Barnum & Bailey

It's been a three ring circus around here the past week and as a result, I've been spinning my wheels a bit.  In the past 4 days, we've had 8 house showings, an atmosphere not conducive to digging into a new project.  But I'm itching to do just that! 

On the weekend, I satisfied myself by finishing the thumb on poor Latvian mitten #2, who'd been languishing in the bottom of the knitting basket.  This mitten blocked out to be a perfect fit and now I'm questioning my plan to go up a needle size to #1 dpns on the next ones.  Some new Finullgarn skeins arrived yesterday, including some duplicate colors to knit mates for my so-far-single mittens.  This afternoon I plan to sketch out the next design, if I can only put my hands on my colored pencils, which apparently were shoved under a chair or bed at an impending showing (staging!) since they don't seem to be in the usual spot(s). 

I've been resisting the siren call of quilting because of its mess factor while showing the house but have been drooling over some recent work on the blogs.  Sarah posted a mouth-watering selection of quilts last week, several of which got my creative juices flowing, especially (but not exclusively) the Odette Tolksdorf quilt and Sarah's in-progess piece from her workshop.  And call me *nearly insane* but I've loved the Salinda Rupp quilt for years and have jealously been following several bloggers as they attempt to replicate it.  Yesterday found me veering off the beaten track to fondle some new fabrics at my local quilt shop, which I've carefully avoided since the holidays.  Just as I entered, my cell phone rang...showing in an hour!...and I had to dash home to turn on lights during the dark, dreary afternoon.

Nordic Knit Accessories
ISBN4-529-04140-9   

So today I'm washing and ironing fabric (of course there was time enough to purchase a few quick half yard cuts) and playing with new Finullgarn combos and mitten graphs.  I found this (forgotten) book while sorting my bookshelves last week and while small, it has some nice graphs in it.  I picked it up in Japan while visiting Molly two years ago, but it was new then and I'm pretty sure it's still available.  A few sneak peeks:

Well, this post has been a bit scattered, not unlike my recent days.  Here's hoping things fall into place soon around here!

Comments

[Cindra]

I love Material Obsession or whatever that blog's name is. I wanted to visit their store and even more so when I found out it was down under! I'll be happy when things are settled so we can see your quilts again! Good luck.

[Chris]

Pumpkin mittens - perfect for fall! :)

[Annie]

Yay for showings! Hopefully that will translate into a sale soon. Fingers crossed.

Tomorrow we begin the process of "officially" getting our house ready for showing- a new roof will be installed. I am so dreading the noise and disruption that will cause. The painters will arrive soon after. Fun times!

:)

[blackbird]

I forget...have you buried St. Joseph in your garden?

[sunshine]

some day I want to be able to knit well so I can make old style long stockings that are real cool patterns like you have used in so many of your mittens. I always envy the little kid stocking with stripes and flowers and wished I could find them in my size.

Lovely work
take care
sunshine

[susan]

so so pretty jan. how you can manage such patterns amidst the showings is remarkable.
hope this spring holds loads of promise and an "unloading" of the home!
thinking of you,
susan

[Maryjo]

I've found your blog via Ann of med pinner or before -- great mittens! Do you exclusively use the Finullgarn -- I'm always trying to think which of these yarns go best with the "Latvian" mittens. They are also a passion of mine, but the ones I've knit years ago were given away, and I'm slowly starting back on knitting them. So I admire and drool over yours and Ann's....and thanks for the Japanese book photos -- that book is in my "cart" on Amazon.com.jp

[Maryjo]

just looked at this posting again: oh, those lapland mittens! There are quite a few on Ravelry .... on my wish list! Why isn't there enough time in the day to knit (or rather how can Ann knit so many mittens so quickly) LOL.

[gray la gran]

beautiful mitten (duh!) ... but ... wow! the quilt links .... the quilt that looks like a serious sampler! i am in love!
i think i get a wee bit stressed over the caliber of quilters you link to. i mean, they have 'walls' dedicated to their quilt motifs. i don't "think" i am one to really plan ahead and play with color and composition ..... perhaps in knitting. but, in quilting (and i've only made one, and want to cut into more fabric) i'm afraid i may make a dud because i didn't stand back enough to consider my choices. hmmmm ....
this is all theory, of course ... because i have not (yet) arrived at that bridge.
(gasp!) do i have quilter anxiety?!
you make everything look so easy!

[Else]

I bought that book in Tokyo last May. I love it.
I love your mittens. A real inspiration to me who is a new mitten knitter.

[Sarah]

Thanks Jan!! I had so much fun in Melbourne, it was a brain explosion. I have to confess to loving the Nearly Insane quilt too, one day when I have finished the other thousand or so things in my sewing room I will attempt it.....