At Last! Time 2 B

It's been a long time coming, and I've promised so many, so often that I can't believe it's finally time:  Today you can get your very own Adult Bee pattern, to make in any of six sizes, at the length of your choice. 

CLICK HERE to get it.

Not to make too obscure a reference, but if you happened to see the Teachers' Talent Show at the Madrona Winter Retreat this year (What happens at Madrona Stays at Madrona), where there was an official Media Blackout, you saw me wear the original Queen Bee.  Among Other Things.  'Nuff said.  Lots of people asked me about the pattern after that, which is the only reason I bring it up now.

The original version of the bee sweater was a baby cardigan; one of three that inspired me to publish my first book.  I was surprised and delighted when one after another, knitters asked me to re-tool the motif as an adult sweater.  In fact, from the very first, everywhere I went that people had seen that baby bee sweater, knitters assertively *cough-aggressively-cough* let me know what they wanted.  And they were not shy.  Knitters crossed rooms, crossed book-signing lines, crossed lanes of traffic; all to let me know that while the baby version was fine, what they really wanted was a grown-up bee sweater of their very own.

Which I realized, should not have the same naive spirit as the original. An adult bee sweater had to reflect wisdom, and stature, and well, royalty of a sort.  It could only be a QUEEN BEE. 

Much as with the original, the adult bee sweater almost knitted itself.  The yarn was a complete no-brainer:  Blue Moon Fiber Arts, with Force of Nature Tina Newton at the helm, supplied the yarn without batting a lash.  Even though I don't normally like V-necks, this one told me loudly and often that it needed to Bee a Vee.  I never question messages from the universe which are that loud and clear.

I hope you'll enjoy the Queen as much as I have.  Thank you so much for telling me how much she was wanted.  And for patiently waiting while I made it happen for you. 

Long Live the Queen.

Domestic Bliss

As promised, Phillip tackled the Very Tall Hallway painting project this weekend:

Happy Father's Day Honey!  Now get back up there...

He did a great job, and now the project we have been dreading for six years is finally done.  While he worked on that, I finished these:

Fraternal Dogwoods!  I'm channeling my inner Lucy Neatby (she never wears matching socks.  Or shoes, for that matter).  I love how they look in this yarn.
 

And notice anything else in these pictures?  Yep, I'm doing the floors.  It's gonna take all summer, but what you see me standing on here is nothing less than a papier-mache floor.  It's really fun to do, and super easy.  It just takes a long time to apply and dry the 5 coats of varnish required.  And keeping children, Scotties, and husbands out of wet varnish is its own special form of exercise.  I'm doing one small area at a time so we can (allegedly) walk around the wet spot.  I'll keep you posted. 

This week I'm altering a friend's wedding gown, delivering a top-secret Lantern Moon project, papering the floor, and with any luck, banging out the final version of the Queen Bee edits.  I had to camp out online to hit it at the precise second it came available, but I actually scored a "Featured Pattern" ad on Ravelry.  Watch for it to appear on July 16!  The pattern will be available no later than that date.

Same thing we do every day:  Try to take over the world.  Without stepping in the varnish.

Oh Yeah, And I'm Still Knitting

This has been one of those weeks where it probably seems like I've abandoned the prime directive (i.e.; play with string).  Fear not, Gentle Readers!  I just can't talk about the main project because it has to stay under wraps until TNNA.  I'm allowed to give you a sneak peak though:

I found this cable in a Japanese stitch dictionary.  It's so sexy because it isn't really a cable at all:  Its yarnovers and decreases make it look like one, but it's technically a lace panel.  Awesome party trick, no?  And it doesn't hurt that the yarn I'm using is super-delicious.

There's also this!

I'm knitting along with the Dogwood knitters over on Ravelry (it's not too late to join us!)  These are my fraternal dogwoods, made from Barking Dogs Yarns "Opposites Attract".  How fun is that?  Socks that match, but don't.  I'm working 2 at a time on 2 sets of DPNs.  Which I realize is not really 2 at a time, officially, but still kinda feels like it to me.  One is ready to bind off, and the other is a couple of repeats behind it.  And yes, as you can see, I still have to follow the pattern, even though I wrote it.

The kids finished school this week (including Phillip; Kid In Chief), and are now officially in my bubble.  Phillip has ambitious plans to paint the upstairs hallway, which includes the highest point in our house (scary pictures to follow).  I'm hauling ass on three project deadlines, Black Sheep Gathering is only a week away, and I'm fighting the urge to tear all the nasty old floorcovering out of my house.  Yeah.  I know.  I've been possessed by a Big Fat Idea with regard to flooring, and I'm betting things get weird before that passes.  Stay Tuned as Hilarity Ensues.