Queen Bee Knits

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

Tuesday Newsday? …

Posted on February 18, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, this week is going to be dis-ordered mess because my normal routine has been altered right out of the gate. Ha! Ha! I worked yesterday, swapping with a co-worker my Thursday so she could go on a little family trip. I had a very busy day at the store yesterday and today I’m going to head to Scarborough to pick up my new glasses. I am so excited to have a pair of prescription sunglasses again! I can hardly contain myself.

I’ve been working away at trying to finish a few projects and have had limited “head space” because of the horrible news coming out of Washington, DC. I’m emotionally exhausted and am limiting my news intake but sheesh, it’s coming from everywhere and all at once. It’s overwhelming and very concerning. This is an into into what I’ve been knitting and what I am able to knit because some days I simply can’t concentrate on my more complicated knitting projects and I choose to knit simply. Other days I can do some stranded colorwork and some days I can manage BLACK yarn stranded colorwork. Ha! I’m giving it all my best efforts but, whew!

I’ve made some progress over the weekend and the snowy Sunday on two projects in particular. My daughter’s fingerless mitts and the Winter’s Finery Shawl.

One picture of each needle, these are the Rain Shadow Mitts for my daughter. I had to frog several rounds because I had made a mistake on the chart on the front (far right photo) of the mitts and it wasn’t lining up correctly. They’re going to be really pretty but it’s difficult for my “old” eyes to see the black yarn any time other than in the morning and it needs to be sunny and bright. It’s fun to knit, though and I know my daughter will love them. I sure hope they fit as well as her old ones. I’m working these with Brown Sheep yarn’s Nature Spun Fingering yarn. The colors were chosen by my daughter.

My WInter’s Finery shawl is off the needles and now I have to sew in the eighty bazillion little ends on the ornaments along the edge. I got three or four done last night after work before turning to my sock. My brain and body couldn’t handle thinking at the end of the day. I used a special skein of Canadian hand-dyed yarn for the shawl and pulled out a bit of scrap sock yarn for the ornaments so they’d be a brightly-colored contrast. I thinkI I’m going to like this and I can wear it during PRIDE month because it’s a rainbow on the edge! I may choose to block it before I finish weaving all the ends … we’ll see. It’s going to need to be pinned or blocking wires will be used to pull the points out.

I’ve gotten my On The Round socks past the heel turn. On to the gusset and the foot on sock #1. I chose to do a 3×1 rib on the leg and the top of the foot on this pair just for something a little bit different. I think they’ll be great.

I’ve bought yarn to make a couple more hats/tams for my customer. Another navy blue and another black. Then she said she wants a cream colored one. I got the yarn for that, too. I’ll get them all done and she can buy two or three. They don’t take too much time. I’ve also got a sweater’s worth of orange Rowan Felted Tweed that’s driving me crazy! I want to make the Bolin cardigan that’s the MDK Bang out a Sweater project for this month. I’m having so much trouble deciding if I love the orange color so I think I’m going to make an orange vest and buy yarn to make a more neutral-colored Bolin. I’m thinking an oatmeal-y color for a neutral but I think I’ll stop at Freeport today to look at the colorways to decide. I don’t want a pale color but I think I want a neutral. I think a big orange cardigan on me would be too big and bright and pumpkin-y. Choosing colors is no easy feat.

With that, I am leaving. I have to refill my coffee cup and get rolling to pick up my glasses and run my couple of errands before I can sit and knit for the afternoon … and do the laundry. Sometimes it’s the simple things that matter.

Gone knitting.

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.

Another Day Another Post

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

A view from my desk this morning of the lake and the sunshine! Sunshine! Everything in our house is damp and it’s a relief to see the sun today. It rained most of the night last night and the haze is noticeable this morning. But I am so happy to see the sun.

I’ve put our sofa cover on the porch to dry since the dryer didn’t finish the job, made my chicken salad for my summer book club this afternoon and have begun our laundry. We were so lucky to have had a surprise visit from my brother and sister-in-law and my niece and great-nephew for one night last weekend. It was short but super sweet. Noah is a month older than Sylvie and it’s fun to watch the two of them grow and change!

I’ve been knitting away and have finished three baby hats, two pairs of matching baby mittens and two pairs of toddler mittens. I wrote about the hats in my last post. The mittens are a simple little pattern that I picked up at my LYS and made them with the same yarn that the hats are made of … with a bit of yarn left over. I’m considering an i-cord string to keep mittens in their jackets but wonder if new parents of infants will be ok with putting a string in back of a baby’s neck. Your thoughts?

Infant Top Knot hats, my design in Lang Merino 200 Bebe

There is one more pair of infant mittens to go … maybe my nephew in AZ will take the baby outside on a cold day. Having lived in Florida, I know temperature is relative. And the toddler mittens with the cable are done and ready to be gifted. In fact, I will probably send my brother and sister-in-law home with Noah’s pair just in case we don’t get to see him for a bit. We may only be three hours away but it sometimes feels like it’s triple that! We sure do seem to be busy!

I’m trying to finish up Noah’s Macaroon sweater, too. I’m working my way up the back and will hit the button placket soon enough. I love the colors that I chose for his sweater and it makes me think that I may change up the colors I chose for Sylvie’s sweater. I hope to have hers done by the time we go to the beach in September for our annual family gathering.

French Macaroon Sweater in Berroco Vintage DK

I also have been working on my brother-in-law’s socks. I love the yarn, it’s so soft and I’m knitting the Yankee Knitter’s sock pattern. US2 DPNs and 64 stitches. This is my favorite sock pattern of all time and I have it mostly memorized. Whenever I sell one of these at work I tell them about my first copy that I’ve used so much that it is in four pieces. I’ve bought the pattern twice more since then: a new printed copy and an electronic version. You never can have just one!

Yankee Knitter #29 Socks pattern on Online Supersocke 4-fach Merino

Today I will be winding the yarn to being my Christmas stocking commission for my college roommate’s new grandson. I want to get that one done and dusted (and sent off) before we head out for vacation. I’m pretty sure I can do that if I focus on it during the daytime. My aging brain likes to knit without thinking in the evening. And fortunately my boss is coming back from her extended vacation this weekend so my double and at times triple hours will be ending. I’m grateful for larger paychecks during her absence and will be grateful for the extra time, too.

I’ve got to end here and run down to swap out the laundry and get myself ready for the day. I’m working on a new ending to my posts because “gone knitting” (a knitterly twist on gone fishing which nobody may have picked up on, I don’t know.) Let me know if you like “gone knitting” … for now, it’s not very truthful but I will knit at some point today.

Gone knitting.

Making and Baking

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Today I’m changing up my first photograph. This is the second loaf of bread that I’ve baked since the New Year. The bread store that we’ve been enjoying for as long as we’ve lived here full time has closed. The city is building an affordable housing complex and will demolish the Universal Bread Bakers building. We have missed Adrian’s bread and had to figure something out to replace it and I decided to try the NY Times “No-Knead Bread” recipe. It’s simple ingredients and quick to mix but it takes a lot of time to let it do its thing until you can bake it: 12-18 hours of rising time, 2 hours and 15 minutes of resting and rising time after that and then you can bake it in 45 minutes. BUT it’s really good!

I also baked Hermits today (while I was waiting for the bread to complete its second rise. The recipe is a really old one and I love having it and using it. It came from my paternal grandmother’s recipe box which I have since passed on to my cousin. Granny Rockwell was a Cordon Bleu- trained cook. I’m not sure how she did that but her family was privileged even way back when. Granny was born in the late 1800s and was a student at Smith College in 1911 when her father took her on a “world tour”. I assume that’s when she took classes in France, but I’m not sure. A side note: when she died and we were cleaning out her house, we found a mint green satin cape from Paris in the attic. What I would give to have that today. I also found a drawer full of glass eyes. I never knew she had one and still don’t know how she lost her eye.

I’ve had a couple of FOs in knitting and sewing, too. Last week I sewed four linen dish towels. It doesn’t sound like a lot but it’s a start digging into the fabric and projects that I’ve accumulated over the years. I also washed, dried and ironed some fabric for a baby quilt and a tunic for me.

I loved (loved!) knitting the Double Thick Hat pattern. A customer told me about it and I really enjoyed it and the yarn, Juniper Moon Farm’s Herriot Fine, is sooooo wonderful to work with. I have the equivalent of another hat left over and will cast on another one soon.

I also finished my second pair of socks for 2024. I used deeply stashed yarn from the Maine Fiber Frolic that I have to have been carrying around with me for 10 or more years. It feels so good to be knocking down the stash. I default to the Yankee Knitter sock pattern and love it so much and I did that again for these socks. They’re simple, plain socks so the busy colorful yarn can take center stage. The yarn is from Maine Woods Yarn in superwash sock colorway is Maine Lobstah. I think it looks like a cooked lobstah!

I’m still working my way down the sleeve of my traditional Norwegian sweater. I’ve put the one sleeve on hold and am working down the second one. I hope that I can then do both sleeves’ colorwork and cuff. I’m not sure why this is such a challenge to knit but I am going to believe that the old pattern from another country where knitting is a part of the fabric of the culture assumes that the knitter knows certain traditional techniques. I will master this bit but it sure does intimidate me. I don’t want to get it wrong after all this knitting … and I sure hope I’m not allergic to this wool yarn! (I put on my “Patsy’s Traveling Sweater” the other day and had to take it off because it made me cough and my eyes were running. It’s made in Plymouth’s Gina, now discontinued. I’ll try to wear it once more and will give it away if I can’t wear it.)

My friend and co-worker, Glenda, and I were twins at work last Friday. We both wore our Nancy’s Vest that we knitted together in a self-proclaimed KAL. We both loved the pattern because it taught us a few new techniques without being too difficult and we love the Manos of Uruguay Milo yarn.

On my needles: a new pair of socks using another deeply stashed sock yarn by Socks Yeah! by CoopKnits In a peachy colorway. I am using Hermione’s Everyday Socks pattern by Erica Lueder which is a free pattern on Ravelry. It’s a simple 4-round repeat pattern and I find it seriously potato-chippy. I can’t seem to stop knitting them. I love the yarn. LOVE it! I originally got this yarn with a collection from the UK from Arnall-Culliford Knitwear for a series of lessons called A Year of Techniques (which went on for three years with three different books, all different yarns and patterns. It was wonderful!) If my memory serves, the peachy colorway was to have been one of three colors for a knitted animal. I didn’t want to knit the animal and so here we are.

And as I mentioned earlier, I’m working down the second sleeve of my Norwegian pullover. Progress is being made. I’ll be casting on a new project with Glenda soon for our new spring KAL project. It’s fun knitting with a friend! We will be knitting Susan B. Anderson’s Christopher Bunny. Something fun and a little bit different for heading into spring. I have to finish my sweater soon so I can start knitting another new project. AND I will be pulling my pink mittens out again – the first one needs to be embroidered and finished and the second mitten, too. So many projects, so little time. Ha! Ha!

This is my weekend to work again so I won’t be knitting on Saturday but Sunday I will give myself the day to relax and knit. I’ll need it after three days at work. For now I’m signing off and heading over to my knitting chair. It was a beautiful day on the lake.

Gone knitting.

FOs and Re-Dos

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

We are having some snow again today and we had some ice on Thursday. It’s winter in Maine and I have to say that I am a happy girl. I love the winter and I love the snow. I feel like the media has been really good at scaring the pants off of us and now we are told to stay home even at times when the driving isn’t bad. I headed out to work on Thursday after we got a quarter inch of ice and I had no trouble getting out of our driveway or getting to the store … and as my car slipped by the back door (ha! ha!) I decided that I’d park out front where nobody would have such a good opportunity to slip down the hill and into my car. I’m so grateful for my cleat-thingys that keep me upright on ice.

I’ve just finished sewing the perfect buttons on my Nancy’s Vest. It is finished. I wore it to work today buttonless and I love the way it fits. I also love the weight of the yarn and it’s soft and just enough gray and brown all at the same time.

So, now I have two vests … and there are going to be more of them in my future.

I pulled my sleeve out of my Women’s Favorite Genser again. In its first iteration, the sleeve decreases were too far apart and the sleeve would have been too long and the stitch count off for the colorwork before the cuff ribbing. On the second iteration, I realized that the increases were too close together which made the sleeve too narrow too soon. Now on my third try, I’m decreasing “in the middle” of the other two and I think it’s looking good. Cross your fingers.

I’m working on my Cooked Lobstah socks and my Double Thick Hat. They’re both easy patterns that I can nearly knit with my eyes closed. I may have mentioned that I hate myself in hats. The only ones that I wear are saggy baggy hats that fall down over my eyes. I only wear them if I have to go out with wet hair in the winter or if I am spending time outside like when I clean off my car or help shovel. But that’s the long way of saying that even though I am making this hat for me, I may decide that I hate it. AND I hope I don’t hate it but it’s more than possible. BUT I love the yarn! I’m knitting with Juniper Moon Farm’s Herriot Fine. I had two hanks of it in my stash, they were a gift from our KFI salesman at the store. He always sent something for “the girls”. (ha! ha!) Herriot Fine is absolutely gorgeous to work with. It’s soft and comes in lots of pretty colors. I have a blue and a creamy oatmeal color. Not thrilling colors but if I love the hat, I can worry about different colors later.

And the socks are just my “run-of-the-mill” socks using Yankee Knitter’s pattern #29. I love the pattern and have knit so many socks over the years that I practically know the pattern by heart. This crazy colorway that I bought at the Maine Fiber Frolic years (and years) ago. These socks will be a gift, as with the blue striped pair that I just finished.

I have a brand new knitter in my afternoon knitting class and today’s storm kept almost everyone home. It gave me an opportunity to help H. remember how to cast on and how to purl so she can try to make her first pair of mittens. She picked up purling really quickly and I feel pretty good sending her home to practice and I told her that if it doesn’t go well, it’s all good. Consider it an opportunity to practice! It’s a ribbed cuff and it can be frogged and re-knit and I told her that I’m re-knitting a sleeve for the third time.

Knitting offers us the opportunity to get used to making mistakes. I used to get frustrated and annoyed by making mistakes but now I can take them in stride and begin again. Forgiving yourself (and others) is a skill that is learned over time and knitting has helped me be more accepting of myself and my flaws. It’s also taught me to be more flexible and forgiving with others. I’m grateful for my sticks and string for having added so much joy to my life but I am also grateful for the lessons that it’s taught me. Life is good.

Gone knitting.

Back to the Drawing Board

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

I’m posting a photo from yesterday because this morning we are facing a wall of fog. The air is relatively warm and the ground is cold after several days of unusually cold weather and our first plowable snow. We were in New York City taking care of our granddaughter and missed the snow – it’s not yet shoveled from the driveway and if we actually get rain today as the weathermen suggest, what little we have will be melted away.

We had a wonderful time in New York with the kids and grand. My eldest and her husband took off for Miami for a few days and we stepped in and stepped up to watch the baby and their very senior dog. And we had a wonderful time! Sylvie is engaging and has a great sense of humor. She’s adding new skills daily and communicates with baby sign language (hungry, more, all done). We both adore her and she really loves her Poppy.

While we were there I attached some legs to the Very Hungry Caterpillar that I knitted for her (and she loves). The pattern was simple enough to knit but didn’t have any legs in the pattern. I knitted six legs at home and brought them to NY to attach, a good choice since I didn’t knit more than a couple of rounds the entire six days we were there. I was playing with Sylvie or cleaning up or sleeping. Regardless, the caterpillar now looks more like the illustrations in the books.

If I were to knit this stuffed toy again, I would make the body and head in one piece rather than making them separately and stitching them together. I made the legs with a 4-stitch i-cord and they’re about an inch long. I pulled the yarn through after sewing them on the body and then tightened it up to make the legs “bend”. Because Sylvie is a chewer and everything goes into her mouth, the eyes and nose are sewn on, too. No buttons for this child.

I have designed and knitted her Christmas sweater for 2023. Unfortunately, I need to rework the upper part and, frankly, if I had time, I’d take off the binding at the bottom and extend the brick pattern by one or two repeats. But I don’t have time so I’m going to lengthen the chest/upper body and then block the sweater a little more aggressively than I would normally to widen it a bit and lengthen it, too.

I will be writing up the pattern and hope to find someone to help me grade the sizes. I think it’s super cute. I will be taking the top back to the first few round of raglan decreases and will add several more rounds to make the top a little deeper (and the sleeves a little wider at the shoulder). Overall, the size I made is too small for Sylvie. It would be pretty perfect for a 6-9 month old I think. She’ll wear it for a few photos and then take it off … lessons learned. Knitting is so good at making me feel more humble.

I also finished knitting the i-cord “string” for Sylvie’s second pair of thumbless mittens. These are red (duh!) and are quick to knit. I’m amazed to report that she even leaves them on! Next year we will graduate to larger mittens with thumbs but this year those little fingers spread out and it would be impossible to get a little thumb into a mitten thumb.

The last photo is exactly how much knitting I got done this past week. For someone who prides herself on daily knitting practice, I was SO busy with Sylvie, getting her fed, bathed, and changed, etc. that I just fell into bed at the end of the day. I didn’t read much or knit much at all. The car rides to and fro were different, however!

On my needles Christmas edition (I have more but they’ve been set aside for deadline knitting!)

A hat to match Sylvie’s Christmas sweater … my thought is to make it appear that she’s the Santa popping out of the chimney.
Socks in Paton’s Kroy in blue stripes
I have yet to start and must get going on a golf tam for Kyla in beige
AND I have to frog and reknit the Christmas sweater itself

Life is good. Gone knitting.

How Today’s Going

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

Today is my last day at home before returning to work after having some cruddy virus-type thing. I’m still coughing and stuffy but I do think I’m on the upswing and am feeling much better. My sweetie not so much. Today’s been one of those days where your plan just keeps falling apart.

I always spend a few minutes at my desk in the morning to have a look at what I need to get done that day, if I have any meetings, etc. Today I got myself ready to start the day and headed downstairs to fold the laundry. When I went into the bathroom I noticed that the toilet seat needed attention so I cleaned it up. The sink also needed attention so I cleaned it and the counter. Finally, it was time to fold the laundry and put it away. Done and dusted. I thought I’d make granola next and walked by my purse in the front hall which reminded me that I had wanted to changing purses so I went into our closet and found that my two vintage Coach purses at the bottom of the bin were moldy so I grabbed the shoe polish and the purses and went out into the kitchen to clean and polish them. My purses look brand new after more than 40 years and I switched my stuff from my “fall” purse into the oldest and smallest Coach purse that I have. I bought it on sale at Lord & Taylor in Manhattan when I lived and worked there. It was my first ever Coach purse. After putting the other purses back in the closet, I got out the makings for granola.

And while the oats, etc. were toasting, I remembered to catch up on my Wovember posts on Instagram.I know that committing myself to these monthly postings is going to be tough but I try it again and again. I was really behind … like 5 or six days behind. I’d thought about the posts and had taken some photos but needed to take a photo of the afghan that my grandmother’s friend Ruth gave to me as a shower or wedding gift the first time I was married. Ruth is my knitting hero. She could knit while drinking coffee, smoking a cigarette and watching TV. The afghan remains one of my favorites despite the acrylic yarn. I noticed it needs some repair – it has a few pulls – and I’ve added that to my mending list. I wrote my post while the liquid part of the granola was melting and then put the granola together and back into the oven.

I had emptied a bottle of fizzy water and hadn’t refilled it so I did that, put away the dry dishes on the drainboard, cleaned up the kitchen and washed the top of the island (I had to scrub a bit of shoe polish off.) Meanwhile, I’d forgotten to eat breakfast so I grabbed the last of the baked oatmeal out of the freezer and popped it into the microwave. See how it’s gone? I’ve made headway into the day but geez, there’s a lot of side trips! Ha! Ha!

Look how happy my houseplants are! I am thrilled to see the show they’re putting on this year. My Thanksgiving Cactus is in full bloom. It’s absolutely covered with flowers. The second one, is blooming too but nowhere near as fully as the red one. Our orchids are STILL blooming. They’ve been incredible and in nearly constant bloom for months. Yes, you read that right, MONTHS! My father would be so proud of me and I know that Helen is smiling.

I really am knitting. I’m endeavoring to design a Christmas sweater for Sylvie. She’s a year old but she’s a peanut so I’m not sure what size to knit but I’ve just begun and am hoping it’ll fit! I’ll write the pattern down when it’s done … maybe … but I think it’ll be cute and different. I’ve got the body done and am knitting the sleeves. Since they’re little, they won’t take a lot of time. The Yoke will be worked pretty simply with raglan decreases and then embellished once the sweater is knitted. I’m not going to share any more photos (the one below was posted to Instagram) until it’s finished but there are hints on my Ravelry project page.

I’ve set aside my pink mittens with some of the embroidery done and some yet to do. I’ll get them finished when I am done with Sylvie’s sweater. They may travel with me for Thanksgiving. We shall see. I’m continuing to work on my Nancy’s Vest slowly but surely and mostly in the evenings when I am too tired for colorwork and design work. I’ve got five of the seven button holes knitted so I’m making progress. I hope it’s going to be long enough … it looks like it could be really short. If that’s the case, I’ll rip it out and start again. I am trying to take my own advice and trust the pattern.

My gray socks are still on the needles. I found a dropped stitch way back and pulled it up as far as I dared. I’ll secure the one stitch when it’s finishing time. I’ve already added a stitch so that my count is correct. They’re for me so it doesn’t really matter if they’re perfect. Well. they’re perfectly imperfect.

My studio and home are a mess and I can’t leave for Thanksgiving before it’s cleaned up a little bit. Guess we’ll be vacuuming and dusting this weekend. Holiday travel is not my cup of tea and I’m trying to get myself into the mindset that what happens happens. We are so fortunate to be able to travel and to be invited for a Thanksgiving visit. Our generator is in good working order should we lose power and we have Tom coming to raise our guest cottage sometime during the long weekend so he’ll check on the water issue (we’re waiting on parts so it can be fixed.) Monk will be happy to see his friends at the kennel. We have everything that’s within our control done. The rest is up to the universe.

Gone knitting.

PS. Two more thoughts. First. I went to the doctor because I wasn’t feeling well on Thursday last week. When we bring our dog to the veterinarian, they call to see how he’s doing after the visit. I’ve heard not one word from my doctor. Second. The weather is really feeling wintery now. We (the royal we) covered the garlic with straw and it’s time to cover the Rhododendrons that we’ve been nursing for years. They’re getting a bit bigger but the weight of the snow (and the workers) may hurt them. Guess it’s time to put the life jackets and oars away, too. The dock’s only been gone a month or so. An extra thought. Be kind. Everyone’s fighting battles these days. Politics is ugly, war is ugly, and it’s difficult to wrap my head around the things people say to each other. What we can all do every day is to be kind. It takes so little effort.

Pink Mittens

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

When I worked as a clinic assistant an elementary school in Florida being sick was, at least the first year, de rigueur. Not to say that I have ever been fashionable but those little ones carry a lot of germs and I got them all! So today, rather than collecting signatures to get lake funding on the local Belgrade ballot, I’m home in my studio drinking plenty of fluids and resting.

On Saturday we planted our garlic and tulips and daffodils. There was a spot in our perennial garden where we lost a hydrangea bush this year after doing everything we could think to do. When we (the royal we; my dear husband) dug the hole to put in the new bush to replace it, we found a rock. Not just a little rock, a rock big enough that we stopped digging and put the new bush in another location. It’s all good, we wanted to build out our buffer to protect the lake anyway. The semi-dug hole sat just as we’d left it for a month or so until Saturday. It’ll be really pretty in the spring!

On Sunday I read the rest of my book. I was up super early because of the time change and brought my book out of the bedroom when I sneaked away. This is a highly unusual activity for me at any time other than bedtime so I knew something was coming on … I read into the early afternoon and then I started knitting. (The book is The Yankee Widow by Linda Lael Miller. I liked it!)

I’ve got two, make that three, projects actively on my needles. I’m working on a pair of vanilla socks using the Yankee Knitter sock pattern #29 in a light gray. I’ve had some Socks Yeah! by Coop Knits yarn all wound into cakes when I frogged another pair of socks that I didn’t like working on ages ago. When I went to NC, this was my back-up project to the pink mittens because you always have to have a back-up project. Just. In. Case. And I am grateful that I did because I got the pair of socks I was working on finished and didn’t like the yarn I had planned for the mittens which left me starting the gray socks – at least until I found a LYS in Pinehurst!

While the color is best in the first several photos, this is where I am this morning with my perfect pink mittens. They’re growing! The pattern is a bit fiddly because the cables are right on the “edge” of the thumb gusset increases but with a little bit of old fashioned charting, I’ve figured it out.

The knitter is asked to follow a 4-round cable pattern and at the same time asked to increase every third round. Ugh! A knitter’s nightmare. I had to be consciously aware of the two directions and my brain doesn’t calculate this stuff without tools. Fortunately, we have tools. I decided this time, to write a chart for myself noting the 4-round cable pattern and the every third round increase. It worked like a charm. Sometimes a paper and pencil are just what you need.

Nancy’s Vest a couple of days ago in Manos’ Milo

I’ve worked a bit on my Nancy’s Vest, too. I’ve reached the point where I need to start some shaping and have made the first buttonhole. I think it’s too small, however, and will likely frog back two rows and start again. I’m not sure if it’s me or the method that the designer uses that makes the button hole so small. I probably should have tried it in a swatch first … but it’s only a couple of rows. I love the yarn, though, and the drape is lovely. This will be a great vest … one that I thought would be so simple and straight forward but is turning out to teach me a few lessons (yet again!)

I’ve decided to have a shelf cleaning sale on facebook and instagram to see if I can sell some of the creations that I have made and seldom worn (some I’ve never worn). Any that don’t sell will be donated to the soup kitchen or homeless shelter or our local school or PD to give out as they see fit. I can’t keep knitting if I don’t “thin the herd” so to speak. That’ll be coming soon. I hope. I’ve photographed all of the pieces but now I have to measure them and get them written up. It’s more work than I care to do today.

Gone knitting.

Homecoming

Posted on October 31, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

I got home yesterday from the longest time I’ve been away from home since … well, I’m not sure. Suffice it to say, that I haven’t been gone for more than a week for years. I was ready to come home but I really enjoyed our/my travels. I haven’t been knitting much but my heart is full.

My dear hubby and I went to New York City for a few days to celebrate our granddaughter’s first birthday. Yes, you read that right, she’s one year old! That may have been the quickest year yet. Just sayin’. We spent the weekend with my son and his fiancee and it was wonderful. I love seeing all of my kiddos and on Monday we got to celebrate our “little monster” with family and friends.

Notice that Sylvie is wearing the Tybe cardigan that I knitted for her in Berroco Vivo (cotton) and it’s a perfect fit right now. I made the 9 month size … she’s a little peanut. But she loves chewing on the vintage buttons that I bought when I was at Knit City Montreal and they remain the perfect buttons! She’s a walker now and it was so much fun to watch her explore.

He’s Hungry … Caterpillar in Berroco Comfort and Comfort Print

I brought her a few hand made gifts for her birthday. I finished knitting the Very Hungry Caterpillar that I started ages ago. The yarn is perfect for the project and I did use the yarn the pattern called for, Berroco Comfort and Comfort Print. The pattern could be better … but you get what you pay for – it was free. If I were to make this again, I’d make the body and then after decreasing for the last time, I’d pick up the head from the body and knit the head rather than knitting it separately and then sewing it together. I’d also add some legs because the caterpillar in the books DOES have legs. We checked. But it’s a cute little gift and Sylvie loves books.

I also made Sylvie a couple of pairs of Harem pants. I sewed them without making any glaring mistakes and I was proud to finish them without any drama. They don’t fit her yet but … that’s the story of my life with this little one. Either her mom will send them back to me (I brought her a proper measuring tape) with a better waist measurement OR she’ll grow into them. They’re awfully cute!

Also finished and delivered to New York were three hats and a little newborn cardigan. Some for Sylvie and some for one of my daughter’s friends who are expecting boys. I knitted two of the Garter Ear Flap hats in beautiful alpaca yarn. This hat is SO soft! They both ultimately had pompoms on them but I didn’t photograph the second one when it was finished. Oops! I also knitted a tiny Newborn Vertebrae cardigan. The blue hat and the cardi are for my daughter’s friends. The raspberry hat and the turkey hat are for Sylvie. I designed the turkey hat and will write down the pattern soon. I may make it available on Ravelry. I have a couple of patterns that I should publish. The turkey was one that my daughter pointed out last year and I never got around to knitting it. This year, I did. It’s probably a bit large for Sylvie at this point but it’s pretty cute.

I have finished two pairs of socks for Christmas presents. I don’t think the giftees are reading this but I’m going to err on the safe side and say that you should have a look at my Ravelry page if you really want to see them right this minute. Otherwise, I’ll post pictures after the holidays are over and the gifts are given.

I wound yarn from our trip to Knit City Montreal, these were the “official” yarns sold by the event organizers and I HAD to buy them both. Haha! I thought it would be a great idea to make a pair of mittens that I also saw there and bought a kit with which to embroider said mittens … but I started knitting the cuff and it wasn’t what I had in mind at all. BUT when I was in North Carolina with my college friends to celebrate our collective 65th birthdays, I found a yarn shop right around the corner from where we were shopping and popped in. They carry Berroco yarns and I hoped that they’d have a lace weight mohair in a similar light pink colorway. And they did!

I like this second combination so much better!

And I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the second half of my travels. My hubby dropped me off at my college friend’s house in Weymouth, MA on the way home from NYC. I spent a day with her before we flew to Raleigh-Durham, NC and drove to Pinehurst to celebrate our 65th birthdays. We were to have been 8 but ended up being 7 because our dear Nell got Covid and was unable to travel. We were all bummed to hear that bit of bad news.

I’ve known these women since the fall of 1976 when we first met as freshmen at Wells College. We’ve been friends since – 47 years ago. We often skip months or years but when we get together it’s as if no time has passed. What an honor it is to have such wonderful women in my life and it’s a true blessing to have such long-time friends. We spent a long weekend at Betsy’s house in Pinehurst and it was a perfect weekend. Shopping, eating, taking walks, reading, knitting and laughing … there was lots of laughing! Betsy pulled out all the stops and wins the hostess with the mostest award. She even booked us all a sound bath session with her friends and neighbor.

Wells College ’80 Celebrating 65th Birthdays

There’s a lot of wisdom and experience in this group and we are all so fortunate to be enjoying life at our age. Many haven’t had that chance. We have all grown and changed but as soon as we are together again, it’s like no time has passed … the years melt away.

Gone knitting.

Mid-October WIPs and FOs

Posted on October 15, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

I slept a little bit late this morning and missed the sunrise. It was a rough night. I left my snoring hubby and went up to sleep in the guest room around midnight but woke up all by myself at 3am and couldn’t get back to sleep. But today waits and we had things to do around the house that we’ve been putting off. We vacuumed the house, I assembled our new rolling hamper and we helped our friend get her garage door working. We also hit Helen’s garden in front of our bedroom window. It was full of (what I think is called) strangle vine and it’s getting to the bushes and perennials in the bed. We’re going to have to keep a close eye on that bed in the spring! We can’t use any herbicides because we’re so close to the lake. Best we can do is a strong vinegar mix.

I’ve been busy with meetings and work and events but I’ve also been working in my studio and have a bunch of projects on the needles and a few that are finished. With the craziness in the world with the wars between Israel and Hamas and Ukraine and Russia and all of the heartache that they bring coupled with the chaos in the American government, I’ve been struggling to keep my own sense of peace within me. I don’t like what the Israeli government has done to the Palestinian people but I despise that Hamas has kidnapped women and children and the bombing, murder and mayhem is horrible. I can only imagine how all the mothers and children, in particular, must feel as their homes are destroyed and their loved ones are killed.

I’ve discovered that when I’m feeling out of control and world events are so disturbing that I tend to cast on new projects. I’ve cast on six new projects; all of them are smaller projects than the sweater that I’ve been trying to finish. I have finished two hats and a newborn sweater.

The hats are the same pattern knitted in Cascade’s Baby Alpaca worsted yarn. This was on clearance at my LYS and I couldn’t resist buying a couple skeins for hats for babies. The yarn is so soft! The hat on the left is completed here, the hat on the right has also been washed and blocked and has a pompom, too. The pattern is Garter Ear Flap hat by Purl Soho. They have a bunch of wonderful and free patterns on their website. There used to be a store in New York City but it’s been closed and remains so. Bummer. It was a fun place to visit. We went there once.

The baby sweater pattern is called Newborn Vertebrae and it’s a free pattern on Ravelry. This one is for one of my daughter’s friends who is having a baby boy soon. I love knitting this little sweater for wee ones. It’s really only a back and arm covering because newborns are most often being held against the body. This one is made of an Online Linie fingering weight yarn in a self-striping colorway. I bought one 50g ball and hoped it would be enough … it almost was. Thank goodness I’m a bit of a hoarder (of yarn) and I had a tiny bit of leftover yarn from a pair of socks that was a perfect match and I was able to get the ribbing around the front completed. (I really only needed enough for a row or two.)

My WIPs list is a bit longer than it was but I was reminded that I had a few things to get on the needles that can’t really wait forever. My Norwegian sweater is in time out for a bit. I’ve almost finished the first sleeve and when I got to the place where I should begin the colorwork, I have too many stitches and I’m not sure how to handle it without going back and adjusting my decreases. I know that the traditional Norwegian knitters wouldn’t do that but I can’t seem to figure it out their way.

I’ve cast on a pair of purple socks, plain vanilla, with my Yankee Knitter pattern. I’ve knit so many socks that I’ve worn out more than one paper copy of the pattern. I now own an electronic version and hope that will last for the times when I can’t remember what I need to do next. I have mostly memorized the pattern. The yarn is Cascade Heritage and it was found in a basket when I was searching for blue yarn for the Newborn Vertebrae. I cast on immediately because it’s such a pretty color!

I’m also knitting a white garter stitch hat for my granddaughter. It’s a turkey hat, a replication of one that my daughter sent me a picture of last year. The baby will be a YEAR old on Thursday and I thought I’d knit her a turkey hat for this year. I couldn’t find a pattern to follow so I started out with a cast on of 96 stitches but it looked huge. So I frogged it back and cast on 80 stitches and it looks much more likely to fit our little peanut. I’m trying to get this one finished before we leave for NYC for her birthday party. You can bet we will be FaceTiming on Thursday. My intent with this hat is to embroider eyes and a beak on it and knit a few colorful feathers at the top. Cross your fingers (and toes, please!) Photos of the finished hat will be forthcoming.

The second pair of socks is a skein that I also bought at my LYS when it was on clearance. I’d knitted a pair in a similar colorway for my hubby and loved the yarn so much that I just bought the other hank. It’s been waiting for just this person’s feet. Haha! I am using the Yankee Knitter sock pattern here, too. Did I tell you it’s my favorite sock pattern? All of the details are on my Ravelry project page.

I spent the day on Wednesday last week sewing. I’m making two little pairs of harem pants for Sylvie. I decided to size up so that she can wear them for a little bit, I hope. I bought the pattern and the lawn fabric at Fiddlehead in Belfast, ME earlier in the summer. I bought some double gauze at my LYS which conveniently is also a fabric store. I got the elastic for the waistband there, too. The pants have French seams and I have stitched them both without (knock wood) making any mistakes. I have to insert the elastic in one pair and finish the waistband stitching on the second, insert the elastic and then hem both pairs. They’re so cute! I hope I’ll get those done tomorrow. It’s too late for today. I need to sew when I am fresh since it’s not second nature … thought I am darned proud that I knew how to follow the instructions, trace the pattern piece, etc. I may turn into a sewist yet.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of my mother’s death. I’ve written before about our somewhat difficult relationship and I’ve been working on forgiving and moving on. This year I am feeling some sorrow about her not being here to see her beautiful grandchildren and her great granddaughter although I do believe she’s watching over us. I feel more comfort this year than I have in the past and I’m proud of that progress. I’ll light a candle for her in the morning and let it burn throughout the day in her memory. I know she did her best.

Today I thought again about a poem by Wendell Berry, The Peace of the Wild Things. It’s a favorite of mine and perfect for these times of despair when the world seems so heartless and hopelesss.

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Gone knitting.