using are working up really well together.

Fiddlehead Mittens – ready for the thumbs!

I’m knitting with Patagonia Organic Merino for the main color. This is a ball of yarn that I had left over from another project. It’s an oatmeal-y colorway and it’s a perfect background color for fiddlehead ferns. The foreground color or contrasting color is a handspun yarn that my daughter gifted to me from Ithaca, New York (if memory serves). It’s a really great collections of colors that reflect nature to me. Greens, yellows, blues and reds. Although they’re a bit more fall than spring when the fiddleheads are found here in Maine. Regardless, the colors work up beautifully together and they’re making me really happy.

I’m wearing my Norwegian sweater today. I had been so concerned that it wouldn’t fit me when I started the project. Fortunately, I love the fit and love the sweater. In fact, I love the fit so much that I am considering another less boxy sweater in the future. I bought some pink Remix Light by Berroco to knit another Lane’s Island Pullover. I love the way this yarn feels and wears and I think I’ll make this one a size smaller than the white one I made a while back.

I have finished my daughter’s Christmas socks and cast on another pair for my bonus daughter. I am trying to get handknit socks on everyone’s feet in our family. AND I have a ton of sock yarn to knit with so why not share the wealth? Gone are the days when I buy a lone skein of fingering/sock weight yarn when I travel to a yarn shop. I still have a bunch to knit up but I am working my way through the stash one pair of socks at a time. I also made my daughter, a while back, a pair of fingerless mittens that are convertible to mittens that cover your fingertips. I may make some more of these, too.

With the grace of Mother Nature this week, my friend and co-worker, Glenda, hope to get together to reinforce and steek our little Oorik Tank Tops. Once we get together it won’t take long or be difficult but we’ve agreed to do it together and we hear that we’re getting a nor’easter this week. Time will tell. But I have to admit that even I am ready to move on toward spring and leave this horrible excuse for a winter in Maine behind. Sitting on the porch this morning just cemented that sentiment.

Gone knitting.

Snow Day!

Posted on March 24, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

It finally happened! We got a good snowstorm yesterday and it closed a lot of businesses and kept a lot of people home. We were happy to be home for the day and took the day to relax and rejuvenate. I spent the best part of the day in my atelier knitting and making some sense of the messiness (again)!

The snow yesterday was blowing a drifting but we were nice and warm in our house. I finished my daughter’s Christmas socks (they’re not FOR Christmas, but she wanted a pair to wear at Christmas time). These are made with the Urth yarn sock kit “Christmas”. I’m sad to sat that I didn’t love knitting with this yarn. It was split-y and a little bit sticky on my needles. The socks LOOK wonderfu, though. I love the colorway and the kit was wonderful because it made is so easy to have a perfectly matched pair. She’ll be very happy with these, I think.

I spent a good while working on my Fiddlehead Mittens and have gotten quite a way up the second mitten. I am still wondering what to use to line these mittens because the pattern calls for a lining and I want it to be soft but wear really well, too. There are almost 4,000 of these mittens made and some of the other colorways are so pretty … betcha can’t knit just one comes to mind. I may have to knit more of these just for fun. *AFTER I finish some more WIPs and work down some more stash!

I was watching the new season of Call the Midwife and the gorgeous orange Norwegian (?) sweater came on the TV. It’s a beauty for sure. I loved the colors and it reminded me of some of Jenn Steingass’ designs. I’ve never knitted one of her garments but I can feel a Jenn Steingass coming on! I loved her little kid’s rainbow sweater. Perhaps Sylvie will want one in the future.

The last photo above was my photo of the day this morning. It’s Maine Maple Sunday today and the water is thickening again. Poor lake must be confused – and the poor ducks and Mergansers and other water birds must be completely confused. I scared a pair of ducks out of our boat house this morning. Our boat’s not in so I am happy that they can find refuge in there just as long as they don’t move in! The boat will be coming soon and this year we may even use it! But until then, I’ll enjoy my snowy day!

Gone knitting.

WIPs and Ice Out

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

This morning we had ice from shore to shore except for a bit of water around the edges. It was raining again and the wind was blowing. I knew things were about to change, I just didn’t know how quickly they were going to change. it’s now 12:22pm and the ice is all gone from the lake but for a few “cubes” around the edge. It’s really amazing how the process of ice out happens. Today’s was the fastest change-over that we’ve experienced in our eight years here. Not long ago there were two big Bald Eagles out on the ice near our “sunken island” and then down across from the music camp. Now they’ve got nowhere to land.

While all this excitement has been happening outside, I’ve got a lot of WIPs inside. AND i may have added one more this week.

Oorik Tank Top by MaryJane Mucklestone in Jamieson & Smith 2-ply jumper weight

My Oorik vest is ready for steeking. Steeking (Muffin) is when you cut the knitted fabric to create an opening and in this case, the steek will open the arm holes and the v-neck. I’ve not ever steeked a garment before so I am really excited to do it. My friend and co-worker, Glenda, has knitted the same garment so we are going to get together and reinforce the steek before we cut it and then cut it. After that we will finish the ribbing on the arms and around the neck and they’ll be finished. Yippee! I got this yarn and pattern in 2017 before I had a child to knit for … some things take awhile but are so well timed! Stay tuned for pictures of the process.

Ruby Ray the Mega Ray in Loops & Thread Sweet Snuggles

I have finished the main part of the top of the mega ray that was requested by my daughter. It will be a very soft toy for Sylvie if this YaYa can get it finished. I am going to aim for that today but I also have a few things that I need to bake for the week so we’ll see how far I get. Next up is the head of the ray in the blue yarn and then the belly will be next with the cream colored yarn. I also have to find some safety eyes.

The other WIPs that I’ve been working on are as follows:

Fiddlehead Fern mittens: I’ve finished the first mitten and have cast on the second but haven’t gotten very far on the colorwork. This is a pattern that I have to think about (or I am apt to make mistakes) although once I get started, it’s likely to go very quickly. I love the way that the handspun yarn that my daughter gifted to me is working in this pattern. The solid color is some left-over Patagonia from another project. It’s truly a pleasure to work with these yarns and these mittens are so pretty. Now that it’s spring, I’ll probably not get a chance to wear them until next year … unless I gift them or sell them before that.

My daughter’s Christmas socks: I’ve put these aside several times because Christmas. I have some time, right? But socks are almost always on my needles and before I started the next WIP I’m going to talk about, I was thinking that I’d try to do another year of 12 pairs of socks in a year. I have a friend who’s doing 24 pairs of socks in 2024 … not sure I could or that I want to do that. Anyway, the pattern for the Christmas socks is Yankee Knitter #29 Classic Socks with a modified heel. I’m using the Crazy Sock Lady’s heel from the Hermione’s Everyday Socks pattern. The heel is sooooo pretty! I’ve completed the first sock and have cast on and started the 1×1 ribbing at the leg.

Last active WIP is the one I cast on on Friday (or was is Thursday night?) and that’s the Jelly Roll Blanket. I’m knitting this pattern with the modifications that the Crazy Sock Lady made, using 2 strands of fingering weight yarn held together for a DK weight yarn. I’m knitting on a US6 needle and I’m having trouble putting this one down. I started the second strip last night. I am using all odds and ends of fingering weight yarn that I’ve used in projects over the last 40 years and I’m (sort of) randomly pulling little balls out and either knitting until they’re gone OR for about eight inches. One of the strands will be the white/natural yarn that I bought when I thought I was going to try to dye yarn. Ha! Ha! That ship has sailed. This seemed like a way to unify all the bits and bobs AND use up some yarn that has no real purpose in my stash. This one may take years to complete or may be the only thing I work on over the next few weeks/months. Once the blanket is finished I think I’ll have enough yarn left to make a Sea Glass tee, too.

Not shown here are a couple of other projects that are in time out. I have a pair of pink mittens that need to be embroidered before they can be finished. I found the embroidery hard on my hands – the stabilizer with the pattern printed on it was tough to get the needle through – so it was set aside. I still want to make the mittens so I have to get the embroidery done. They’ll be beautiful.

I’ve also got a sweater that was begun and soon set aside. The pattern is the Three Seasons Cardigan. It’s an all over cabled cropped sweater. I may be lengthening it a bit … or not. I bought the yarn that was suggested because I loved the sample. I am making size 5 I believe and I know that I’ll love this sweater. I just have to commit to knitting it and I will. Soon.

I have a few other WIPS, too. Yes, I know there are a lot. I’m reminding myself here how many things I have going on at this point in time as much as anything. And for now, I’m going to head to my orange knitting chair and get started working on knocking the WIPs list down by one.

Gone knitting.