Queen Bee Knits

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Wednesday WIPs and another FO

Posted on November 11, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

Just a quick update for today so I can keep up my momentum. I seem to have turned a corner and am feeling better and have a little more energy today. I managed to get our bedroom and bathroom cleaned up and even cleaned the toilet and sinks, wiped down all the kitchen counters and have turned on the robovac. While the robovac isn’t quite as good as me vacuuming, it’s a lot less energy for me and that’s a good thing. I feel good about what I got accomplished yesterday (all the laundry) and today. Yay! I even got to have a lovely visit with my friend Glenda and her pup, Kate. Kate started off very skittish and didn’t want to come into the house but she warmed up and ended up having a nap on the couch. My hubby would love to have her here when he’s home … he’s missing having a dog in the house.

I have finished The Hooded Scarf by Shaina Bilow in Malabrigo Mecha. I used four skeins of Mecha for this project as stated by the pattern and there was very little leftover. I love it when I don’t have a lot of yarn left over at the end of a project! This scarf was very simple to knit. A pair of “bias” strips are knitted first and while the pattern called for 28 stitches, I cast on 38 and I’m glad I did. I like the width of 38 stitches. For some reason, I read the cast on as being a provisional one which it isn’t supposed to be so I needed to take the provisional stitches and bind them off – I literally did just that and used the cast on tail for the bind off. It worked just fine. Once I got the two strips done I put them both on the needle and knit the hood in stockinette stitch with a garter edge. It’s really pretty and it’s really heavy! This should keep Gigi plenty warm this winter! The red of the Cerise colorway is gorgeous and I loved working with this yarn for the most part.

While I was at it yesterday, I finally got around to fixing the mustache on my most recent gnome, the Sweater Weather Gnome. I’m not sure where I read the directions wrong but I did and once I saw what others had knitted I knew I’d want to fix my mustache error. He’s now all better and back up on his shelf. I also put the gnomes in the order that I knitted them. I do thing they’re pretty wonderful!

The last FO is the hat and mittens for our grandson, Mac. I made them in Berroco Vintage in the Rye colorway and I used the Knitting Pure and Simple pattern #253 Basic Hat and Mitten Set for Children. I made the 2-4 year size and the hat looks like it’ll fit him this winter. I’m crossing my fingers. We’ll be seeing him in a week or so and will be able to try it on him. I’ve made icord ties for the hat and an icord string for the mittens so they can stay in his jacket. It’s bound to get cold in Denver soon. I love this yarn for little ones because it’s easy care for the parents!

I’ve got my gray socks, my socks that are currently in time out that I haven’t been talking about and I’ve got to begin the Christmas sweaters next. This afternoon I’ll be sewing in the big snap and the label for my daughter’s Levitate Wrap so it will be ready to be wrapped and sent off to New York City. As I think about this sweater, I am reminded about the really professional ways that the designer used for the finishing – double knitting on the borders and ties, a folded cuff on the sleeve – that make it look really professionally made. I just hope it fits my daughter the way she wanted it to. I can make some adjustments for sure if she needs it.

We are starting a Fall Sock KAL on Saturday at work and I plan to help lead this endeavor, there are several of us who will be leading (we hope customers show up!) The boss has kindly offered at 20% discount for supplies for the KAL and she’s going to have a prize raffle for those who finish before Christmas. We still have to pick an end date. I”ll be casting on some Christmas gift socks for my hubby. Maybe this will help me finish a pair to put in his stocking. Maybe.

We’ve got our first Nor’easter forecast for tomorrow. There’s a nip in the air today and I’m feeling hopeful! I’ll be wearing my snowflake good luck earrings tomorrow!

Gone knitting.

Missing My Favorite Day of the Week – Love bug bugs.

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

I’m staying home on my favorite day this week (and I missed last week to travel.) Why it is my favorite day? Because today is the day that I teach knitting to a great bunch of women at the Yardgoods Center Yarn Shop where I work. I have three classes between 10am and 5pm on Fridays but today I’m missing teaching because my little love bug sent me home with a bug. Our granddaughter had a little cold when we were in New York last week and, once again, it seems to have rubbed off on me. I managed to get through working at the store yesterday but no way I was going in today to share my germs. I’m at home, in my pjs, in my atelier, knitting. At least I am feeling well enough to knit!

I’m working on my daughter’s sweater, Levitate Wrap by My Favorite Things. I’m getting so close! My daughter tried it on when we were in the city and we think it’s going to be a really good fit. I had to frog the one sleeve back about an inch and a half to that I could add the dcuff and have it just hit her wrist. Today I’m working on the second sleeve and matching the decreases. I have been using “lightbulb” stitch markers to mark my decreases for quite a while now. I put a removable stitch marker on each decrease so I can keep track (easily) of the decreases and, thus, match them on the second sleeve so they match. Once this sleeve is finished, I will only have to seam the cuffs of both sleeves and knit the border on the bottom of the sweater and make the “ties”. I’m getting close! I am excited about finishing this project and blocking it and then gifting it before it gets really chilly in New York. Interestingly, there’s a LYS in Belfast, Maine that is doing a KAL for this pattern and I’m eager to see their finished projects, too.

Sweater Weather Gnome KAL by Sarah Schira

I did finish a project this week. Wednesday evening I finished my Sweater Weather Gnome KAL and he’s so cute! I’m not sure I love him as much as I love my Gnettle (pumpkin) gnome, but I do love him. The construction of this little guy was, once again, brilliant. The first mystery pieces were a real mystery. I’ll be knitting Gnumpkin as soon as I finish the Levitate Wrap. These gnomes do make me super happy and Gnettle needs a friend! I also want to knit one for my son-in-law who LOVES Halloween. I always forget how excited he gets about it and it’s fun to do something for him now and again. He has several knitted pumpkins that I’ve made and brings them out every October.

My hubby has planted our garlic that arrived yesterday. I made sure to buy some early this year after every last garlic bulb in the entire state of Maine was sold out last year. This year I ordered two hard-neck types from FedCo. I also ordered some narcissus and an amarylis bulb, too. I’ll be forcing them inside for the holidays when I’m feeling a bit better. Garlic is such a fulfilling crop to grow because it does all the work pretty much on its own over the winter and spring. We love gardening but we’re not very good at it … yet!

Gone knitting.

Monday, Monday …

Posted on October 12, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

It was a bit cloudy and very dramatic when I went outside to take the photo this morning. It’s now, three hours later, sunny and gorgeous outside. Fall has taken hold and the temperatures require a sweater which makes this knitter extremely happy.

I’ve been working on our family Christmas card this morning. Hubby’s computer is old and we have trouble with it … it refused to do our taxes this year and it’s getting grumpy about media transferrals … but it worked out after a few tries and I’m going to hit the order button later this morning after hubby sees it.

I’ve been having a lot of fun with my gnome KAL and I’ve been keeping up with the clues. I won’t show photos of my WIP (except for the first one that gives absolutely nothing away) in accordance with KAL rules. Suffice it to say that piece 1 is sitting at the bottom of my gnome gnitting – yes, intentional spelling – bag and piece two just keeps growing. Sarah is brilliant the way she creates these patterns and this one is another unique construction. I appreciate that I have gazillions of bits of leftover sock yarn that I can use up when I knit gnomes even though the “collection” doesn’t seem to diminish much.

I have cast on two new projects, finished one and cast on another. I have a customer who calls annually to order hats. The same hat every time in the same colors for the most part. This year she wants two navy and two black. I’ve completed one navy and started a black one. They don’t take long to knit but I’d love to get them off my to-do list. I love checking off a list!

I have cast on the first Christmas knit. Someone (Sylvie) requested a pink and purple stripe elf hat this year. I just realized that I should have added “fur” because I have some furreal that’s white … I may frog what I’ve done and reknit the hat. Anyway, she’s getting what she asked for and I will be knitting a sweater to match. Maybe also with fur (on the collar and cuffs?)

I’ve been trying to make good progress on my daughter’s Levitate Wrap sweater and I have made progress. I’m still a little bit worried that it’s not going to be as boxy as I think she wanted it to be. Nevertheless, I’m continuing with knitting one sleeve as the pattern requests and re-working the border around the front of the sweater. The border is lovely, double knit, 11 stitches, applied as you go to the front of the sweater. I’ve reached the middle and expect to have it almost to the bottom of the second side today if I don’t spend too much time writing or baking. The good news is it’s really starting to look like a sweater now. Progress!

I’m going to sign off here and go bake some granola for my kids. Two of the three have requested my granola and if I make it for two …

Gone Knitting.

WIP Wednesday and one FO

Posted on October 7, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

It was a bee-utiful morning albeit a bit chilly for sitting on the porch … 38 degrees! We have pulled out the plants in the veggie gardens, cut back our wild rose (It’s grown way too big for it’s spot), and we are pretty well ready for whatever the weather brings. We’ll keep the cushions outside for a bit longer just in case there is a good sunny morning but daylight is shorter on both sides of the day and my SAD is starting to kick in. Time to get out my sun lamp!

I have an FO that I promised in a prior post to show you and to talk about my mods. I have finished and am wearing my Make Mine a Double by Milli from Tribe Yarns. The pattern was included with the kit I ordered and this was my backup colorway. I really wanted the bright pink that she was wearing when I first saw the sweater but it’s been sold out and I was too eager to make it to wait. Typical knittier. I ordered two hanks of the ArtYarns Double Mohair Ombre yarn and the pattern came with. The yarn is exquisite on it’s own. Softer than I had imagined and the color is magnificent fading from a deep chocolate brown to blues to beigy-taupes to peachy cream.

Make Mine a Double … at least this shows the color changes!

I had planned to make the medium-large but after getting most of the yoke finished and connecting the body/separating the sleeves, I was afraid it would be too tight so I frogged back to where the sleeves were separated and added another increase round so I was at the XL size. (After finishing the entire sweater I still have ample yarn left over.) The result is a boxy fit but I think it’s good and the sleeves are a little long but I’ll be wearing this as a “dress” sweater to work, etc. so I’m happy with it (and I can always frog back a bit and shorten them if I change my mind. Frogging mohair isn’t always a fun thought.

I cast on a new project. I signed up to do the Sweater Weather Gnome KAL with Sarah Schira. The first two pieces are mystery pieces and I got them done to the last bit without problems … but jeez! Picking up the 48 stitches around the edge was quite a process. I pulled my stitches out more than once in part and in full but I finally got them all done and I’m ready for clue #3. I won’t show any photos because it’s a mystery KAL and I don’t want to ruin the surprise for anybody who might be knitting along, too.

I’ve been working on my daughter’s Levitate Wrap and it’s coming along. I did frog the entire front edge when I got to the end of it because I missed one sentence of the pattern originally. That was that it should be a provisional cast on of the 11 sts. Oops. I couldn’t figure out any way to unknit the cast on edge of double knitting to make it work and decided that time-wise, it’s easier to just frog it and reknit it. So, I’ve done that and I’m working my way back around the front right edge/neck/left edge … and then I’ll be on to sleeve island before I do the bottom edge. I can see the forest through the trees at this point. I’ve worried that it’s too cropped but I measured 18″ from my neck and I think it’s going to be find once the bottom edge is added. (Cross your fingers.) Interestingly, one of our sort-of-local yarn shops here in Maine is making this sweater as a knit along. They’re all using much heavier yarns which is interesting. I’m not sure how they’re getting gauge but it’ll be interesting to watch their progress, too.

My socks are also coming along. This is the second pair of Reverie Socks by Summer Lee that I am knitting and this time in stashed gray sock yarn. It’s still an enjoyable lace pattern with a little bit of columns of twisted stitches and it’s easy to memorize for the most part. I recommend this pattern! I am also a shorter leg convert. At least for these shoulder seasons where it’s not super cold or hot and some skin can be exposed to the elements. I’m knitting the 72 sts. size and the fit is perfection. I’ve got the first heel turned and I’m ready to pick up the gusset stitches next.

I’ve got four hats to knit as a commission for a repeat customer. I picked up the yarn at the shop earlier this week and applied it to the credit that I have after returning unused yarn from previous projects that I wasn’t going to use. If nothing else, this was a good reason to go through my yarn stash and clean it up and clean it out. I found quite a bit of yarn that didn’t have any friends left over! I’m requiring myself to get the Levitate Wrap close to or done before we head to NYC for our granddaughter’s 4th birthday party. It’ll be a very (too?) quick trip and I’m already struggling with having not enough time to eat up my little love bug. I may have to take a bus home and let my dear hubby drive home alone so he can go to work … TBD.

Gone knitting.

It’s Fall, Y’all!

Posted on September 27, 2026 by Queen Bee Knits

The equinox has passed so it’s officially fall in Maine! I am departing from my norm of posting a photo taken on the day that I post and am posting a photo from the evening a couple of days ago. It was the most spectacular sunset sky we’ve had in ages. It seems that it was all over the country, too. My kids saw pink skies in NYC. It just reminds me of how lucky we are to live here!

It’s been a busy week (again) and I have been working on a whole bunch of stuff, some old and some new, so I’ll try to share it all … if I can remember!

I cast on Gnettle of Gnumpkin and Gnettle by Sarah Schira in advance of the new KAL that she’s started called Sweater Weather Gnome. I have tons of little bits of fingering weight yarns and it’s the perfect place to find colors for gnomes. As an aside, last week when I cleaned up and cleaned out my atelier I pulled out a bunch of gnome colors for the fall. I plan to knit Gnumpkin, too, just not right away. I have finished Gnettle’s body and am working on her legs and feet one leg is partially done. These are so much fun to knit and my hat’s off to Sarah for designing these brilliant characters. One foot to go on the first leg. I love her already.

I have finished the body and I am so close to finishing my Make Mine a Double pullover sweater. I tried it on at work on Friday and I think I will like the fit (and I’m glad I went up a size). The sleeves are both partially done because I decided that I wanted to go back and forth with the last hank of yarn so the sleeves were almost the same and mostly in line with the body of the sweater color-wise. I am happy with the way they’re turning out and hope I get to some cream before they end. I may have to bypass some beigey brown to get there but I’m going to make it happen. I can even wear the sweater this coming weekend if I get it done.

I finished my striped socks and have cast on a pair of gray ones. I found an almost full ball of gray sock yarn in my stash and decided it needed to be knitted up. I may give this pair to my daughter who likes to have handknit socks. I am going back to the Reverie Sock pattern by Summer Lee because I liked knitting my pink pair and thought I’d repeat the joy. I’ve already caught myself missing one yarn over but I’m knitting on. Perfection is not my goal … joy is!

As I’m writing this morning we are waiting for the “huge” Nor’easter to hit Central Maine. It’s not done much for us as yet. I was hoping for a lot of rain at minimum to make us feel better about heading into winter with a full well. I guess tomorrow is the day we’re forecasted to get a lot of rain but I wouldn’t be surprised if we get some today, too. It’s dreary and cool enough to be wearing a sweatshirt. My hubby is entertaining his camp friend this weekend. Last night another camp friend joined us for dinner and the three hadn’t been together for 53 years. They enjoyed visiting while I was at work yesterday. The “boys” are upstairs watching a movie and I’m happily ensconced in my atelier! After working the last three days, I’m happy to be home and knitting today. I’ve paid to be a Shetland Wool Week virtual member and I’ll join the opening ceremony at 2pm EST. I’m working on getting an idea of what it’s like to be there with the thought that I may like to attend next year. I’m even considering casting on a SWW hat in honor of the occasion. I may choose to knit my sleeves instead.

Gone knitting.