Queen Bee Knits

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

A Case of the Mondays on Tuesday

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

I’m having a case of the Mondays. The only problem is that it’s Tuesday! We woke up this morning to rain and since 6am EST the ice that covered the lake has broken up and disappeared. It looks like any spring or summer day here now. It’s amazing how quickly the new ice can disappear. And it’s a little sad if I’m honest. We really should have ice by now.

I’m slowly managing to get all of the Christmas shopping, wrapping, sending, etc. done. I mailed the three packages that I was responsible for yesterday on my way back from the store. I went in to help my colleague cut some netting for a customer and we took the time to restock the netting, too. When we are only one person in the store, it’s unsettling to spend time down in the basement restocking or gathering together an order for a customer because we can’t see or hear if anybody comes into the shop. We were going to get this done on Saturday when there were two of us in the shop but we had a different mess to straighten up (see my last post!)

I made a new batch of granola this morning for the women I work with. I may need to make a second batch this afternoon because I’m not sure this will be enough to fill all of the jars. It’s down to the wire and I hope I have enough oatmeal left in my canister! I really am “off” if my baking cabinet isn’t properly stocked.

We had our Covid-19 booster and flu vaccine on Sunday and yesterday I started out just fine but I crashed in the early afternoon. I couldn’t even knit. This is what happens every time I get the shots. BUT I am glad we’re protected going into the holidays. The rest of the day is “free” which means I have time to vacuum my atelier and to double-check my lists. Tomorrow is going to be my last day for shopping and I don’t think I have enough to fill my dear hubby’s stocking.

#112 Children’s Bulky Top Down Pullover in Cascade 128

I’ve been thinking of ways to use up some of my stash and this was, I thought, an easy one. I have three hanks of Cascade 128 in this pretty almost periwinkle blue and I thought I’d make a larger sweater for my granddaughter. BUT when I knit the pattern according to the instructions, I didn’t like the fabric. It was too open. So I frogged back and started again on a US10 needle (seen here) and while I like the fabric better, the gauge is way off so the size is one that will fit her now – and she doesn’t need any more sweaters right now. SO … back to the drawing board. I am going to do this the right way next time and actually knit a swatch. I don’t often knit with bulky weight yarn so I’m not sure of my gauge and I need to figure out what the largest size I can make – I am aiming for a 3-5 year size – in a fabric that I like. I think I’ll try a US10 1/2 and see how the gauge matches up. On the US10 I got 3 stitches to the inch and the 4-5 size should be 28″ around the chest. Mine is more like 19 1/2 … not even the 26″ that the 2-3 size should be. Doing the math, I don’t think I can get 28″ even if I knit the largest size so I need to try a bigger needle. Good grief!

I also found a bulky hood pattern with a fur edge around the face opening. I can just see my little granddaughter in it so I’d like to make a hood that will match but, again, at a larger size so she can wear it next year or the year after. I’m going to have the same issue, I think.

I’ve not felt like doing any other knitting, and particularly not knitting that takes brain power. The projects that I have in progress are the fair isle bag from the class that I took, and a couple of pairs of socks. I really want to cast on a new project but I “should” knit a couple of sweaters to reduce my stash but I am not feeling motivated to do any of them. What’s a knitter to do?! I would also think about knitting a new shawl or another Musselburgh hat … but I can’t decide on yarn. Ha! Ha! So, I’ve been working on my Jelly Roll blanket and the watermelon shorties … both really simple projects. No pressure, right?

I haven’t shared with you that I had the red bump on my right eyelid removed a week and a half ago. It’s gotten larger over the years and, who knew!? We have an eyelid surgeon in Waterville, Maine. My eye doctor referred me to him and he’s surgically removed it. I think it was larger than he expected and he had to make two sutures. It’s never as simple as they say it’s going to be. So, day 1 and 2 it looked great. Day 3 I started to see red “bruising” around the edge of my eyelid. A week after the surgery black was added to the “pretty colors” and now it’s just a rainbow with some of the color collecting at the outside corner of my eye. BUT the bump is gone and the bruising will go away. It’s been an adventure waking up in the morning to see what color it would be. All kidding aside, I’m so grateful that it’s gone and there was no pain at all, and no infection. I hope you’re not squeamish because I’m going to share photos with you. Today the color is fading and maybe I’ll be back to “normal” for Christmas!

Today I think I may decide to knit a gnome or a little Arne & Carlos mini jumper without a number so it can be used as an ornament for a customer/friend. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

Gone knitting.

The Most Wonderful Time … ?

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

We woke up to ice skimming the lake this morning. It was a cool 16 degrees on the thermometer but my weather app said it was 12 degrees. Either way, it was cold. I look forward to the ice at this time of year. It’s like my lakeside neighbor said, “it’s another phase of life”.

I’ve been super busy again this week. I’m not sure if it’s the time of year or if it’s simply my life but I’ve been trying to finish up the shopping for Christmas and we sent our our Christmas cards, I had a Maine Arts Academy school board meeting – it ended up being virtual because of the crazy weather – and have had some “issues” to deal with surrounding being board chair and we’re looking at meeting dates/times, trying not to have a quorum at committee meetings to follow the rules, attending a board goals setting training, and there was some work and “normal” life stuff to do at home. Thank goodness my husband doesn’t mind (much) doing the cooking. Add the full moon into the mixture and my sleep has been wonky as all get out! I’m sleep deprived, overloaded at work (we had a roof leak this week in the afore mentioned crazy weather) and yesterday was my Saturday to work.

On Thursday I arrived at work to find this mess (above). The heavy rain and wind had caused the roof to leak (I think) and the spot in the front corner of the store that had leaked before had been totally soaked and one of the tiles had fallen to the floor but not before hitting the bookshelves below it. And the toys we have for our little visitors. And the books in the shelves, the free patterns, etc. I cleaned it up but being there solo doesn’t mean I could do much more than a basic clean-up. Yesterday I worked with my friend and colleague, Carol, and we got to dismantle everything around the leak and make sure there was no further damage. We had the “class” table covered with books, etc. and moved everything around so that area was free of merchandise until the roof is repaired. It took us the whole day to get it all off the table but the front of the store looks great. AND we were both pooped – the store was busy yesterday, too!

I have gotten to do some knitting this week. I finished my pink Lane’s Island sweater by Lori Versaci. I made this sweater in a slightly off-white colorway and I love it so much that I wanted to make another. Part of what I love is the Berroco Remix Light yarn that I used. The weight is perfect for a woman of a certain age who is usually warm and I loved the sweater design from the time I saw in (in horizontal stripes) on the front page of the Berroco pattern collection book at the shop. I made mine in solid colors, my new one is a size smaller than the first and I like them both. I wore the pink one on Friday without even properly trimming the ends after they were woven in. And it still needs a QBK label!

I’ve been working on finishing the pair of shortie socks in King Cole Footsie for my granddaughter’s favorite aunt so they’ll be sock twins. I’m hoping to finish the second sock today. Fingers crossed.

I cast on a new project (surprised?!) using some Cascade 128 in my stash that has been taunting me. I am knitting a pullover for my granddaughter in a larger size for a future year. Maybe. I got the knitting to the arm separation and didn’t like the fabric with the needles that were called for in the pattern. SO … I frogged what I’d gotten done and went down to a US9 needle and started over. I like the new fabric much better but the size will not be a 4-5, it’ll be a 2-3, I’m guessing which means she can wear it this year and/or next. I also found a hood pattern that I really want to make for her with “fur” around the face. Maybe she’ll put it on and keep it on? I also have a miscellaneous purl bump in the center front of the sweater (who knows why, but it’s not going to last forever and I can cover it with a bit of embroidery). It’s a quick project and the hood will be too.

I want to knit a larger pair of mittens for my great-nephew in Salem, MA. He loves the ones I made him last year (and they have to be a bit too small) so I bought more of the same yarn at the shop and will make a bigger pair with an i-cord string that can go in his jacket sleeves so they don’t get lost. I also have some stashed Raggi sock yarn that is wanting to be knitted up and will be work socks for my hubby. He works outside all year long and he loves his wool socks. He has quite a collection but can always use more. This is a grey/white marled yarn and I think they’ll have blue cuffs, heels and toes. He is likely to get a ball of yarn in his stocking because I don’t think they’ll be done before that time.

I found a lobster tam, design by Mrs. Knitter, in my cabinet. It’s already in progress and I pulled it out because it’s so close to being finished and the kit has to have been in my ownership for at minimum eight years. I bought it at Over the Rainbow Yarns in Rockland, ME and they went out of business in late 2017. I’ll be working on finishing that this week.

AND I will be winding up some yarn to cast on a new sweater … or vest. There was a pattern release for a DK weight vest this weekend and I really like my vests. BUT I bought enough yarn for another colorwork pullover in two shades of purple wool from the clearance section of the shop and I may cast on. If I can get the yoke finished before Christmas, it will be good mindless knitting over the holiday. I’ve also been dreaming of an Alpine Bloom hat for which I’ve purchased my favorite yarn in a light gray and a deep charcoal gray … Not sure which will end up coming first. There is also a gnome KAL happening that I’d like to join and I’ve got the yarn to make a few knitted animals for Sylvie … if I can part with them. So many patterns and so little time. I’ll be taking off a week or so between Christmas and the New Year so maybe I can indulge myself with some selfish knitting after I get gifts wrapped and ready to give.

Gone knitting.

Making Progress

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

We woke to snow and a thin span of ice next to the shore around (at least out part of) the lake. The first sight of ice this year. It’s been really cold lately. But by 9:00am or so, the ice was gone and the snow had stopped. My DH ran the snowblower for the first time and cleaned up so we could get out … later this week it’s supposed to be warming to 50 and rain is in the forecast. It’ll either make the snow all go away again or it’ll turn everything to ice.

I have finished the colorwork on the Arne & Carlos 2024 MKAL. Today I completed the ribbing as well and picked up the stitches so that I can finish the heel. I’m going to rewatch how Arne does the heel decreases before I attempt it. The afterthought heels are not something I’m terribly familiar with as I prefer a heel flap and gusset on my socks … but I”ll do it their way this time and, since it’s a Christmas stocking, it’ll be quick and easy. I hope. I am excited to get the knitting done so I can steam block it and see it in all its splendor. Blocking colorwork, especially when it’s made with 100% wool, is such a miracle. Once the heel is done, I only need to make an icord loop to hang it with.

I’ve been busy ticking items off my ever lengthening list. Between Christmas and knitting this is a busy time of the year. I finished my last two Christmas knits and one is blocked, dry and labeled. The second one is nearly dry and the label is written. This may be the earliest I’ve ever been done knitting for Christmas. OR I’ve forgotten something. Ha! Ha!

I’ve got a pair of shorty socks on the needles for my daughter. They’ll match our granddaughter’s Advent socks. Should be fun for a few laughs at Christmas time. The first sock is finished and the second one is started, I’m about half-way through the heel flap so it won’t take too long to finish. Friday I seamed the shoulders of my pink Lane’s Island and the plan is to pick up stitches around the neck this evening and get the neck done. All I will have left is to sew in the sleeves and seam the sides. I am excited to wear it!

Our Christmas card list gets shorter each year but they’re all addressed and stamped and ready to go to the post office tomorrow. I’ve also done our laundry for the week … and then some and have been washing/re-blocking DH’s hats and fingerless mitts. Whew! They needed it. Changed a bed, bought some holiday-ish plants, and I think I’ve ordered all the Christmas gifts I need. Even my DH’s gift is ordered and I sure hope it arrives before Christmas. I’m crossing my fingers and toes.

We both got into the dermatologist last week after five years. I checked out and he had some pre-cancerous bits removed from his head. Bald heads are prey for the sunshine and my DH’s bald head seldom sees sunblock. He’s been lucky so far. And I’ve had the little red bump removed from my eyelid after decades of living with it. It was large enough to require two tiny sutures and they’ve caused some bruising but it feels good, no pain at all, and I hope the little bit of swelling and the redness will go away soon. The sutures will dissolve. So, we’re good to head into the holidays having done all we can to make sure we remain healthy and praying that the New Year is gentle with us all.

Gone knitting.

Grateful Every Day!

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

It started out to be another gray morning here on the lake but then the sun came out! Yay!!! I’ve been struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is like depression and it’s been a rough week or two. I’m fighting to get stuff done in advance of the holidays and around the house … falling behind leads to a nightmare and I’m happy that I’ve been mostly keeping up. Anywho … the reason for this post is to share our wonderful Thanksgiving with our family in Massachusetts and that’s what I am going to focus on.

As always, we had a ball with the family. My brothers and their wonderful wives, nieces, nephews, son and his fiancee, and my sister-in-love’s brother and his girlfriend, two of her children and his daughters, too. Add three little kiddos and five dogs and you’ve got our evening! There had to have been 25 of us! And for the second or third year, there was a polar plunge involved. “We” (not me and not my hubby) jumped off the commercial dock in Marblehead and everyone survived. We guessed the water in the harbor was in the 50 degree range, but that’s a guess. It was cold for sure. My brother, two of his sons, my son and his fiancee all jumped in. I’m in awe!

We had a lobster feast for Thanksgiving because it can be cooked outside and the menu was incredible: shrimp cocktail, clam chowder (from the Causeway Restaurant in Gloucester, MA .. the best we have ever had), steamed clams, lobster, and salmon, a salad and grilled ciabatta. John B. brought the traditional Marblehead Thanksgiving desserts – cannoli and ricotta pie from an Italian bakery in Lynn. If anybody didn’t have fun, it’s their fault! I’m so grateful to have an extended family that I love spending time with and my hubby said yesterday, “I had a good time at Thanksgiving!” That says a lot. There’s never enough time when we’re all together and that, too, says a lot. How incredibly lucky we are.

The second night we had a pulled pork taco night. We brought our “insta-pot” down with us and went out to gather ingredients on Black Friday. And then on Saturday we had a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings. I came home with an extra 5 pounds. LOL.

And what would a beautiful turkey dinner be without some turkey stock cooked right after the clean-up? The kids filled two “handles” with stock to carry back to New York City and I thought the idea to package it in the empty liquor bottles was brilliant and a bit funny.

On the way home, DH and I stopped for lunch with a friend from summer camp way back in the dark ages and then we stopped at Costco … spending time until we could pick up the dog at the kennel at 6pm. It was a nice, easy, no traffic ride home.

AND!!! I’m so happy to report that I finished a pair of socks for my darling sister-in-love in Massachusetts. She’s very knit-worthy and I’ve never made her a pair of socks so I had some Christmassy Raggi sock yarn in my stash that needs to be knitted up and I made her a pair of socks. I loved the way the yarn did its self-striping thing and the socks will keep Annie warm this winter inside her 200+ year-old house.

I also finished Sylvie’s Christmas sweater and sent it and her Advent calendar that I made on to New York City. I love the sparkly buttons and I am really fond of the sweater pattern (although the button plackets were a bit weird!) I hope it’ll fit her.

Snowflake by Tin Can Knits in Berroco Vintage DK

While we were away, I was given two more knitting for Christmas assignments and went in to Marblehead Knits for some yarn. One color had to match ST’s “signature” nail polish color and will be his running mitts. I’ll probably make a headband, too, but it may be after Christmas so I can measure his head. I also am replacing a hat for BS that he (mistakenly) washed with his laundry and felted. One more chance, B! LOL. Both of those projects will be easy to complete before the holidays but today is going to be for seaming my Lane’s Island pullover. I’d love to get it together before Christmas so I can wear it. It’s the perfect weight for being inside with a shirt and light sweater. I’ve got my first Lane’s Island on today, in fact.

I’ve finished a little pair of watermelon socks for Sylvie’s Advent calendar and I’m working on a pair of shortie socks for her mom or me … and the Octopus hat from hell has been sent and is much loved despite its horrible history. I’ve written about it on the last post. And I’ve now felted superwash yarn. And they say it can’t be done. Ha!

On my needles … all stuff that I have to really think about (except for the pair of shortie watermelon socks) so I have made precious little progress. I’ve got to finish the Arne & Carlos MKAL stocking and may get to it this weekend. I’ve got to make a bit of progress on the Fair Isle bag “swatch” for my Fair Isle knitting class, too. I’ve got a few rounds in and then stopped. I did very little knitting while we were away. I’d still like to make a pair of socks for my DH for his Christmas stocking. I have to get him a gift, too. Have I ever mentioned that I don’t love Christmas? It feels like tremendous pressure just thinking about it. We won’t put up a big tree (we have a little pre-lighted fake tree) but I’m going to get my Advent mini-jumpers hung this year. I really want to see them hanging!

I need to get off the computer and get some “work” done so I can knit. I have minutes from a meeting to upload and the laundry needs to be moved from the washer to the dryer but I wanted to reflect on how very grateful I am … even still today … after our Thanksgiving visit with family. We have remarked that we never seem to have enough time together and that, in itself, is such a blessing. I hear so many people who don’t want to have to spend time with their family and we can’t wait to have more time together!

Gone knitting.

What a Week!

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, the last one has been a tough week. I seem to be suffering from a bit of a depressive episode, not atypical for me at this time of year, due to the stretch of gray days and less light. I’ve hooked up the light thingy that I have and hope that will help and today it’s actually sunny which will also help. I also lost a dear family friend this week. We met when our kids were little at the beach in Weekapaug, RI. The Shelby family quickly became good friends because my eldest daughter and their youngest daughter bonded immediately. They’re still close all these 30-some years later. Anyway, Linda was a dear friend, always laughing and sarcastically funny, bright, creative and just a great woman. Linda got Alzheimer’s Disease, just like my mother, at an early age. She passed away Thursday at 72 years of age. Way too young. I will miss her and I’m grateful that she’s no longer suffering. That’s also brought up feelings around the loss of my mother at 76 back in 2008. I’m glad it’s Thanksgiving week and I don’t have to be anywhere so I can just be … and work through the feelings as they roll in. Nobody said that life would be easy.

I’ve had a big frustration with a commission that I had, too. I was asked to knit an adult-sized “Have You Seen My Octopus” hat for a high school friend who saw the one I made for our granddaughter. I bought the Malabrigo yarn and after ripping the hat back more than once, finally got the knitting done to my satisfaction. I blocked it – and it GREW! I’ve never had anything grow like this hat. If a hat is too big for my big fat head, it says a lot. So, because there’s no los when the hat is way too big, I wet it again and put it in the dryer alone. Twenty minutes and no change at all. SO I threw it in with a wet load of laundry and let it go … and it felted up to a decent size but it was too fluffy and looked “worn”. I reached out to my customer and told her about it and we decided that I’d send it to her so she can see what it looks like and it’s up to her to keep it or not. I’ve got almost $40 in yarn and about 10 (probably more) hours of work into the hat … ugh.

not really the color but the size is good

Yesterday I took the second part of the Fair Isle knitting class online with Janette Budge. What a generous teacher she is! I started knitting my bag/swatch after the class and ran into a color conundrum … if I continued knitting as planned, I’d have a yellow/gold motif colorway at the middle of the design AND a yellow background color. I didn’t think that would work. So, I emailed Janette and had a thoughtful answer back in a very short while. I am very grateful and can continue knitting now with renewed hope that the colors will work.

This is the gathering of colors that I chose. In the front are the background colors, theoretically a gradual shade change from white to yellow. In the back (at the top of the photo) are the motif colors. Again, they’re supposed to be a fade from dark to light. The bag will start and end with navy and the salmon color will be the “pop” of color in the middle of the motif. As I’d planned it, though, the yellow of the background colors and the third or fourth motif color (the golds) would be at the middle of the motif at the same time with little contrast and too much yellow! I think I’ll just leave out the yellow for the background (and hope I have enough of the beige.)

My Christmas stocking MKAL is ending today and I’ve fallen behind. I’m on day 17 or so and have several days to catch up on before knitting the afterthought heel and finishing. But I’ll get there. I have been enjoying the project … until the darkness got the better of me.

I’ve cast on a new pair of Christmas boot sock for my sister-in-love in Massachusetts. She is very knit worthy and I think she’ll enjoy the warm wool socks. I hope she can remember not to dry them. LOL. I have several skeins of Raggi sock yarn that I bought at my LYS before we couldn’t get it in the USA and this pair of skeins with a Christmas theme will be perfect for her. I haven’t taken any photos yet but the first sock is finished. I love knitting worsted weight socks! They knit up so quickly.

I’ve finished the knitting on my pink version of the “Lanes Island Pullover” and just have to start seaming the shoulders. Maybe I’ll get to that today. I’d love to have it to wear over Thanksgiving weekend. We’ll see how I do – the shoulders are the most difficult part to seam. The rest is a piece of cake … and I will have to knit the collar at the end. Send me good seaming juju, will you please?

I’ve still got to finish the Christmas sweater for our granddaughter, too. Not much to do there, either. I think I just have to knit the button plackets and add the buttons – the ones I got a really fun! Another project that shouldn’t take long to finish but I’ve not had the bandwidth to do anything other than simple simple simple whatever. I hope today will feel a little bit better and that I can conquer at least ONE of these undone projects.

Gone knitting.

You CAN Teach an Old Dog!

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

It’s been a challenging last couple of knitting days. I’ll share the challenges with you in a bit but I want to also tell you about an exciting class that I took online yesterday with Janette Budge.

Janette is a knitwear designer in Shetland. Shetland is an island off the coast of Scotland and is known for its nearly treeless landscape, its free-roaming iconic Shetland sheep and its long history of hand-knitting. Janette told our class that her mother used to knit hundreds of colorwork sweater yokes each year onto machine knitted sweater bodies. The majority were knitted in the darker. months when there was less to do on the croft.

The class is to learn about picking colors for Fair Isle and to make a small knitted bag as a good way to swatch with our color choices. The first of this two-part classes was lots of talking about the traditional Shetland color pallets and how to choose colors for the background and the motif. It was fascinating! We have been given a pattern for the small bag that we’ll knit as our “swatch” and we have been encouraged to get a start knitting before our next class on Sunday.

After the class ended I pulled out my collection of Jamieson & Smith yarns to figure out what colors I have that will work on this design. I always like to use “bee” colors but I want it to really work in the Shetland manner. I first spread out all of my J&S yarns and organized them by color group. Since this bag doesn’t require a lot of yarn and, in fact, is perfect for using up bits and bobs of yarn which is typical of most knitters (and Shetland knitters only use Shetland yarns when knitting so they have a lot and they’re practical about using up all the little bits.) I wanted to use the colors that I’ve used previously since this is, technically, a swatch. So …

These are all of my attempts at making a color choice for my bag. I believe the last photo are my final choices using two or three background colors in the traditional white-yellow and then the motif colors in golds and browns with a pop of salmon. The base of the bag will be navy blue. The motif is a traditional star and tree and we were told to use two colors only if we’d never done stranded knitting and up to 9 colors if we had. I’ve got 9 but may use only 8. I will be emailing my choice to Janette for her counsel before I start knitting. I’ll let you know how I’ve done. (Crossing my fingers!)

This is my challenge from yesterday. I was happily knitting right along on the “Have You Seen My Octopus Hat” for a customer/friend and noticed this error. Can you see it? This is supposed to be a tentacle in a spiral and yet it’s got a couple of extra purple stitches that don’t belong. I considered leaving it and duplicate stitching blue over it but that didn’t last long as it’s not for me and I want it to be “right”. So, I frogged back to below the mistake and have been re-knitting since. I am reminded why I love Malabrigo Rios and why I don’t love it in colorwork projects. The stitches simply don’t “blend” in superwash yarns but it’s beautiful anyway. The hat has four repeats of the colorwork motif as you go around the hat and it’s easy enough to memorize what you’re doing in the subsequent sections and I can’t believe I added the two stitches, but there you are! I’m going to look at this project tomorrow in the light of day, early in the day, because I may have inconsistent stitch tension in the first few rounds … and that will mean that I am going to pull it all out once more and re-start. When someone buys a garment from me, they should know that it’s my best work. And I want only my best work to go out of my studio.

I am thoroughly enjoying the Arne & Carlos Christmas 2024 MKAL. We know it’s a Christmas stocking and once I got caught up to the MKAL, it’s been a very manageable 6 (or 12) rounds a day to keep up. I am loving this project in part because I love the yarn I’m using and it’s perfect for colorwork (not superwash and 100% wool). I’m using Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia Organic Merino. This stocking will likely be a decoration and not as a “real” stocking and it will match the 24 Advent Jumpers that I knitted in the last couple of years. I hope to get them hung up this year for the first time!

I’ve got a couple of other little projects on the needles, too. I sewed an advent calendar for my granddaughter and I’m filling the little pockets with treats and tiny toys (not too tiny, I promise!) In one of the pockets is a little hand-knit teddy bear and I’m knitting a pair of little socks in a new-to-me yarn by King Cole. It’s machine washable and dryable which is what my daughter wants to make their laundry a bit simpler. The socks are super cute. I’m using my Yankee Knitter pattern and knitting the child size. (They look HUGE!) I’m also knitting her Christmas sweater which she needs. Mom and Dad and Sylvie went to a Christmas themed restaurant in NYC last night and Sylvie wore last year’s sweater which is decidedly too small (but the Santa hat still fits!) She’s grown up so much in a year’s time!

Today, with any luck I’m going to start the sleeves on the sweater and tomorrow I’ll attack the Octopus hat. My car will be in the shop and I’m going to be stuck at home. Yay! I am always happy to be stuck at home because that means I have “nothing” to do and can spend the whole day in the atelier … or baking in the kitchen … or both.

Gone knitting.

Oh, Knitting … I love you.

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Wednesday, November 13, 2025 (photo by Ned Warner)

Well, I’m finally climbing up and out of the sinus crud that I brought back from New York. I took myself to the express care on Monday and got an antibiotic and it seems to be working its magic and I’ve been able to sleep the past couple of nights. Does one ever really “catch up” on sleep when one has missed it? Anyway …

I’ve been knitting my little fingers to the bone and it’s kept me upright and sane while not feeling well. I started the Snowflake sweater for my granddaughter’s Christmas sweater and found that the lace yoke, even though it’s relatively simple, should NOT be done while multi-tasking. Yesterday I found a mistake in the lace, right in front, that I couldn’t ignore so I frogged it back to the collar and started over. Needless to say, this time without the TV or computer in front of me. I’m so much happier with this second round of stitching.

I’m making the 1-2 year size because our Sylvie is a peanut and I do want this to fit her this year. I’m knitting it in Berroco Vintage DK which is washable and dryable should it make it into the dryer. I always prefer to hang hand-knits to dry because I think the heat of drying weakens the acrylic fabric despite a bit of wool. The lace yoke is simple enough and will be finished off with a placket and some buttons at the shoulder. The body of the sweater is simple stockinette stitch in the red colorway. I chose a deeper-than-Christmas-red color that I really like. Christmas red, to me, is just a bit to brash and orangey. This pattern is sized from infant to adult so maybe I’ll make us all one some day. Ha! Or maybe not. Ha! Ha!

I’ve also been working on my daily requirements, six rounds, of the Arne and Carlos Christmas 2024 MKAL. I’ve completed through day 11 (and today is day 12) and I’m really enjoying this project. I am enjoying it enough that I am considering doing the 2023 version as well. I just have to buy a bit more yarn. Imagine that?!

Arne & Carlos Christmas 2024 MKAL – day 11

I’ve wound up the yarn for the hat commission that I’ve agreed to knit for a high school friend’s younger sister. She loved the Have You Seen My Octopus hat that I made for Sylvie and asked if an adult version was possible. I have committed to getting it done by the end of the weekend and mailed off to her. I will get my 6 rounds of the stocking done and then cast on for the hat today. I am hoping to make it to work tomorrow and to teach on Friday where I can get some of it done, too. It’s a really fun pattern and the hat is adorable!

My Christmas Cactus, which I thought were Easter Cactus and now think may be Thanksgiving Cactus are blooming like crazy! I have got to get all my houseplants watered again but I haven’t had the energy up until now. I hope that I can get them watered today … I just have to pace myself. I’ve been home for a couple of weeks and work last week exhausted me so I’m trying to get back up to my normal speed but realize that I’m not yet “normal”. Today I ventured out for a doctor’s appointment, emptied the dishwasher and have run a load of towels in the washer. I’m trying some Borax to see if it’ll help the mustiness of our towels. I thought I’d take a few minutes to sit and write and gather some more energy for now. It’s still early.

Gone knitting.

Enough is Enough!

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

This morning was the morning that I’d committed to go see the doctor if I wasn’t feeling better and getting a good night’s sleep. The last couple of days I’ve feel pretty good all day and the night before last I slept pretty well but last night I was up coughing and blowing every three hours … not fun. So, off I went to the express care in Waterville.

I had to wait for the train to pass before leaving and then when I got there the parking lot was packed with cars. To my utter amazement, they were amazing and I was out of there in an hour-ish. I’ve got a prescription for an antibiotic which I hope will knock this thing out of me for once and for all.

After a couple of days of doing a lot of sitting and just not feeling particularly energetic, I have been doing quite a bit of knitting. I’ve made some good progress on a few of my WIPs.

My Jelly Roll blanket is coming along. I’ve finished the fourth strip and started the fifth. I’ve chosen to use up all of this one ball of left-over sock yarn this time which makes a long strip of the same color. (This color also ended the last strip.) But it’s a bit different than what I’ve been doing and should add a bit of fun to the finished project. This blanket may take a lifetime to complete but it’ll be scrappy and warm when it’s done. I still have a big basket full of scraps from socks I’ve made so I’m committed to keep going with it. I’ve made a few little tweaks to the pattern on the recommendation of the Crazy Sock Lady and they’re noted on my Ravelry project page.

Last night I reached the seventeen inches required for the sleeves of my Lane’s Island pullover. I bound them off and today, maybe, I’ll start seaming the shoulders and get it all put together so I can finish it. Lori Versaci makes seaming so effortless by adding an edge stitch and it’s so simple to seam the sides and sleeves between the two knit stitches. I’ve got to sew up the sides of the pockets, too, after which there will just be the collar to knit and I can wear it next week!

Earlier this week I got the MKAL bug and decided that I’d do the knit along with Arne & Carlos. They’re knitting another stranded Christmas stocking in three colors and I just couldn’t stand to miss out on this one (again) this year. We don’t NEED any more stockings but I can use them for guests or for simple decorations. I chose the yarn, Patagonia Organic Merino, in the same three colors that I used for my Advent Mini-Jumpers that I finally finished last year. That way, they’ll all match. I cast on Saturday and got through the sixth clue. Yesterday I finished the tenth one and that meant that I was caught up and from now on I can just knit the six rounds a day to knit along. I am really enjoying the pattern and I love the yarn. Once blocked, this will be a great addition to our Christmas decorations. (Maybe I’ll even put some up this year.)

Several days ago (perhaps a week ago now) I cast on the collar and started the yoke of my granddaughter’s Christmas sweater. I’m knitting it in Berroco Vintage DK because my daughter really wants to be able to wash and dry sweaters. I got this sweater idea from a customer who brought in three of them for her grandchildren. I loved it – classic, and really beautiful. So, I cast on Snowflake by Tin Can Knits. This sweater is one pattern in a collection and I bought the entire collection because there were several patterns in it that I really liked. I have already knit the little fingerless mitts, Marshmallow, for Sylvie and they’re as cute as I thought they’d be. They were also a super quick knitted project … finished in the car on the way to babysit!

I still have the colorwork cowl that I started and didn’t get much past the start of the ribbing. I think I recall that I had to pull out the colorwork because I didn’t like the way the floats were looking behind the pink fabric. These colors may not work for this project but it’s all good – there will be another project if this one doesn’t work.

I think that does it for my knitting projects right now on my needles. These are the ones that are keeping me company as I get over this crud that I brought home from New York. I went to work on Thursday but cancelled my classes on Friday (you know I wasn’t feeling well if I cancelled my favorite day!) and called out sick on Saturday. So, I’ve been home since Thursday night until my big outing this morning. I’m in for the duration now … and hope to be feeling much better by Thursday so I can get to work and class on Friday.

Gone knitting.

Home Again Home Again …

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

We’re home again as you can see by my photo of the lake this morning. I am happy to be home and ready to sleep in my own bed tonight. But we are going to miss our little muffin like crazy! We’ve had a full ten days in NYC with the family there and our hearts are so happy. We have been making memories.

The ride home was wonderful too. We stopped last night at my college roommate’s house in Connecticut for the night and a really sweet visit. Our almost 50-year-old friendship is so special!!! She’s moved into a new house and we got a chance to see it and catch up … even though I was whispering!

I’ve got a cast of laryngitis, I guess. We went to the NYCFC game in New York on Saturday with my future daughter-in-love (my son was called to Washington, DC for work unexpectedly) and we had such fun. We’d never been to a soccer game before but we have watched Ted Lasson so we have a bit of soccer knowledge … and we had fun. New York City was playing Cincinnati (where I raised my family) so I was torn about who to root for but I chose NYC and they won! (Apologies Cincinnati.)

In the past ten days I have gotten the first part of the sleeves of my pink Lane’s Island sweater knitted. There is four inches of ribbing and then it changes to stockinette stitch forever. I’m nearly done with the first set of increases. We had some new stitch markers arrive at the store and I bought a couple of packs before I left. I’m using them to mark my increases so I know how many I’ve made. It’s another wonderful tool for us knitters. More updates coming soon.

Gone knitting!

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie …

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Have you read the children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? Well, this was a morning like the book but it happened in my house and it happened to me!

I had ONE thing to do today and that was to finish making chocolate Babka. My bonus daughter in Colorado baked a Nutella Babka this past weekend and I was inspired to try making babka, which I love, too. The NY Times cooking recipe uses all ingredients that I generally have in my house so, why not? So yesterday morning I went to check that I had all the ingredients and to start by making the dough. I pulled out the eggs and butter so they could come to room temperature and I only had 3 eggs. I needed four. So I got dressed and went to town to get eggs and while I was there I figured I may as well stop at the town office and vote. I voted, bought my eggs and some whole milk at the corner store and then went home to start mixing.

I seem to have lost my dough hook that goes to my KitchenAid mixer so I decided to use the food processor. Got all the ingredients into it and tried to “wizz” it and fiddled with it to get it to turn on and began processing. Until the motor slowed to a near stop … no way was it going to mix the dough properly. I transferred everything to the mixer and turned it on and got it all mixed but it wasn’t coming away from the sides of the bowl. Added a bit of flour as instructed and a bit more and eventually it let go of the side. Into a buttered bowl to sit for an hour. Meanwhile, I made the fudge filling and the chocolate streusel. When the hour or two had passed, the dough was puffy so I punched it down and put it into the fridge for the night.

This morning I got the fudge filling out to come to room temperature and for whatever reason I decided I had to wash the two kitchen windows that flank the stove first. I guess they were bugging me. They were really gross and I love clean windows. So, I moved all the bottles of cooking oil, the knife block, butter dish and got the step stool to wash the window on the right. I took down the sun catcher and the old ladle and went to work. My husband does most of the cooking in our house (he’s a former chef) and he cooks at high heat. Thus our kitchen windows and anything within “spitting” distance gets greasy. I washed the window and trim as best I could and set all the bottles and stuff aside to wash later.

The window on the left was next. That bit of counter has the bread box from the original house, the radio he needs to listen while he works and a bunch of little toys and stuff he’s “hidden away” there (dog’s nail trimmer and a couple of shirt labels, plastic to fix the water toys, etc. I moved it all to the island, climbed up to wash the window and found that the plate hanging on the side of the pantry cabinet was also greasy so I took that down. The cabinet didn’t look great so I washed it down first (a very good thing!) and then did the window. Once clean, I had to clean off all the counters so I could roll out the bread, right? See where this is going?

I loaded up the dishwasher with as much of the stuff that I could and then hand washed the bread box, the charging cords, the antenna cord, the platter that hangs … lots of cleaning up. The only thing I didn’t wash (yet) is the radio because I’m hoping we can replace it with a Sonos speaker or something that actually works! The buttons on the radio no longer work so he uses it as more of a speaker for his music or NPR streaming. I started the dishwasher (who knew you could put wind up toys and finger puppets in the dish washer) and it was time to deal with the dough.

I cut the dough in half and rolled it into a rectangle and spread the filling, rolled up the dough, wrapped it in plastic wrap and froze it for (a little more than) 10 minutes, cut the rolls (the recipe makes two loaves) and “braided” them – it’s really a twist – and they are now in our laundry room, a nice warm place, for at least an hour until they are puffy again. I finished cleaning up the kitchen (I still haven’t cleaned the radio) and I was ready for a sit down.

I’m eager to try the Octopus hat on my granddaughter this weekend. I have a feeling it’s going to be a bit big because she’s a little nugget but it’ll fit her eventually. I can knit another smaller one, too. The hat is long and I may have said in my previous post that I’d try to cut out a few rounds before the colorwork begins and after the chart is complete. We’ll see how it fits and go from there.

I spent the evening yesterday working on my Jelly Roll Blanket and am so close to finishing the fourth strip. I really should finish the front of my Lane’s Island sweater today so I can knit the sleeves. I found a new cardigan that I think I’d like to make with some pumpkin-colored Patagonia yarn that I have in my stash but I have to finish Lane’s Island first! I’ll knit two sleeves at once again so they’ll be identical. I’ve begun the colorwork chart for my First Snowfall Neckwarmer that I cast on over the weekend. The first round had a 9 stitch repeat so a lot of catching floats. My main color is light and my contrasting color is dark and I fear they may show through but I don’t like the long floats that I have made so I’ll be frogging that round and re-knitting with more float catching. I also need to resurrect a WIP from time out. I think it’ll be the pink mittens that I need to embroider and then finish. I wan’t enjoying the embroidering when I kicked them to time out. We’ll see how I feel abut it now. *wink

The bread needs another hour to get puffy so I’m going to end now and find some yarn to play with.

Gone knitting.