Queen Bee Knits

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

Gnoming

Posted on May 29, 2021 by Queen Bee Knits

I’m up to five gnomes in my gnitted gnome collection. I have several more to gnit and I will get them done. They’re so much fun! And they’re really cute.

All of my gnomes are patterns written by Imagined Landscapes’ Sarah Schira. Her patterns are often offered in MKAL format which offers you the opportunity to knit a gnome over a short period of time (and print the pattern on lots of paper.) I have also purchased some of Sarah’s “gnormal” gnome patterns (not MKALs) that I want to knit. I enjoy the KALs and I think I’ll also enjoy the simple pleasure of knitting a gnome at my own pace.

Left to right (above) are my current gnomes:

Most recent FO is Gnot just another Gnome, Gnathan. I knitted my gnome in worsted weight yarn rather than the proscribed fingering weight. I love my giant gnome. I used DPNs smaller than the yarn wrapper indicated and checked the fabric to make sure that it was tight enough that the stuffing wouldn’t show through once the gnome was finished. I used US 5 DPNs throughout. My Gnathan has gnarly arms (they look a bit too thin) so in the future I’d add a stitch or two to the i-cord numbers to make them more proportional. But he’s acceptable just the way he is … he will have to do more pull-ups to build his arm muscles! LOL! Gnathat has some wonderful cables on his hat and on the side of his body. The cables on the sides run from the base to the tip of the hat. It must be my Irish heritage, I love cables.

Second from the left is Gnome is Where You Hang Your Hat. This one was really fun because it was a stranded knitting design from the start and this gnome (gnamed Gnemo) got a hand-knit sweater! This little guy is knit in fingering weight yarn and US 1 1/2 needles. I’d love to make this guy again in a sport-weight yarn so he’s a little bit bigger. I didn’t weight this gnome … probably because I was lazy and didn’t have anything in my studio at my fingertips. That’s a bummer because he does tip over. I’d also like to make one of these with the hat pointing up. It’s a lovely piece of knitting!

Gnome is Where You Hang Your Hat, “Gnemo”

Gnutmeg is the next one in the lineup, pattern name is the ADVENTure Gnome. This one was knitted in early December 2020 thus it’s name. I used all leftover yarn bits and bobs. I actually love this guy, too. This was a MKAL knitting project. I love love love his boots! This would be fun to make in a heavier weight needle, too. This one is in sort-of-holiday colors … I was in a sort-of-holiday mood, apparently. I’d rather the gnomes not be too holiday-ish because they stay out all year. Until now, they’ve lived on a bookshelf in my atelier. They may move downstairs in the wintertime. This pattern came with a pattern for a Christmas ball, knitted of course, and two recipes.

The first gnome project I embarked on, and the last two in the lineup, was Oh, Gnome, You Didn’t! I may have un-gnowmingly knitted the first Gnellie with the wrong size needle and so I decided to knit a second Gnellie (appropriately named Gnellie 2.) Again, I used leftover scraps of fingering weight yarns from my bins (and bins and bins) of little bits of sock yarns. I braided Gnellie’s hat but left Gnellie 2’s hat alone with its three points. I love the Gnellies’ pockets!

These guys would be fun to make more of. It’s probably good that Sarah keeps adding MKALs because the likelihood of me having time to make duplicates at any time soon is unlikely. I have already bought four more of Sarah’s patterns and I absolutely will knit them all … as I type this I am printing out the pattern for Gnome de Plume (Gnatalie to be) … I may have to knit two; one with braids and one without!

Gone knitting.

Thursday Update

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Queen Bee Knits

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and today is not. It’s overcast and gray and the wind is blowing off the lake which makes it cold. I’ve spent the better part of the day in my studio working on several projects.

First job was to call and email and text my class to announce, officially, that all of our classes have been cancelled until at least the end of the month. That’s twelve days at the least. And I’m thinking it’s going to be months instead of weeks. I sure hope I’m wrong! I have the most wonderful group of students. I know I’ve written about them before, but I mean it sincerely. I am really going to miss our Friday gathering.

I am working on a couple of projects … I was supposed to be finishing UFOs but I have cast on a couple of new “corona virus” projects. One is t a MKAL (mystery knit along) that we’re doing at Yardgoods Center. Clues are posted every morning at 8 to our facebook page.

Clue 1: Worsted weight bits and bobs of yarn. US 10 needles. Cast on 225 stitches

Clue 2: Knit 4 rows of garter stitch

Mine is cast on and knitted. That was my second order of business today.

Next I finished the second day of Arne and Carlos’s Quarantine KAL. While we don’t really know what we’re knitting, the small squares in Fair Isle is comforting and really makes my mind focus on the yarn and stitches that my hands are making. It’s a wonderful way to get lost in the process and it’s so comforting. I started off being behind and I’m still behind – as part 4 is being released today and I just finished part 2. Oh well. It’s all good, right?

I”m moving ahead with my test knit for Lori Versaci of Versaciknits. I am really loving the Cashmere People yarns that I am working for. Casey at Portfiber picked the perfect colors to make it feel like a comfy pair of jeans which was exactly what I was thinking for the feeling of this piece. This afternoon I will finish the second stockinette section and start on the next part. It’s not a difficult knit but it does mean that I have to be awake enough to count. I hope to make some good progress this afternoon and I will show you pictures when I get permission to do so. I love Lori’s designs. They’re classic, tailored and they’re brilliantly put together. I’m wearing the sweater that I test knit for her today … I’m going all in with comfy these days!

So, there you go. What we’re up to today. Day four, really, but also day six … it depends on when you started counting. I’ve mostly been in the house since Friday evening, 3/20/2020. While it’s still not “normal” it is feeling a bit less bizarre. We are settling in.

Gone knitting!

You can follow my knitting projects on Ravelry, “lindar”; on Facebook, QueenBeeKnits by Linda Warner and Instagram @QueenBeeKnits.

Addition by Subtraction Lit-a-long

Posted on May 27, 2018 by Queen Bee Knits

Charcoal and White are dark and light. Gray speckle is blender. Gold is “pop” of color!

Several of us at the Yardgoods Center are working on the Addition by Subtraction Lit-a-long by TryStitchual Designs. This is an intriguing and unique MKAL (mystery knit along) as far as I am aware. There is a wonderfully funny and clever mystery story that accompanies a MKAL.

The MKAL requires that you start with four yarns. Fingering weight. One in a light color, one in a dark, the third unifies the two colors and the fourth is a pop of color. I used two stashed yarns that I bought last summer at the Maine Fiber Frolic and two new yarns that I bought at the shop.

First Wedge

Garter stitch section

Phew! Getting there!

Chapter One – I really love garter stitch. This garter stitch section uses all four colors and is broken up by three columns of stitches with twisted stitches on the edges and a knit or purl stitch in the center. There are also short row wedges in the “pop” color. At one side is an i-cord edge (see below) and an edge that contains a regular yarn over sequence of stitches.

The i-cord edge hides the yarns as they are carried up the side of the garment. It’s a brilliant idea! I’ll admit to having a bit of a challenge getting the i-cord edge started, but I figured it out in a couple of rows! There is a TON of knitting in this chapter! Phew!

I was almost finished with this when Chapter Two was released.

Chapter Two – I’m starting this a little bit behind and so I “rushed” to finish chapter one and get chapter two started. Chapter two uses three colors. The “pop” has been cut and set aside for this section. We are heading on with a slip stitch section between sections of alternating three-color garter stitch. This was a challenging start because I was following the written instructions rather than the charted instructions. I found out that the chart was the better way to go and had no trouble after the third row. I love this section and it makes me happy to see how interesting it is.

Chapter two also has a lot of knitting.

I am hardly half-way through Chapter two when Chapter three is released. No way I was going to catch up on this week … I had a shawl to knit as a store sample for the Maine Yarn Cruise that takes place beginning on Memorial Day weekend. Oh well. As I tell my students, “knitting is not a race”, time for this teacher to take a dose of her own medicine!

Chapter Three – This section is called the Illusion Section and as such, the knitting looks like an illusion. I think this may be my favorite section yet. I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this and it’s fascinating!

Once again a color (this time the speckled “blender” colorway) has been cut and we are now working with two colors only. The two colors remaining, light and dark, are alternated in pairs of rows. The second of which alternates between knit and purl stitches. It’s fantastic!

When I was ready to start chapter three, the clue for chapter four had already been released so I am now a full week behind! I’m laughing at myself for keeping track.

Chapter Four – OK, this chapter was released and I hadn’t even begun the previous one. I am telling you, there is a lot of knitting each week. If you work at a job or are a stay-at-home parent, or do anything but knit, you will not have been able to keep up with this MKAL! I am a relatively quick knitter and I’m waaaaaay behind!

Chapter four is a lace section. Both sides of the section are the same (it’s reversible!) and the i-cord and yarn over ends are still going on as through the whole project. The lace section is very simple and very graphic (I think that’s the term) … it’s not lacey lace, it’s squared off and linear. I’ve just now gotten to begin it and I think it’ll be a good addition to the shawl. I’m getting closer and closer with each row and each decrease. It’s repetitive enough that I can remember this section’s pattern so I don’t have to count every stitch and watch the graph too closely.

A stitch is dropped at the end of each section … creating a “line” parallel to the i-cord edge.

Did I mention that at the end of each chapter, a stitch has been dropped?

The stitch between the columns of twisted stitches is dropped after Chapter One. A second is dropped after Chapter Two. I happen to like dropping stitches and seeing how that changes the look of the stitches. There’s one more stitch to drop at the end of section four. With twisted stitches on either side, the dropped stitch is “controlled”. I am eager to finish and block this baby!

Having gotten this far writing about this project, I wanted to let you know that there is an Epilogue. Yes, there is! The epilogue seems to consist of an i-cord that is about 84 inches long that is woven through the yarn over side of the shawl. The pattern wants the i-cord to be in color C which for my shawl is the gold color or the “pop” that was only in the first chapter. Yippee! I was hoping that color would come back!

I’ll update you when I have finished and blocked the shawl!

Gone Knitting!

You can find out more about my knitting projects on Ravelry. I’m “lindar” on Ravelry!

Tartan Knitting

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Queen Bee Knits

Be still my heart! I love this shawl!

Three of us, all teachers, decided to do a MKAL together and chose an “oldie”that we had all seen on Facebook and loved, the Dragonfly MKAL 2016 by Rachel Roden. This pattern is available for purchase on Ravelry.

The Yarn!

I am using two skeins of Manos del Uruguay’s “Alegria” fingering yarn (75% merino wool and 25% nylon) in two colors, Kohl, and Teal. Both colors are tonals which means that there is a slight variation of shade in the yarn. When I chose the yarn colors I probably had a choice of 20 different colors and it was not easy … but this was my favorite combination at the end of the day. I love the teal and I love the gray with it.

Clue 1 – beginning the tartan

Second Sideways Braid

There are five clues. They are well divided and very satisfying to knit. Clue 1 starts at the center of the neck and has the first section of plaid knitting. The clues and the shawl grow well together and I especially loved knitting the sideways cables (braids).

Nearing the end!

I am currently knitting the very last section of the shawl with over 400 stitches and it is a pleated ruffle border and I can’t wait to see how it looks when it’s complete. I also can’t wait to block and wear it.

My goal is to have it finished and blocked this week so I can take it with me to visit my kids in New York this weekend.

Yes, you should give this pattern a try! Use your stashed yarn or come visit me at my LYS!

Gone Knitting!

Stephen West MKAL 2016

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Queen Bee Knits

Yarn Choices 1-4

I have been wanting to knit one of Stephen West’s designs but have been putting it off because 1) I have so many other knits to complete and an order from a customer and 2) because there are so many good ones and I’ve had trouble deciding which one to make first! SO when a MKAL came along, I dumped out my stashed fingering weight yarns and chose several to start with.

My knitting students helped me narrow my choices to the four required in the pattern and I got started on the first clue. I love the i-cord cast on and the subsequent i-cord increases. Picking up and knitting stitches from the i-cord is simple enough and the pattern is easy to follow. I am not loving the blue in my design – oh boy, should I have chosen the bright pink? I’ll knit on a ways and see what I think as I go.

Nearly at the end of knitting clue 1 and I realized as I was switching to needles with a longer cord that I was knitting with a US3 not the requested US4. Now, one assumes that the difference between a 3 and 4 is a small one. One is right but the difference is JUST enough to make a big difference in the way the fabric feels. The US3 fabric is tight and much less flexible and flow-y than the US4 fabric.

The question now is … to frog or not to frog. The shawl has two points already against it and I’m not even finished with clue 1. I’m frogging and starting over. I’ll knit the hat for my customer and then cast on again.

Happy knitting!

Jimmy Beans Wool 2016 Downton Abbey Mystery KAL

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Queen Bee Knits

I’ve participated in a couple of the Downton Abbey Mystery Knit-a-longs. It was fun and the projects were lovely. I missed a couple, too. Each time, however, I had fun and came away with a very wearable garment.

This is the last season of Downton Abbey and I decided to participate at the last minute for one last time. (See my sad face?) Here’s my report about the final, last, final 2016 DAMKAL.

I am on another “yarn diet” and although I wanted to buy the Lorna’s Laces yarn for this knit-a-long, I used my Christmas yarn for it instead. It’s Knitting Fever’s Painted Desert. It’s a wool, fingering yarn and while I forgot to write down the colorway, it’s a deep burgundy with blues and almost-purple shades. I really like the colorway that I was gifted!

Christmas Yarn – Painted Desert by Knitting Fever (2 Skeins)

Clue 1.

I was totally clueless as to what this “garment” was going to be. Totally clueless. We used a circular cast on and knitted the rounds for this clue on DPNs. Ending with a “square”. Hmm.

Clue #1

Clue 2.

Continued knitting in the round for this clue; very similar to clue #1 … I’m still mystified. But it’s pretty!

Clues 3 & 4, 5 & 6.

And this is where I was totally wondering what this was going to be as many many stitches were put onto waste yarn and we continued knitting down one “side” of the original “box”. I actually discussed this with one of my classes and showed them the piece after knitting clue 3 … maybe a hat and scarf combination? maybe something for the home? Nobody really had a reasonable idea. So, I continued knitting.

When we got to clue 5 and started knitting down another “side” of the original “box” I believe I read that it was a “wing” and the light bulb went off. It’s a shawl! I had a bit of difficulty figuring out which “side” to start my stitches on for the second wing and did use the discussion thread on Ravelry. The discussion thread was very helpful and fun to read, too.

Clue 5 and 6 … still mystified!

Clue 7 & 8.

The last two clues were just fun to knit now that the mystery was discovered. How was this lovely shawl going to be finished? Short and sweet despite being a lot (a LOT) of stitches on the needle.

I love the finished shawl and it’s on my guest room bed being blocked as I type this. I chose to pin every little picot stitch on the edge (the instructions gave an option to pin all picots or every other.) I am eager for it to be dry and be able to wear it. I’ll probably wear it to work next week. (I noticed that Kristen’s shawl looks quite a bit larger than mine … perhaps I will block it a bit more aggressively before it’s dry or I may not.)

Blocking! Can you see the “square” from the first two clues?

All of the little picots are pinned along the wing!

Another great online MKAL! Thanks to Kristen and Jimmy Beans Wool!

Gone knitting!