Queen Bee Knits

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

New Year, New Cast-on and Goal Setting

Posted on January 1, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, here we are. To me the New Year means a clean slate to create a year that I want to see; to be proud of, to enjoy, to bring people together, to celebrate, to strengthen relationships. All in a span of 365 days. There’s a lot of the unknown this year and a lot to be grateful for as our family grows again and hoping for health for all of us, too.

I’ve spent the last 24 hours cleaning up my studio/atelier and getting my new journal/planner ready to go. Today I get to start a fresh book, too. The old orange book will take it’s place on the shelf and the clean, fresh turquoise book will start traveling with me. It’s my “bible” that I count on to keep me all together. Calendar, record of business, keeper of notes and birthdays and more. I’ve been using a bullet journal for several years and while mine aren’t very creative, they are a bit of peaceful time each week where I can set myself up for success.

I also decided to cast on a new project today. I saw Romi’s Winter’s Finery yesterday. It’s a one-skein small shawl with a fun edging. I chose my yarn this morning and am using a skein I bought a couple of years ago at Knit City Montreal – Mailles a Part in the Maree colorway. It was hand dyed by a friend of a friend and is a special skein that is perfect for this project. I’ve wound the yarn and will pull out my needles when I finish this post.

I’ve made myself a cup of tea, set up my day for success and now, I can relax for a bit and enjoy some knitting.

And speaking of knitting, I want to report that I completed 63 projects in 2024. 11 pairs of socks, four Emotional Support Chickens, four Christmas stockings, two sweaters and a vest for me, a bunch of hats and mittens and lots of baby/toddler sweaters, mittens and hats and one toddler dress. Colorwork was very prominent this year. I also had a few commissions. It was a very good year.

On my needles (see details on my Ravelry page):

Jelly Roll Blanket: being knitted with scraps from sock yarns that I’ve been carrying around for decades! It’s maybe 1/3 done? This will be a long-term project. I work on it during zoom meetings and watching youtube podcasts.

Pink Embroidered Mittens: I’m challenged by the embroidery on knitted fabric but I really have to pull them out again and get them finished. Even if I don’t embroider both mitts. The color is so pretty and they’d be great driving to work mittens!

Fair Isle Gift Bag: started it after taking a class with Jeanette Budge on Fair Isle knitting and choosing colors for Fair Isle projects. I loved the class, got feedback on the colors from Jeanette and just haven’t prioritized the project.

Lobster Hat: Another old project that I just need to keep working on and get it done. This is a Mrs. Knitter pattern that I bought as a kit from Over the Rainbow Yarns a “million” years ago. It’s been closed for a long time. Thought this would be a gift for the lobster-loving daughter but I don’t think she wants it … I’ll give her first dibs.

Neds Christmas Socks & Christmas socks: two pairs. One for Ned, obviously. Worsted weight boot socks. I have one foot and toe to complete to finish them. The other pair is progressing down the first sock’s foot. One more to go. I’d like to make at least a pair of socks a month this year.

I have a sweater in time out for Sylvie. I want to make another Love and Light for my bonus daughter and her hubby. I have the lights. I have at least three sweater’s worth of yarn to knit for me and a couple for Ned. AND we have a new great-nephew arriving and a new grandchild, too. SO, lots of inspiration and good reasons to knit in 2025. (There ma be more that I’m forgetting about.)

I’ve promised myself that I will sew more in 2025. I have several projects started that I’d like to finish and I have bought a tunic pattern & fabric, two kits to make totes, and a pattern and fabric to make an apron for me and a pattern for pants for Sylvie. I know I have a paper-pieced quilt top started and there are likely more in the cabinet. Do you think I can commit one day a week to sew? I’m going to start there and see how I do. My friend Carol said that she’ll come over and help with the totes because they’re overwhelming to me … that will happen in February or in the spring.

I’m planning to teach a workshop at Yardgoods in January or February. I just have to find a date. It will be a colorwork class and they’ll steek their project (a cup cozy) at the end. My teaching is a really happy part of my life and I want to keep it going. I’m working to build the 3-5pm class on Friday but I may mix them in with my other classes and call it good.

Mostly, I want 2025 to include lots of family time. We’re planning a visit to my hubby’s girls in the spring and summer and I’ll try to get to see Sylvie in NYC at least every six weeks. Time in person is so important to building on the relationship we have already which is amazing!!! I adore that child. I’d like to get to Reno to visit my aunt and uncle and cousins there. They’re not able to travel east any longer so it’s up to me to get out there. I’ve also never been to my “new” sister’s house in AZ. If not in 2025 then for sure in 2026. Reminds me I need to get the new license so I don’t have trouble traveling. OK, I need to go sit and knit … this is getting overwhelming.

Happiest next 365. Wishing you health and cheers to filling the blank slate as we each see fit.

Gone knitting.

2024 – Happy New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, here we are on the first day of the New Year … 2024. It’s another gray day here in Central Maine and it’s, honestly, getting a bit depressing. We had a brief glimpse of the sun yesterday morning and I was hoping that it would be re-energizing but the clouds came barreling in in the late morning and that was that. We did have a beautiful sunset last night though.

I wanted to take a few minutes to sum up my 2023 year in yarn. I was changing over to my new bullet journal book yesterday and so I reviewed 2023 and I officially finished 54 projects. A. few of those were sewing or hand-stitching but the majority were knitted. I have 10 WIPs that I’m carrying over into 2024 (and I have one or two projects that I need to add to my queue.)

I attended a week of sewing camp, Slow Fashion 101, with A Gathering of Stitches at Medomak Retreat Center in Washington, Maine. I took 4 knitting classes centered around traditional Norwegian knitting with Knitography Farm, I attended Knit City in Montreal and took a class with Bristol Ivy and another with Stephanie Purl McFee and I took 5 sewing classes on Creative Bug.

2024 could be a bit gentler to us all and I so wish that there was peace in the world. My heart breaks to think of families in Ukraine and Gaza being terrorized by war. I hate the Israeli government for what they’re doing to innocent citizens while I recognize their right to fight for the hostages taken by Hamas. It’s a difficult situation and one that seems to divide us rather than unite us. It seems that people around the planet have forgotten to listen to others and have compassion for others. Judgement and anger and, dare I say, hatred are flourishing in the current environment which seems to make people less tolerant of others.

In 2024 I’ll continue to work on myself and working to be more accepting, loving, and grateful. I’ll continue to work to move my body more and eat healthfully. (Today I’m starting Dry January.) I want to build in more time for sewing and hope to knit mostly from my stash … we’ll see how that works out. Because I work in a yarn shop, it’s really easy to find new projects to bring home … and I’ve done quite a bit of that in 2023. I’d like to finish up more WIPs and knit from stash this year to make some space for new projects and yarn in 2025, maybe.

I want to take some more day trips around Maine this year and maybe even a few overnights. We live in such a beautiful place and there are so many parts we haven’t seen yet. Maybe we’ll even get out of the state! We have two family weddings this year and I’d love to visit my sister in Arizona and my Aunt and Uncle in Nevada. None of us is getting any younger and tomorrow is not guaranteed.

We have a few house projects to work on. Our guest cottage (it sounds fancy but it’s not) was built in the 1950s and it’s in dire need of some work. We had it lifted up and leveled this fall and we want to paint it and put in a new “kitchenette” so we can rent it. We lived there for 7 months while we built the house and it is comfortable and has a gorgeous view of the lake. It’s a perfect place to paint or write or just escape from the workaday world for a little while. I’ll be providing muffins and scones, of course! We also want to take down our old wood shed building that has been sitting idle for a couple of years. The building we are told was an ice house built in the late 1800s and it’s in bad shape. We will replace it with a garage for one of our cars and put it closer to the house. Once the building is complete, we’ll be adding trees and plants to protect the lake and so we have less lawn. When you live by the lake, lawn is the worst … allowing rain and surface water to run into the lake with phosphorus and other chemicals. It’s bad enough that it’s New Year’s Day and there’s not even a skim of ice on the lake. Climate change is real – this is the first time in 28 years by one neighbor’s experience that we’ve not had ice on the lake at this time. I fear for this beautiful place and will do whatever I can to make our space here be a place of beauty and caring.

Farewell 2023 and welcome 2024.

Gone knitting!

Wrapping up 2017!

Posted on December 31, 2017 by Queen Bee Knits

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It’s almost time for me to make those resolutions that I never manage to keep … so this year, as I enter 2018, I am resolving to be kind, to think positively, and to remember to write 2018 on my checks!

For Queen Bee Knits, that means to get the planner for next year out, get my studio (atelier) clean and organized and to keep learning more about my craft. I had a great learning experience this year with the Year of Techniques hosted by Mason Dixon Knitting here in the USA. A few things that I loved about it were that I learned a few tricks that I can pass on to my students at work, I reviewed techniques that I’ve been using – many not very often – and I got to work with yarns that I wouldn’t normally have knitted because they’re UK-based yarns. I chose to purchase the kids that were offered for each project, not that I have completed them all! The yarns were wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed the new yarn experiences! This was a wonderful collaboration and I would join in again if it is offered.

I’ve done a lot of knitting this year but I’d dare say that it was less than previous years because of my job at the Yardgoods Center in Waterville, Maine. I have often dreamed about what it would be like to work in or even own a yarn shop. I am gaining experience each day that I work there and I am finding that I really do love it! Working as a clerk and teacher, I go to work happy every day and I love helping our customers find their knitting mojo! I also enjoy being part of the local movement – we are a small, family-owned business (68 years old in 2017) and each customer that I encourage to make a purchase supports our community and local business. Waterville is not a fancy, thriving, seasonal, coastal community but there are lots of family small businesses struggling along.

This week I learned that another local small business yarn shop, Over the Rainbow, in Rockland, Maine is closing its doors. My heart breaks to see another local yarn shop going out of business. I’ve visited OTR many times and will miss having it on my list of places to visit when in Rockland. OTR joins Quilt Divas that closed a year or so ago.

😦 This is me making a sad face.

We’ve had a great year personally … my daughter was married, my other daughter booked a Broadway show. The husband and I entertained a few visitors at our house and traveled a little bit to be entertained by others. Our family is healthy and thriving and we are so grateful for our health, too.

I’m finishing up a few knitting projects and am looking forward to some pleasure knitting.

I’m knitting a striped baby blanket for my sister-in-law to give to one of her employees as a gift. I’m using Encore worsted (baby items must be washable and dry-able) in a navy and white strip with an apple green i-cord edge. It is the nature of stockinette stitch to curl and it’s curling a bit at the edges but the baby won’t mind! It’s really cute! I’m half way around with the edge … getting there! Then I’ll wash, block and send it.

I’ve finished and will block (today!) a hat for a college friend who has a friend who is going through chemotherapy. It’s a lovely soft alpaca in DK weight. The pattern is by Susan B. Anderson, “Ruche Beret” in the Weekend Hats book. I love it’s simple lines and may have to make one for myself!

I’m also working on another hat for a customer at the shop. She bought yarn and is using the 1898 Hat (free) pattern on Ravelry. This hat is very popular in Maine in the winter – especially this winter because it’s been wicked cold! Knitted with worsted weight yarn, it’s a one-skein-wonder, too! I’m knitting “mine” in Cascade Eco Duo in a great colorway – it’s so soft and it will be super warm, too! I have some Eco Duo in my stash … hmmm. My little boy dog was sitting in my lap the other morning when I was swatching with the US 7 needle. He doesn’t like the yarn to touch him and he kept stretching out farther and farther on my legs. 🙂 I love him!

I have many (MANY) project bags with UFOs in them. Projects that were set aside for Christmas knitting. That’s a whole new blog post! For today, I’m done. I’ve rested my hands, had a little lunch and now it’s time to get back to knitting! I love my work!

Happy New Year to my readers … all two or three of you! 🙂 May we all be blessed with love and kindness, good health and warm yarn!

Gone knitting!

2017! Happy New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Queen Bee Knits

I feel fortunate that 2016 was a wonderful year for me and for my family. One daughter bought a new home, another daughter became engaged, I married the love of my life and we had all of our children in our house at the same time (for the first time). Our children are gainfully employed, healthy and happy. We are both working at jobs we love and are paying the bills, we have food on our table, a warm home and we are healthy. What more can you ask for?

I am eager to see what 2017 brings and what opportunities in the fiber world I will become involved with. I am excited to continue teaching knitting and creating in my every-improving atelier! This year’s goal is to add some serious shelving to my studio for fabric and yarn storage. I am already realizing that my “cheap fix” is not going to work long-term … fabric and yarn multiply when packed into small spaces and despite working hard to knit from my stash, it’s only minimally smaller.

We had a quiet New Year’s Eve at our house. A summer camp (childhood) friend and his son joined us for a lobster feast and a glass or two of sparkling wine prior to midnight. The guys all stayed awake after the power went out but I claimed the black-out as an opportunity to go to bed “early”. This is our photograph, grainy though it may be, from around 10:30pm. I love selfies with this guy and can’t wait to see what 2017 brings to add to our life together.

My goals for the year are to attend and help with, perhaps, the fiber week at my old summer camp. I’m looking forward to Maryland Sheep & Wool, too. I want to do more in my community – attend events, help my neighbors, life my best life and speak from my heart (not usually a problem). I want to floss more often and remember to listen to myself and speak my truth. Having lost my voice a long time ago, it feels wonderful when I speak out and speak up and feel heard. I’ll keep working on that piece.

Wishing you blessings in 2017. I’m hoping that it’s the best year yet for all of us!

Gone knitting.