Long Rows - - Short Month

I'm thinking i may be seeing a bit of a 'theme' here ... February's scarf is called "The Long and Short of it all" simply because it is the shortest month of the year ... and i decided to knit a scarf with LONG stripes to switch things up a bit.  We're in the midst of showchoir season and i'm seeing the trend of LONG days of rehearsal and competition, and SHORT nites before the A.M. alarm goes off again!   LONG Saturdays followed by SHORT Sundays ....  Long  Rehearsals, Short school days .... but welcome to life!  Yes?

The perks of these LONGs is that it often means LONG times of knitting as well.  So it seemed a perfect solution and a slight deviation from the normal scarf routine ... Knit 15, turn.  Knit 15, turn.  Knit 15, turn!  Because this scarf is an adventure in Length i would highly recommend at least a 24" circular needle to accommodate all the stitches.  It really was an easy knit - rather mindless actually - since each row lasts for a while.  Easy stitch patterns to remember - - Seed Stitch and Double Moss Stitch, sprinkle in some stockinette to break up the texture ... yet another great stash buster!  Change up the stripes, making each one a different color but keep your Edge Stripe Color (Color A) consistent between each row and you really CAN do some Stash Busting!  Click on the "String of Purls" tab at the top of the page for all the directions and to get started on a fun February project ....

Another "perk" of all the Long days is that i'm afforded time to Ponder while i'm sitting and knitting, and we all know that i LOVE some good pondering - though it has been known to get me in trouble if my ponderings have me wandering down the wrong path! [on those hormonal days i'm prone to most definitely end up in the wrong part of town . . and conjure up all KINDS of twisted and distorted pieces of information .. not to mention what it does to my knitting!  other than teach me how to FROG yet again!] .... Long bouts of pondering can and should leave me with promises .... with hope .... with a most certain Reality Check that regardless of the timespan there are things that are Secure in my Days ... AND my nights!

Genesis 28:15  I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.  I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.

Psalm 56:3-4  When i am afraid, i will trust in You.  In God, whose Word i praise, in God i trust;  i will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?

Matthew 6:34  Therefore, do not worry abaout tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Psalm 28:7  The Lord is my strength and my shield;  my heart trusts in Him, and i am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and i will give thanks to Him in song.

Grab a cup of tea, your yarn and some stitch markers just to keep your count .. in case you do start to ponder and your mind starts to wander ... cast on and in no time - - yet another scarf to share ... or wear!

Friday's Point to Ponder

The only place where

Housework

comes before 

Knitting

is in the dictionary. 

~Mary Kurtz

(and even THEN they're not That far apart ... just a few pages! 

They're practically next door Neighbors!  ~ me)

Location is Everything, isn't it! Location is GREAT when you are looking for something and can find it because it's where it's supposed to be, ie - those circular knitting needles you use once in a blue moon, or those directions you printed to finish something, or what about those cute new stitch markers you set aside for that 'special' project . . .   BUT when you just can't seem to reach the bottom of the knitting bag or you feel like you've searched every single pocket of your Nantucket Bucket and that coupon is no where to be found . . . AAAUUUHHHH!!!!!!   Yarn's on sale AND a i have a coupon [somewhere] AND i can use my teacher discount card .... but NOOOO!!!!  i can't find the dang piece of paper!!!!  The potential for savings versus the reality of my short term memory .... it's not always a good combination!!!!!

however, there is one thing that i KNOW that i KNOW that i KNOW will ALWAYS be in place ... regardless of My location, i KNOW that i can REST on the promise that the Lord will ALWAYS be with me, and i will ALWAYS be able to find Him!  The psalmist David penned the promise in chapter 139 of the Psalms, and fortunately for me, it's BOUND in my Bible so i can't loose it or misplace it . . . .

O Lord, You have searched me and You know me.You know when i sit and when i rise;You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord.  You hem me in - behind and before; You have laid Your hand upn me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 

Where can i go from Your Spirit?  Where can i flee from Your presence?  If i go up to the heavens, You are there;  if i make my bed in the depths, You are there.  If i rise on the wings of the dwan, if i settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.

If i say "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be day to You; the night will shine like the day, for the darkness is as light to you.

For You created my inmost being;  You knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise You because i am fearfully and wonderfully made;  Your works are wonderful, i know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from You when i was made in the secret place.  When i was woven together in the depths of the earth, Yours eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;  test me and know my anxious thought.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Bottom Line Truth:  

the Lord always comes before Me ...

 in my Dictionary AND in my heart!

Inside My Knitting Bag

It's been a BUSY, busy week .... the countdown is on for the Kick off for Show Choir Competition Season .... long hours of practice, tons of hairspray to hold up all those "poofs", bags filled with tights and high heels, sequins and cargo pants, denim and velvet ... it's a mad rush to take care of all those last minute details, tweak months of work on the closing dance number, try to remember what the cuts in the music are for the bows and the exit music ... but more important than anything else is the most pertinent detail:  Competition is Saturday which means hours on a bus ... hours of sitting and waiting to perform ... hours until they announce the finalists ... and then hours back home ...

which means ........ KNITTING!!!!!  LOTS and LOTS of knitting ... plans, projects and sketches - always keeping an extra pair of needles in my bag in case someone new wants to learn ..  Time to STOCK my Knitting Bag NOW ... but i need to clean it out 1st from all the projects that i've worked on this week.  With all the time we've rehearsed this week i've been able to complete 2 hats (3 actually but i had to rip one out the 1st time because i just didn't like!) .... the February Scarf is finished - - and i'm working on writing that pattern now .... and i made the cutest little scarf for karen out of that Cocoon yarn she shared ...

I used Lion Brand Yarn Wool Ease Thick & Quick on both of these fun little hats for Meredith.  Based on standard measurements and using the chart from last week, i did the "Big Girl" thing and knit a quick swatch so i could check my gauge, add the appropriate number of extra stitches for bands or ear flaps .. and just knit them in no time at all!  I tried to modify a pattern i found on Ravelry for the Ear flap hat that was originally knit top down but i think my yarn was TOO bulky for the pattern and it was just HUGE ... rather more appropriate for a BASKETBALL instead of a sweet friend headed off to study for the semester!  Her little red hat and fun 2" button will tuck easily into a book bag and make for a fun little happy from home as she sets out for the most amazing semester of college yet!

Just Do It! . . . .

I also grabbed my crochet hook and made a quick prize for Karen since she was so gracious to share her yarn stash with the sweet students at my high school  ... they can now knit hats for the homeless from a vast assortment of colorful and fun yarns that are stashed under my desk!  ;)  [face it - - you really DO need to just suck it up, go buy a crochet hook and get ready to give it a try .... it's on the schedule for June, so why not concede and just get the hook! ]

okay, bag's cleaned out ... and will soon be holding yarn for:

1)  Valentine's Baby Bib  - Need to get Cotton!

2)  Illusion Washcloth - more cotton - in 2 colors!  don't forget the pattern from Ravelry!

3)  March's scarf (hopefully in the form of a giant braided cable!) - 3 skeins of Debra Norville's Everyday
                                Soft Worsted is already packed in the bag ....

. . . and drafts for a sweet little pair of baby Uggs! [have ordered the Suede yarn off of EBay, nonetheless!]

CLEANING out ... another one of my new year's goals!  to not let my knitting bag become a receptacle for everything else i can't find a place for during the week ... so that by week's end my left shoulder is dragging because of all the 'treasures' it is now supporting within the colorful confines of a "knitting bag" . . .this mindset has also proven advantageous when i apply it to things in my heart as well ....  how much clutter and scraps of my day do i tuck within and not allow the Lord to clear out or up for me?  all those bad attitudes, or hurt feelings, or thoughts of jealousy or even the bigger issues, for me, of Nonchalance?  I like to show on the surface that my passions are my faith, my family and my knitting and that for the most part i can just 'go with the flow' for everything else.  However, truth be told ... this "easy going flexibility" that i think i'm playing off so well is often a glorified facade of "apathy" and there is no room for such in His Kingdom!  Failure to care is a nice way of saying i really don't Trust Him ... going with the "flow" of my day reveals that my eyes are not in constant contact with His .... Trusting Him requires total Awareness of every step ... there's no need in throwing up my hands in surrender to what the world brings my way and that i so often trip over!  Throwing up my hands will simply allow Him to catch me!  and there's Nothing Apathetic in that Prospect at all!

Proverbs 3:5-6 encourages this upper body 'workout' . . .

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

My knitting bag is now packed and ready for the bus ride ...

My knitted heart, a swatch that He's been working on for 50+ years now,  has been cleaned out, confessed up and forgiven, and is now packed and ready for today - - So Bring it On!  (a little Show Choir tune we're opening with , thanks to Stephen Curtis Chapman!)

Hands open in anxious anticipation of all that

He will bring to fill them ....

opportunities for passion rather than apathy ...

examples of devotion rather than indifference . . .

moments of the day filled to the brim with peace and rest rather than ambivalence and discontent . . .

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord!  I want to see You - - High and Lifted Up, Shining in the Light of Your Glory, Pour out Your power and love as we sing Holy, Holy, Holy!

are You . . . Knitting Daily?

Have you ever been to the Hoover Public Library?  They have a whole new parking lot AND wing that has recently been added, thanks in part to the MASSIVE overdue fine that a certain someone continues to accrue ... now, granted .. i always ... eventually ... pay the fine ... and make vows of devotion and commitments of turning over the new leaf and keeping track with when things are due ....

and then BAM!  i look find dig out the crumbled checkout slip from underneath my knitting and coffee cup and see the glaring truth:  they are always due  - - yesterday!!!   and thus the cycle being ..... or continues .... or snowballs ... and before long, the library's adding on .... again!  Did you know they have great resources in their knitting books?  Of course you don't know .. i've got them all checked out and you can't get them because of my procrastination and organizational dysfunction-ability!  but what IF i could let you in on a really neat 'secret' that will always be open .. that has drive-to-the-door parking .... even allows reading in your robe!   When you're not on Ravelry, why not sign in to Knitting Daily.  This is a great site filled with an abundance of information, great pictures so that you can dream of things that you'll proably never get the time or $$ to knit - but for me, it's fun to grab some coffee and just sit in the solitute of a quiet moment and dream about 'those' people who DO actually get to have "THAT" life .....

Sponsored by Interweave Press, Knitting Daily features many of the things that are published in Interweave Knits and/or Interweave Crochet ... but that's just the surface.  There really are Educational Articles in each publication and on line as well .. there are always fun things being sent to my email ... lots of free e-books to download ... inspiration AND explanation ... dreams AND reality ... ratings AND sizing that are clear and concise ....  a great way to preview things .. purchase individual patterns ... sign in for help .... ask questions, follow videos ....  they even sponsor a site on Ravelry, Facebook AND Twitter! 

I LOVE having instant acess and unlimited resources ... and am amazed at how 'dependent' i've become on things i can find on my computer ... just type in a few key words and before long i have a list with so many options ... it's like having a whole Row of Books devoted to the Knitting Topic Du Jour . . . perhaps this also appeals to me because it's yet another reflection of all the abundance and reserves that i have access to within my Bible each day ... sometimes each MINUTE .... a plethora of promises - hope - instruction - correction - whatEVER i may need.  And while the internet affords vast amounts of compiled information on its Super Highway ... there still remains the potential for disconnect if the power goes out ... or my wi-fi isn't picking the signal, if i don't type my search in correctly, if i can't get to my computer ....

and yet, there are no Glitches in accessing His Word.  There is nothing sweeter than opening my Bible and finding notes i've made in the margins regarding lessons i've learned, truths that have been made Real in my life, Prayers i've prayed along the way and even sweeter answers He's shared .... and one of my goals for this coming year is to work even more on my scripture memory so that should i find myself in need of my Bible i'll always have bits and pieces tucked within my heart .. no crumpled receipts to have to search for, but rich collections of His Word living within. I fall so short most days of resting in Him when things go 'not as i had planned' .... what IF my walk and talk actually matched because i was so Saturated in His Word ..... what IF He didn't have to spend so much time "frogging" my day and ripping out the messes i make because i fail to listen to the very Words He has spoken, the printed maps that are contained within the 66 books of my Bible . . .  there are No Fines or Late Fees for me to blame my illiteracy on ... negligence or selfishness, yes!  Closed doors or "After" hours ..... just concepts are not EVEN in His vocabulary!  (now THAT's a huge blessing for me, for SURE!)

Thy Word have i hid in my heart, that i might not sin against You.

Ps. 119:11

My Bible - - instant access to His Library!  No fines. No overdue fees. 

The essence of the Perfect Bookmobile! 

slowin' down the Jog . .

Morroco!

you're in a hurry ... got things to do ... knitting's going quickly .... oops!  there's hiccup!  no worries .. no one ELSe will notice ... just keep knitting ... maybe it will just kinda disappear into the stitches ..... afterall, there are 46 'correct' ones already on the hat ... just keep knitting ..... i've got til Friday before Meredith leaves - - WHAT?  Wednesday?  . . .  no need to follow the pattern, i've been knitting for YEARS so i can just make it work . . . .   WHAT?   WEDNESDAY? 

Rachael's dear friend Meredith is packing up for the adventure of a lifetime as she sets out in the morning for a semester of study abroad . . God's opened doors to use her in mighty ways, to show her little Alabama eyes things that will forever shape her future and make her an even stronger and more effective Godly young woman that He can use.  And being the mom/knitter/friend that i am, she HAS to have a hat or two to cram into her already overstuffed suitcase!  So i found a cute picture and opted to Wing it!   The result is really cute, or so i think . . but i did notice this little twitchy line in the back and have diagnosed the problem as a JOG in my knitting!  Who knew?   and even more so, who'd a thunk there was an explaination AND a remedy!   What WOULD we do without Google and Ravelry?



can you see the little "ravine" that
is runing from the top to the bottom
of the garter stitch band?    :(



here's what i SHOULD have done: "Knit the pattern as directed until you are ready to begin the first purled round of the brim. Remove your stitch marker that is marking the beginning of the round. Slip one stitch from left hand needle to right hand needle, purlwise with yarn in back. Replace stitch marker. Purl around (this will include the stitch that you slipped before). Remove your marker and once again slip a stitch from LH needle to RH needle. Replace marker. Knit around. You will continue in this manner, moving the start of the round over one stitch each time, until you have completed the number of garter ridges as directed by the pattern. On your next round you will be binding off stitches at the front, and from there you can work back and forth in garter stitch as normal. Now it’s nearly invisible where you changed from knit to purl rounds on the brim! No visible garter line!"

Next time!  :)  Meanwhile, i'm praying for Meredith as she finishes her packing today .... and for her family as they do that hard "parent thing" of staying here and watching her move on ....  and my heart is called back to the verses in Psalm that i know will be my prayer for her this semester:

Yet I am always with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with Your counsel,

and afterward You will take me into glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And earth has nothing i desire besides You.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strenght of my heart

and my portion forever!

Those who are far from You will perish;

You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.

But as for me, it is good to be near God.

I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;

I will tell of all Your deeds.

Ps. 73:23-28

knitting a clover necklace

When you think of Red Heart Yarn what is your first impression?  For me, it was ACRYLIC!!!  and SCRATCHY!!!   and bad, BAD color choices!  it's no WONDER that so many children who were taught to knit years ago never followed through!  YUCK!  (most are probably still in counseling even as we speak)

BUT - - what IF, time and maturity and patience and LOTS of modern technology have made some drastic changes .. and you now could say Red Heart and Soft and Fuzzy in the same sentence?  I'd like to introduce you this morning to just such a possibility!  A Fun, Quick & Easy project that has as much therapeutic value for the Knitter And the Wearer!  Meet Pomp-a-Doodle!  This soft, fuzzy little yarn is nothing more than fluffy, baby sized pompoms on a string ... with all the knitting occuring in between the pompoms ... and you are left is a necklace of clover flowers.  Remember stringing them together as child?  Now, you can do it again with your needles!

i purchased 2 skeins of "African Violet" and cast on 8 stitches using the backwards loop method so that it would be a bit looser and easier to work with. 

Using the chain that connects these little fluffy poofs, you work 2 stitches in between each pompom and knit to the end of the row, turn and repeat.  I also used a size 8 needle just to keep the fudge-ability (yes, it's a word!) a bit easier to work with.  I found this yarn at several of the local craft stores around town, and it retailed for $5.99, but with coupons and discounts i think i spent around $3 for each one. 

The Pomp-a-Doodle is a nice and affordable alternative to the Rozetti "Cocoon" that is the rage right now in your local yarn shops.  It is retailing for around $10 a skein, and the puffs are more like Cheetos instead of cotton balls.  Either way, both of these yarns are a fun little "happy" to throw into the midst of some of the knitting that we do that requires more concentration.  THIS is definitely a talk-and-knit at the same time project!  and you won't believe all the people that will stop and ask "what ARE you working on?" .. it's a great way to introduce them to the joys of knitting!

i really like it when others notice what i'm doing, and will stop long enough to allow their inquisitive nature to be satisfied for the moment. Knitting has become a great ice breaker and way to meet new friends, listen to their stories and even invite them to church, where - in days gone by- we had time to sit and knit as a group!  i really miss those days of fellowship and yet there is a special bond that still exists between that group of ladies . . seems like our string and needles STILL connect us and we share yarn and projects and coupons and books every time we see one another.  The kinship and sisterhood that has grown from this commonality is rooted not only in our needles, but in our faith.  Is it exclusive?  Heavens NO!  and to think that there would ever be a group of knitters with locked doors and pass words makes me sad to even ponder!

When you have something in your life that makes you smile from the inside out you HAVE to share it!  For me, it's my knitting and my music .. and my faith!  How i pray that the things i say and do will cause others to ponder on my 'motivation' ... why DO i respond in such a way?  Why DON'T i do 'thus and such'?  How CAN you believe in things you don't see, touch or can explain?  Lots of questions perhaps ... but lots of Peace that can only be explained by a relationship with the Father.  Do i mess up?  YES!  Do i let Him down?  ALL THE TIME!  Do i fall short and probably leave messes behind that only He can clean up?  NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!  Nonetheless, the commitment of my heart to Him is the driving force for all that i long to do ... and even on those days when nothing goes right, or i've made the biggest mess ever, i realize that He is the King of Frogging!  and He can take my scratchy acrylic, ugly colored days of tangled yarn and with His touch, transform it into a beautiful little string of pompoms that remind me that time Can and Does bring change .. and work together for His good, even when i don't understand it all!

I have told you thses things, so that in Me you may have peace. 

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart!

I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

Friday Funnies

i'm really not one who likes to sit down and talk politics .... i'm not a big fan of getting everyone worked up and then having to sit and listen to countless hours of opinions .... but it seems everywhere i go these days that most everyone has SOMEthing to say about the Health Care Plan that is looming before us. And so, to that end, i'd like to chip in my 2 cents worth with the following confession:

I'm In Therapy

and Knitting it Cheaper than a Psychiatrist!

have you checked your co-pay lately?  mine just went up again this year, along WITH the amount of i pay for my insurance beFORE i ever even go to the doctor!  Now don't get me wrong - i am SO very grateful for insurance ... to have a job that affords me that option ... and then pays me enough money to give my money BACK to them for such care should i ever need it.  However, i have come to realize that for the SAME amount of money, my "Co-Pay" can buy a luxurious little ball of cashmere .... or countless skeins of cotton . . or enough alpaca to make a sweater! and who WOULDN'T feel better just knowing that some new bamboo needles were what the doctor ordered!  it might even be enough to buy my own sheep so i would ALWAYS have wool to spin!

it's nice having that Safety Net to fall back on .... to have that security tucked in my back pocket ..... there when i need it, though i pray i never really have to find out to what extent! Having a Peace that passes understanding makes so MUCH of what we encounter each day actually "do-able" ... have you ever noticed? Having the privilege of being able to whisper God's name and KNOW that He is there .... the assurance of His Promise of the Gift of Salvation - - which comes with the reality of His Help, His willingness to Lead .... to meet my needs, heal my hurts, share my joys AND my sorrows .....

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are His everlasting arms!

Deut. 33:27

THAT is a truth that NO one can dispute .... that can make it 'all' better!  The best insurance yet!

and just one more thing:  Let me write you a little quick prescription to make it all better, while we're talking here:

just present this "Prescription" at any check out and see how much better you feel!  (fyi .... Michael's and Joanne's will also honor THIS particular coupon ..... )     and LOOK!  it appears you're feeling better .. i think your color's coming back!  Happy Friday!

the Perfect Hat - every time

Got your yarn?  Yes!   Got your needles?  Of Course!!!  Got a pattern .....  not so much!   What IF you could ALWAYS have a quick and easy "go to" that would serve as a Springboard for any and all creativity that is tucked within, just waiting for the needles and yarn to reveal!  Just a few Easy Steps and you'll be on your way .... Any Size .... Every Time!

Step 1 - Measurement

For an accurate head measure, place a tape measure across the forehead to calculate the full measure of the head.  And in order to know the correct height for your hat measure from the ear lobe to the desired height BEFORE hat shaping.

AVERAGE SIZES:
 
                          Width        Height
Preemie                12"            3"
Baby                    14"            4"

Toddler                16"            5"

Child                    18"            6"

Female                 20"            7"

Male                    22"            7"

Step 2 - Gauge

Start with the needles recommended on the yarn label and cast on 20 stitches and work in Stockinette Stitche for 4"  Continue working gauge SWATCH, switching needles if necessary in order to obtain the correct density.  Once you are happy with how it looks, count your stitches per inch and use the formula below to determine the number of stitches you'll need to cast on to create a personalized hat.

_____ Gauge (stitches per inch)   X  ______ (head circumference) = ____ # of stitches to cast on

Note:  the # of stitches should be divisible by 6 or 8 in order to create a nice and symmetrical decrease on the crown.  Round up or down for a cast on amount divisible by 6 or 8.

Brim Options:

  Rolled Brim - continue working in stitch pattern to desired length.
  1 x 1 rib brim - cast on a multiple of 2 or for a 2 x 2 rib, cast on an amount divisible by 4.  Knit to desired
                          length of brim.
  Ruffled edge - cast on 4 times the # of stitches from the formula.  Knit 1 round. K2tog all around. Knit 1
                           round, K2tog.

To Begin:  Cast on ___ stitches onto circular needle, place marker and join in the round, being careful not to twist.  Work in Stockinette Stitch on every row [or desired stitch based on your earlier swatch] until desired height is reached before shaping crown.  Always remember when working with a stitch pattern to make sure your cast on number works with the pattern repeat.

Shaping:

6 stitch decrease

Row 1:  K4, K2tog - repeat for entire round
Row 2 & all even rows - Knit
Row 3:  K3, K2tog - repeat for entire round
Row 5:  K2, K2tog - repeat for entire round
Row 7:  K1, K2tog - repeat for entire round
Row 9:  K2tog - repeat until 6 stitches remain

8 stitch decrease

Row 1: K6, K2tog - repeat for entire round
Row 2 & all even rows - Knit
Row 3: K5, K2tog - repeat for entire round
Row 5: K4, K2tog - repeat for entire round
Row 7: K3, K2tog - repeat for entire round
Row 9: K2, K2tog - repeat for entire round
Row 11:  K1, K2tog, repeat for entire round
Row 13:  K2tog, repeat until 8 stitches remain

Cut yarn leaving a 6" tail.  Thread yarn needle w/ tail and slip through remaining stitches.  Pull tail tightly drawing up all stitches to a close.  Thread yarn through center hole of hat and fasten off, weaving in any loose ends.

it would be really nice if there was also a formula that would work on most the Days of my Life .... jot down a few numbers, multiply them by a desired effect and BAM!  i've got my answer!  However, i continue to be reminded that that's really not an option  - - and acknowledging that math is really not my strong suit, it's probably best that i can't CALCULATE my day!  However, i have learned over the years of One Truth that i can count on ... that will remain each and every day ....

As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Isa. 55:9

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.

Than you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me,

and I will isten to you.

You will seek Me AND find Me

when you seek Me with ALL your heart."

Jer. 29: 11-13

No numbers to crunch, or formulas to memorize - -just the Perfect Answer EVERY time!

Social KNITworking

Recently a movie came about the creation of a Social Network called "Facebook", which although originally intended to be an exclusive site for the Harvard Campus, has now become a worldwide phenomenon.  It would seem that despite all our attempts to run home and hide after work, there is something within most of us that really wants a connection with the outside world ... with parts of our past (at least the ones that we liked and/or can control!) and perhaps even a small soapbox on which to share our moments of glory, seek answers to questions or share a bit of the sadness in hopes of dispersing some of the disappointment.

Knitters really are no different . . we are ALWAYS looking for someone to share our yarn, our completed projects, to ask for help, to include in the fun we are having ... someone to just sit and knit with!  And while Facebook has afforded many of us a venue to accomplish some of these tasks, it would seem that for the knitter, their social network could be found by visiting a site called Ravelry.  What started out as a 'conceptual dream on a wishlist' came to fruition in 2007 when a young couple launched a knitting site that has grown by leaps and bounds.  Originally you had to submit a request for an "invitation" to join and then wait several days, checking your inbox often (hourly) to see if you got the "Reply" ....

but now - - all you have to do it "just Sign Up!" and you're off and running/knitting!  Boasting over 1,000,000 members, Ravelry has become a knitter's dream as far as a database for patterns, for yarn, for project pages where you can document things you're working, forums and groups that you can join to see what everyone else is working on .... places for notes - - the good/ the bad/ the ugly ....  sell your patterns, buy new patterns, get TONS of free patterns .....   if you've not done so, please go NOW for a visit and join!  Get ready to live vicariously through those people who knit all day and night and are incredibly organized and post all their milestones!  (just be careful not to visit too often during working hours, lest the boss notice that glazed over look of longing in your eyes as you are planning your next knitting project rather than working on the next budget project that he is waiting for!)  . . . unless of course you teach him to knit ... there are groups for the male knitters as well . . .

With all this need for 'connection' i can't help but wonder if this isn't really just a true extension of the very way we are created . . . God's original intention was to create us for Himself . . for that companionship He envisioned with Adam and Eve. And ever since those early garden days, He has so patiently and lovingly continued to seek out ways to maintain the connection ... it's such a driving force of Who He is that He has gone so far as to sacrifice His one and Only Son so that fellowship can be restored when i trust and accept that Precious Gift of His Son as the only way to connect with God, my Father!  Deut. 4:29 reminds me "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul."   He LONGS to be found!  It's the way we are made!

Realizing that this "Search" can actually be accomplished makes for a very rewarding relationship, in that we are created to Search ... He is just waiting and intending to be Found!  It's not a game of Hide & Seek, filled with hours or days or years of clue chasing and hopeful or frustrated searching .... God's sole purpose is to be the caring Father of each of us .. and when we make the true Social Connection with Him we find that it's a true fit and perfect compliment ... Snug and Secure for eternity!

"You will seek Me AND find Me when you seek Me with ALL your heart."

Jeremiah 29:13

So, have you signed in yet for the Original FaceBook Account?  One in which you are connecting and seeking His Face - - the Father of Lights and the Body of Believers that are called His Bride?  There will be no invitation in the mail ... He sent His invitation to you over 2,000 Christmas's ago .... He's waiting for your RSVP and reply to His Friend Request ... and longing to sit and knit with you ..... in fact, Psalm 139:13 reminds you that He Knit You together ..... so actually, it would appear that God was the creator of Ravelry as well!

Increases that Count

Early on in my knitting i learned about 'Increases' . . they usually were spotted several rows too late .. and appeared in the form of HOLES that ... were NOT planned!  (remember those days?) ... however, over the course of time i learned that Increases could be Intentional ... could actually create a beautiful design in which stitch counts increase on PURPOSE .... with a PLAN ....

Previously we have talked about M1's (make 1) that could be as simple as a Yarn Over or Kfb, or even doing a simple backwards loop - however, these methods often leave a small hole when worked and can distort the visual line that is knit.  It's probably best to save these M1's for a yarn that is more textured so that they blend in thanks to the workings of the yarn itself!   Often you'll find that you need increases that mirror one another so that the subtle effects blend in with the pattern ... or you may choose to use them as a FEATURE of the pattern ... but planning is the key ... and placement is essential to how your finished piece will lay.  As a basic rule of thumb, it's best to leave your edges alone - - any modifications, additions or deletion of stitches should occur 2-3 stitches BEFORE or AFTER that edge stitch.

To make a Right Lifted Increase you will need to knit into the Right Side of the Stitch on the row immediately  BELOW where you are knitting now!  Once you use the tip of your needle to 'capture' that new stitch, slide it on to your left needle and Knit is as usual.

A Left Lifted Increase results when you knit into the stitch BELOW the row of stitches that you are currently working on.  In other words, knit the stitch on the present row and then capture the Left side of the Loop of the Stitch that is directly beneath the stitch you just completed.  The two examples used above, along with many other increase options can be found at Knitty.com.  I spent one afternoon this past summer sitting and knitting on swatches just to try out the different techniques.  Clearly, i'm open to ANYthing that will get me out of housework ... even swatching, if need be!  However, i will confess that these swatches were a great lesson in technique .. and much easier to see just exactly how and why certain things work - - and even why they don't in certain instances.   Another good source of Lifted Increase Pictures is here at The Daily Skein.  And don't forget YouTube .. who KNEW knitters could work video cameras and knit at the same time?

Part of my knitting journey has been the scrapbook of time and memories that i so often get to visit while i'm knitting and in the quiet of those moments i replay little snippets of my day .... things that happened along the way that i should have handled differently, or that brought me unexpected joy or surprize, projects that i find that would be perfect for someone, prayers that i have whispered - answers that i have received.  In some ways my knitting is a Journal in Yarn rather than pen and ink, and while i am weaving in those final thread ends i am reminded of some of my own Lifted Increases . . those moments in time when i knew that i was not alone, but that the Lord was my faithful companion each step of the way.  Much of my day is spent with an awareness of His Presence in my life as we go throughout the day BUT there are times when clearly He has been the One to CARRY me .... not walk beside me, or behind me to encourage me, or even before me to establish the path .... He Has Lifted me up over those places when i felt i couldn't go any farther ... His firm reassurance has been the inspiration for continuing .... His Vision, as He shares with me often in single steps at a time, keeps my eyes focused on the Mountaintop that awaits me rather than the valley i feel i am heading towards. 

Habakkuk 3:19 states it so eloquently and true:

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

He enables me to go on the heights.

I lift up my eyes to the hills- Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip -

He who watches over you will not slumber;

Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you

The LORD is your shade at your right hand;

The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm -

He will watch over your life;

The LORD will watch over your coming and going

Both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121

Welcome the Au Pair Project!

Because i've declared 2011 as the Year of the Pair for my own personal journey, and decided that each month would produce a PAIR of projects . . and last week you meet Pearl who was modeling the 1st of 12 scarves . . it's now time to introduce the 2nd half of the Pair .... for each Adult project i complete, i'm trying to find a fun and tiny twist on things for the littles one so . . . i've come up with the Au Pair Project as the compliment to the String of Purls! (just click on the tab above)  I had so much fun knitting all the little hats i made before Christmas and hope that before i'm 70 i might have some little ones of my own to knit for!  BUT why wait!  Why not go ahead and start practicing and applying all the fun tricks and yarn ... to all the sweet little babies that need a warm and fun hat, booties, bibs, blankets and toys!

My first attempt at hat pattern writing has been a fun one!  and while this is designed for a toddler head i certainly hope to make adjustments to the pattern to fit smaller people, and have already had a request for a LARGER adult version as well (minus the loopy part at the top . . . not sure that's such a good look for a college guy!) .... I'm still in the stash busting business so i pulled out a skein of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick, my size 13 circular needles and started knitting!  it went SO VERY QUICK!!!

 [At this point in the day, i'd like to do a small commercial for Denise interchangeable needles.  If you haven't ordered a set and keep them tucked into your knitting bag, then i'd like to encourage you to eat beans for the next few weeks and save your $$ so that you CAN invest in a set!  You can knit any size hat you want when you've got all the extra cables that come with this kit.  Smaller circumferences do not have to mean multiple sets of double pointed needles, although that's not a bad idea either and i'll save that commercial for another day; with interchangeable needles and cables you can create a LONG cable that now allows you to use the Magic Loop method for knitting hats .. not just socks .. anymore.  You might want to check around town at the local yarn shops to see if they have any in their stock, or you can order them on line .. their shipping and handling is very reasonable and the last order i placed last week, actually, arrived in a very prompt manner ... despite the 1/2" blizzard of snow and ice that shut our little town for 3 days!)

Now, back to the hat!  I'm calling it "Just a Little Loopy" because of the fun option of the Loops rather than a traditional pom pom on top.  However, it's YOUR hat .. so knit away .. have fun with the option ... and get ready to add this little hat as a quick Go-To in your pack of prizes.  I have talked w/ a friend who works with Save-a-Life here and she told me that they often do showers for the moms-to-be so i'm really thinking that this AuPair Project will make for a special gift basket for a new mom who is choosing to hold tight to the new creation within her!  And perhaps there will come a time when i can sit down and maybe teach some of the new moms-to-be how to knit as well ... yet another way for them to be connected to this new and precious gift that they are carrying.

As i was sitting and knitting and praying for these little heads that would one day wear these hats i couldn't help but wonder what God's thoughts were on our heads ... the Bible says He knows the very number of hairs on our head (including the gray ones!)  and the verse that kept coming to the front was to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul AND mind!  and then phil. 4:6-7 would chime in with His promise to guard my heart AND my mind .... so i saw a bit of a pattern here .. more PAIRing of things, so i did a bit of research on the phillipians passage.

The verses encourage me to bring my prayer AND petition.  Well, it would seem that those are 2 distinctly different approaches to God.  My Prayers could be defined as my daily conversation with Him.  That constant line of communication with which i share my heart, i listen for His still small voice, i wait in His presence and softly sing to Him melodies of love and devotion, adoration and humility, confession and forgiveness, restitution and rejoicing.  My Petitions, on the other hand, are those times when i beseech His face with a sense of urgency, or pain, or intense confusion - - those times when i have nothing to utter because it hurts so bad .. and yet, He knows!  It would seem that He wants to know it all and is available and willing to listen with a gentle and open heart to my every concern .. and that NOTHING is too mundane or insignificant for His time!  My joys AND my sorrows!  My hopes AND my hurts! (See, even the Lord is all about a good PAIRing system!) ....

While verse 6 says "do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING, by Prayer and Petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God," verse 7 begins with the best word ever ... "AND" which points out for me that there are promises and results for me when i do what He has instructed.   "AND the Peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts AND your minds in Christ Jesus."

So, the next PAIRing question was heart vs mind. 

My Heart is the very CORE of my being ... it is THE very center of reality ... and when God looks at me He looks beyond what i may declare to others as far as who i am, and He sees me in all my weakness, in all my progress, in all my excuses and in all my utter poverty and STILL reaches down to redeem me!

My mind, on the other hand, houses the intellectual side of things and we all know that we can talk ourselves into just about anything . . . to the point that we can put a good spin on it.  We can sound convincing, we can act like we believe and we can certainly play the game .. and yet, in the chaos of a moment or the quiet of the night i will find that my mind plays games on me .. and unless my heart is truly sync'd up with Him, there will not be a complimentary MATCH!  Heart AND Mind, when totally sold out to Him, result in the most precious of gifts . . He promises His Peace (and goes on to say that i will never truly understand it .. thanks to my finite understanding, so just relax and accept it!) ... but His promises are sure ....  and such Peace comes when i share my prayers and petitions (which come from my heart) ...

as i knit i pray .. and i can't think of a more precious gift for that new little one than to share a fun and loopy little hat that is filled with Prayers for Protection ... for their Salvation .. and for God's hand to forever guide their very tiny steps as they grow and live to serve Him.