Tag Archives: emmas practically perfect sock yarn

Sunday Funday!

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Sunday, August 10, 2025

It was a beautiful morning today and it’s going to be another hot one. In fact, the whole week looks like it’ll be hot and the lake association is warning boaters that the lake is very low (all the dams up stream are closed) and without rain, we are going to be having quite a drought. We are watering our vegetable garden (with a soaking hose) but it’s concerning when you’re on a well. We will be very careful with our water until we get a good drenching rain. If you follow @QueenBeeKnits on social media, you’ll also see my hummingbird video. The little imps are very fun to watch over our morning coffee (or all day long.)

I’ve made my way up to my atelier to write a post and to find my knitting … today I’m going to have a day where I do only what I want to do. No “shoulds” allowed. I have a very busy two weeks ahead and I need to take the time to let my body and mind rest up ahead of the craziness and from all the wonderful time we’ve had with our guests over the last several weeks, too.

I’ve been knitting! Last weekend I started my commission cardigan for a client in Louisiana. Yesterday when my dear hubby and I were at the third annual Silent Film Festival (our first time attending) I got to the third button hole. I believe I’m about half way up the body of the cardigan. This yarn is Virginia Fingering from Urban Girl Yarns and it’s lovely to work with and I love the colorway. The pattern is a simple, classic cardigan by OGE Knitwear designs called Sorrento Cardigan. So far, the pattern and yarn are playing nicely together. I don’t anticipate any problems going forward.

I’ve also resurrected my All About the Ruffles Shawl from the bottom of my knitting bag. I haven’t worked on this for several weeks and it needed some attention. I’ve made it to 100 stitches on each side of the middle/spine stitch and have several more repeats to go before I get to the required stitch count and the fun part – the ruffle. It’s pleasant knitting for later in the day and when I’m watching TV with the hubby. I do love the yarn, Emma’s Practically Perfect in the Harbor colorway. It’s a lovely deep blue-green and I think this shawl will be really fun to wear in the fall. I will get it done!

Yesterday I also worked on my August SISC (Self-Imposed Sock Club) socks for a bit, too. I’m working my way down toward the toe of the first sock and I have to knit seven inches for it to be the right length before I begin the toe decreases. This pattern asks for an afterthought heel (see the marker) which will be added after the toe is finished (and maybe after the second sock is knitted as well.) I love the color of this yarn and I was recalling that Franklin Habit had knitted a pair of socks in just this yarn and added a little cross-stitched bee to the ankle with some fabric that goes away after adding water. I may be thinking about adding a bee to at least one of my socks if I can find the fabric to stitch over.

I finished knitting my Big Love Cardigan in Berroco Pima 100 cotton yarn and gave it a soak in my usual sink and blocked it on my cutting mat like I’ve done for every other garment that I’ve knitted in several years. BUT this time, there was a color problem and my sweater ended up with all sorts of weird spots of discoloration. I was concerned that it was going to be ruined. BUT I bought it into work on Friday and sewed in all the ends and decided that I’d wash it in my washing machine as the yarn band tells you to do and I’m so happy to report that the sweater is perfect. I blocked it the second time, flat on my cutting mat with a towel underneath. Phew! I am going to fix a few ends that have popped through the fabric, add my label and it’s ready to wear if we ever have a cool night again. (I know we will soon enough.)

I have also pulled out the caftan for Dolores from the bottom of my knitting bag. I’ve finished the main part of the garment and really should focus on finishing the other parts and putting it together. It’s such a gaudy garment and Dolores is going to rock it, totally. I will knit the head wrap, too, because she needs it to finish the look. I still have a couple more outfits to complete and think that she needs a clothing rack to display her outfits. (My husband is going to kick me right out of the house if he sees this. LOL)

Around the house things are growing and happy for the sunshine and heat. The hydrangeas all around the yard are thriving. Yesterday I watched some little birds by the shore of the lake for quite some time. It’s what we do in the morning. When our kids were here, my granddaughter and I planted some pea seeds in our garden and they’re growing! I’m tickled to see the plants popping up through the dirt and they’re starting to be tall enough to train to grow up the chicken wire we’ve installed. When we have peas we’ll send some to her in New York City (although she told me in her little 2-and-a-half-year-old voice that she planted pea seeds in her home in New York City with her grandma and they’re growing, too. I love her imagination and seeing her little brain working and growing, too.)

I moved my African Violets from the living room dry sink where I have traditionally kept them because they weren’t looking so good. They were droopy and sad looking. Now they’re gorgeous! Tons of flowers and the leaves look healthy and happy. We all need a change of venue now and again so we can continue to thrive, don’t we? The rest of the house plants are also doing well. I have a giant pathos plant that is gloriously healthy and keeps growing across the living room floor. If you need some baby pathos plants, let me know. LOL

And last but not least, I got some new earrings in the mail yesterday. I ordered them from Jennifer at Bur Oak Studios and I am even happier with them now knowing that she’s a one-woman woman-owned business and she’s in New England (Vermont)! I don’t often put my face out there in the world but I had to take a selfie to show you my new earrings. I love them and they’re so light I don’t even know they’re there! Thanks, Jennifer. Jennifer is coming to the SPA in Freeport, Maine this winter (February) and I am looking forward to going down to Freeport and meeting her and I’ll just have to buy more earrings!

This is me! 67 and as happy as I’ve ever been.

Gone knitting.

I’d love to give credit to the artist for this image …. but I don’t know who it is. Any thoughts?

Another Rainy Saturday with “Nothing” to Do

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Saturday, June 7, 2025

We had coffee on the porch again this morning. It wasn’t a gorgeous morning but we appreciate any time we get to spend out there in the peace and quiet. No loud boats full of tourists from away and not even any fishermen this morning. And then it started to drizzle as it has done on the weekend for what seems like every single weekend since the snow melted. (I’m sure it hasn’t been every one but, geez!, it sure feels like it!)

I’ve been straight out this week and it made the time pass very quickly. I am home this weekend with a very long list of to-dos and I hope to reclaim some time to really focus on getting some of my knitting projects over their humps … most of my WIPs are in a place where I need to pay attention and I’ve been too tired at the end of the day this week.

SO, I’ve paid quite a bit of attention to my Jelly Roll blanket. I’ve managed to start another column of knitting and that makes me, most likely, about half-way finished with the project. I still have a ton of bits and bobs of fingering weight sock yarns so I guess this either has to be much larger than I really wanted it to be or I need to stop knitting socks. We all know that the latter won’t happen so I will have to find more sock yarn scrappy projects to use up all the yarn I’ve collected over the years. It’s not the prettiest blanket to be sure but it’s going to be useful and warm for someone. AND, bonus, I think it’s going to be washable on cold/gentle setting.

Jelly Roll Blanket

And I’ve finished Dolores and her shawl (I haven’t knitted her hat yet, but I may … or may not) and she’s been sitting on my extra chair in my atelier with a whole lot of attitude demanding that I make her some new clothes. So, I started her first outfit from a kit that I bought in “ahem” 2017 or 2018. It’s designed by Franklin Habit and it’s hilariously sparkly silver and purple and it will become a dress, if my understanding is correct. I’ve gotten to the short rows at the bottom of the underskirt which I need to pay attention to so I don’t make mistakes. It’s a hoot.

I think this will be what I pick up first today.

Vanilla Socks … Yankee Knitter pattern

I started a pair of socks the other day for some “brainless” knitting. I can knit this pattern with two hands tied behind my back. The yarn was given to me so I have no idea what it is other than to report that it’s lovely and soft. I think they’ll be for my middle daughter who likes my hand knit socks and will take care of them and she likes darker colors. The colorway is glorious despite being dark. It reminds me of cathedral windows or stained glass in many ways. Don’t ask me why. I am in the process of knitting the heel flap on the first sock and am close to turning the heel.

I’ve got to pick up the pink mittens again, too. AND my Big Love cardigan. I need to get some major time with the Big Love so that I can bring it to work with me and work on it while I teach.

This week I finished a second Love and Light and hung it up in our granddaughter’s little sleeping nook. It’s plenty of light for her room and it dims to 20% when she’s sleeping. We haven’t made any progress with the mattress support. That’s next and then I can make her bed. Love and Light is a quick and fun project knitted with fairy lights and big DPNs. It’s a hot mess until you’re finished and stretch the wires out ever so gently teasing them into shape. I love making them.

I also cast on my All About the Ruffle Shawl yesterday. I have two (and one on hold just in case) hanks of Emma’s Practically Perfect Sock yarn in a dark teal colorway called Harbor. I cast on and it’s perfectly boring with a ton of garter stitch and increases on the right side. I am going to be increasing for ages until I get to somewhere around 400 stitches if memory serves and then the magic begins.

All About the Ruffle Shawl

On the home front, we ordered a dining room chandelier this week. Our dining room table has been in the dark for over a year since we took down the heavy beam light that my hubby designed and we decided after almost 10 years that we didn’t love it and then we couldn’t find anything we both loved. The new lamp is more his choice than mine but I am tired of looking and wanted to get it checked off my list of to-dos. Now he has to move the box and install the light. Maybe tomorrow.

I did a deep clean in our room the other day. Moved all the furniture and vacuumed up umpteen spidery webs. Now if I could just figure out how to wash the windows over our bed without having to go outside with a ladder. I know I won’t survive the climb up the ladder … on the dirt … on the hill … by the creek … there must be an easier way, right? We are in the process of finding a new bed for us and moving our bed to the guest room and the guest room bed to the guest cottage that we are going to rent out when it’s done. The bathroom is being updated/cleaned up/refreshed and then it needs a good cleaning and a kitchenette and we’ll be ready to go. (By then it’ll be too cold to rent until next summer.) We also have to paint the outside of the building. Hmm. Anybody know a reasonable painter?

Gone knitting.