Inspired Journey

In mid-January, I booked my flight, signed up for the sweater conference, and ordered some Estonian knitting books including Ornamented Journey by Kristi Jõeste and Kristiina Ehin.  Kristi is a talented knitter who is currently focused on knitting gloves (and mittens) using traditional Estonian techniques and patterns.  I happen to be a mitten knitter, not a glove knitter, but have been inspired by this wonderful book and made this pair of mittens in the Mustjala style. 

The cuff is traditional from the Mustjala parish of Estonia and the overall pattern with a cross of crosses pattern is traditional for the area.

There's been quite a range of weather while I've been here in Estonia from abnormally hot weather requiring short sleeves for many days in a row to abnormally cool weather where I just about need to wear these mittens to keep warm enough!

I met Kristi Jõeste, the talented glove knitter and author, at the sweater conference.  But I also arranged to stay an extra day in Viljandi to meet with Kristi and see some of her work in person and to get feedback from her on my samples and on various techniques in which I am interested.

Another virtual friend becomes real for me!

You can see some of Kristi's knitted gloves on her blog.  She writes in Estonian and English.  A link to her blog is here:

http://kristijoeste.blogspot.com/