Queen Bee Knits

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

Musselburgh and WIPs

Posted on September 2, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

We got up early this morning and spent a good two hours watching the lake. Highlighted by the baby loon and his/her parent feeding right in front of the house. The lake was totally smooth for a time. And it was so quiet. A breath of fresh air after a busy summer and a busy Labor Day weekend.

I spent a chunk of it making a sample for the store. I chose a Yarn Snob Worsted weight wool in the Times Square colorway. Mostly because we have no samples of Yarn Snob knitted up. And, being worsted weight, it was going to knit up more quickly.

This hat pattern is wonderful!!! I’ve made one before but I had to remind myself how to do the pinhole or Emily Ocker’s magic cast on and I knew that i particularly liked Jen Arnall-Culliford’s method which is simple and doesn’t require a crochet hook. Just a pair of DPNs. (Ultimately you need a set of 4 or 5.) I really liked the Yarn Snob yarn and this hat will be a modern sample for the shop in an unexpected yarn. I made the toddler size because that is what the yardage allowed for. I loved that the colorway was named after a NYC landmark that happens to be in the heart of the theater district and my kiddos are all employed in the arts in New York City. So a nod to Times Square added a smile to my face. When the winter sets in, I’ll reclaim the hat for my granddaughter.

I spent the past couple of days working on my Vanilla Sweater by Corrine at The Wooly Thistle. I may have said this before but the color is what I fell in love with and I “had” to buy the kit. as happens with almost every simple pattern I attempt, I am struggling to read my knitting – it’s either the light in my atelier or my aging eyes or both combined with the heathery yarn but I can’t see the increases well enough so I’ve been thinking back and reknitting now and again. But I’m getting there and am almost to the end of the increases. I am up to over 300 stitches around so the rounds take a minute. I’m knitting on gauge so I will be excited to see how it fits.

I’ve also been working away on one of the critters in Louise Crowther’s book Animal Friends. I bought the yarn a few months back for three of these animals and I’m beginning with Noah the horse. It will be a gift for my daughter who loves horses. It’s fun to knit but a little bit hard on my hands because it’s knit at a tight gauge in teeny needles. So the stuffing doesn’t show through the stitches, of course! I’m making good progress. Two legs to go and the outfit and I can sew it all together.

I had nearly completed the garter stitch section of my All About the Ruffle shawl. Over 350 stitches on the needle. and I just didn’t love it. So, today I frogged it and it’ll be something else, probably a tee shirt. So boo and yay. Boo that I frogged all that work but yay that it’ll be something that I will love.

I was gifted and also grew some giant zucchini and I’ve been trying to use it up before we leave for vacation. I’ve got some chocolate zucchini muffins in the freezer with a loaf of zucchini n bread. Today I made banana zucchini muffins. Hubby seems to think they’re all for him. Ahead of vacation? Yeah, right. He’s been informed.

If I can’t get it all baked before we leave, it’ll go into the freezer all shredded and portioned into 2 cup bags. I have a lot of frozen bananas, too. I’ve not been baking enough apparently.

We are enjoying the last days or weeks with hummingbirds before they head south. I haven’t seen any male hummers recently and they had off ahead of the female and juvenile birds. So the rest will be heading off soon. We will keep the feeders full for those passing by for a few weeks.

The garden is still giving us food. I picked the first Delicata squash. There are more coming. Tomatoes are coming along too. Peas are still growing and we hope we get fruit before the first frost. I picked most of the lettuces because they were about the bolt. Our garlic is dried and cleaned and ready to store away and use. We need to grow more again next year.

I’ll be taking my Murmuration socks on vacation with my Vanilla sweater and some “purple sparkly” Encore worsted for mittens for my granddaughter and a blue bulky pullover (pattern by Knitting Pure and Simple) in superwash wool. I’ve got two grands to knit for now. Best get going on the tiny knits!

Gone knitting.

Saturday – Peace on the porch and a little knitting.

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

I have had a lovely, peaceful morning with my coffee and yarn on the porch. I got up without an alarm, took the dog out, fed the dog and took my coffee out to the porch. It was pretty gray and we even had a little sprinkle of rain. Since then, I went up to my atelier for my yarn and I’ve been sitting here drinking my coffee and knitting and listening to the sounds of the lake. The sounds of home. Hummingbirds chasing each other away from the feeder, ducks quacking by, the train passing heading south, and the splash of an osprey right in front of our boathouse (coming up with empty talons.) And now the sun is coming out and the bees are buzzing in the cat mint.

I’m working on my Vanilla Sweater by Corrine at the Wooly Thistle in Rauma Garn Finull. I fell in love with the color of this yarn and had to buy it. No regrets here. This is a wooly Norwegian wool and I can already feel it softening up as I work it. I’m struggling to see my stitches though with the heathery wool and I’ve had to go back several times when I increased where I should not have. My attention span seems to be challenged right now. Lots going on, hubby away, boss away, the world on fire and I may even need a better light by my knitting chair.

Musselburgh in Yarn Snob “Times Square” colorway

At work we have decided we need some more contemporary samples. I said I’d knit a Musselburgh hat and brought home a hank of fingering weight Yarn Snob yarn with neon pops of color. And then I thought about all the things I have going on and brought it back. I chose, instead, a hank of worsted weight yarn snob. There was enough yardage to make a toddler hat and the. I looked at the name of the colorway and that clinched it. I’m knitting this for a sample and then when it gets colder I’m taking it for Sylvie to wear in the city.

I always have to remember how to cast on with the Emily Ocher’s cast on but I found a Jen Arnal-Culliford turirial and got it done. Yesterday, this hat was a good thing to work on while I was teaching and I made some good progress.

The crown Emma’s some random pooling and now it seems to be striping. It’s all good and it’ll be done soon enough.

I’ve also been working on my shawl, All About The Ruffles. I’m nearly to the full stitch count on the garter stitch section. I wish I had figured out how dull the garter stitch section would be and skipped this project. I sure hope the ruffle section makes it worth while. the “Harbor” colorway in Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect Sock is lovely and this year is really lovely to work with. I’ve not taken any pictures because a garter stitch triangle is not very exciting but there will be some coming.

I snuck in a Knitting for Olive yarn order before they stopped shipping to the USA. I’ll be knitting one of their designs, too, for the first time. The Wilson sweater has a Henley feel without the buttons and with a collar. I need a black sweater and I think this one is classic and can be worn with our without something underneath. I’m really going to have to invest in a better light to knit with black yarn. (I also have some black linen to knit a sleeveless top with. I love black clothes, I cannot lie.

My SISC continues with Murmuration. Another pattern from the Sock Project book by Summer Lee. I may have already posted this photo but I repost it because there is a mistake here and the photo pointed it out. I’ve since frogged it back and added another (third) eyelet round to the third lace pattern. Good grief. My brain! My focus is definitely struggling with all that’s going on in the world. I am looking forward to our Rhode Island vacation next week and am planning to tune out and turn off social media for a few days to see if that helps my brain to focus. It’s all good in the end but good grief, I’m supposed to be an “expert” and a knitting teacher. I get frustrated with myself when I make such rookie mistakes!

I picked three cherry tomatoes and my first Delicata squash today from the garden. they say that Delicatas are ready to pick when they have stripes and you can’t easily break the skin with pressure from your fingernail. This one is there. I think I’ll have to cook it for supper tonight to see how it tastes. I also have cups (and cups) of shredded zucchini to use and will get it grayed, freeze some of it and bake with some of it. Plan is to make some zucchini bread, some chocolate zucchini bread and maybe a chocolate zucchini cake to take with us to the beach. Yum. We still have e some tomatoes on the vines and a few more delicatas coming along. Lettuces and kale are going to be picked today for salad with my supper.

I guess I’d best get myself moving. I have a bank deposit to make for the store before noon and then I can drop off the banking stuff at the store. The boss is back Monday and I no longer have the responsibility of banking. I had a bowl of granola this morning so I may stop for ice cream on my way home for lunch. More knitting will be worked into my afternoon.

Gone knitting.

Tuesday Newsday? …

Posted on February 18, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, this week is going to be dis-ordered mess because my normal routine has been altered right out of the gate. Ha! Ha! I worked yesterday, swapping with a co-worker my Thursday so she could go on a little family trip. I had a very busy day at the store yesterday and today I’m going to head to Scarborough to pick up my new glasses. I am so excited to have a pair of prescription sunglasses again! I can hardly contain myself.

I’ve been working away at trying to finish a few projects and have had limited “head space” because of the horrible news coming out of Washington, DC. I’m emotionally exhausted and am limiting my news intake but sheesh, it’s coming from everywhere and all at once. It’s overwhelming and very concerning. This is an into into what I’ve been knitting and what I am able to knit because some days I simply can’t concentrate on my more complicated knitting projects and I choose to knit simply. Other days I can do some stranded colorwork and some days I can manage BLACK yarn stranded colorwork. Ha! I’m giving it all my best efforts but, whew!

I’ve made some progress over the weekend and the snowy Sunday on two projects in particular. My daughter’s fingerless mitts and the Winter’s Finery Shawl.

One picture of each needle, these are the Rain Shadow Mitts for my daughter. I had to frog several rounds because I had made a mistake on the chart on the front (far right photo) of the mitts and it wasn’t lining up correctly. They’re going to be really pretty but it’s difficult for my “old” eyes to see the black yarn any time other than in the morning and it needs to be sunny and bright. It’s fun to knit, though and I know my daughter will love them. I sure hope they fit as well as her old ones. I’m working these with Brown Sheep yarn’s Nature Spun Fingering yarn. The colors were chosen by my daughter.

My WInter’s Finery shawl is off the needles and now I have to sew in the eighty bazillion little ends on the ornaments along the edge. I got three or four done last night after work before turning to my sock. My brain and body couldn’t handle thinking at the end of the day. I used a special skein of Canadian hand-dyed yarn for the shawl and pulled out a bit of scrap sock yarn for the ornaments so they’d be a brightly-colored contrast. I thinkI I’m going to like this and I can wear it during PRIDE month because it’s a rainbow on the edge! I may choose to block it before I finish weaving all the ends … we’ll see. It’s going to need to be pinned or blocking wires will be used to pull the points out.

I’ve gotten my On The Round socks past the heel turn. On to the gusset and the foot on sock #1. I chose to do a 3×1 rib on the leg and the top of the foot on this pair just for something a little bit different. I think they’ll be great.

I’ve bought yarn to make a couple more hats/tams for my customer. Another navy blue and another black. Then she said she wants a cream colored one. I got the yarn for that, too. I’ll get them all done and she can buy two or three. They don’t take too much time. I’ve also got a sweater’s worth of orange Rowan Felted Tweed that’s driving me crazy! I want to make the Bolin cardigan that’s the MDK Bang out a Sweater project for this month. I’m having so much trouble deciding if I love the orange color so I think I’m going to make an orange vest and buy yarn to make a more neutral-colored Bolin. I’m thinking an oatmeal-y color for a neutral but I think I’ll stop at Freeport today to look at the colorways to decide. I don’t want a pale color but I think I want a neutral. I think a big orange cardigan on me would be too big and bright and pumpkin-y. Choosing colors is no easy feat.

With that, I am leaving. I have to refill my coffee cup and get rolling to pick up my glasses and run my couple of errands before I can sit and knit for the afternoon … and do the laundry. Sometimes it’s the simple things that matter.

Gone knitting.

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.

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.

Another Day Another Post

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

A view from my desk this morning of the lake and the sunshine! Sunshine! Everything in our house is damp and it’s a relief to see the sun today. It rained most of the night last night and the haze is noticeable this morning. But I am so happy to see the sun.

I’ve put our sofa cover on the porch to dry since the dryer didn’t finish the job, made my chicken salad for my summer book club this afternoon and have begun our laundry. We were so lucky to have had a surprise visit from my brother and sister-in-law and my niece and great-nephew for one night last weekend. It was short but super sweet. Noah is a month older than Sylvie and it’s fun to watch the two of them grow and change!

I’ve been knitting away and have finished three baby hats, two pairs of matching baby mittens and two pairs of toddler mittens. I wrote about the hats in my last post. The mittens are a simple little pattern that I picked up at my LYS and made them with the same yarn that the hats are made of … with a bit of yarn left over. I’m considering an i-cord string to keep mittens in their jackets but wonder if new parents of infants will be ok with putting a string in back of a baby’s neck. Your thoughts?

Infant Top Knot hats, my design in Lang Merino 200 Bebe

There is one more pair of infant mittens to go … maybe my nephew in AZ will take the baby outside on a cold day. Having lived in Florida, I know temperature is relative. And the toddler mittens with the cable are done and ready to be gifted. In fact, I will probably send my brother and sister-in-law home with Noah’s pair just in case we don’t get to see him for a bit. We may only be three hours away but it sometimes feels like it’s triple that! We sure do seem to be busy!

I’m trying to finish up Noah’s Macaroon sweater, too. I’m working my way up the back and will hit the button placket soon enough. I love the colors that I chose for his sweater and it makes me think that I may change up the colors I chose for Sylvie’s sweater. I hope to have hers done by the time we go to the beach in September for our annual family gathering.

French Macaroon Sweater in Berroco Vintage DK

I also have been working on my brother-in-law’s socks. I love the yarn, it’s so soft and I’m knitting the Yankee Knitter’s sock pattern. US2 DPNs and 64 stitches. This is my favorite sock pattern of all time and I have it mostly memorized. Whenever I sell one of these at work I tell them about my first copy that I’ve used so much that it is in four pieces. I’ve bought the pattern twice more since then: a new printed copy and an electronic version. You never can have just one!

Yankee Knitter #29 Socks pattern on Online Supersocke 4-fach Merino

Today I will be winding the yarn to being my Christmas stocking commission for my college roommate’s new grandson. I want to get that one done and dusted (and sent off) before we head out for vacation. I’m pretty sure I can do that if I focus on it during the daytime. My aging brain likes to knit without thinking in the evening. And fortunately my boss is coming back from her extended vacation this weekend so my double and at times triple hours will be ending. I’m grateful for larger paychecks during her absence and will be grateful for the extra time, too.

I’ve got to end here and run down to swap out the laundry and get myself ready for the day. I’m working on a new ending to my posts because “gone knitting” (a knitterly twist on gone fishing which nobody may have picked up on, I don’t know.) Let me know if you like “gone knitting” … for now, it’s not very truthful but I will knit at some point today.

Gone knitting.

Monday – aaaand I’m on hold

Posted on July 8, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

Well, it seems that it’s Monday again and I’m on hold with Electrolux/Frigidare because hubby’s 2 year old air conditioner that was a replacement for a 2 year old air conditioner is broken. Does this seem like a pattern to you? I have approximately 19 minutes to wait on hold and since I’m still not feeling particularly energetic, I thought I’d just wait. I hope I can drag half of our laundry to the laundromat today but it may be tomorrow. We’ll see how I do.

Today our gorgeous purple iris is blooming. This is one of my favorite flowers in our garden. Well, actually, they’re all my favorite when they bloom because they all bloom at different times: yellow iris, white iris, peonies, lilacs, forsythia, daisies, echinacea, astilbe, day lilies … you get the drift. I loved seeing my purple iris this morning and today it’s my favorite. Don’t tell the others.

I’ve been doing a little bit of knitting and a lot of thinking about knitting as I recover from Covid. We both got it somewhere in our travels and in the wedding bliss but we’ve both weathered the virus well and haven’t been too terribly ill. Thank goodness! I’ve been without a fever for a couple of days and yesterday the cough subsided for which I’m really grateful. I hope with another couple of days of relative rest, I can return to work later this week.

My second gray Hermione’s sock has turned the heel is well on its way out to the toe. I have to re-check my notes to see how long I knitted it before I started the toe because I’m that close. I do love the texture in this pattern and I love the Coop Knits SocksYeah! yarn. It’s soft and not at all splitty. It makes knitting socks a cinch. I hope my sister will like them. The next pair of socks will be for my brother-in-law. Two great couples will be gifted custom knit socks this fall/winter.

I’ve also be working on my River cowl by Yumiko Alexander. I am really loving working with the Sonder Yarn Company Muse yarn. It feels great in my hands and it’s a tiny bit thick and thin at times which makes it interesting. I think the drape, once blocked, will be gorgeous. I also love the color! The pattern is fun and easy enough to not take up too much of my brain’s band width (which hasn’t been great with my covid brain!) I’ve completed the five repeats of 66 rows of the “hard” work of cables and dropped stitches. There were a couple of places where I forgot to twist edge stitches so that when I dropped the purl stitches and unravelled, it wanted to go too far. Thankfully, I knew this was a problem and stopped the process. Grabbed the stitch and wove it in with a new piece of yarn so it will stay put. And it barely shows. Since this is for me, I’m good with that fix.

I’m measuring the length of the edge of the River cowl at 52 inches long at the five repeats of 66 plus 1-9 for a total of 339 rows so far and the pattern wants 52.5 inches so I have a couple more rows to complete to make the length what they’re asking for and then will begin picking up stitches along the edge to make the body of the cowl. I’m excited about this one! AND I’m so glad I chose not to make the tee with this yarn. I’ll wear this cowl all the time. (I think!)

I’m still on hold with Frigidaire … it’s been 54, almost 55 minutes so far … and so I’ll just write that I am thinking the next project will be a pair of baby sweaters for my granddaughter and great-nephew and a pink Lane’s Island in Remix Light for myself. And, of course, the socks for my brother-in-law. All of the yarns that I will need are in my stash – yay!

I’m at an hour and 4 minutes. Gone knitting.

A Bee-utiful Day! A Wonderful Weekend

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Queen Bee Knits

After a run of cloudy, gray days, this morning was stunningly beautiful. We had to drop my car off to get an oil change first thing this morning but after we got back, we had a cup of coffee and breakfast on the porch. Hubby was reading in the sunshine and I grabbed my crochet hook and some yarn to start yet another project that I’ve been thinking about. Castonitis is real!

At one point I looked up and the Canada Goose Family was passing by and the goslings have already gotten much bigger. We have some huge Snapping Turtles and Bald Eagles, all of whom would make a meal of a little goose. We always cross our fingers for the new babies around the lake.

AND yesterday I got so many little things checked off my list! My college roommate sent me some knits that needed repair. They’ve been sitting on the extra chair in my studio for a while now and I’ve managed to put them out of my mind but yesterday, I pulled a single crochet round off of her favorite (ugly) hat and added a new one and then blocked the hat. It’s drying as I type. She also sent me an Aran sweater that had some wear at the elbow and the folded neckline was coming apart. She’d said that she was ok with my using some visible mending and I did. The elbow will live for another few years and the neckline is repaired and the sweater has been washed and it’s drying with the hat.

I hadn’t been able to find my crochet hooks bag so I decided to clean out the cabinet that holds my “uncommitted” yarns. I emptied everything out because I also wanted to look at the collection of Jamieson & Smith 2-ply jumper weight yarn that I have for two different projects: a cowl that Goodrun Johnston is teaching in season 9 of Knits Stars AND I want to knit a clock face Yoke O’Clock. I was thinking I needed to buy a few colors of fingering weight Shetland wool but I have plenty already in my stash! I’ve now cleaned up and organized the cabinet again and put all of the like yarns in plastic bags to make finding it a wee bit easier. I hope.

I also have a sweater that I knitted for a young woman who I mentored when she was 10. She’s quite a bit older now and is about to have her third baby boy. I made her a Zip Up the Back baby sweater – pattern is Zip Up a Baby Sweater by Marge Webster. I knitted it in Cascade Pacific Prints in greens. This is a great pattern to knit and a wonderful baby sweater. What’s not so great is that I have to hand-sew a zipper into it which is not my favorite activity. But yesterday I got it done and the sweater is blocked, too. (I was shocked that a mass-manufactured yarn bled so much. The water was green!)

That’s three finished objects in one day! Yay, me! I feel lighter already. And that brings me back to the morning today – I cast on a Ruby the Mega Ray. It’s a crochet pattern that my daughter sent to me for my granddaughter and I made it relatively quickly. She suggested that I make another one for her sister and “how cool would it be if you could put one of those corn things inside” … corn things are the microwavable bags that are so wonderful on sore muscles. I’ve made a lot of them over the years. The last bunch for the kids was made after they all got sore muscles after a ski trip up here. So, I’m going to try to adapt a crochet pattern … try, I will. I have a sort-of-plan and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll go back and make the ray according to the pattern. Crossing my fingers my plan works because it sure would be cool!

I’m still making progress on my pink socks. The heel and gusset are finished and I’m working my way down the foot. And I’m also working away on the little pink cotton dress for Sylvie. It’s not a difficult pattern but it’s a lot of purling. If I were to make it again, I’d make it inside out so that there was a lot of knitting …

I’ve cast on another Emotional Support Chicken, too. I had a ball of wool that I found deep in my stash and started the tail in that and then changed to a ball of violet-ish wool that was given to me. I think she’ll have some more of the first yarn in her as stripes around her neck and that should leave me enough yarn to make yet another chicken. Ha! Ha! I’m hooked. They don’t take a ton of time or effort and I am enjoying the process of knitting them. We’ve decided that we’re going to have a chicken coop in the store window this summer and we’ve asked our customers to make Emotional Support Chickens and loan them to us for the window. We’re hearing that it’s a fun idea and hope participation will be strong.

Gone knitting!

Pink Mittens

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

When I worked as a clinic assistant an elementary school in Florida being sick was, at least the first year, de rigueur. Not to say that I have ever been fashionable but those little ones carry a lot of germs and I got them all! So today, rather than collecting signatures to get lake funding on the local Belgrade ballot, I’m home in my studio drinking plenty of fluids and resting.

On Saturday we planted our garlic and tulips and daffodils. There was a spot in our perennial garden where we lost a hydrangea bush this year after doing everything we could think to do. When we (the royal we; my dear husband) dug the hole to put in the new bush to replace it, we found a rock. Not just a little rock, a rock big enough that we stopped digging and put the new bush in another location. It’s all good, we wanted to build out our buffer to protect the lake anyway. The semi-dug hole sat just as we’d left it for a month or so until Saturday. It’ll be really pretty in the spring!

On Sunday I read the rest of my book. I was up super early because of the time change and brought my book out of the bedroom when I sneaked away. This is a highly unusual activity for me at any time other than bedtime so I knew something was coming on … I read into the early afternoon and then I started knitting. (The book is The Yankee Widow by Linda Lael Miller. I liked it!)

I’ve got two, make that three, projects actively on my needles. I’m working on a pair of vanilla socks using the Yankee Knitter sock pattern #29 in a light gray. I’ve had some Socks Yeah! by Coop Knits yarn all wound into cakes when I frogged another pair of socks that I didn’t like working on ages ago. When I went to NC, this was my back-up project to the pink mittens because you always have to have a back-up project. Just. In. Case. And I am grateful that I did because I got the pair of socks I was working on finished and didn’t like the yarn I had planned for the mittens which left me starting the gray socks – at least until I found a LYS in Pinehurst!

While the color is best in the first several photos, this is where I am this morning with my perfect pink mittens. They’re growing! The pattern is a bit fiddly because the cables are right on the “edge” of the thumb gusset increases but with a little bit of old fashioned charting, I’ve figured it out.

The knitter is asked to follow a 4-round cable pattern and at the same time asked to increase every third round. Ugh! A knitter’s nightmare. I had to be consciously aware of the two directions and my brain doesn’t calculate this stuff without tools. Fortunately, we have tools. I decided this time, to write a chart for myself noting the 4-round cable pattern and the every third round increase. It worked like a charm. Sometimes a paper and pencil are just what you need.

Nancy’s Vest a couple of days ago in Manos’ Milo

I’ve worked a bit on my Nancy’s Vest, too. I’ve reached the point where I need to start some shaping and have made the first buttonhole. I think it’s too small, however, and will likely frog back two rows and start again. I’m not sure if it’s me or the method that the designer uses that makes the button hole so small. I probably should have tried it in a swatch first … but it’s only a couple of rows. I love the yarn, though, and the drape is lovely. This will be a great vest … one that I thought would be so simple and straight forward but is turning out to teach me a few lessons (yet again!)

I’ve decided to have a shelf cleaning sale on facebook and instagram to see if I can sell some of the creations that I have made and seldom worn (some I’ve never worn). Any that don’t sell will be donated to the soup kitchen or homeless shelter or our local school or PD to give out as they see fit. I can’t keep knitting if I don’t “thin the herd” so to speak. That’ll be coming soon. I hope. I’ve photographed all of the pieces but now I have to measure them and get them written up. It’s more work than I care to do today.

Gone knitting.

FOs

Posted on May 28, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

It’s been a beautiful but cool day. We did squeak in coffee on the porch before the breeze started to make it too cool and I got one shawl blocked last night and another this morning. I have a few ends to weave in on one and ends to cut on the other (even though I wore it to work today). This weekend is Memorial Day weekend and the weather is supposed to turn warm (or hot!) on Sunday. I don’t love hot …

The first FO is my Orbit shawl in Urth Uneek Cotton yarn. I think I “won” this yarn in a drawing at work and it’s been in my stash for a year or two. I have decided that I really like long, narrow shawls (aka scarves) in the warmer season for a “pop” of color. This yarn was asking to become something and I really didn’t want to have to buy more or have any left over. So, when I researched different projects for this yarn, I initially wanted to make the Easy Scarf by Diane Augustin but I decided that knitting the Orbit shawl was going to be a little bit more interesting. I used one skein of Urth Uneek Cotton and I searched for the pattern on Ravelry’s “pattern ideas” tab for the yarn.

I have to say that knitting this shawl/scarf was fun enough. Not difficult for sure. But I didn’t love the way the colorway transitioned from the fall-like colors that it started with and then it transitioned into springy-y colors. I don’t love it but it’s ok. The most displeasing piece of this project was the knot in the yarn. It was early in the skein and it was a tiny knot. I am so glad that I found it and that I pulled on it (and it came apart). In my humble opinion there should not be knots in premium yarns. Yarn companies should do better. This knot had to have been tied by a human being and it should have been pulled and discounted immediately.

My second FO is the Falderal Shawl by Romi Designs. This was a MKAL for 2023 and I had never knitted a Romi pattern and I chose to start with this one. I am really (really) happy with this project. It was fun to knit, Romi provided plenty of support and videos to help knitters through the “rough spots” if they didn’t have a lot of experience. I work on Fridays which was when she had the live zooms but it’s all good – they were on her YouTube channel.

I chose two colors of Emma’s Yarn Practically Perfect sock yarn in a purple speckle and a deep purple-y gray. (Details are on my Ravelry project page.) Purple is not my “normal” color choice and I’m trying to live outside of my comfort zone a little bit. But I loved knitting this shawl, it was challenging but not too challenging and there were a few new techniques that I learned by watching the playback of the live sessions. It’s always fun to knit lace and then watch the magic happen when it’s blocked. I really didn’t know what it would look like until it was sopping wet and being stretched out on my guest room bed … and bonus, it dried yesterday when I was at work! It’s really dry here in Maine right now and that worked to my benefit!

On the needles and hoping to be a FO soon (very soon!) is my Tybee cardigan for Sylvie. This is a free pattern from Berroco for a little cotton cardigan with a shawl collar. Raglan sleeves make it easy to finish up at the end. Bottom up construction with only a couple of short seams. I love the feel of the Vivo cotton yarn. It’s a thick and thin yarn so the sweater will be easy to care for (machine wash, dry flat). I love the colorful yarn that stripes randomly. It’ll be a cute sweater for cooler late summer days or evenings.

I think I will be spending a little bit of time, too, before I cast on another significant project*, finishing up a few more Arne and Carlos mini Nordic jumpers for my Advent calendar. I think I’ve found how I will display them in our house. I can’t wait to try it but first I have to finish the knitting. I think I have enough yarn to make the rest of them. (Crossing fingers!) #19 is up next.

I have a pair of socks for daughter #2 on the needles. She picked the yarn out of my stash and I want to have the socks finished for her birthday. I won’t have a problem with that and I have plenty of time. The first sock is nearly complete – toe decreases are in process. Sock #2 is likely to be next week’s focus.

Gone knitting.

*Oops! I did it again. Cast on to do the Old Port hat KAL with Andrea Mowry. I’m using stashed yarn and a couple of left-overs, actually. Starting with the lining in bright pink alpaca and then I’ll be transitioning to charcoal gray and a light gray. I’m not sure which will be color a and color b. Stay tuned.