I was starting to think that this mitten might never get done. Last night, however, I finally got the ends woven in and blocked it before heading to bed. There's nothing nicer than to start the day admiring your handwork from the evening before. (Because we all know how many times it doesn't look as good as we remembered it when we put it down!)
This piece is another version of my picot-edged, 72 stitch on #0 Inox dpns Latvian mittens. Happily, I seem to have found my rhythm and this one is almost identical in size to its twin, my last blue & white mitten. From reading the blogs, it seems that knitters often have a problem getting the first pair to match, size wise, which was one of the reasons I decided to knit a few singles first. That and of course, I couldn't wait to try a bunch of different pattern and color combos.
In choosing my patterns, I've tried to vary them to learn something new on each project. This time, my cuff motif was pretty large, repeating 5 times around the circumference. I centered the pattern so that almost three flowers would be featured on the back of the mitten and two on the inside. (See photos above.) I think it worked pretty well.
What didn't work well were several attempts to pair a pattern for the hand with the busy cuff. I tried (and frogged) several designs in different color combinations before settling on this intertwining graph. Its simple repeat in the maroon and raspberry colors allowed the cuff design to shine. I laugh as I type *simple*, because I also had to frog the thumb once when I realized I had messed up the pattern.
I'm planning one more trial mitten, on size #1 dpns. I knit pretty tightly and am wondering if just one size up will allow a bit more room in the fit. I don't want them loose, but I've had to block these a bit to get a comfortable fit and I don't want to add stitches to my cast on number, as 72 is *perfect*. Why? Because it's divisible by 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 18 and 24, all common numbers of repeats in cuff patterns, which allows one to just plug them in without fiddling to figure out how to integrate designs where the match abruptly stops. I'm lazy like that.
A few people wondered where I'd been last week. I had mentioned that we relisted our house but I didn't add that we hired a new realtor, one who takes a decidedly pro-active approach to sales. Translation: staging. Not extreme, but we were here such a short time that we hadn't furnished this house as we had planned, and have been using a mish-mash of family pieces that desperately need to be replaced. I couldn't see past it, but over several days we added some accent pieces and mostly just changed things around, so much so that I almost hate to leave the place now. I thought I had a pretty good eye but I learned some things last week and was pretty tuckered out by the time we finished up. The house finally listed on Thursday. Friday, at 9:00 am, we had our first showing. When I returned to the house after the prospective buyers had left, I found this note on the kitchen counter:
Congratulations!! You have even a bigger stash than I do!! Happy quilting!!
Signed: Another quilter
The mitten is fabulous! I don't know how you can resist knitting it's mate so you can wear them.
Posted by: Carole | March 11, 2008 at 05:45 PM
Good luck with the revamped house listing! Sounds like things are off to a fresh start. The colors make the mitten, for sure.
Posted by: Jennifer | March 11, 2008 at 05:51 PM
love that mitten!
OH that is so funny she wrote you that note, hope she loved your sewing room and wants it for hers! good luck!
Kathie
Posted by: kathie | March 11, 2008 at 06:22 PM
So inspired by your mittens. Just beginning with knitting, but hope to get there someday!
Posted by: Hedgehog | March 11, 2008 at 07:02 PM
It was so nice of you to stage your stash so that a fellow quilter could see the potential for growth!
LOVE this mitten. Love, love, love. I'm thinking that you could start a new trend also. You know those mis-matched socks that are all the rage? Well, here you can start the mis-matched mittens craze. That is, of course, if you haven't made all right-handed mittens...
Posted by: amy | March 11, 2008 at 07:43 PM
Great mitten! That note is PRICELESS!
Posted by: Chris | March 11, 2008 at 07:46 PM
Your mitten is beautiful! And the note is too funny -- didn't you just crack up when you saw it? Too bad you don't know more about people before they view the house -- you could have left a note offering a few pieces of fabric with a sale!
Posted by: Thimbleanna | March 11, 2008 at 07:51 PM
Tooo funny! Like one of the above said, maybe they will come back because they can see the sewing room potential! Meanwhile if they do come back.... and make an offer... if they offer for your stash... they better make it well worth your while! Just think of all the time you would save packing it up! And then getting to buy more! Shopping for fabric.... heavy sigh..... heaven!
Posted by: Jean | March 11, 2008 at 08:08 PM
Sounds like your prospective buyer loved the house. I'm loving this mitten!
Posted by: rachel | March 11, 2008 at 08:42 PM
What a hoot! Only a quilter or a knitter would leave a note. She might make an offer on your stash!!!
Posted by: Cindra | March 11, 2008 at 09:48 PM
Love the stash comment! Perhaps it will be the deal breaker that sells the house! Then you will know the real reason you bought all that fabric! Good Luck!
Posted by: Jeanne Hughes | March 11, 2008 at 11:52 PM
The mitten is absolutely beautiful. You just have to knit the other one so you can wear them. Great note you got, things like that are priceless. Happy knitting!
Posted by: Hobbygåsa | March 12, 2008 at 07:36 AM
Love that mitten! Did you combine patterns on this one, it's beautiful,love how the colors all blend. Great colors!You'll have to share your charting skills with us sometime when you have time. So she spied your stash,who knows it may be just the "thing" needed to boost sales!Certainly makes a home looked lived in....
Posted by: Wendy | March 12, 2008 at 07:44 AM
your really getting addicted to these i think you may need to go to rehab lol. this one looks great its very jazzy
Posted by: sammyjo | March 12, 2008 at 08:37 AM
I am addicted to your mittens. I can't get enough of them. Personally I'm pleased that you just knit one, it means my hunger to see your color sense is rewarded more often! I think the second one of anything is hard. I'm with you, more of the "why bother" the single mitt is reward enough...except it is soooo much nicer to wear a pair rather than a lone one.
Thanks for sharing. I too blocked a piece last night, when I didn't like it a bit. But today all pretty,smooth and shaped... I love it!
Posted by: maryjane | March 12, 2008 at 08:58 AM
LOVE the note from the prospective buyer!
When this mitt went up on Ravelry, I wanted to ask you if you were making some left hands and some rights so that even though they didn't match, you might have some wearable pairs in a pinch. It would be very boho chic!
Posted by: Lisa | March 12, 2008 at 10:43 AM
It is all said already, just wanted to tell you I have been here. And laughing out loud about the note :D)
Posted by: Ann | March 12, 2008 at 10:56 AM
These are absolutely beautiful!
Posted by: Cami | March 12, 2008 at 11:22 AM
I am in awe of those mittens! You've really gotten the technique.
That note was charming. Staging is useful for that first impression. I understand what you mean -- we wondered why we didn't do some of the simple things while we lived there. Don't know if this will work for you, but I put a small lamp on a little accent chest in a 1/2 bath under the stairs so they didn't have to turn on the overhead to glance in. Pure staging, but it helped downplay how claustrophobic that room felt when lit from above. Best of luck!
Posted by: Nancy | March 12, 2008 at 12:10 PM
The mitten looks wonderful! The note from the prospective buyer is so funny; you never know what will make someone like your place. Hope she submits an offer soon!
Posted by: abby | March 12, 2008 at 12:30 PM
i certainly adore the mitten, but even more, i LOVE the note! what a thrill =)
Posted by: gray la gran | March 12, 2008 at 03:26 PM
That mitten is gorgeous! I love the way the colours play together and the simplicity of the graph design w/ the flowers.
What a fantastic note to receive. It made me smile tonight.
Posted by: Shannon | March 12, 2008 at 06:10 PM
Did you check your stash?? Thanks for the belly laugh, only another quilter would get the stash and the inportance of having their own space! Fingers crossed it works this time!
love the mitten!
Posted by: JudyC | March 13, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Gorgeous Jan! Love the note from the quilter too. And that smocking is fabulous. Love the photo of your two kids from '88 :)
Posted by: Cascade Lily | March 14, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Can I just say how much I'm enjoying the mittens? All the fun and pleasure with none of the work - at least from my side. :)
Posted by: sonja poor | March 14, 2008 at 04:54 PM
That is one great mitten! It should get a twin and get out in public, as I'm pretty sure they will get hundreds of admireres there!
Posted by: HanneJ | March 15, 2008 at 04:24 PM
I hope that note was a good omen for a quick sale of your house. All that grief--staging and all that. Ugh. But if it gets you a sale, it's worth it in the end.
The mitten--just beautiful.
Posted by: KathieB | March 16, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Loving the mittens!
i remember staging our house and I had said at the outset that I would ask a friend and neighbour who has worked as a house fluffer to assess it after I'd finished as I know how blind we can be to our own things. It is interesting to get a fresh non-invested viewpoint.
The note writer? She needs to come back for a second viewing.
The next note:
Congratulations! I'm buying your house. There's plenty of room for craft in here!
Posted by: Elizabeth | March 17, 2008 at 09:43 AM