The party's over

My relaxing 4 week reprieve from showing the house is coming to an end.  And a bit of panic has set in this week, as I'm trying to bring it back to the spiffy condition in which I had it last summer.  Although I'd kept it neat through the fall, I had mostly cleaned with a lick & a promise through our busy travel months and the holidays.  Soon we'll be interviewing new realtors and probably holding open houses so this week is dedicated to serious cleaning...orange oiling all of the woodwork, shine coating the kitchen floor, cleaning blinds and organizing closets.  The good news is that we have several reasons to believe that the house will sell this spring so maybe soon I'll be out of this limbo.

This is how I left my *spot* last night when I finally went to bed.  I'm dying to cast on a new mitten, but had to get the orange one off the needles first.  The 6" Inox #0 dpns are my absolute favorites for these mittens, so I am waiting for an order of several more sets so that I can be knitting new designs while still working on companions for completed ones.  The needles are sturdy but coated so they're not at all slippery and they're quite inexpensive, less than $4 a set. 

Last Saturday, I spent the afternoon at a Ravelry meetup of Indiana knitters.  Cindra had given me a heads up on it, as I hadn't joined that group (seeing as how I'm on my way out of here, eventually) and it couldn't have been more fun. There was quite a turnout of knitters from far & wide and although I didn't get to meet everyone, the ones I met were all knitting such interesting projects!  It was quickly apparent that I need to get out more because I hardly knitted a stitch and gabbed for several hours straight.  If you're registered at Ravelry, I'd highly recommend joining a group from your geographic area.  If our meetup was any indication, you'll meet some lovely, like-minded people.

Since I often marvel about it being such a small world, I have to share this.  At the meetup, Cindra & I were talking with a younger knitter about her project and Cindra asked where she had purchased her pattern.  From that simple question and her answer, 'a shop in Maine', conversation evolved about where we were from originally to the astonishing realization that her mother and I graduated from high school together....were possibly in the same homeroom!  Now that's a small world.  You have to admit.

Comments

[Nancy]

LOVE your box of sunshine, and what you're doing with it!

I'm sure keeping up with the cleaning won't be so bad now that you've done the deep stuff. Here's hoping for a fast and happy sale.

Thanks for the Ravelry meeting tip. I did my first knit group Meetup last weekend and also found it's good to get out sometimes!

[Chris]

Oh, I hope you sell the house SOON. Limbo is no fun.

Dang, it IS a small world.

[Stephanie]

Thanks for the tip, Ill see if theres a group in my area

[robiewankenobie]

what is that amazing book?!!!!

[Carole]

I hope your house sells this time. And then if my father's house could sell, too, we'd both be set.

[gray la gran]

oh my goodness! what a lovely tub of yarn that screams "knit me!". .... and look at that finished mitt =)
my heart goes out to you and your constant state of keeping the house in showing condition. (as i sit here, simmering chicken parts for broth, sippin' some vino, admiring my dust bunnies on the floor beside me .... )

[Janet]

Wow does that scene make me want to knit on tiny little needles with lots of wonderful colors! Once you have the house in shape try not to stress over each showing. How dirty can it get anyway? I think a savvy house buyer is looking for layout and details and isn't too concerned about how clean it is (as long as it's not terrible and of course yours is not!) but I wonder if some little subliminal messages, like smelling something yummy just out of the oven, would make them feel warm all over and ready to make that offer?!

[lisa]

Wishing you much restraint from casting. Personally I want to toss them up in the air and roll in the rainbow.

I am sending you lots of positive house-selling vibes so you can get back to those yummy mittens!

[lisa]

Wishing you much restraint from casting-on. Personally I want to toss them up in the air and roll in the rainbow.

I am sending you lots of positive house-selling vibes so you can get back to those yummy mittens!

[amandajean]

wow. a small world indeed.
hope you are out of limbo soon. I know it's miserable.

[Cindra]

It was a fun afternoon. The ladies there were so diverse and interesting. I don't recall getting much knitting done either.

When you do get to Chicago I want to come up for one of your Chicago area Ravelry get togethers!

[Ruth]

My favorite small world story: I took a water aerobics class when I was pregnant with my first. The class consisted of a bunch of older women, two other preggos, and me. The other pregnant women and I hung together, chatting as you do, and it turned out that T's father-in-law went to college with my father, and were both in the pre-med society.

I hope the house sells quickly. Have you decided where in Chicagoland you're going to settle?

[MaryjoO]

definitely a small world. I've read your blog from time to time but am looking at it all the time now because of my love of those mittens -- can I ask what size hands you are knitting them for? I have large women's hands so am using 2.25 mm needles right now and hope that will be enough. The US sizing drives me crazy -- there is a BIG difference with thin yarns on 2.0, 2.25, and 2.50 needles! I "ran" into these mittens 25 or so years ago while in Estonian, and still love the designs of the "Latvian" etc mittens that seem to have a nice following on Ravelry. MaryjoO

[ulrike]

Hi!
Where do xou get the mitten-knitting-pattern-chart from, which is lying on top of the box? I wish I had one, too. I find the ones from the book (Letvian Mittens) too difficult to read. Could you please tell me where I can get these? Thank you!

[Leslie]

Wow, you are really cranking out the mittens, all beautiful! Good luck with the sprucing up.

[Geri Barr]

Yes, small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it! (As the saying goes!) G'luck with the sprucing 'n spring cleaning.

[Elizabeth]

I know you'll sell this time around.
I love your colourful 'spot'. My spot is a chair (with the best light) surrounded by yarn and paper and books. At least I put my mug in the dishwasher before bed. There is creativity in chaos, right?

[abby]

We've just put our apartment on the market, and I'm now understanding how stressful it is to always have everything perfectly clean and tidy! And it's only been a couple of days... you have my sympathy.

Maybe it's time to knit mittens and forget about it. ;)

[Kris]

Good luck with the house. I hope it sells quickly!!!

[Wendy]

Oh what goodies that tote holds! Love the mitten, hope to see a close up and the details.....I LOVE orange! That one looks very detailed!Good luck with the house, it's bad here in MA too.

[KathieB]

Several of my local friends have nominally joined Ravelry but have never fleshed out their profiles and uploaded any projects. Drives me crazy--they clearly need to become as Internet-focused as I am.

I'm sending good house-selling vibes too. I've been in that interminable limbo position more than once.

[Cascade Lily]

Good luck with the house. I'm sure you'll be baking some fresh bread just before those open days too!

Don't young people have a way of making us feel 'older'? The young girl who works with me told me her father is the same age as my husband! Aiyeee!

[iHanna]

Love those photos! Am I your ravelry friend yet?

[susan]

what a wonderful story about your mothers! it is such a small world, it really is!