This not usually my method. I have just not been happy with a simple hat. All this ripping out has meant a little manhandling of my yarn. Is There A Non-Gendered Term For Manhandling My Yarn? Typically, I have a very high tolerance for a knitted project turning out less than stellar. Especially for something as simple as a hat. And even more especially for a design I won’t be writing a pattern for ..read more

As much as I love my blog readers, I have to admit that there are higher priorities. Sometimes there are anyway. QueerJoe Priorities The are a few areas of my life that take priority over the blog and even knitting. My family Personal health and well-being The Men’s Knitting Retreats Other than those, you all are top of the list. And this blog entry will explain why there was only one paltry blog entry last week ..read more

One of the best projects I ever had from my craft show knitting was the simple cap. And it’s all I have to offer you today. Components Of The Simple Cap Similar to QueerJoe’s Simple Hat, the cap uses rich and interesting colors of yarn and lets the yarn do all the work. The cap also can incorporate more complex techniques if you want it to be a bit more special at the end ..read more

When I ask, “Are you a finisher?” I don’t mean someone who completes projects. I mean someone that enjoys finishing work. Are You A Finisher When It Comes To Sewing Up A Project? I know a lot of knitters who are as passionate about knitting a project as I am. And it often surprises me to find out that some of them hate to finish their garments. Attaching a sleeve, sewing up a seam, weaving in ends, attaching a button – they just hate doing any or all of that ..read more

I’m of an age where cake day means birthday. Nothing else, and thank you to all who sent well-wishes for my milestone birthday. A Successful Cake Day This is a Praline Layer Cake from Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, a three-layer yellow cake with pecans baked into it and frosted inside and out with a caramel/pecan frosting. It’s really quite good. I’ve aged significantly since Wednesdays blog post. I am now 65 years old and I was only 64 two days ago ..read more

One the first day of my birth-month, I’d like to wish anyone who reads this, a happy April. And hope you’ll wish the same for me. The Real Beginning of Spring – Happy April! Mostly April is a month of great anticipation and excitement for me. The weather is starting to get beautiful and the threat of a Winter storm gets smaller and smaller each day. With the nicer weather, we start to get back to biking, and biking is one of the things that Thaddeus and I can do together well ..read more

I had no idea that unraveling Briyoke would take so much time and effort. Two-color knitting doubles the chance of tangles, so I guess it makes sense. But Unraveling Briyoke Was Definitely Worth It Briyoke is a top-down, yoke pullover knit in two-color brioche stitch. One of Stephen West’s designs. When I finished the Briyoke sweater over five years ago, I really hated it. The colors came together in a way that only Stephen West could get away with wearing ..read more

Buying gifts for loved ones, friends and family takes a lot of work. It requires thoughtfulness, creativity, research and legwork. Are You Good At Buying Gifts? I think there are some people who are naturally good at gifts. I’m not one of them. The times when I’ve been successful at it are either when the recipient has given me a list of items they’d really like, or I’ve put a ton of thought into it ..read more

When it comes time to unravel hours of work, I sometimes need to look on the positive side to avoid self-pity. On The Positive Side – My Finishing Technique is Excellent! A while ago, I thought it would be a good idea to knit the Briyoke sweater by Stephen West. I purchased really nice yarn specifically for this project and as with most projects, I dove right in. And I finished it rather quickly ..read more

Going through some of my upcoming tasks, I realized I miscounted the number of totes and chicklets I needed. So, it’s time for a recount. When It Comes Totes and Chicklets – It’s Time For A Recount When I had out all my sewing supplies and fabric, I KNEW I should have made at least one extra tote bag. But honestly, I don’t have the same level of perseverance when it comes to sewing as I do when it comes to knitting ..read more