Queen Bee Knits

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

The Most Wonderful Time … ?

Posted on December 15, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

We woke up to ice skimming the lake this morning. It was a cool 16 degrees on the thermometer but my weather app said it was 12 degrees. Either way, it was cold. I look forward to the ice at this time of year. It’s like my lakeside neighbor said, “it’s another phase of life”.

I’ve been super busy again this week. I’m not sure if it’s the time of year or if it’s simply my life but I’ve been trying to finish up the shopping for Christmas and we sent our our Christmas cards, I had a Maine Arts Academy school board meeting – it ended up being virtual because of the crazy weather – and have had some “issues” to deal with surrounding being board chair and we’re looking at meeting dates/times, trying not to have a quorum at committee meetings to follow the rules, attending a board goals setting training, and there was some work and “normal” life stuff to do at home. Thank goodness my husband doesn’t mind (much) doing the cooking. Add the full moon into the mixture and my sleep has been wonky as all get out! I’m sleep deprived, overloaded at work (we had a roof leak this week in the afore mentioned crazy weather) and yesterday was my Saturday to work.

On Thursday I arrived at work to find this mess (above). The heavy rain and wind had caused the roof to leak (I think) and the spot in the front corner of the store that had leaked before had been totally soaked and one of the tiles had fallen to the floor but not before hitting the bookshelves below it. And the toys we have for our little visitors. And the books in the shelves, the free patterns, etc. I cleaned it up but being there solo doesn’t mean I could do much more than a basic clean-up. Yesterday I worked with my friend and colleague, Carol, and we got to dismantle everything around the leak and make sure there was no further damage. We had the “class” table covered with books, etc. and moved everything around so that area was free of merchandise until the roof is repaired. It took us the whole day to get it all off the table but the front of the store looks great. AND we were both pooped – the store was busy yesterday, too!

I have gotten to do some knitting this week. I finished my pink Lane’s Island sweater by Lori Versaci. I made this sweater in a slightly off-white colorway and I love it so much that I wanted to make another. Part of what I love is the Berroco Remix Light yarn that I used. The weight is perfect for a woman of a certain age who is usually warm and I loved the sweater design from the time I saw in (in horizontal stripes) on the front page of the Berroco pattern collection book at the shop. I made mine in solid colors, my new one is a size smaller than the first and I like them both. I wore the pink one on Friday without even properly trimming the ends after they were woven in. And it still needs a QBK label!

I’ve been working on finishing the pair of shortie socks in King Cole Footsie for my granddaughter’s favorite aunt so they’ll be sock twins. I’m hoping to finish the second sock today. Fingers crossed.

I cast on a new project (surprised?!) using some Cascade 128 in my stash that has been taunting me. I am knitting a pullover for my granddaughter in a larger size for a future year. Maybe. I got the knitting to the arm separation and didn’t like the fabric with the needles that were called for in the pattern. SO … I frogged what I’d gotten done and went down to a US9 needle and started over. I like the new fabric much better but the size will not be a 4-5, it’ll be a 2-3, I’m guessing which means she can wear it this year and/or next. I also found a hood pattern that I really want to make for her with “fur” around the face. Maybe she’ll put it on and keep it on? I also have a miscellaneous purl bump in the center front of the sweater (who knows why, but it’s not going to last forever and I can cover it with a bit of embroidery). It’s a quick project and the hood will be too.

I want to knit a larger pair of mittens for my great-nephew in Salem, MA. He loves the ones I made him last year (and they have to be a bit too small) so I bought more of the same yarn at the shop and will make a bigger pair with an i-cord string that can go in his jacket sleeves so they don’t get lost. I also have some stashed Raggi sock yarn that is wanting to be knitted up and will be work socks for my hubby. He works outside all year long and he loves his wool socks. He has quite a collection but can always use more. This is a grey/white marled yarn and I think they’ll have blue cuffs, heels and toes. He is likely to get a ball of yarn in his stocking because I don’t think they’ll be done before that time.

I found a lobster tam, design by Mrs. Knitter, in my cabinet. It’s already in progress and I pulled it out because it’s so close to being finished and the kit has to have been in my ownership for at minimum eight years. I bought it at Over the Rainbow Yarns in Rockland, ME and they went out of business in late 2017. I’ll be working on finishing that this week.

AND I will be winding up some yarn to cast on a new sweater … or vest. There was a pattern release for a DK weight vest this weekend and I really like my vests. BUT I bought enough yarn for another colorwork pullover in two shades of purple wool from the clearance section of the shop and I may cast on. If I can get the yoke finished before Christmas, it will be good mindless knitting over the holiday. I’ve also been dreaming of an Alpine Bloom hat for which I’ve purchased my favorite yarn in a light gray and a deep charcoal gray … Not sure which will end up coming first. There is also a gnome KAL happening that I’d like to join and I’ve got the yarn to make a few knitted animals for Sylvie … if I can part with them. So many patterns and so little time. I’ll be taking off a week or so between Christmas and the New Year so maybe I can indulge myself with some selfish knitting after I get gifts wrapped and ready to give.

Gone knitting.

The Miracle of Blocking

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

It’s a good day for ducks! This morning was gray and cold after a little bit of snow overnight. The biggest news on the lake was the abundance of ducks. There have been a few around but today it seems like we’ve got tons! Flocks! I sure hope they’re enjoying the last days of the lake before the ice starts to come.

I have had a very productive couple of days in my atelier and have finished a fun, project – my Arne & Carlos 2024 MKAL Christmas stocking. The MKAL was written so that participants could knit six rounds a day (very manageable) but I didn’t keep up. So, I ended up knitting several days at a time, twice. BUT this weekend I finished the knitting, knitted the afterthought heel and then blocked it this morning. I love it and I really enjoyed knitting it.

The thing that consistently amazes me about knitting and colorwork, and in particular colorwork knitted in wool, is what happens when the project is blocked. Arne and Carlos recommend steam blocking the stocking with an iron and a wet towel. You place the wet towel on top of the item to be blocked and then gently hold the iron on top of the towel. The steam created by the heat of the iron and the wet towel blocks the wool – it miraculously makes all the little bit wonky stitches all even out.

You can see by the photos (above) that the photo on the left side, pre-blocking is fine but the stitches are a little bigger in some spots than others and the fabric is pucker-y in a few spots. The photo on the right is after blocking and the stitches have evened out the fabric is smoother. I think it’s a gorgeous stocking and I am very tempted to knit the one from 2023 now, too. The only thing that I am sad about is that we don’t have a mantel to hang them on. Blocking, suffice it to say, is an incredible tool!

I also did a little bit of much-delayed Christmas decorating today. I finished the Arne & Carlos Advent mini-jumpers (Advent Calendar 2021: 24 Mini Nordic Jumpers) a while back … in September of 2023. Last year for whatever reason, they never got hung up and used. Well, today I hung them up in our living room. Again, since we don’t have a mantel, I decided to hang them on the antique windows that we have hanging at the bottom of our stairs. They’re fantastic! I even filled them with the rest of the candies from our chocolate advent calendar so that we can finish the advent season using the mini jumpers.

Advent Calendar 2021: 24 Mini Nordic Jumpers by Arne & Carlos

I used the same yarn with the jumpers and the stocking so that the house isn’t in utter color chaos! I love the deep red and green and the creamy white together. And I am tickled pink with them! I think they are very festive, indeed.

We aren’t putting up a “real” Christmas tree again this year. We’re getting to be old bah-humbuggers I guess because we aren’t interested in all the work bringing out the ornaments and lights, decorating and then having to take them all off and put it all back away shortly thereafter. We were away for Thanksgiving and we’re not hosting Christmas again this year so when we finally do pull out the ornaments again, it’ll be like Christmas. LOL. We do have a small, tabletop-size, tree that lives in our stairway and we’re lighting it up for the season. We also have my Arne & Carlos star outside on the side of the boathouse and we’ve bought another two strings of colored lights for the evergreen that we planted out by the driveway when we re-built the house nine years ago. That’s enough festivity for us and we both get to spend more time doing things we actually enjoy doing.

That’s my update for today. I was so impressed with the blocked stocking that I had to sit down and write about it “right now” before I got onto another tangent … and I’ve sewn in my two sleeves, sewed up the pockets, woven in a lot of the ends and now I am going to go seam the sleeves and sides of my pink Lane’s Island pullover … with any luck I can wear it to work on Friday or Saturday because I’ll have to block it, right?

Gone knitting.

Grateful Every Day!

Posted on December 3, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

It started out to be another gray morning here on the lake but then the sun came out! Yay!!! I’ve been struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is like depression and it’s been a rough week or two. I’m fighting to get stuff done in advance of the holidays and around the house … falling behind leads to a nightmare and I’m happy that I’ve been mostly keeping up. Anywho … the reason for this post is to share our wonderful Thanksgiving with our family in Massachusetts and that’s what I am going to focus on.

As always, we had a ball with the family. My brothers and their wonderful wives, nieces, nephews, son and his fiancee, and my sister-in-love’s brother and his girlfriend, two of her children and his daughters, too. Add three little kiddos and five dogs and you’ve got our evening! There had to have been 25 of us! And for the second or third year, there was a polar plunge involved. “We” (not me and not my hubby) jumped off the commercial dock in Marblehead and everyone survived. We guessed the water in the harbor was in the 50 degree range, but that’s a guess. It was cold for sure. My brother, two of his sons, my son and his fiancee all jumped in. I’m in awe!

We had a lobster feast for Thanksgiving because it can be cooked outside and the menu was incredible: shrimp cocktail, clam chowder (from the Causeway Restaurant in Gloucester, MA .. the best we have ever had), steamed clams, lobster, and salmon, a salad and grilled ciabatta. John B. brought the traditional Marblehead Thanksgiving desserts – cannoli and ricotta pie from an Italian bakery in Lynn. If anybody didn’t have fun, it’s their fault! I’m so grateful to have an extended family that I love spending time with and my hubby said yesterday, “I had a good time at Thanksgiving!” That says a lot. There’s never enough time when we’re all together and that, too, says a lot. How incredibly lucky we are.

The second night we had a pulled pork taco night. We brought our “insta-pot” down with us and went out to gather ingredients on Black Friday. And then on Saturday we had a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings. I came home with an extra 5 pounds. LOL.

And what would a beautiful turkey dinner be without some turkey stock cooked right after the clean-up? The kids filled two “handles” with stock to carry back to New York City and I thought the idea to package it in the empty liquor bottles was brilliant and a bit funny.

On the way home, DH and I stopped for lunch with a friend from summer camp way back in the dark ages and then we stopped at Costco … spending time until we could pick up the dog at the kennel at 6pm. It was a nice, easy, no traffic ride home.

AND!!! I’m so happy to report that I finished a pair of socks for my darling sister-in-love in Massachusetts. She’s very knit-worthy and I’ve never made her a pair of socks so I had some Christmassy Raggi sock yarn in my stash that needs to be knitted up and I made her a pair of socks. I loved the way the yarn did its self-striping thing and the socks will keep Annie warm this winter inside her 200+ year-old house.

I also finished Sylvie’s Christmas sweater and sent it and her Advent calendar that I made on to New York City. I love the sparkly buttons and I am really fond of the sweater pattern (although the button plackets were a bit weird!) I hope it’ll fit her.

Snowflake by Tin Can Knits in Berroco Vintage DK

While we were away, I was given two more knitting for Christmas assignments and went in to Marblehead Knits for some yarn. One color had to match ST’s “signature” nail polish color and will be his running mitts. I’ll probably make a headband, too, but it may be after Christmas so I can measure his head. I also am replacing a hat for BS that he (mistakenly) washed with his laundry and felted. One more chance, B! LOL. Both of those projects will be easy to complete before the holidays but today is going to be for seaming my Lane’s Island pullover. I’d love to get it together before Christmas so I can wear it. It’s the perfect weight for being inside with a shirt and light sweater. I’ve got my first Lane’s Island on today, in fact.

I’ve finished a little pair of watermelon socks for Sylvie’s Advent calendar and I’m working on a pair of shortie socks for her mom or me … and the Octopus hat from hell has been sent and is much loved despite its horrible history. I’ve written about it on the last post. And I’ve now felted superwash yarn. And they say it can’t be done. Ha!

On my needles … all stuff that I have to really think about (except for the pair of shortie watermelon socks) so I have made precious little progress. I’ve got to finish the Arne & Carlos MKAL stocking and may get to it this weekend. I’ve got to make a bit of progress on the Fair Isle bag “swatch” for my Fair Isle knitting class, too. I’ve got a few rounds in and then stopped. I did very little knitting while we were away. I’d still like to make a pair of socks for my DH for his Christmas stocking. I have to get him a gift, too. Have I ever mentioned that I don’t love Christmas? It feels like tremendous pressure just thinking about it. We won’t put up a big tree (we have a little pre-lighted fake tree) but I’m going to get my Advent mini-jumpers hung this year. I really want to see them hanging!

I need to get off the computer and get some “work” done so I can knit. I have minutes from a meeting to upload and the laundry needs to be moved from the washer to the dryer but I wanted to reflect on how very grateful I am … even still today … after our Thanksgiving visit with family. We have remarked that we never seem to have enough time together and that, in itself, is such a blessing. I hear so many people who don’t want to have to spend time with their family and we can’t wait to have more time together!

Gone knitting.

What a Week!

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, the last one has been a tough week. I seem to be suffering from a bit of a depressive episode, not atypical for me at this time of year, due to the stretch of gray days and less light. I’ve hooked up the light thingy that I have and hope that will help and today it’s actually sunny which will also help. I also lost a dear family friend this week. We met when our kids were little at the beach in Weekapaug, RI. The Shelby family quickly became good friends because my eldest daughter and their youngest daughter bonded immediately. They’re still close all these 30-some years later. Anyway, Linda was a dear friend, always laughing and sarcastically funny, bright, creative and just a great woman. Linda got Alzheimer’s Disease, just like my mother, at an early age. She passed away Thursday at 72 years of age. Way too young. I will miss her and I’m grateful that she’s no longer suffering. That’s also brought up feelings around the loss of my mother at 76 back in 2008. I’m glad it’s Thanksgiving week and I don’t have to be anywhere so I can just be … and work through the feelings as they roll in. Nobody said that life would be easy.

I’ve had a big frustration with a commission that I had, too. I was asked to knit an adult-sized “Have You Seen My Octopus” hat for a high school friend who saw the one I made for our granddaughter. I bought the Malabrigo yarn and after ripping the hat back more than once, finally got the knitting done to my satisfaction. I blocked it – and it GREW! I’ve never had anything grow like this hat. If a hat is too big for my big fat head, it says a lot. So, because there’s no los when the hat is way too big, I wet it again and put it in the dryer alone. Twenty minutes and no change at all. SO I threw it in with a wet load of laundry and let it go … and it felted up to a decent size but it was too fluffy and looked “worn”. I reached out to my customer and told her about it and we decided that I’d send it to her so she can see what it looks like and it’s up to her to keep it or not. I’ve got almost $40 in yarn and about 10 (probably more) hours of work into the hat … ugh.

not really the color but the size is good

Yesterday I took the second part of the Fair Isle knitting class online with Janette Budge. What a generous teacher she is! I started knitting my bag/swatch after the class and ran into a color conundrum … if I continued knitting as planned, I’d have a yellow/gold motif colorway at the middle of the design AND a yellow background color. I didn’t think that would work. So, I emailed Janette and had a thoughtful answer back in a very short while. I am very grateful and can continue knitting now with renewed hope that the colors will work.

This is the gathering of colors that I chose. In the front are the background colors, theoretically a gradual shade change from white to yellow. In the back (at the top of the photo) are the motif colors. Again, they’re supposed to be a fade from dark to light. The bag will start and end with navy and the salmon color will be the “pop” of color in the middle of the motif. As I’d planned it, though, the yellow of the background colors and the third or fourth motif color (the golds) would be at the middle of the motif at the same time with little contrast and too much yellow! I think I’ll just leave out the yellow for the background (and hope I have enough of the beige.)

My Christmas stocking MKAL is ending today and I’ve fallen behind. I’m on day 17 or so and have several days to catch up on before knitting the afterthought heel and finishing. But I’ll get there. I have been enjoying the project … until the darkness got the better of me.

I’ve cast on a new pair of Christmas boot sock for my sister-in-love in Massachusetts. She is very knit worthy and I think she’ll enjoy the warm wool socks. I hope she can remember not to dry them. LOL. I have several skeins of Raggi sock yarn that I bought at my LYS before we couldn’t get it in the USA and this pair of skeins with a Christmas theme will be perfect for her. I haven’t taken any photos yet but the first sock is finished. I love knitting worsted weight socks! They knit up so quickly.

I’ve finished the knitting on my pink version of the “Lanes Island Pullover” and just have to start seaming the shoulders. Maybe I’ll get to that today. I’d love to have it to wear over Thanksgiving weekend. We’ll see how I do – the shoulders are the most difficult part to seam. The rest is a piece of cake … and I will have to knit the collar at the end. Send me good seaming juju, will you please?

I’ve still got to finish the Christmas sweater for our granddaughter, too. Not much to do there, either. I think I just have to knit the button plackets and add the buttons – the ones I got a really fun! Another project that shouldn’t take long to finish but I’ve not had the bandwidth to do anything other than simple simple simple whatever. I hope today will feel a little bit better and that I can conquer at least ONE of these undone projects.

Gone knitting.

Enough is Enough!

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

This morning was the morning that I’d committed to go see the doctor if I wasn’t feeling better and getting a good night’s sleep. The last couple of days I’ve feel pretty good all day and the night before last I slept pretty well but last night I was up coughing and blowing every three hours … not fun. So, off I went to the express care in Waterville.

I had to wait for the train to pass before leaving and then when I got there the parking lot was packed with cars. To my utter amazement, they were amazing and I was out of there in an hour-ish. I’ve got a prescription for an antibiotic which I hope will knock this thing out of me for once and for all.

After a couple of days of doing a lot of sitting and just not feeling particularly energetic, I have been doing quite a bit of knitting. I’ve made some good progress on a few of my WIPs.

My Jelly Roll blanket is coming along. I’ve finished the fourth strip and started the fifth. I’ve chosen to use up all of this one ball of left-over sock yarn this time which makes a long strip of the same color. (This color also ended the last strip.) But it’s a bit different than what I’ve been doing and should add a bit of fun to the finished project. This blanket may take a lifetime to complete but it’ll be scrappy and warm when it’s done. I still have a big basket full of scraps from socks I’ve made so I’m committed to keep going with it. I’ve made a few little tweaks to the pattern on the recommendation of the Crazy Sock Lady and they’re noted on my Ravelry project page.

Last night I reached the seventeen inches required for the sleeves of my Lane’s Island pullover. I bound them off and today, maybe, I’ll start seaming the shoulders and get it all put together so I can finish it. Lori Versaci makes seaming so effortless by adding an edge stitch and it’s so simple to seam the sides and sleeves between the two knit stitches. I’ve got to sew up the sides of the pockets, too, after which there will just be the collar to knit and I can wear it next week!

Earlier this week I got the MKAL bug and decided that I’d do the knit along with Arne & Carlos. They’re knitting another stranded Christmas stocking in three colors and I just couldn’t stand to miss out on this one (again) this year. We don’t NEED any more stockings but I can use them for guests or for simple decorations. I chose the yarn, Patagonia Organic Merino, in the same three colors that I used for my Advent Mini-Jumpers that I finally finished last year. That way, they’ll all match. I cast on Saturday and got through the sixth clue. Yesterday I finished the tenth one and that meant that I was caught up and from now on I can just knit the six rounds a day to knit along. I am really enjoying the pattern and I love the yarn. Once blocked, this will be a great addition to our Christmas decorations. (Maybe I’ll even put some up this year.)

Several days ago (perhaps a week ago now) I cast on the collar and started the yoke of my granddaughter’s Christmas sweater. I’m knitting it in Berroco Vintage DK because my daughter really wants to be able to wash and dry sweaters. I got this sweater idea from a customer who brought in three of them for her grandchildren. I loved it – classic, and really beautiful. So, I cast on Snowflake by Tin Can Knits. This sweater is one pattern in a collection and I bought the entire collection because there were several patterns in it that I really liked. I have already knit the little fingerless mitts, Marshmallow, for Sylvie and they’re as cute as I thought they’d be. They were also a super quick knitted project … finished in the car on the way to babysit!

I still have the colorwork cowl that I started and didn’t get much past the start of the ribbing. I think I recall that I had to pull out the colorwork because I didn’t like the way the floats were looking behind the pink fabric. These colors may not work for this project but it’s all good – there will be another project if this one doesn’t work.

I think that does it for my knitting projects right now on my needles. These are the ones that are keeping me company as I get over this crud that I brought home from New York. I went to work on Thursday but cancelled my classes on Friday (you know I wasn’t feeling well if I cancelled my favorite day!) and called out sick on Saturday. So, I’ve been home since Thursday night until my big outing this morning. I’m in for the duration now … and hope to be feeling much better by Thursday so I can get to work and class on Friday.

Gone knitting.

Home Again Home Again …

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

We’re home again as you can see by my photo of the lake this morning. I am happy to be home and ready to sleep in my own bed tonight. But we are going to miss our little muffin like crazy! We’ve had a full ten days in NYC with the family there and our hearts are so happy. We have been making memories.

The ride home was wonderful too. We stopped last night at my college roommate’s house in Connecticut for the night and a really sweet visit. Our almost 50-year-old friendship is so special!!! She’s moved into a new house and we got a chance to see it and catch up … even though I was whispering!

I’ve got a cast of laryngitis, I guess. We went to the NYCFC game in New York on Saturday with my future daughter-in-love (my son was called to Washington, DC for work unexpectedly) and we had such fun. We’d never been to a soccer game before but we have watched Ted Lasson so we have a bit of soccer knowledge … and we had fun. New York City was playing Cincinnati (where I raised my family) so I was torn about who to root for but I chose NYC and they won! (Apologies Cincinnati.)

In the past ten days I have gotten the first part of the sleeves of my pink Lane’s Island sweater knitted. There is four inches of ribbing and then it changes to stockinette stitch forever. I’m nearly done with the first set of increases. We had some new stitch markers arrive at the store and I bought a couple of packs before I left. I’m using them to mark my increases so I know how many I’ve made. It’s another wonderful tool for us knitters. More updates coming soon.

Gone knitting!

Grand-Parenting in the Big City

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

We have been in New York babysitting for our granddaughter while her parents take a little anniversary holiday in Costa Rica. It was all planned out so that we would have a bit of a break when Sylvie went to school on weekday mornings … but you know about the saying, “when you plan, God laughs”, right?

On Monday morning we were so proud of ourselves, we got the little miss up and dressed, fed and out the door … delivered to school at 8:00am. We got to the grocery store and back home and I pulled out my knitting after I cleaned up the kitchen, vacuumed up the dog hair and put a load of wash in … and the phone rang. School was asking for us to pick her up; she had bumps on her hand and face and they suspected HFMD. So we packed up the stroller for the second trip to school to pick her up and on the way called the pediatrician to make an appointment for a sick child visit … and she was sick! Hand, foot and mouth it is and she’s out of school for at least this week. So, no more breaks for Yaya and Poppi, but I’m proud to say that we’ve fared very well partly because we go to bed early and partly because she takes a good nap in the afternoon. BUT we are re-learning what a challenge a 2-year old can be! Ha! Ha! Yaya has a lot more patience for toddler antics than Poppi does but we are tag-teaming it and we are winning!

With HFMD she’s not allowed in proximity to other children or people so we are trying to keep her busy without the playground and we’ve been pretty successful. Yesterday we went out to the courtyard in her building to carve our little pumpkin and the day before we made cookies. Today we went back into the courtyard with sidewalk chalk and bubbles.

We had a pizza party with her aunts and uncle on Sunday and she’s eaten left-over pizza a couple of times. Yesterday may have been a three-cookie day … she ate mine! And playing in the leaves is still fun when you’re two! She loves coloring inside and out, and she can put her own shoes on! She’s brilliant. We’ve been singing SO many songs and she loves Miss Rachel – when Yaya and Poppi need a breather we will turn her on for a few minutes.

AND while all of this is going on, they’re fixing the facade of the building right outside of the apartment … jackhammers on the walls, brick bits falling onto the windows. As if New York wasn’t loud enough for these Mainers! What an experience! Thank goodness they’re gone by four o’clock or so in the evening. But the New York City kiddo is SLEEPING through it all! What a trooper.

I fixed the neck of an anchor sweater that I made as a sample for a workshop that I taught that just happens to be the right size for Sylvie right now. It didn’t go over her head the way I’d made it so I pulled the neck ribbing out and re-knit it and used a stretchy bind off and now she can wear it.

I have finished the front and back of my pink Lane’s Island sweater and I’ve started the sleeves. I’m knitting both sleeves at the same time and had mostly completed the four inches of ribbing for the sleeves and I’ve managed to knit eight rows of stockinette stitch. Not much knitting going on here! But I’ll have plenty of knitting time “soon soon” when her parents get home. I’m going to hate to leave.

Making memories. Call me Yaya! Gone knitting.

I Forgot to Publish This Post! (Oops!)

Posted on October 15, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, somehow it’s Sunday and it’s been a long week. I’m so grateful to be home today, in my atelier, finishing up a few projects … This morning I was up before my 6:30am alarm, had my coffee with my sweetie on the porch with blankets until we both decided that the breeze made it too cold. A load of laundry’s in the washing machine and I have finished a couple of sewing projects this week. Yes, I said “sewing”!

A week ago I was in Rockland with my friend Lori and we decided to go to Fiddlehead in Belfast. A trip to Fiddlehead is always fun … even when I haven’t sewn a stitch in forever. Lori has been sewing up a storm and has a wardrobe to show for it. I’ve sewn nothing. Nada. Until I bought a tote bag kit at Fiddlehead. It’s gotten me going again.

I loved the fruit print on the cotton canvas. It’s lined inside and I had to add a pocket, of course! I have also finished an Advent Calendar for our granddaughter. The photo is before it was finished but I sewed on the binding, added corner pieces to the back so it can be hung on the wall and now I just have to find 24 little presents to fill the pockets!

AND *ta-da* I’ve finished the stocking for my friend’s newest grandson. I’ve got it packed up and ready to send off tomorrow morning. It came out really well and I sure hope that it turns out to be the same size as the other ones they have for the family. Crossing my fingers.

I’ve been working on two projects this week, too. My future daughter-in-law asked for a Musselburgh hat and I’m about half-way done with it. I’m knitting it in colors that she chose, red and green Herriot Fine by Juniper Moon Farm. The yarn is a fingering weight alpaca with a little bit of nylon to give it some strength (and so it won’t stretch like 100% alpaca). I love knitting with this yarn. It’s so soft! I made another hat with the same yarn last year … it was supposed to be for me but I hate me in hats so it ended up going to my sweet husband. Anyway, Kyla’s hat is going to be lovely!

I’ve also gotten up to the final few inches of the front of my Lane’s Island pullover in Berroco’s Remix Light. I love the pink color that I am using and if only I’d remembered to put the stitches in for the pockets … but I’ll add them after the front is done. Pockets can be added in several ways. This sweater will have pocket stitches picked up and then knitted.

I think I may have to knit up a couple of stuffed animals, little ones, to go in our granddaughters’s Advent Calendar and, of course, there’s got to be a Christmas sweater … even though it’s so warm in NYC apartments that she won’t get to wear it much. So, with that I will sign off …

Gone knitting.

A Wonderful Weekend

Posted on October 6, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

The photograph from yesterday morning is very similar to what it looked like today. The big difference is that it was cool enough to keep us inside for our coffee. Our “warm” weather is supposed to be gone this week and it’s all good for me and it’s a bit chilly today if I’m honest. I’ve turned on the heat this afternoon. The warmest spot in the house was in the laundry room where the boiler lives and my toes are icy!

I’ve been on a knitting mission this weekend. I spent the morning yesterday catching up on work stuff (entering new emails into our email list for the newsletter, writing the newsletter) and cleaning up my studio and getting the vacuum in to suck up the dog hair. I never knew how much a lab could shed and he doesn’t spend too much time in my studio. BUT I got all caught up which allowed me to take off and “play” (knit) at my friend Janna’s house all afternoon. We spent four hours knitting and I was working on my Christmas stocking because I’m really trying to get it finished up and sent off.

I started at the end of the Santa section with the blue stripe done so I was beginning the tree section and my goal was to get that done. I did it! The most frustrating part was way down near the end, on the last couple of rows, I had to add new yarn. Lots of new yarn.

The whole idea about intarsia knitting is that you have lots of separate lengths of yarn; one length for each color section. So, in the case of the bottom of the Santa section, you have a piece of green, and then piece of red, green, red and another green … so, five long strands of yarn dangling. Most people put them on bobbins to organize the tangle but I find they get even more tangled that way. With long strands I can just pull them through the mess and clean it up a bit.

One of the things I don’t love about intarsia is that the ends … all one bazillion of them … need to be woven in one by one. It’s a test of any knitter’s patience. But this morning I got all the weaving of ends done and started to get the decorations done before I join the stitches in the round to work the heel flap and heel turn and then the gusset and the foot.

The Santas are first to get their embellishment: a few whiskers and a pompom for his cap. Eyes and a nose are duplicate stitched on. He looks pretty cute.

Trees next! I had to go hunting in my sewing table but I found my sequins stash and Christmas green thread and a needle and a couple of stitches on each sequin times three trees and they’re done, too. There’s something so sweet about sequins!

I’ve knitted and turned my heel in white and I’ve picked up the gusset stitches in green and am decreasing the gusset. Once I’m back to the original stitch count, it’ll be a breeze down to the toe. Stitch a bell on the toe, seam up the back and duplicate stitch on a name and I can wet block the stocking and then send it off to its new home. I haven’t worried about this getting done but I knew it wasn’t going to be good vacation knitting so … I’ve worked on a few other projects in the meantime.

Cloud Drift by Gudrun Johnston in Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift

I’ve finished my Cloud Drift, a store sample, designed by Gudrun Johnston in Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift (100% Shetland wool). The retail cost of the supplies for the cowl is about $65 and I will be making another one of these some day soon. I loved knitting it! It’s softened by the mohair held with the main color and it gets softer, too, as it’s worked. American’s tend to like the superwash wools that are softer next to the skin but I am really leaning to non-superwash wools because they’re better for the planet and they knit up so beautifully! I had a lot of yarn left over from the project and think I will make a pair of fingerless mittens or something with it. Next time I knit the cowl, I’ll likely add another repeat on each side. (You can see how much I had left over on my Ravelry project page.)

I’ve made great progress on my pink Lane’s Island pullover by Lori Versaci. I’m knitting it in Berroco Remix Light which is the same fiber I made my first one in. I have chosen to make the second size so it won’t be quite as boxy as the first one and I hope I like it as much. As of last night I’ve reached the place where I bound off the underarm stitches. I’ll finish the front, knit the sleeves (two at a time) and put it all together so I can wear it. I did realize that I was supposed to do something on the front to knit the pockets which I haven’t done. I’ll be making pockets another way this time. It’s fine. No, really, it’s fine.

There are still several projects that I want to get finished before Christmas – a hat for my son’s fiancee (it’s started and I’m waiting for her to measure her head) and then a sweater or two for my granddaughter; a French Macaroon and a Christmas sweater at the least. Winter is coming … even to New York City!

A busy week ahead! One of my friends needs some help getting to doctor’s appointments, I have my first board meeting as the chair of the board, and I’m working Thursday, teaching Friday and working again on Saturday. I’m going to sign off here and get back to my stocking! I hope I can get the knitting done today and wrap it all up so I can block it by Wednesday … and mail it off as soon as it’s dry!

Gone knitting.

Project Bag Check – WIPs

Posted on September 21, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Another busy week almost behind us and tomorrow is the official start of fall. How can time pass so quickly? We have been home from the beach and our family vacation for four days and yet it feels like weeks. We’ve had a super full moon and a bunch of gray days. Work, knitting classes taught, the dock is out (it disappeared before we came home) and the generator’s been serviced (also while we were away) and we’re slowly getting ready for winter.

I’ve just done a project bag check and wanted to update you on what I’m working on.

My pink Lane’s Island pullover sweater is almost half-way done. I’ve got another inch or two to finish the back. I love the color pink and I’m delighted at not having to think too much as I knit this. My brain is rather full of everything else on my plate and stockinette stitches are just what the doctor ordered.

I’m also working on a Musselburgh hat for my son for Christmas. He chose the colors and the yarn is worsted weight Moonshine by Juniper Moon Farm. This pattern is so adaptable and I love knitting it! I have made one before in a single color in Berroco Vintage sock in black. This worsted version is great and quick to knit up. I have one more for my future daughter-in-love in green and red in a fingering weight Juniper Moon Farm Herriot Fine so that will be on smaller needles and with finer yarn and will take a bit longer but it’s good for watching television at night knitting.

Two more projects … a Christmas stocking for my college roommate’s newest grandson and a sample for the store of a soon-to-be-released cowl pattern. I copied the stocking pattern from my roommate’s childhood one because everyone in her family has one. I’ve made three (?) of them already and apparently the last one was bigger than the others. We’re going to try to make this one the same size as all the others – a little bit smaller – so I have downsized my needles to a US6 and that seems to be fixing the “problem”. I also realized in this process that I likely knit my own stocking with a US7 needle and would probably have loved it more if I’d used a US6, too. Once again knitting is humbling me. I hope to have the stocking finished and in the mail by mid-October which means that I have to get moving on the worsted weight Musselburgh which I should be able to finish today. I have one other project with a date attached to it and that’s a new sample for the shop. Our Berroco rep shared the pre-release pattern with me in hopes that we can move some of the Jamieson’s yarn that we bought. I’ll be knitting Gudrun Johnston’s new cowl called Cloud Drift. It’s a mosaic knit cowl knit with the Jamieson of Shetland Spindrift in four colors and a hank of lace weight mohair. I’ll be using a skein of Berroco Aerial. I hope it won’t take too long to knit. I’d love to have it in the shop ahead of the October 1 pattern release date and maybe will even lead a KAL.

I was given a ball of Fjallalopi at work and I have a pattern (also from our Berroco rep) for Writer’s Warmers fingerless mitts. The Fjallalopi is a new yarn and one that my boss chose not to order this time around. It’s a sport weight yarn and in a pretty bright pink color. A good color for winter in Maine. I’ll get to these after my Christmas knitting is finished. I also bought a bag full of Scheepjie’s yarn for making some stuffed animals. They’re on my list for post-Christmas knitting. There’s never enough time to get all the knitting I want to do done. I know what I’ll be doing if and when I ever fully retire!

I’m really enjoying my day at home today. Hubby just got home from a trip to the dump and maybe we’ll head out to the garden center for a pumpkin and some mums. It’s really feeling like fall today. I’ve closed most of the windows on the second floor of our house where my studio is and I’ve got two long sleeved shirts on today. I’d just like to see the sun – not sure that’ll happen today.

Gone knitting.