Queen Bee Knits

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

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.

Home and Recovery

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

On Thursday morning I tested negative for Covid. Yay! My kids said that ideally I’d test twice 24 hours apart but when your husband has had a hip replacement surgery and you weren’t able to be there with him, you really want to get home as quickly as possible. So I took an extra test with me on the road and agreed to test again before I went into the house.

Uber to Metro North train to car to Maine. I really need to find a more passive way for me to get to the city and back because the drive is quite long when you’re doing it yourself and only staying for a couple of days. And since I stay with the kids in their apartments, it can only be a couple of days because we’re all tripping over each other. It’s great for a couple of days but then it’s time for them to return to their normal lives.

Anyway, I got home Thursday night and was thrilled to see that my hubby had survived his surgery handily (hippily? LOL) The procedure went “perfectly” according to his surgeon and his recovery is going well. This seems to be the joint that you want to need to replace. It’s so good to be home.

I’ve been knitting a little bit while I was in NY. I took two projects: my brother’s birthday socks and some cotton to make a sweater for Sylvie.

My brother’s socks are big. He has big feet. He’s a tall man! I’ve finished the first sock and have passed the heel of the second one. I love knitting with Emma’s Practically Perfect Sock yarn. It’s a delight to work with and this is a perfect color for my brother who loves green! I’ll be wrapping them up once their done because my “baby brother” is turning the big 6-0 this year and when we were there last he mentioned that he couldn’t find one of the other “fancy socks” that I made him a while back.

I saw this adorable little cardigan on Instagram and sent it to my daughter thinking it’d be adorable for Sylvie this summer/fall. Since they live in NY, their apartments are warm but when you go outside you sometimes need a little sweater. She loved it and I have several hanks of a “robin’s egg” blue cotton that I thought I’d knit it in. I’ll have to look through my stash to see what I have in white and yellow/gold for the daisies which I’ll embroider on after the cardi is finished. My granddaughter has grown so much but she’s still fairly petite and in smaller-than-her-age clothing. So, I’m knitting the 6 month size and we’ll see how it goes. I have five hanks of the yarn so I can knit two or three sweaters from this yarn for a little one.

The pattern is Elizabeth Smith’s Little Coffee Bean Cardigan, a free pattern on Ravelry. I’m knitting it with Universal Yarn Cotton Supreme in the Aqua colorway.

I’ve got other projects started, of course, but they were left behind when I went to NY. Heck, I was only going to be gone for a couple of days … and it turned into a week. The best laid plans, right?

Gone knitting.

Another Failed Snowmageddon

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

This is our view from the front porch this morning. As you can see, there is no snow falling. The world of Maine has closed because a Snowmageddon was forecasted. We were told to get ready to hunker down, we’d be getting snow overnight last night, all day long today and tonight, too. It’s not even 10am and the snow has ended. We have about two inches here in Belgrade. Nowhere near enough to consider it worth staying home and hunkering down.

In my next life, I’d like to be a weather person. It seems to me that it’s the only job where if you’re wrong much of the time, you get to keep your job. Businesses were deciding to close yesterday, a full 24 hours in advance of a storm. The whole state is closed!

So, I have in front of me a day to do whatever I want. Normally, I’d be at the store today. I went in yesterday as a favor to the boss in advance of the storm. We were super busy and the boss’s brother was at work on day two of having tested positive for Covid. My Irish stepped in front of the normal, reasonable me and I blew a gasket. I told the boss that it was him or me going home and that she didn’t have my back and that I felt betrayed. Come to find out that the sit and knit group the day before was ushered in through the yarn doors (usually kept locked) so they didn’t have to walk by her brother … “but he was masked” and two of his employees “were ok with it”. What about the woman who came in yesterday with oxygen? What about the Colby kids who go home to a dormitory? What about those who are unable to be vaccinated or have other reasons for being high risk? Employees on the fabric side of the store were told to keep it quiet. The yarn side was told nothing. UN-believable.

Anyway, so today I have a day to do whatever I want and I “should” be finishing the vest that I have on the needles. I’m so close and it’s bright enough to pick up the stitches around the arms and neck and knit for a few rounds. It would be good to finish this before I start the Choose Your Own Path Genser class with Knitography Farm. My yarn arrived yesterday.

Traditional Norwegian Yarn for my Choose Your Own Path Genser Course

I’m excited to start this course and make a beautiful sweater! I’ve bought the book that was suggested and I love the sweater. The yarn is sport weight by American Standards, the Norwegians don’t seem to need the guidelines as we do. They know that with this yarn and these needles, they’ll get gauge and will be able to make a sweater that fits. Americans seem to need more hand-holding and guides. I’m eager to give this a shot and I already know that the pattern will make a very close-fitting pattern so I will be needing to adjust the stitches to make it fit me the way that I want it to. I like a little bit of ease in my garments. I know that Patricia will be offering lots of help with this. It’s always fun to knit something new and to learn something new.

This is the sweater that I’m making. I’ve bought the purple yarn pictured on the model in the center. I struggled with color choice, though, because there were so many lovely colorways. I don’t have anything purple in my closet so that’s what I went with.

I’m knitting socks for the hubby as part of his (past) Christmas gift. I’ve finished the first sock and will cast on the second sock today. I will be endeavoring to write down the way I made the first one because I think the pattern was wrong. I tried to follow the pattern twice and twice the ribbing didn’t line up properly. On the third try, I just watched my knitting and put the ribbing where it needed to go. They’re such pretty socks; I love the cables and the way the heel is knitted is a bit different from the sock pattern that I usually knit.

I’m also knitting little baby socks. Little Miss is now 4 months old and starting to be more talkative, rolling over and grabbing and holding her rattle and toys. Her aunt had Covid a week or so ago and, once officially negative, her priority was to go see Sylvie. She’s changing so quickly from week to week, it’s incredible. I won’t be sure that these socks fit until I try them on her but I did my best guessing. Supposedly they won’t fall off – I’ll believe it when I see it. Anyone who’s ever dressed a child knows that socks fall off almost immediately. It just happens.

On Tuesday I made my first King Cake. I have a brother and sister-in-law who live in Louisiana. Since I’m linked to the south and Mardi Gras, I saw a recipe for King Cake in the NY Times and decided I’d try it. Despite the fact that it took my dough a couple of more hours to rise than it was “supposed” to, it turned out to be pretty tasty. The recipe had caramel apples in the center of the cake which is a bit untraditional but it’s pretty tasty. Next year I’ll try a more traditional cake and I’ll have the right colors of sugar to be authentic. Haha!

I should have taken some to work yesterday to share! I think this may be more cake than two people can eat before it gets stale. Or maybe I can freeze it. Note to self: don’t frost the whole cake at once unless you have an army ready to eat it. It doesn’t hold up under plastic wrap.

Gone knitting.

The Non-Winter Winter

Posted on February 19, 2023 by Queen Bee Knits

Sunrise is happening about 30 minutes earlier than a few weeks ago and it’s moving back over to the left of the music camp. That’s a good indication that we are moving out of winter and into spring. Our camp road has been posted (this is an official town posting that prohibits heavy trucks from driving on the town roads when they are least stable – aka “mud season”.)

This is a blessing and a curse this year because we haven’t really had a good cold winter. Signs that this hasn’t happened are that we have had very few, if any, pickup trucks on the ice. I’ve seen exactly one. Normally, they’re everywhere for several weeks at a minimum. While this seems like a blessing, we have to be concerned about what this means for the health of our lake.

I’ve learned a lot about invasive plant species while being the president of our lake association and the future of Maine lakes is at risk. On our lake, we always had one seasonal bloom of our single invasive milfoil species. We now have two blooms per season. With the warm winter, there is evidence of the plant’s adaptation to colder water. Not a good thing.

Meanwhile, on the shores of Messalonskee, our snow is melting and I’ve been spending time in my studio. I’ve been working to clean up and clean out. I even took three bags of odds and ends of yarn to GoodWill this week. I even used my sewing machine this week.

My friend Deb gifted me this “kit” to make a bee tote. It’s printed on a loose weave cotton and it’s gorgeous! I decided that I needed to line it and to make it a bit stiffer so it’ll sit up by itself. So one day last week I went off to Yardgoods Center and picked the brain of the sewists on the fabric side. Vicki helped me choose an iron-on interfacing that will make the fabric stiffen up a bit. This week I cut out the pieces from the kit and cut the lining pieces as well. Of course I had to line it … which meant that I had to figure out how to sew it together without directions. Which, because I am not a confident sewist, proved to be a challenge. But I DID figure it out.

I ironed the interfacing to the wrong sides of the fabric, sewed the pocket (lined and with interfacing, too) to the bag lining, and turned the straps to the right side. That turning all by itself was a challenge but with a pin and knitting needle, I managed to get it done. I top-stitched both sides of the handles and set them aside while I figured out how to sew the pieces of the bag together. After one complete f@#%-up, I started over from the beginning and stitched each part, lining and bag, individually with the boxed bottom and all. It occurred to me that I had done a lined bag once before in the distant past. That spark of a memory helped me figure out how to sew the parts together and have the handles be in the right place, too. Woo! Hoo! Success! Yay, me!

I started a pair of Christmas socks for my hubby. Before you congratulate me for planning ahead, let me tell you that these socks were promised for LAST Christmas. I’ve chosen this pattern, Urban Rustic Socks, because he was wearing MY pair (and thought they were a bit small). Ha! Ha! Now he’ll have his own pair. And they’re fun to knit, the cables are lovely and I love mine. The yarn is Raggi by Jarbo Garn. We can’t get this in our LYS any more and when they announced it, I had the forethought to buy a bit “extra” because I really like how it knits and wears. Hubby benefits from my good plan!

I discovered a problem with the larger size, though. When I got to the increase round, the ribbing didn’t line up when I knitted the pattern as written. So, on the third try, I just kept an eye on my knitting and “forced” the ribbing to line up. I will write down what I did when I knit the second sock, For now, though, I’m off and running – and I’ve reached the heel flap on the first sock. Another thing to note … using US 4 needles with an Aran-weight yarn causes my hands and arm to hurt. I might have tried knitting these on a US 5 needle and it might have been easier on my hands. But it’s too late now.

Emsworth Vest in Patagonia (you’ve seen this photo before)

My Emsworth is also really really really close to being done. I reached the 11 3/4″ mark on the body of the vest on Friday but when I held it up to my body, it felt too short. My knitting class confirmed it and I kept on knitting. I’m going to try another inch or two and see if that isn’t better for me. I hope that I can get it finished in the next week so that when my yarn arrives from Norway, I can begin knitting my genser without having to put aside my vest. (*crosses fingers and toes.)

My “knitting chair” that I ordered in mid-January was promised in mid-March. It seems that it has been delayed and I’m trying to be patient. I cleaned up the studio last week and have been thinking about moving some of the furniture around in advance of my new chair’s arrival. It seems I can take my time.

Gone knitting. (Enjoy a few sights from the lake.)

Rose City Rollers

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Queen Bee Knits

Today I finished my first pair of Rose City Rollers.

I’ve had them on my list of things to knit for a long time and this week I found a deeply stashed ball of Berroco Comfort Sock and the proverbial lightbulb went off.

Rose City Rollers is a free pattern on Ravelry for a pair of short socks or peds or whatever you choose to call them. I don’t often wear short socks unless they’re worn inside my clogs. I’m not sure these socks will work with clogs but I think they might be great with sneakers (gym shoes, whatever you call them.)

So, about the pattern … while the designer has shortened the leg and started with a rolled cuff, the sock is for all intents and purposes the same as the sock pattern that I tend to lean toward all the time – Yankee Knitter’s Classic Sock pattern – and that I love! Purl Soho also has a pom pom ped pattern (I think it’s also free) that I’ve looked at several times. Being a child of the 60s and 70s, the pom pom peds are what I grew up with. That my mother wore to tennis games.

I knitted my Rollers with a US 1.5 needle and I almost wish that I’d used a US1 that the pattern asks for. I was lazy and the US1.5 was next to my knitting chair … so that’s what I used and the sock as a little bit less negative ease than I would like. I may decide to try using a US 1 next pair – and I have another 50+ grams of the yarn left over after the first pair.

I cast on 64 stitches for the first pair … and I’m going to try a US1 next time with the same number of cast on stitches for the next pair. I’ll let you know which pair I like better. (PS. One of my knitting friends says that this is her favorite pattern for socks. I think I understand why!)

Gone knitting.

A Return to Summer … in May?

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Queen Bee Knits

If this past weekend is any indication, we are going to have a wicked warm summer. It was close to 90 degrees … too hot, too early. Thankfully, the temperatures have returned to more normal and we got a little bit of rain.

I’ve been working like a crazy woman. I don’t know if I’ve shared the fact that I am president of our lake association and we have had a lot going on. We are doing a huge project in the entire watershed area in order to limit the amount of runoff into the lake. We’ve identified 247 different properties that need to have significant work done and we are in the process of applying for a 319 grant to help landowners pay for the improvements. AND we are moving out of our office, changing storage areas, and still trying to run our normal milfoil removal program and our courtesy boat inspector program at our two boat launches. It’s a lot!

I estimate that I am spending about 20 hours weekly on lake stuff. Mondays are my lake days and I almost always spend the full day working on lake stuff – meetings, committees, fundraising, memberships, banking stuff, finances … and on and on. I’m so grateful that I have a good group of people helping me with a lot of it. I’d like to clone them!

Add my real job (the one that pays me) and writing a newsletter for the yarn shop and I’ve been super busy. I’m trying to remember to make time for my sweet husband – he puts up with my nonsense without complaining – but I haven’t been baking as much as I normally do (or that he’d like) and I’m (almost) getting my normal house stuff done. The yard, though, needs a lot of work and our project this year is to fix up our guest cottage … I sure hope it gets done. We’ll be renting it once it’s finished.

I’ve finished my “Traveling” sweater and brought it to the store to show if off on Friday. This was a fun knit and I’ve inspired a couple of my students to give knitting an adult-sized sweater, too! When we are all finished with our sweaters, we’ll take a group photo … in the fall. This is a Knitting Plain & Simple top-down pullover pattern. I used ten balls, 9 different colorways, of Plymouth Gina. I chose the balls fairly randomly and knit the entire ball and then spit-joined the next one. The only “fudging” I did was to sort of match the first part of the sleeves to the start of the body. It just looks neater.

The other thing I did a little bit differently is to turn it inside out. That’s right, I’m going to wear it on the “wrong” side or the reverse stockinette side. SO, to make that happen, I had to frog back the bottom of the body and then re-knit it so that it rolled the right way. I did the same to the sleeves and the collar. It fits well, it’s going to be really comfy when the weather gets colder again. (It’s worsted weight and I tend to run warm, so … )

I also finished my Noro Striped and lined mittens. So, this was a stash busting project. I’ve had a skein of this Noro yarn in my studio for a couple of years. When I saw these mittens, I jumped at the idea of using the one skein. I only had to buy two more skeins to get it done, but it’s done! This pattern uses two skeins of Noro (or you could use a worsted or Aran weight yarn of your choice) yarn for the stripes and another yarn, I used Berroco Folio, for the lining. These are fun mittens and I love them … but I’ll be gifting them because I don’t NEED them. (Remember my Northman Mittens? And my 4-Needle Snowflake mittens? And my Gray Fuzzy Mittens? LOL. I have a few pairs. I don’t need any more.) I do know who is going to get these lovely mittens. She’ll be so surprised.

I have been working right along on one more pair of socks for my daughter. I made it to the heel flap of the second sock this morning when I was waiting for my car to have its oil changed. One heel flap and on to the foot. They won’t take long now. (And I’ll return the clean socks I borrowed when I was in New York when I send the new socks.)

Last but not least, I’ve cast on an Elton cardigan by Joji Locatelli. One of my co-workers and a student and I are doing a KAL/CAL at the store where we work and knit. Our Spring Sweater KAL/CAL only requires that participants use fingering weight yarn for their sweater. They can choose any sweater pattern to knit or crochet and there are no deadlines or pressure. It’s meant to be a fun, no pressure, supportive experience and we have 17 people in the group. We’ve had one virtual meeting that kicked off the KAL/CAL on May 1 and we’re having our second meeting, a hybrid meeting, in person and virtually, on 5/21. I need to make some progress for that meeting! I’m feeling the pressure, for sure. I bought the Elton pattern ages ago and then used the yarn that I was planning to use to knit a Love Note instead. So, this time, I’ve chosen for my main color, Malabrigo Sock in the Cote D’Azure colorway (a really deep navy blue) and for the accent color, Berroco Aerial in a deep navy. I think it’s going to be elegant and I’m thinking that I could wear it to my step-daughter’s wedding in December if I can find a dress to wear under it. I’ll add a photo or two when I have enough knitted to bother to take a photo.

I just finished the sewing up of a pair of slippers that I knitted for my husband for his birthday. I only need to felt them now and sew on the sole. His last pair were completely worn out and I had him throw them away. They had suede sole pieces. The new ones will have a full suede sole. I’m getting so fancy … or he is. LOL.

Gone knitting.

I really AM knitting, I promise.

Posted on May 8, 2022 by Queen Bee Knits

I’ve finished an order for a customer (again!) of two tams. These are hats number five and six for this season. Whew! But she loves them and they’re not difficult to knit for her at all. I delivered them to the store this morning so that she can pick them up. The pattern is Quick Lacy Slouch hat and is free on Ravelry. I’ve made these hats in several different bulky weight yarns. These happen to be in Cascade 128 which is superwash and soft. The stitch definition is also quite lovely.

I’ve finished one pair and started a second pair of socks for daughter number two. She’s daughter number two in birth order only. I swear that I have knitted socks for her before but she said I didn’t so, she chose her yarn when she was here this winter and I’ve been knitting some for her. I hope they fit. If not, I’ll adjust them and my pattern for her (not so) little feet.

I also delivered a pair of camo dish cloths to my son for his birthday – it’s a joke. He had to have a camouflage afghan when he was younger and still at home. I had to make them when I saw the yarn.

I am on sleeve island. My “Patsy’s Traveling Sweater” is almost done, I have a few inches of each sleeve to knit up and then it’ll be ready for a collar and blocking. I still haven’t decided if I’m going to wear it right side out or wrong side out. One of my co-workers made one of these sweaters and she wears it on the “wrong” side. If I decide to wear it on the “wrong” side, I’ll have to re-knit the bottom of the body so it will roll the right way. It’s all good. Time will tell.

I’ve finished the lining on one of my Noro Striped mittens and have begun the second. I’ll admit that these mittens are a bit short for me and they may be sold or given away. But they’re really pretty and the Berroco Folio lining is very soft (and will add extra warmth.) As I believe I’ve said before, my favorite thing about these mittens was knitting the thumb before knitting the hand which made the thumb color not stick out like, well, like a sore thumb. (Sorry.)

I’ve begun a pair of Fiber Trends Felted Clogs for my sweet hubby for his birthday at the end of the month. He stopped in the store one day (to bring me food) and I had him choose his color(s). I’m knitting these in Ella Rae Classic Wool. He chose a gray and a purple which I’m holding together. His old slippers were worn out because he really loved them and wore them a lot.

I’m going to end here. I have bunches of future knitting projects lining up and I brought home more yarn from work this week. I love working in a yarn store so I have access to people who fill my head with future knitting ideas – and some of them seem so important that I have to bring yarn home immediately.

Gone knitting.

Binge Watching and Knitting

Posted on April 2, 2022 by Queen Bee Knits

I was back home and back to work this week after my week away and, maybe I didn’t drink enough coffee this morning, I’m tired. Not motivated to “do” anything much. So, I’ve retreated to my atelier and I’ve been binge watching Outlander’s sixth season and knitting. And I’ve made good progress despite one “bad stitch.”

I cast on my Patsy’s Traveling Sweater on Wednesday. It was a challenge getting gauge and I decided that since I couldn’t get it just right, I’d make the next larger size and hope it’ll fit! So, I’ve been knitting along and increasing every other round as the pattern dictates. This is a sweater that has been made over 100 times by one of our customers. The first time I met Patsy I admired her sweater and I’ve admired it each time since. The pattern is simple; it’s Knitting Pure and Simple #9724 “Neckdown Pullover for Women”. Patsy knits hers in diverse balls of Plymouth’s Gina (worsted weight wool, 50 grams, 109 yards, made in Turkey.

I started mine with color number 12 and have since knitted color number 4 and 3 and I now have to go to my bag of colors and choose another. The stripes are fun and happy and the sweaters, when finished, are warm and really appealing. (I hope I won’t be allergic to mine. Someone will inherit it if I am!)

The one bad stitch was about three rounds back … just about exactly where I stopped knitting last night. I noticed that I hadn’t completed a stitch (it looked like a yarn-over and a wrong-colored stitch) and made a mental note to fix it on the next round. I must have decided to go to bed before I fixed it and then forgot over night. Needless to say, three rounds in this morning, I noticed the mistake and there’s no way to fix it without frogging it back and starting over. It’s now done, fixed, and I’ve reknit all that I pulled out and then some. It’s a perfect binge watching sweater.

I also have socks for my daughter on my needles and I am waiting for her to measure her feet so I can make them fit perfectly. I chose a simple gray yarn for her first pair and I have another couple of balls set aside for more for her. I’ve got a full sock drawer now and I am delighted to knit for her for a bit. I should also knit another pair for my son since his birthday is at the end of the month. If all goes as planned, I’ll be heading to New York for a visit at the end of April. I just have to pick a couple of days and notify the crew!

I blocked my Humlebi Shawl and wore it to work on Thursday. It was quite a bit smaller than I thought it would be from the photograph on the pattern but it’s really wonderful. I blocked it “aggressively” and it’s at least as big as the schematic says it should be. I like it and will enjoy wearing it a couple more times before all the knitwear goes away for the summer.

We are really glad to be here right now because the ice is thinning quickly and it will probably be gone very soon. The color has changed to a medium gray and we have about six feet of open water at the shoreline. Up the lake a bit there is much more open water and I’ve heard that some loons have returned to the lake. I wish I knew how they know exactly when the ice has opened up and they can return to the lake. I can’t wait to see them and HEAR them! Each season here is a wonder. I will miss the ice but I’ll welcome the open water and the returning waterbirds.

It was a very good Saturday. Gone knitting

It’s been a “Timespan”

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Queen Bee Knits

This has been a crazy busy timespan … since I am lazy enough to not go back and see when I last posted, I’m using that word to indicate that it’s been a while since I have last written something here.

Life has taken on a life of its own and I am feeling the pressure of fall and shorter darker days and the impending holidays that always add pressure. Maybe one of these days I’ll learn to say “no” more often but for now, I am keeping my promises and working hard to stop every so often so that I don’t fall apart. Spending part of every day with yarn in my hands certainly helps. It also helps me to see that I am making progress both in my knitting projects and in work and volunteer areas of my life. My husband and I even had a date night and went to see a movie – neither one of us “liked” it but we went out. Together! A first since the pandemic began.

I started a thing at the store that isn’t original and not close to being my idea. Socktober. I found an article somewhere on the Internet about it and did a bit of research and then added it to my work newsletter that I write each Sunday morning. The Yardgoods Center – Yarn department – donated 16 pairs of hand knitted socks to the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter. I knit the pair above and also included a pair of baby pink hand knit socks, two pairs of store-bought socks that have been in my gift drawer (doesn’t everyone have one of these?) and the wonderful customers at YGC brought in the rest. I think it’s a wonderful gift to those who are less fortunate and I hope the socks will keeps some feet warm this winter.

Pattern: Yankee Knitter Socks for the Family, Yarn: Regia 8 Fadig. Check my Ravelry project page for more details on this project and all of the others I talk about. I’m LindaR on Ravelry.

I have a bunch of projects on the needles and a few that I feel like I need to get to or need to finish.

I have finally made some real progress on my husband’s Christmas sweater. I gave him the yarn for said sweater last year at Christmas and it looks as if I will have it finished by Christmas this year. I’m knitting him the Knitting Pure and Simple Men’s Pullover in Cascade 220 yarn in a heathery-gray colorway. I don’t recall ever knitting with Cascade 220 yarn and I really like the hand of this 100% wool yarn. It’s not scratchy at all.

Pattern: #991 Neck-Down Pullover for Men, Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% wool).

I finished my “Christmas Tree” socks that I’ve been wanting to knit for ages. I’m trying to keep up with a pair of socks a month (2021 Sock of the Month Challenge) and I may have fallen off the wagon just a bit but I think I am back on. This pattern is on Ravelry and I used deeply stashed yarn by the Buffalo Wool Company. Back when I was being paid to work full time (as compared to now when I’m working part-time and volunteering part-time) I joined a yarn club with BWC. I got to know the owner because we had a couple of shipping snaffus … mostly because we were in Maine for a couple of months and then Florida the balance of the time and yarn went to one place when we were in another and never the twain should meet. Ron was an absolute wonder to work with and when I “tripped” over him at an outside holiday art/craft festival in Washington, DC one year, it was really fun to be able to meet in person. (And of course he remembered me as the shipping problem. LOL)

Pattern: Evergreen Socks, Yarn: Buffalo Wool Company Tracks Sock

I’ve begun working on Arne and Carlos’ 2021 Advent Calendar patterns. I adore these little “jumpers” so much and they’re fun to knit and very satisfying to finish in a day or two. I’ve finished the first two jumpers and have finished knitting the third but still need to weave in ends and steam block it. I don’t imagine that I’ll finish these before Christmas is over but I will get them done (probably before I finish the Christmas balls from 2020) because I really want to have them displayed in the house. It takes me about four hours to knit one of these and another half an hour to do the finishing. Each one is unique and there is a collection of Christmas balls to match … I won’t be buying that pattern … yet.

Pattern: Arne and Carlos 2021 Advent calendar mini-jumpers is available for purchase on their website, yarn: Patagonia Organic Merino by Juniper Moon Farm.

I have been crocheting snowflakes for the store window display using free patterns off the internet and scraps of yarn on hand. I have to get the glue out and dilute it to “starch” them so that they’ll hang straight. I’ve also been crocheting a set of Yip Yips that will be a gift. I’ll stop talking about them here and will write about them after they’re delivered. Another gift is a pair of socks that are on my needles currently. It’s a pair of “vanilla” socks in a colorful colorway and I’ll write more about them later, too. Suffice it to say that I am almost done with the first sock. I’ve got a way to go to get them completed.

My FEZA baby blanket is nearly finished. I’ve reached the finishing point of the fourth color. Since this isn’t promised to anybody (I started it as a project to work on when I am teaching classes or sitting in a Zoom meeting) it is sitting alone in the bottom of my knitting bag. I’ll get it finished one of these days. My Fine Sand Cardigan is in the same place. I won’t likely wear it until spring. That gives me the winter to get it finished. I really need to get it finished THIS winter, though.

With any luck, the next time I write here, there will be more than one finished item. Perhaps a sweater and a blanket by the end of the year? I’m keeping track this year of how many projects I complete … so far it’s up to around 50. Can I reach 60? Time will tell … that work thing keeps getting in the way of my knitting time.

Gone knitting!

Why I Bake

Posted on May 24, 2021 by Queen Bee Knits

Obviously, baking yields something delicious at the end but I don’t just bake for the result. It’s about the process, too.

My grandmother, my mom’s mom, always had something that she’d just baked on her pantry shelf. Always. She never failed. (The pantry also had a metal three-drawer cabinet that housed her “candy drawer” at the bottom where we could always go for a chocolate treat.) Chocolate frosted, only on the top and in the middle, yellow cake. The same yellow cake in cupcake form with chocolate frosting. Cream puffs, chocolate chip cookies … often the same but never boring.

My gram would take the time to bake with me and I think that’s why I love to bake. I so enjoyed being with her while we baked together and if we didn’t have time to bake together I always knew the love that went into it. Precious moments. Gram didn’t have a lot of money to buy stuff but she gave me the gift of time.

As I bake, my gram is with me. I can feel her in my heart and it makes me so happy. As I’m writing this my eyes are filling with tears which is a message that my words and feelings around this are true. (Bristol Ivy said I had “ocular incontinence” and she’s not wrong!) Baking centers and grounds me. It is something I shared with my children and with with my grandchildren; the ones of the heart and the blood ones if we are so blessed.

Meanwhile, it settles my heart in a bizarre year. I always know that baking something fills my belly and my heart.

Knitting does something similar but it doesn’t have the heart connection to my family like baking does. I love knitting, don’t get me wrong. I can sit and knit for hours and be “in the zone” where time is lost and my mind is focused. It’s good for my soul. I’ve been knitting a lot through the pandemic and have been experiencing a little soreness in my left arm – I don’t stop and stretch often enough. I’ve also been sitting too long and have worked over the past year to get up and stretch more to help my hips and back. Both passions have helped me to pass the lockdown time in a state of (mostly) contentedness and peace and they’ve been such a blessing. My husband enjoys the fruits of my labor on both fronts.

This week I’m rushing to finish his birthday socks. I’ve got one done and one to go.

Classic Socks for the Family by Yankee Knitter Designs in Manos Alegria

Gone knitting.