Queen Bee Knits

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

Sexing a Lobster

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Queen Bee Knits

Lobster Specimen – Cooked to Perfection!

I’ve been privileged to eat lobster in Maine since I was a very little girl. Every time we have a lobster dinner (or brunch as we did today), we thank the lobster for feeding us. If I had to kill the live animals that I eat, I’d probably be a vegetarian. But being closer to the food we eat is, I believe, an eye-opening experience. I am grateful to my parents, my foodie friends, and all of those who have given me perspective on eating animals. Or crustaceans. As it were.

If I were on death row and had to choose a last meal, mine would be a Maine lobster. Not a rock lobster like you get in the islands or in some fancy schmancy restaurants. A Maine lobster. And the first thing I’d do when I got it is the same thing that I have done no matter where I’ve eaten a lobster for as long as I’ve lived – find out whether it’s a boy or a girl. Yup! I know how to sex a lobster.

Today’s lobster will be my example. When you flip the lobster over (and you must), it looks like this. At the top of the picture are the legs which you’re going to want to pull off and eat. But it’s the first set of “flippers” that is critical to deciding whether your lobster is male or female. You can see that my finger is pointing to the first pair of flippers (under the legs and before the soft flippers that are under the tail.

The first set of flippers will tell you if it’s a boy or a girl.

The next picture is a better one. If it is hard it’s a boy (as mine was today). If it is soft like the rest of the flippers, it would have been a girl. Next time I have a lobster and it’s a girl, I’ll post a picture, too. The only real difference that I can figure out is that the females have roe or clusters of eggs inside the body cavity. Some people (my father, for example, and my brothers) like to eat the roe. I do not. Nor do I like the tamale (since I learned what it was. If you like it, don’t find out.) But I do love my Maine lobsters! And when I’m done with it, there’s nothing (NOTHING!) left that is edible.

It’s a boy!
Get your mind out of the gutter. It’s a flipper!)

It was good. And gone in a flash!

Gone knitting!

A Wonderful Day in Maine

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Queen Bee Knits

Yesterday we decided to take a drive. It’s an old-fashioned idea, I know. My dad used to take us on a drive on Sundays. We’d all climb into the back seat of his car (sometimes with the top down) and, though there was always some “Mom, he’s over the line” bickering, off we’d go. Once I recall my brother letting go of a cloth diaper when the convertible top was down. Not sure how he survived that one!

Anyway, I’ve wandered from my purpose here.

Yesterday we decided to take a drive. We had a slow, lazy start to the day with coffee on the front porch and then packed up the dogs and headed to Bath.

My plan was to visit Halcyon Yarns. (N had his cameras and can always keep himself busy for a couple of hours while waiting for me to shop for yarn. And it was cool enough for the dogs to come with us rather than be crated in the house.)

Part of why I love to visit Halcyon Yarns is because it’s not just a knitting shop. I can while away hours imagining learning all the crafts that they carry the stuff for – needle felting, spinning, rug hooking, tatting, weaving, and crochet. I’ve probably missed a few. Aisles and aisles of fiber from warp (or is it weft?) to cotton, and wool and alpaca and silk threads and many different weights of each. Some are actually Halcyon yarns and some are from well-known companies like Noro and Cascade. And a room full of pattern books and mugs and yarn bowls and … well, you get my drift.

I carefully paced myself as it can be a dangerous thing, shopping for yarn. But this time I was “good”. I only bought a few things …

Noro Taiyo Sock – Color S17 Lot D
Cotton, Wool, Polyamide & Silk
24-26 sts x 36-38 rows = 4 inches on US 2-3 needles

Two skeins of Noro Taiyo Sock yarn (in Color S17-D) for another (more colorful) Bermuda Shawl. And, yes, the two skeins are the same colorway! I can’t wait to start knitting with this yarn!

Noro Taiyo – Color 35 Lot A
100 grams, 200 meters
Cotton, Silk, Wool & Nylon

One skein of Noro Taiyo (Color 35-A which was on sale) for a knitted lamb from the new Noro (Spring/Summer) Magazine. I also bought the magazine.

Hlacyon Gemstone Soft Twist Silk – Lot 15989 – 240 yards
100% silk, Sport weight
5-7 sts = 1 inch on US 3-5 needles

I bought a hank of Halcyon’s Gemstone Soft Twist Silk in a silver color (not sure what the gemstone is … diamond? I like diamonds!) This is to knit a necklace that I saw online … on Facebook, if my memory serves.

Indulgence Sock Yarn – Color 105 Lot 18411
426 yards, 21 sts x 27 rows = 4 inches on size US 3-6 needles
Merino wool & Polyamide

And last, a ball of Indulgence 6-ply (also on sale) Sock Yarn with which I’ll make socks. I just loved the colors in the yarn (and it’s really soft, too.) The sample that was on the table was a tubular scarf knitted in all of the different colorways … I almost bought one of each. Almost.

Halcyon also has a bunch of wonderful-sounding classes available if you’re looking to take one! And the people who work there are very friendly and helpful … if you don’t mind wandering aimlessly, you can do it for hours at Halcyon Yarn! You’re going to enjoy the ever-changing samples at Halcyon, too! I saw no fewer than three sweaters that I would like to knit. Too bad I brought three projects with me from Florida!

And while you’re visiting Bath, it’s worth your while to visit the Bath Iron Works and the Maine Maritime Museum. For $27 (adults) you’ll get admission to both a 1-hour tour of the place where our US naval warships are being built. Some are so super secret that you’re not allowed to take photographs! Really fascinating! You can also visit Popham Beach (beware, the water in Maine is wicked cold!) and Reid State Park.

Parks, new things to learn and fiber. Just a few of the reasons that I return to the area every year!

Gone knitting.

Non-Felted Slippers by Yuko Nakamura

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Queen Bee Knits

I got to Maine this summer by air. Typically we drive together but since I had to work, I had to fly. SO … I could only bring a suitcase and a carry-on bag and I needed to bring my yarn which meant that I didn’t have any slippers to wear when I got here.

What the yarn was going to be …

Luckily, I had the cowl (partly knitted picture above) that I had finished and found a (glaring) mistake as I was blocking it. The yarn was bulky and just what I needed for this pattern. And since I’ll never WEAR a bulky cowl in Florida, and I WILL wear slippers in Maine, what better use to put the yarn to?

Starting Non-Felted Slippers by Yuko Nakamura

This pattern, Non-Felted Slippers by Yuko Nakamura, caught my eye somewhere (perhaps on Ravelry). I thought the slippers looked comfy and I liked the idea that they didn’t need to be felted. When I found out it was with bulky yarn, so much the better because they’ll also be a quick knit!

My gauge was 8 sts = 2 inches and what the pattern said was 13 sts = 10cm. So, I had a few more stitches than the pattern called for. But I thought that would be OK since I have bigger than “medium” size feet. Unfortunately, I was “off” again … I would not make a good banker … and the first pair of slippers would stretch to fit me but they were stretched too far. So that pair will go to my little mentee who has a birthday coming up quickly. And on the second pair, I decided to add a few more stitches (a little more than an inch worth) to make the second pair fit me a bit better.

Sole: I cast on 56 stitches (using a US 9 16″ circular needle as called for in the pattern.) I knit the first row and the the second row I split up as follows: K35, P11, K35. I followed the directions and simply added a couple of stitches to each of the designer’s number. At the end of for 12, I had 81 stitches. Since I was using a single color of yarn, I didn’t cut my yarn and kept on knitting.

Instep: Starting on my 81 stitches, I knit the first row and then start my toe decreases. So, row 2 will be: P35, PM, P11, PM, P35. The decreasing begins with row 3 (you’ll be decreasing 8 stitches every other row and purling all of the even rows). Row 3: K28, SSK twice, K3tog, K11, sl1, K2tog, psso, K2tog twice, K28. Again, I followed the designer’s steps with a couple of stitches added in each section and when I got to row 28: P27, P2tog, P15, I was ready to be on Easy Street (and I was!) with the two rows of knitting all stitches and a bind off knit wise.

I seamed these babies up and they are ready to wear (for the first time) tomorrow morning. I can hardly wait.

Now, back to my brother’s birthday socks – his birthday was only five or six weeks ago! 😉

Gone knitting.

First Morning in Maine

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Queen Bee Knits

Messalonskee from the porch

I slept almost twelve hours last night. We were in bed before nine. So goes life at “camp” (our home in Maine.)

We’ve got internet now. It happened a couple of years ago but we’re still fighting the idea of bringing in a television. It’s never been here. It, frankly, doesn’t seem to fit here. We watch some TV and movies on our computers but … no cable. We read and knit and play games and just sit. Since my knees and feet seem to be working better, I’m looking forward to some hikes, too. And a lobster dinner!

This is my first morning … with my coffee and dogs (all three of them and not without some growling) and it’s perfect. My little family is back together where we would rather be. There’s one fisherman on the “island”, crows are “cawing” (is that a word? I just know the spell check is going to “ding” me here!) the breeze is blowing and the sun is shining. It’s a bit hazy but perfect none the less. I have a lot of unpacking to do but I think it will wait until I have a second cup of coffee and sit here awhile and soak it in.

Gone knitting (maybe.)

All my Yarn is Packed?

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Queen Bee Knits

Cascade 220 and Colinette Jitterbug

When we head north to Maine for vacation in the summer, we’ve always driven. And I’ve been able to take a bunch of yarn (often more yarn than clothes) so that I can pick and choose my knitting projects.

This year, however, I’ve been working and wasn’t able to leave when N. decided it was time for him to go. So, I kissed him and our big brown dog goodbye and off they drove. What I didn’t realize is that I would have to be really choosy about what yarn I bring because I haven’t got a big plastic box to fill … I have one suitcase (which will fly free, thank you Jet Blue!) to fill with clothes, N’s birthday gifts and yarn, needles, patterns and all the notions that I need to do what I do! Yikes!

So, here’s what I am planning …

1) I have four skeins of Cascade 220 in a multi-colored colorway that will be knitted into slippers for N. Part of his Happy Birthday. The pattern will be Fiber Trends Felt Clogs (design by Bev Galeskas).They may get leather soles so that they last longer. To be added when we get home and they’re felted.

2) I have four skeins of Cascade 220 in a turquoise colorway that will be knitted into slippers for me. I’ve been waiting to use the pattern by French Press Knits, French Press Felted Slippers (by Melynda Bernardi). I’ve been coveting this pattern for ages and it’s time to give it a try!

3) The beautiful blue Colinette merino is going to be made into a vest from the book, Swing Swagger and Drape (by Jane Slicer-Smith). A vest because I live in Florida. I can always add sleeves if needed later on. I saw the pattern, Boxes Drape, at the Maine Fiber Frolic and it was love at first sight.

4) I’m taking the Purl Bee cowl to fix and finish.

5) I’m taking my brothers 50th birthday socks to finish.

Fiber Frolic 2012 Yarn … frogged Boxy Cardigan

6) I’m taking my yarn from the Maine Fiber Frolic … the frogged Boxy Cardigan … hoping to find some inspiration and get it knit up into a wearable piece of Maine to bring back to Florida in the fall.

7) The cotton tank tunic is also going along unless it’s finished before I can leave.

8) Lasts but not least, N took his “boyfriend” sweater up in the truck. It has been closeted away (literally) for at least a year because I can’t bear to look at it. All the work and expensive yarn … and it doesn’t fit. Not even close. Another do-over opportunity.

9) I have to add to this list that I will be teaching myself to crochet this summer too, in addition to the knitting projects that I have on my list. I’ve wanted to learn and am making this promise to myself. I will be able to crochet (at least be a beginner)!

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to spend some time in Maine again this summer. I am also grateful for the opportunity to work for the school that I’ve worked for for the last 50 days. I have loved the experience, the students, the teachers, the administration … it’s been great to be part of the Woodlands family.

Gone knitting!

Making the Big Decisions

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Queen Bee Knits

Last summer I bought the most beautiful yarn at the Maine Fiber Frolic.

Seacolors Yarn

And I also got a “free” pattern with the sweater. I really liked the idea of the boxy cardigan with this yarn using a random pattern with the three colors. Different sleeves. Not too matchy-matchy.

Over the summer and fall, I got all the pieces knitted and was ready to put them together. The shoulders and sleeves, though, didn’t fit. They were at least two inches off (the sleeves were too small for the space that they were supposed to fit into). Well, what to do?

I mulled it over and decided that I had to re-knit the sleeves. Frog them and re-knit them with more increases so that they’d fit into the space … and then as I prepared to frog the sleeves and re-knit them, I noticed that I had (for some unknown reason) joined two balls of yarn in the middle of the back right about exactly where it would be most noticeable. What was I thinking? So, I decided to frog the back to the join and re-knit that, too. And then when I got that far down and was ready to rejoin the yarn, I noticed that I did it not once, but twice and there was another join just about two inches below the first one.

A second join in the middle of the back … what was I thinking?

That did it. I frogged the whole sweater. It went from this …

All the pieces were finished and blocked …

To this … in just a few minutes!

Oh well, that’s one of the most wonderful things about knitting … you can start anything over if it isn’t pleasing you. This one wasn’t pleasing me at all. But I do love the yarn!

And if anyone is wondering why we may be allergic to wool? Well, check out what was left on my desk after I frogged and re-wound the wool!

Wool dust … ahhhhh – choo!

Gone knitting!

Not Knitting but Grateful

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Queen Bee Knits

My new school – teaching on a beautiful day!

Well, I’ve once again joined the working world with a temporary job outside of my home.

While I am enjoying working with children in the elementary school environment, I am noticing that I am not knitting enough to feed my passion and art. Partly because at the end of the day I am pretty tired and partly because I still have all my work at the house to do, too. And my little dogs (and now our new big dog) have missed me and need some of my undivided attention … as does their “father”!

I have a pair of socks for my nearly 50 year-old brother on the needles. I reverted to my favorite (go to) sock pattern and have had some lovely green (with a hint of blue) yarn that I bought for exactly this reason last summer. His favorite color is green and this yarn by Plymouth Yarn Co. called “Happy Feet” is a superwash Merino and with my brother’s feet, I bought three skeins (he wears a size 14 shoe!)

Seacolors Yarn …

I have deconstructed the sleeve on my Boxy Cardigan that I started last summer with my Maine wool from Sea Colors Yarns. The pattern was pretty straight forward but someone clearly forgot to have the sweater test knitted – the sleeves are at least two inches too narrow to fit into the shoulder. (You do get what you pay for! This was a free pattern. Lesson learned!) I will unknit them and then add more increases to make up for the two inches and see how that works. I hope I don’t have to start over from scratch because I don’t like it – and I spent a lot of money on the wool and want to love the garment that it becomes!

Dropps Tunic (Pattern #111-21) in Berroco Pure Pima (color 2243)

I still have my Pima Cotton tank on the needles. The back is done and the front is getting close but, honestly, I haven’t worked on it much at all! It’s really time to focus on this garment as we’re getting ready for that sleeveless shirt season!

I have several ideas that I want to knit when I’ve wrapped up a few of my WIPs … a tea cozy by the Queen of Tea Cozies, Loani Prior … it’s the daffodil one. We don’t have daffodils here in Florida and I miss them. A Stash Buster Shawl and I have yarn for a sweater and hat for my niece. I also want to knit myself a Wonderful Wallaby! It would be perfect for those cool (or even cold) evenings in Maine this summer.

I’m so grateful to be working with these great kids who really need the extra support to bring them up to grade level by the end of the year. I love the teachers that I’m working with and I am blessed to have the opportunity to work close enough to my home that I can (well, I could) walk to work. And since it’s temporary, I am hoping to pick up the needles more when I get to Maine after school ends.

Gone knitting!

Burning a hole in my … stash?

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Queen Bee Knits

Like other knitters, I have a fairly extensive stash. No, not mustache, a yarn stash – that little bit of collected yarns from here and there that you have to buy because it’s so soft or pretty or pretty soft.

I bought this yarn last summer in Maine. I think what made it so appealing was the price … and maybe the color. Yes, I paid $2.49 a ball for it at Marden’s! It’s Main Street by Reynolds (color 6760, lot 8078, 53% wool, 47% acrylic, 50 grams/approx. 98 yards) – 16 sts and 22 rows = 4 inches in Stockinette stitch on US #8 needles.

Yesterday, I was going through one of my stash bins and found this yarn (I have only two balls) and I was thinking about what I could make with it. It’s wool and acrylic. Soft. And it occurred to me that it would make a great hat. I’m envisioning a rolled brim cap that could be rolled down so that it would be slouchy. And then I was reminded of the Steven West post about pompoms that I saw on Facebook (I love making pompoms) and so I think it needs to have a pom pom at the top. Maybe even a crazy multi-colored pompom. That decision has not yet been made!

I measured my own (oversized) head and cast on 80 stitches that, with a ribbed hat, should accommodate larger and smaller heads. And I decided to make it a (sort of) twisted 1×1 rib (knit 1, purl 1) by knitting into the back of the knitted stitches. I love it when there is that little bit of twist in the knitted stitches. It’s just a little bit different and very pretty.

See? Aren’t those lines of twisted knit stitches so pretty?! I can get so excited about the simplest little things! I think this is going to be one fun hat! Wait until you see the way the colors subtly shift from purple to nearly red! You can already see a couple of very subtle variations on purple. I’ll keep this pattern going for 9 inches or so. More pictures will be forthcoming at the hat “grows”!

Gone knitting!

Free Patterns – Sometimes You Get What you Pay For!

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Queen Bee Knits

At the Maine Fiber Frolic this summer, I bought this wonderful yarn from one of the booths.

Seacolors Yarn

The yarn came with a free pattern for a Boxy Cardigan sweater with color blocking that I loved so much that it took me an hour to pick out the yarn. That being said, now that I am on the downside of the project (or thought I was), I am finding that the free pattern isn’t really a great pattern … seems that the sleeves are nearly four inches too narrow for the arm/shoulder inset space. Ugh!

I even re-knitted the bind-off on the sleeve to make it stretch a bit more but the one sleeve that I seamed really looks awful. And for the price paid for the yarn, I would prefer that I be able to wear the sweater at the end.

See? …

Shoulder seam and puckery sleeve seam – looks yucky!

And this would be the reason why! The sleeve is four inches too narrow for the opening!

So, what’s a Queen Bee to do? The only idea that I can come up with is to “frog” the sleeve down to where the increases stopped and increase more … and the sleeves will be almost like dolman sleeves! Or, the other option is to “frog” the top of the sweater and take out some of the body length where the sleeve will fit.

I am going to take the project to a few of my knitting friends and see which choice they would choose … or if they have another idea that may be even better than my two options!

Have you got any ideas, dear readers?!

Gone knitting!

Get ‘er Done!

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Queen Bee Knits

I’m getting a lot of stuff done so why am I still beating myself up and saying that I’m unproductive? Why do I “worry” about being unproductive when I am getting work done? Because it’s not the work that I “need” to be doing? That others expect me to be doing? Because I’m not making “enough” money? I just need enough to pay the bills and can make do with less than most so what’s all the “anxiety” about?

My Boxy Cardigan is two thirds complete. Sleeves are all that is left to do. They should go pretty quickly and I hope that I love the sweater as much as I remember loving the one on display that I saw at the Maine fiber frolic.

The cotton tunic has kind of been set aside so that I can make a few new items to add to my Etsy shop … or new 3 B Street shop (more about this in a later post) … but the back is so close to being done – despite the inches and inches of 1×1 ribbing on US #1 needles!

I have knitted a new pair of fingerless mittens in a very simple 2×1 rib and just have to weave in the ends. I suspect that they will need a button or some embellishment because just by themselves they’re a bit flat – at least in my opinion – despite a variegated yarn.

And then there’s the Rasta Basket that I have knitted in a wonderful colorway called “Archangel” and while the knitting part is finished, the finishing part is a bit sticky for me! I am not really a sewer. (I can hear friends of mine in my head telling me that I am labeling myself and if I want to be a success I need to consider myself an adept sewer!) Yesterday I got out the old Singer and it took me a good part of the afternoon to assemble the lining only to discover that the handles that I chose are about two inches too big for the bag! Back I go to the store today to see if I can find some that are smaller!

I have pulled out the old Michael’s samples that I haven’t seen while I was away this summer. I am ready to make my board for knitting classes (did you see my calendar for classes?) and have to take some signs for the yarn aisle in the store. I also need to make copies of the calendar for the demo desk! I sure hope that the knitting classes will pick up since it’s fall …I hope!

My to-do list keeps growing but I am checking things off, too. Just for today, I am going to be pleased about what I have gotten done and what I will do today. Life is good.

Gone knitting!