I’m the Queen Bee and it’s Been Over a Month Since I’ve Posted.

Welcome to Maine

Welcome to Maine

I can’t believe that I haven’t posted anything in over a month! I’m sure I’ve thought about it many times … apologies to my loyal followers (all three of you!)

I was a sick puppy!

I was a sick puppy! Out of work for five weeks!

I’ve recovered from a nasty bout with pneumonia and bronchitis and finished the school year and moved up to our home in Maine. I’ve also started a new “diet” to try to lose some weight before the big wedding (not mine, my daughter’s). I have been way to “happy” (read this as eating for all celebratory reasons) for the past several years and have gained a good forty pounds since my divorce diet and weight loss. I’m hoping to get back to that post-divorce weight without severing a long relationship. I’ve enlisted a team of coaches and doctors and am starting day 6, having lost about six pounds. Woo! Hoo! The program that I’m using is Your Road To Health. It’s a Medifast program. I was hungry and cranky the first few days but I’m feeling better as the days go on. Today I am feeling hopeful and that’s a really great way to feel.

I’ve been knitting a lot, too. Have several projects on the needles. I’ll go into more detail over the next few days. Suffice it to say, there is no shortage of projects – and the ones that have deadlines are the ones that I don’t really feel like working on.

I’m almost done with the lap blanket for my daughter’s wedding (there will be rocking chairs on the Yacht Club’s porch and she really wanted to have a cozy blanket on them … it could be chilly in September in Massachusetts.) Bulky yarn knits up pretty quickly … even if it’s a boring project.

Wonderful Wallaby sleeves … two at a time.

Wonderful Wallaby sleeves … two at a time.

Closing in on Row 70 … a bazillion rows left!

Closing in on Row 70 … a bazillion rows left!

I’ve kind of given up on the idea of finishing the lace shawl by her wedding. But maybe not.

I started a “selfish knitting” shawl … one of those projects that I can work on at knitting classes because I don’t have to count.

One mitt down, one to go.

One mitt down, one to go.

I have one of my two fingerless mitts done. An Intarsia pattern. I have decided I need to practice intarsia more … not my favorite technique. One left … and I haven’t even started it yet.

Wonderful Wallaby sleeves … two at a time.

Wonderful Wallaby sleeves … two at a time.

Last, I have a Wonderful Wallaby sweater that I am knitting for myself. Another easy pattern that  I can knit and visit with. I have the majority of the body done and am working on the sleeves. Would love to finish this before the end of the summer so it can live here in Maine. It’ll be way too warm for Florida.

My super-duper LL Bean bag is full of yarn and “hopeful” knitting projects. If I can finish even some of my projects already on the needles, I can start those. A sweater for my soon-to-be niece, a sweater for the soon-to-be big sister, an Australian possum pelt kit … OH BOY!

And then there's this project! A king-size Log Cabin quilt!

And then there’s this project! A king-size Log Cabin quilt!

I’d best stop writing and get knitting!

Gone knitting!

Finished and Blocking

My sleeves are finished and blocked. Now I can assemble the sweater … I love seams!

NOT!

But I am getting more and more at ease with the process. And it really helps to block the pieces before seaming. As soon as my

The shoulder seams are super easy. With your embroidery needle, bring a new length of yarn up through a stitch and then wrap around the bottom of a stitch and then go back down through the same place where you came up! This makes a totally invisible “seam”.

The side and sleeve seems are almost fun for me to do now. I use the mattress stitch for stockinette stitch garments and Knitty has a great article on seaming that I probably can’t duplicate here. I’ll sure show you pictures of my garment in process but they’ve got the camera and people to show you better than I can!

The last thing that I will be adding to my sweater is a crocheted edging. Many of you who follow me on facebook know that I don’t really know how to crochet so this is causing me just a teeny bit of anxiety! I know that I can do anything and will be searching the internet to find some help. But, it’s almost there … and then I just have to find a few cute buttons …

… and wait until it gets cold enough to wear a wool sweater!

Pictures will soon follow (tomorrow!)

Gone knitting!