Tag Archives: handknitting

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?

Hot! Hot! Hot!

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Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Oh, Boy! It’s hot outside today. We are already nearing the forecasted high of 94 degrees (Fahrenheit) and we may get higher than that. Luckily there is a bit of a breeze but we’ve got our air conditioners in the living room window and my atelier and it’s pleasantly cool inside. If I had to live without a/c, I’d have to sit in front of a fan without moving all day and I have never been content to do nothing … even if I’m knitting.

So today I sewed a tutu for my granddaughter and her doll, Baby. I brought home two shades of pink tulle from the store (it’s been around for decades) and I’d already planned to cut it at 24″ and fold it in half and put it on a one inch elastic to go around her waist. Today I did the sewing and the finishing. I hope it’ll fit as I’ve sewn it but I can always take the elastic apart and lengthen of shorten the waist band. It looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. While I was sewing, I made a tiny tutu for Baby, too. I think Sylvie will like putting it on and taking it off of her doll.

She was home sick from school today so I showed it to her and I think she’s going to love dancing around. She’s excited to come to our house in a couple of weeks and we’re excited to have her! Her parents, too, of course. It’s so much fun re-living parenting through the next generation. I loved having my kids at home and being with them and I love watching them parent this kiddo.

I’ve spent some time at the desk doing Board of Trustees work today and sent a few emails, etc. Last night my iPad was dead so I couldn’t access my Big Love pattern so I just knitted a new kitchen dish rag. I’m really liking orange, I guess, because the colorways that I chose both have orange in them. Ours are getting pretty tired and yucky looking. I thing they’re ready for the landfill. I’ll get three out of the two balls of Sugar and Cream that I bought and it’ll be a refresh for our kitchen.

It looks like this afternoon is going to be for knitting in the cool. I’d like to make some blueberry muffins but it may be too hot for that. For now …

Gone knitting.

“Peel Me a Grape”

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Wednesday, June 11, 2025 – Dolores

It’s a beautiful day here on the lake. We had coffee on the porch until we had to “get moving” and I had to get some things checked off my list. Lots of balls being juggled at this time of year. So far, the balls aren’t dropping but they could, just sayin’.

I finished and blocked Dolores’ first outfit this week and it’s a hoot. Today I put it on her for the first time and brought her tiara out of the basket where it’s been for eight (?) years or so. I don’t drink many martinis straight up these days but she sure does have some attitude, right? Thus the title to this post attributed to the late Mae West. Franklin Habit, the designer warns that I’ll be lucky if she only demands a grape. LOL. She has some pampered attitude, that’s for sure.

I really enjoyed knitting the sheep pattern (once I put my mind to it again.) It was quick and the yarn in the kit was quite wonderful. Two 50g skeins of WEBS Valley Yarns Valley Superwash white and one of black and that’s it. There was enough left over to make the shawl (and a hat but I haven’t gotten to that one yet.) I really wanted to knit up her other outfits and this one is the first: Dolores #4 Sugarplum de la Soir. Franklin was speaking french before he moved to France!

The sparkly yarns were interesting to knit with and occasionally my needle tip got stuck in the silver threads but by and large, the knitting was fun. The yarn is still available, it’s Stacy Charles Fine Yarns, Stella, two skeins of the silver main color and one of the purple. I loved the construction of the outfit – it started with the purple overskirt and then the silver is added and folded over to make the waistband. Next the underskirt. There were five silver flowers knitted and attached to the top and I didn’t do the embroidery on the outfit as I thought it was fancy enough. The top has an applied i-cord bind off and i-cords are made for ties on the skirt, too. It all ties on to Dolores in the end so her little sheep butt is showing in the back. Let’s hope she doesn’t look in the mirror. LOL

I’ve got three more outfits to knit for Dolores. I’m sorry that I didn’t buy more of them but at the time, I was thinking they’d be out there forever. If they ever go back on sale, I’d totally buy more outfits. Some of them were designed by different designers that we’d all know. I am going to have trouble choosing which one I knit next but I’m thinking that with all the rain we’ve had here in Maine, I’ll knit the #3 Transatlantic Travel Ensemble by Fiona Ellis. These patterns are a treasure!

The patterns aren’t available and I’ve reached out to Franklin Habit to see if there’s any chance that they’d be released again and he’s not sure who “owns the rights” right now. I hope when he has a few extra minutes that he’ll be able to figure it out. I have a feeling there are others like me who’d love the patterns either as single patterns, as a book, or as kits.

Gone knitting!