Queen Bee Knits

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

Friday. My Favorite Day

Posted on September 20, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

My husband took this shot before I dragged my sorry butt out of bed this morning. I was so comfortable and cozy. Anywhoooo … he’s the better photographer in the family and caught the sunrise just as the sun was peeking up over the horizon across the lake. Our hummingbirds are gone, we haven’t seen any since the day we got home from the beach. Our mornings are a little bit less fun without them. But we still have our baby loon. It was fishing this morning with a parent and it was so quiet that we could hear them “talking” to each other. We are so lucky to be able to witness these things and realize that not everyone else does.

I’ve been working on two sweaters this week and am trying to finish them both before we leave for Colorado next week. I’ve got one that’s a commission for a client, you’ve seen it before, it’s a salmon-y peach fingering weight superwash wool from Urban Girl Yarns. The colorway has the same name as my client’s granddaughter for which the sweater is being made. The yarn is gorgeous. I’m using the pattern, Sorento Cardigan, and the pattern is well-written and clear. A classic cardigan. I’ve finished the body of the sweater and have started the sleeves. I’m knitting two at a time so they’re the same and they’re both done at the same time.

The sleeves are started at the cuff and knitted up to the shoulder and they’ll be sewn into the cardigan. The button band and placket are knitted on as you work up the body so there’s not a lot of finishing. I also put the photo of the buttons I’ve chosen up on my social media to see what people like. Your thoughts? I think the top and middle one are in the lead. The client would like them to be natural materials (these are not) and prefers mother of pearl. I’ll see what I can find.

I’m hoping to have it done and in the mail to Louisiana by the end of September or early October at the latest. Thus freeing me up to cast on more projects. I have a plan to clean up and organize my stash again. It’s gotten out of hand and I am losing track of the projects that I had planned to use with the yarns that I’ve stashed. AND now that we have two grand-babies, double the knitting pleasure! I certainly have some yarn to knit for the kiddos. I also have two grand-nephews to make hats and mittens for (at least).

I’ve also been working on my Vanilla Sweater with the kit that I purchased from the Wooly Thistle. I love the wooly wool yarn. It’s such a gorgeous color. I’m on sleeve island here, too. This sweater, however, is knitted in the round, top-down, and the sleeves are picked up and knitted down to the cuffs. I’ve gotten a few inches done today while I was teaching classes.

I wanted to leave you with a knitting teacher’s tip. I use locking stitch markers to mark my indreases and decreases. In this case, I’m increasing on the Sorento cardigan for my client. I mark the row that I increased in and then I can count the rows (purl bumps) until I reach the number of rows where I need to increase again. On my Vanilla sweater, I am decreasing one stitch on either side of the BOR. I mark the decrease round so I can count rounds more easily and keep track of the decreases, too. My size is asking for 9 decreases plus a couple more and I can easily count how many I have as I go.

We are in a severe drought here in Central Maine. Our lakes are low and the lake associations are asking people who have boat lifts to check their boats. Our lake is the last in a chain of seven lakes and ponds so they all flow into our lake and our lake is dammed at one end. There isn’t enough water to flow out of the other lakes or into ours. It’s pretty dire and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change any time soon. We need rain! Know any rain dances?

Gone knitting!

And Just like that, it’s Sunday Again!

Posted on August 17, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

It’s another gloriously sunny summer day in Maine. Sadly, though, we are in a drought and we really wish it would rain. So far our well is holding strong but many Mainers aren’t so lucky. We are hoping we will be lucky enough to remain able to shower and wash dishes and clothes and flush toilets. We are being very careful not to waste any water. But the sunshine has been really welcome and I am noticing that the days are shortening, too.

Last week was really busy with volunteer stuff and this week it’s going to be the store where I work. Our boss is away and we’re covering all the shifts. Ha! Ha! This week is the one week that I will be at the store four days (out of six). My bigger paycheck will help me pay off my car loan even more quickly (I have only a couple more payments!) Anyway … I’ve been knitting and finishing and starting projects. Let me tell you about a few, ok?

I’ve finished two shorty socks from the Sock Project book (sock #2) with an afterthought heel. The yarn is stashed yarn and I just wanted to get rid of a few bits of sock yarn because my collection has become obscene! These socks are knitted from some old trekking yarn that I bought and the toes is also trekking that was given to me after a friend made socks. Now I’ve just got to open up the heels and knit them … it won’t take but a few minutes but I wasn’t going to attempt it last night when I was tired.

The other day I started to make one of the stuffed toys in the Knitted Animals book by Louise Crowther. I bought the yarn to make three of the dolls – the horse, duck and pig. I’m starting with Noah the horse which will be a gift for my daughter, Libet, who loves horses. The pattern calls for straight needles and I started with straight needles but can I tell you how much is dislike knitting on straight needles after knitting on circular needles for so long? So, I’ve switched to a long circular needle (US2) and it feels much better. The pattern has you start with the head and then move on to the body, etc. I may choose to change my needles with each different body part. Time will tell. The yarn is from Scheepjes Stonewashed and Catona which I bought online since my LYS doesn’t carry the yarn that is suggested and I really wanted to try it out. I can tell you that I like it so far. The head is knitted with the Stonewashed in two colors using the intarsia technique – and the most incredible part is that they put a little sticker on the tail of the yarn so it’s easy to pull out! Brilliant! No more yarn barf. I’m plugging along with this but because it’s knitted on such small needles at a tight gauge, I’m taking my time and trying to save my hands/arms the pain … especially since I have a lot of knitting to do.

Earlier this week, I got a text from a friend with a photo of Boo the Bat by Anna Hrachovec, aka Mochimochiland. Said friend thought the bat was adorable (and it is.) As the week went on, I thought about it and felt I needed to knit one for her as a little gift surprise. So, yesterday I dug into my worsted weight wool scraps and found a light and darker gray yarn to make a Boo for Dru. It knits up surprisingly quickly and it’s really cute. I didn’t have any safety eyes so I used buttons instead and since she’s an adult, I don’t think she’ll be eating the buttons. LOL I blocked the wings last night and they’ll be added to the little Boo today and I’ll need to find a stick for her to hang from (her feet are knitted in the round so she can hang, brilliant!)

I’ve been working away at the little cardigan commission that I have promised for the early winter. This yarn is the most delicious colorway ever and happens to be the same name as my client’s granddaughter, Eliana Zoe. It’s a lovely peachy pink with some deeper tones here and there. I love it! It’s a joyful color. I’ve finished one side of the front and will next work on the back. It’s coming along and I have started it early enough that I don’t have to stress about it. I am actually hoping to deliver it early. Fingers crossed. Meanwhile, the pattern is fun to knit and a little bit different from the typical top-down raglans, it’s a bottom-up raglan done with no seaming (at least not yet. I imagine I’ll be seaming to sew up the pieces after they’re finished and adding the sleeves but I love to wait to see as the pattern unveils itself.) I’m still working on the first hank of yarn and I’m happy that it’s going so far … I was initially worried that I might be playing yarn chicken with this one (or shortening the sleeves to 3/4 length. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.) I’ve also chosen several sets of buttons for my client to choose from. I’ll show you my choices when we get there.

I’ve worked a little bit on my All About the Ruffle shawl but it hasn’t changed substantially so I’ll show you an old photo. It’s gotten bigger as I’m working up to having over 300 stitches on the needles but I’m not quite there. I sure hope I love this shawl because up to this point, the knitting part is boring. (There, I’ve said it.) I do love the colorway of Emma’s yarn Practically Perfect Sock.

Finally, a FO (finished object). I’ve finished Dolores #2 Sensuous Caftan and Turban. What a fun project this was. I think Franklin Habit is a freaking genius! Dolores has a big attitude for a sheep and this outfit totally fits that personality. I love the sparkly purple get-up but this! Ha! Ha! Soon I’m going to have to buy a wardrobe for her outfits. I have two more kits that I bought from Webs way back when … I’ll get to them after a bit but suffice it to say that I’m really sorry I didn’t buy all the kits they made and wish they’d bring the whole bunch back! They bring such joy in such a troubled world.

Even with the drought conditions, we are grateful for the flowers and veggies that are growing in our gardens. They feed so much more than our bodies. We have our first Delicata squash growing and a second one coming! I’m so excited! The zucchini and summer squash have been coming in bit by bit (and that’s ok since sometimes zucchini can be overwhelming). We have some big tomatoes growing and some cherry tomatoes as well. The red one may have been popped into my mouth after the photo was taken. Oops. Our granddaughter helped plant some pea seeds and they’re growing up and up. A couple of the plants dried out but we hope with minimal watering they’ll give us a few peas to send to NYC and maybe to enjoy here, too. We harvested our garlic and it was a good year. This year we’re going to try to plant even more so we can save some to use as seeds the following year. We have to really add to the soil again though … stay tuned.

We remain so grateful for this place that nourishes us body and soul and for the hobbies that we have that keep us engaged. My hubby’s father bought a fishing camp in the 1940s that has been a summer home to visit for his family and is now our home. We remember him and the family often and the memories that we’ve all gathered at the lake. How lucky we are! Gone knitting.

Sunday Funday!

Posted on August 10, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

It was a beautiful morning today and it’s going to be another hot one. In fact, the whole week looks like it’ll be hot and the lake association is warning boaters that the lake is very low (all the dams up stream are closed) and without rain, we are going to be having quite a drought. We are watering our vegetable garden (with a soaking hose) but it’s concerning when you’re on a well. We will be very careful with our water until we get a good drenching rain. If you follow @QueenBeeKnits on social media, you’ll also see my hummingbird video. The little imps are very fun to watch over our morning coffee (or all day long.)

I’ve made my way up to my atelier to write a post and to find my knitting … today I’m going to have a day where I do only what I want to do. No “shoulds” allowed. I have a very busy two weeks ahead and I need to take the time to let my body and mind rest up ahead of the craziness and from all the wonderful time we’ve had with our guests over the last several weeks, too.

I’ve been knitting! Last weekend I started my commission cardigan for a client in Louisiana. Yesterday when my dear hubby and I were at the third annual Silent Film Festival (our first time attending) I got to the third button hole. I believe I’m about half way up the body of the cardigan. This yarn is Virginia Fingering from Urban Girl Yarns and it’s lovely to work with and I love the colorway. The pattern is a simple, classic cardigan by OGE Knitwear designs called Sorrento Cardigan. So far, the pattern and yarn are playing nicely together. I don’t anticipate any problems going forward.

I’ve also resurrected my All About the Ruffles Shawl from the bottom of my knitting bag. I haven’t worked on this for several weeks and it needed some attention. I’ve made it to 100 stitches on each side of the middle/spine stitch and have several more repeats to go before I get to the required stitch count and the fun part – the ruffle. It’s pleasant knitting for later in the day and when I’m watching TV with the hubby. I do love the yarn, Emma’s Practically Perfect in the Harbor colorway. It’s a lovely deep blue-green and I think this shawl will be really fun to wear in the fall. I will get it done!

Yesterday I also worked on my August SISC (Self-Imposed Sock Club) socks for a bit, too. I’m working my way down toward the toe of the first sock and I have to knit seven inches for it to be the right length before I begin the toe decreases. This pattern asks for an afterthought heel (see the marker) which will be added after the toe is finished (and maybe after the second sock is knitted as well.) I love the color of this yarn and I was recalling that Franklin Habit had knitted a pair of socks in just this yarn and added a little cross-stitched bee to the ankle with some fabric that goes away after adding water. I may be thinking about adding a bee to at least one of my socks if I can find the fabric to stitch over.

I finished knitting my Big Love Cardigan in Berroco Pima 100 cotton yarn and gave it a soak in my usual sink and blocked it on my cutting mat like I’ve done for every other garment that I’ve knitted in several years. BUT this time, there was a color problem and my sweater ended up with all sorts of weird spots of discoloration. I was concerned that it was going to be ruined. BUT I bought it into work on Friday and sewed in all the ends and decided that I’d wash it in my washing machine as the yarn band tells you to do and I’m so happy to report that the sweater is perfect. I blocked it the second time, flat on my cutting mat with a towel underneath. Phew! I am going to fix a few ends that have popped through the fabric, add my label and it’s ready to wear if we ever have a cool night again. (I know we will soon enough.)

I have also pulled out the caftan for Dolores from the bottom of my knitting bag. I’ve finished the main part of the garment and really should focus on finishing the other parts and putting it together. It’s such a gaudy garment and Dolores is going to rock it, totally. I will knit the head wrap, too, because she needs it to finish the look. I still have a couple more outfits to complete and think that she needs a clothing rack to display her outfits. (My husband is going to kick me right out of the house if he sees this. LOL)

Around the house things are growing and happy for the sunshine and heat. The hydrangeas all around the yard are thriving. Yesterday I watched some little birds by the shore of the lake for quite some time. It’s what we do in the morning. When our kids were here, my granddaughter and I planted some pea seeds in our garden and they’re growing! I’m tickled to see the plants popping up through the dirt and they’re starting to be tall enough to train to grow up the chicken wire we’ve installed. When we have peas we’ll send some to her in New York City (although she told me in her little 2-and-a-half-year-old voice that she planted pea seeds in her home in New York City with her grandma and they’re growing, too. I love her imagination and seeing her little brain working and growing, too.)

I moved my African Violets from the living room dry sink where I have traditionally kept them because they weren’t looking so good. They were droopy and sad looking. Now they’re gorgeous! Tons of flowers and the leaves look healthy and happy. We all need a change of venue now and again so we can continue to thrive, don’t we? The rest of the house plants are also doing well. I have a giant pathos plant that is gloriously healthy and keeps growing across the living room floor. If you need some baby pathos plants, let me know. LOL

And last but not least, I got some new earrings in the mail yesterday. I ordered them from Jennifer at Bur Oak Studios and I am even happier with them now knowing that she’s a one-woman woman-owned business and she’s in New England (Vermont)! I don’t often put my face out there in the world but I had to take a selfie to show you my new earrings. I love them and they’re so light I don’t even know they’re there! Thanks, Jennifer. Jennifer is coming to the SPA in Freeport, Maine this winter (February) and I am looking forward to going down to Freeport and meeting her and I’ll just have to buy more earrings!

This is me! 67 and as happy as I’ve ever been.

Gone knitting.

I’d love to give credit to the artist for this image …. but I don’t know who it is. Any thoughts?

A Perfect Wednesday

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Queen Bee Knits

It started out well! and kept getting better! We both slept until nearly 7am and then spent a glorious hour-ish having coffee on the porch. Our first visitor was an osprey fishing and then “our” little loon family came by. The parents left the chick in front of our house for a bit (see below). They must think we’re trustworthy chick-sitters. “Our” hummers have been really busy, too. Activity was constant the whole time I was on the porch. We must have five hummingbirds (or more) but you start to recognize them after watching them so intently over the months.

I decided that this was the one day I had nothing scheduled and I was going to take full advantage of the beautiful weather and sit on the porch until I felt I had to get up and do something else. I had started our laundry and the changing of the beds after our guests departed (another weekend visitor over night and a pair of visitors passing through who didn’t stay. We love summer for the visitors) and then headed up to the atelier to get my hands on some yarn. I decided to start the new cardigan that I have on my list, it’s a commission for a lovely client in Louisiana, and I’d have had to wind one more hank of yarn to finish my sleeve.

The photo above is one hour in. I’m knitting on US3 needles with a fingering weight yarn from Urban Girl Yarns. My client sent the yarn to me. She’d purchased it on a trip to Virginia and had to buy the yarn because the colorway is named just the same as her granddaughter – Eliana Zoe. She found my website and reached out to me to have me knit the sweater as she’s not a knitter. I was happy to oblige. The pattern I’ll be knitting for her is the Sorento Cardigan in a size 4-5 Years. For a while my hubby joined me but he left to take a load of stuff to the dump thus the “still life” with all his stuff at his chair.

AND the final photo is the beautiful view that I’ve had all day and specifically what I looked like a little after 3pm when I chose to go inside to get a few tasks accomplished. I am feeling so grateful that I live here and that I can work at home. I’m so thankful that Ned’s dad bought this place back in the 40’s. What a wonderful peaceful place to live.

So, tonight I’ll wind the last hank of cotton yarn (Berroco Pima 100) for my Big Love cardigan. I have only a couple of rows and a bind off left to finish the second sleeve and then I have to finish the collar – I assume that I’ll graft the two sides together. I’ve woven most of the ends in as I went but I’ll weave in the rest. I feel like it’s going to be a bit small for me so I will be blocking it pretty aggressively. Not sure why but it is what it is. I’ll likely wear it open and over a short sleeve or sleeveless shirt but I was thinking it’d be a bit oversized. Oh well. If I don’t like the fit, I’m sure I can find someone who will. The yarn wasn’t too much of an investment so it’s an affordable project.

Tomorrow I start my day with a hair cut at 8:15am and then to work. I’m teaching Friday but we have the weekend with just us – and a movie fundraiser to attend. Maybe it’ll be a date night or a date evening as the silent film festival runs from noon to four and these days we like to be home before dark. We must be getting smart. LOL

We’ve had a new yarn shop open not far from us. The “girls” at work and I have pencilled in a visit to Wild Fibers (it’s in a renovated mill across the road from a fabulous bakery and cafe) after lunch at Scapes Cafe on Sunday the 17th. It’s always fun to get together with these women. They’re the main reason I stay at the yarn shop … and the customers, of course. We are all on the same page and work so well together – and take care of each other, too. A real team. Meanwhile, the Maine Yarn Cruise is happening through the middle of October and I haven’t gone to visit one of the shops. Maybe the hubs and I will go on a Sunday drive this weekend. He’s been off from work for almost a month, I think, and he’s got to be getting itchy to return, right? (Not really.) We both are very content to stay home and do the things we love to do. He takes photos, reads, fiddles around in his workshop and around the house. I knit and bake and write … what more can we ask for? It’s a good life we’ve built here on the shores of Messalonskee Lake.

The loon chick just off our porch this morning

I’m going to sign off here and get the newsletter for the store written today and get it out of my way and off my list. The rest of the week is going to be somewhat busy. This afternoon’s for checking things off and then I’m. back to knitting to finish my sleeve! Making such good progress!!!

Gone knitting.