Queen Bee Knits

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A Tale of Two Hats

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

It is a gorgeous day today! The sun has remained out all day and there’s not a cloud in the sky. I’ve been sitting in a virtual meeting and watching a pair of Bald Eagles out of my office window. This is the second day that I’ve been able to watch an eagle show while sitting in my atelier – and I am hoping for many more. They must be up to something … this is a lot of repeated and long-lasting views of a mature pair and an immature pair and an adult. It takes the eagles a long time to get their mature feathers so I am hoping they’re finding a nesting place near our house. There was an eagle’s nest a little ways south of our house years ago but it was blown down. It’d be great to know we have more than one nesting pair on our lake.

Meanwhile, last night while I was watching the Super Bowl and Bad Bunny I finished my second Melt the Ice red hat. This one I made in a “reject” cake of red Malabrigo something that was given to me because it was returned or rejected by a customer and it was already caked up. So, I set it aside with the knowledge that one day I would have a perfect project. That day has come. I know the yarn isn’t Rios because I made the first Melt the Ice hat in Rios. This yarn is heavier and less smooth. I am thinking Worsted or Washted? As soon as I can get to the shop, I will know what it is. BUT I loved knitting with it and the hat is a much better size for adult heads than the first one was. I made the first one according to the pattern exactly. It was small. Small for me and even small for my husband. This hat I made on a US 8 needle and I did 7 inches of ribbing and a few rounds of stockinette before the decreases. It’s a much better size.

Both hats are lovely but the little one would fit my 3-year-old granddaughter, I think. I can wear the newer one. I still have some red Rios and I think I’ll knit a third hat for my hubby on larger needles and with some extra ribbing again. Maybe six inches of ribbing and then a couple inches of stockinette? I don’t know but the ribbing is endless at six inches!

I’ve also made a dent in the Paper socks. I got the first sock completed and the second sock started … and some good progress on the leg. Once this pair is finished, I think I need to do some shorty socks and see how they go – there are a couple of pairs I’d like to try … Rose City Rollers and Laura Nelkin’s Larch Peds. And then I’m going to move over to some colorwork socks that appear in Summer Lee’s books. I just bought the second book Sock Obsession. There are some fun ones and I have quite a sock yarn collection. Ha! Ha!

I’m using a blend of the Yankee Knitter sock pattern and the heel from The Crazy Sock Lady’s Hermione’s Everyday Socks. I love the heel. It’s a little bit different texture and the garter stitches make a nice easy way to pick up the gusset. She say’s it’s a modified Eye of Partridge heel. I say, I love it!

This afternoon I’ll be working on my Le Bandana in my Good Trouble yarn. It’s coming along. I’m finding the pattern a little bit boring but it’s not bad for watching the Olympics at the end of the day. I like the yarn … I’m just a little bit wishing that I’d chosen Andrea Mowry’s Traveler Cowl. I’ve even thought about frogging and starting over … but my daughter’s Levitate Wrap yarn should be available by the end of the week and I want to start working on her sweater. I’d love to have it done and send it to her before Easter. Think that’s possible? I also have two sweaters and a vest that are making my fingers itch … my black Knitting for Olive Wilson sweater is one and I found a bag of yarn in my cupboard that I have carried with me for ages … the mohair that matches it perfectly has been ordered and I have more than enough for a sweater for me. I’m thinking the Harlow V Neck Sweater. I purchased gorgeous green linen yarn for the Broadgate Tabbard which I started and put aside because I don’t have the bandwidth right now to knit something super complicated but I’d love to have that completed before spring and summer. We’ll see.

I am forever enjoying the learning process that knitting puts in front of me. I love exploring the different patterns and yarns and I love getting to know myself and what I can and can’t do when my heart and soul are in that fight or flight mode and anxiety. My knitting calms me and brings me to a safe place where I can breathe and create.

Gone knitting.

End of Year Knitting Review

Posted on December 29, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

With only a few days left of 2025 I thought I could take some time on this miserably wet, cold, damp, icy, dreary Maine day to review my knits for 2025. I got quite a bit done this year and I am really happy with most of the things that I made. And I made some great knits for very knit-worthy people in my life.

I finished Dolores and made two of her outfits for her. She had been hanging around in my WIPs since 2018! She is now finished and I love her. I really need to create a space for her now … perhaps in my IKEA storage piece in my sewing room. She’ll need a whole cube to herself.

I knitted a couple of Love and Light hearts and they’re such fun to give away! My grandchildren both have one in their rooms and there’s one in Sylvie’s “special” room here at Yaya and Poppy’s house. I made a linen Anker’s Summer Shirt that I really love and have worn already several times. It’s a great color – especially with white jeans! I knitted a bunch of hats but my favorite by far was the Alpine Bloom hat I made for myself. It fits my big Rockwell head and I just loved knitting it. I knit a fun Musselburgh for Sylvie that she seems to love (she bragged about it at school) and another adorable hat for Mac.

I finally finished the mitts for my daughter to replace her old ones. She’s really happy with them and her boyfriend is a knitter and he’s also intrigued with them. I bought my first sweater kit from the Wooly Thistle and knitted up a Vanilla Sweater in Rauma Finull Garn and I love, love, love the color! My college roommate has asked me to make one for her. And I made a bunch of little sweaters for Sylvie, Mac, a new client from Louisiana and a few for myself.

I participated in the “bang out a sweater” with MDK twice this year and made my Cardoon sweater that I love, and my Bolin sweater, too. I also love my orange poncho and I can’t wait to wear my new Stockholm Slipover. One of my favorite knits was the Little Tern baby blanket that I made for our little Denver nugget, our grandson. This was the second time I’ve knit the blanket and I loved it just as much this time!

My records say that I have finished 65 things so far this year. I hope I can finish one more Musselburgh and hubby’s Christmas socks but I won’t fret if I don’t. I am satisfied with my 2025 number. 10 pairs of socks (some little ones), 17 hats and four headbands, 5 adult sweaters and one vest, 7 children’s/baby’s sweaters. And then add in a few baby blankets, mitts and mittens and a few other miscellaneous things. It’s been a good knitting year. I have exceeded my 2024 number by two! I guess I’m pretty consistent year-to-year.

I bought a pair of new Bullet Journals this year (one for this year and one for next year) and I’ve moved over all my important information into the new lavender book. 2025 has been a busy, full year and my gratitude practice has improved. I’ve taken good care of my body, seen my doctor for an annual check-up, made some changes in diet and lost some weight, volunteered in my community, spent quality time with almost all of our kids, and we really appreciate my kids for helping to get our guest cottage painted and hubby got the bathroom renovated. We spent a week at the beach with my kids, almost a week in Denver with hubby’s youngest and a long weekend with his eldest. We hope for more time together with our kids in 2026.

2026 goals: be kind. Listen more. Give myself more time to “do nothing” and I am going to take the first step to becoming a Master Knitter and enroll in the TKGA Master Knitter (part1) program. It could take me a year to finish the requirements and it’s a commitment for sure! I’m saving my pennies this year for a trip to Scotland in 2027 and we are going to attempt to rent our guest cabin here on the lake. How blessed we are to have such a full, creative life.

Gone knitting. (Actually, I’m heading to the kitchen to bake banana bread. We had some really ripe bananas.)

2020 The Year of the Rat

Posted on January 25, 2020 by Queen Bee Knits

Hello 2020!

Time sure does fly. I’ve told more than one friend and/or family member that I thought life would slow down and change after my kids were little and life was so busy-active. Once they grew up and had homes of their own, I imagined that time would slow and life would be less busy. Turns out that I was totally wrong. The time seems to only go by more quickly.

So, with that said, this is my first post of the new year and new decade. The year of the rat according to the Chinese calendar. I think it’s going to be another wonderful healthy year full of fun and lots of good knitting!

We have started 2020 with a Sock Challenge. Twelve pairs of socks, one each month. Two pairs can be little socks for children or “peds”, two need to be something you’ve never done before. I have finished two pairs of socks so far this year and am up to the heel on the first sock of the third pair.

January pair number one is for my granddaughter, Rose. Her name explains the color choice, n’est ce pas? Pattern is Yankee Knitter’s Classic Socks for the Whole Family. I did a 3 x 1 rib down the leg and on the top of the foot. Knitting for children, who grow too quickly, I like to build in a little bit of wiggle room. I measured their feet in May so I gave them an extra half-inch in foot length and made the large child size. This Cascade Heritage wool is nice and soft.

February pair number two is my DH’s Christmas socks. I’ve begun to give him a ball of yarn in his Christmas stocking (also hand-knit, not by me) because we all know that Christmas knitting leaves little time for selfish knitting and it’s the old cobbler’s children philosophy: no hand knit socks for my DH until after the paid knitting is finished. Anyway, this pair is also Yankee Knitter’s Classic Sock pattern and it’s a sport weight yarn by KFI with a touch of cashmere. They’re very soft and felt good on my knitting hands! That said, there are spots where it seemed like the dye hadn’t completely saturated the yarn but I hope that doesn’t reflect on the socks themselves. I have two more balls of this yarn because it feels so good. Another blue and a grey.

I’ve been wearing and loving wearing my Love Note sweater by Tin Can Knits. I love the yarn, the weight, the color and the fit. This may be my very most favorite sweater of the year and decade (so far!) I have a couple of other sweaters coming up on my queue and it’ll be interesting to see if I like them as well as I like my Love Note!

Today we had a visitor in our yard. I am so privileged to live on the edge of a lake in Central Maine. The Belgrade Lakes area is a well-known summer spot but it’s also a fun place to live in the winter. I know, many of you are wondering if my mental health is stable but I have to say, I love the snow and I love watching the different seasons and the way the lake and life changes. Today has been a relatively warm winter day for Maine and the lake was crawling with ice fishermen (and women), snow machines, and birds. I was thrilled when I returned from lunching with a girlfriend and saw a Bald Eagle on the lake about three quarters of a mile from our front porch. Later this afternoon, as I was sitting at my desk working, another (or maybe the same) eagle left the ice and flew straight toward our house and landed in our tree. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, “it doesn’t get old”! What a thrill watching these birds! I do have to watch the little dogs very carefully in the winter – an eagle or a big owl or hawk would love a shitzu feast.

Not a great photograph but he or she flew off just after I snapped this photo!

My philosophy for the next year is to be kind. Truthful and kind. Accepting and kind. Healthy and kind. Happy and kind. Loving and kind. Simply put I want to bee happy … and kind.

Gone knitting!

You can read more about my projects and yarns on my Ravelry project page. My Ravelry name is Lindar. You can also find Queen Bee Knits on Facebook and @QueenBeeKnits on Instagram.

Pure and Simple Start to April!

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Queen Bee Knits

I’ve made it through the winter without any illnesses and as soon as spring pops onto the calendar, BOOM! For the last couple of days I’ve been pumping EmergenC and AirBorne and vitamins with my Wellness Formula. My sweet husband has taken good care of me, I drank a lot of tea, and I am feeling better today.

I’ve also been knitting.

I started a little pullover, #214 Baby Pullover by Knitting Pure and Simple, for a new mom’s little baby girl. (I hope she doesn’t read my blog. I don’t think she does. I don’t want to give the surprise away.) I found the yarn on the shelf at the store when I was making room for some new yarns. (if you didn’t know that I work in a yarn shop, now you do … come visit at Yardgoods Center in Waterville, Maine!)

Sirdar has a chunky yarn called Imagination and it reminded me of a Monet Water Lilies painting. You all know what the Water Lilies paintings look like, right? If you don’t, Google it! They’re magnificent. This yarn is machine washable so easy for a new mom. I never machine dry my hand-knits. Some yarns are dry-able but I’d rather be certain and consistent so I hang/lay flat all my hand-knits. Sweaters I lay flat. Socks I hang over a hanger. This extends their lives and I never shrink any special hand-knits. (NOTE! Some yarn is not washable. If it isn’t super wash or acrylic or mostly acrylic, hand wash! You’ll never be sorry if you take that extra care!)

I immediately fell in love with the colors. I have whipped through the body of the sweater in a couple of days. It’s chunky so it knits up quickly. I’m making the 24 months size so that little Julianna can grow into it! Today I’ll get to the sleeves and maybe the collar, too. It’s soft, it’s washable, it’s so pretty! Did I mention that there are no seams?!

I’m also working on a Knitting Pure and Simple cardigan for myself.

I’ve had this beautiful blue/gray colorway of Malabrigo Rios forever. It’s been sitting on a shelf in my atelier for at least a year and maybe more like two. When I opened the bag of this yarn at the shop, I immediately put it aside for myself because I loved it so much. I’m making the 50″ size and my gauge is slightly off (the pattern calls for 4 stitches per inch and I am knitting at 4.375 stitches per inch). This will make my sweater just a bit smaller than the last sweater I made with this pattern. Which will be OK. I may decide to add a few additional increases to be sure it’s not too small. I’ll know when I have the sleeve stitches on a holder and I can try it on! I’ll have all the details on my Ravelry project page. I love, love, love the color and this yarn feels so amazing in your hands as you work with it. This will take me a couple more than a couple days to knit but it’ll knit up pretty quickly and it’s so pretty!!!

I finished the Ma Belle Amie cowl for my aunt and it’s wrapped and on it’s way to Lake Tahoe just in time for spring! I doubt that she’ll get to wear it too many times between now and next fall but what can one do?! I had to knit it and it had to be for her! I love the colors that I chose … they remind me of my aunt and her beautiful red hair (well, it was red when she was younger, it’s “bleached out” as she’s gone around the sun a few times! (Where’s the laughing until you cry emoji when you need it?!) This pattern is very versatile and can be knitted up in any yarn, really. I have one in solid colored wool that I love and this one has a variegated which I love, too. Choose a smaller needle for a tighter fabric or a finer yarn (or heavier yarn). The sky’s the limit!

I also knitted up a little rabbit on Tuesday when I was home sick. Baby Bunnies by Frankie Brown popped up in my Facebook feed one day and when I wasn’t feeling well, I grabbed a few scraps of yarn and knit up a baby bunny. He’s awfully cute! I think there will be an addition of some embroidery (eventually) but for now, I’m enjoying my sweaters so my bunny awaits!

I hope you had a happy Easter and Passover. I wish you peace.

Gone knitting!