Friday ....

Knit your hearts with an unslipping knot.

                                                 - -Shakespeare 

For as long as i can remember, Valentine's Day has had a romantic connotation associated with it.  When you read of its origin and the history surrounding St. Valentine you come to understand that this man was held in high regard by those around him as one who had compassion on young couples.  The commercialism, however, has taken much of the true sentiment away from the "holiday" and often distorts the sincere and simple message that such a day should actual commemorate. Love is so much MORE than romance .... Love is so much MORE than the emotional stirrings of the heart ....

The very 1st Valentine was sent almost 2,000 years ago when God, the Father, sent His One and Only Son to be a Sacrifice so that my heart would forever be His!

This is how much God loved the world:  He gave His Son, His one and only Son.  And this is why:  so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.  God didn't go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.  He came to help, to put the world right again.  Anyone who trust in Him is acquitted;  anyone who refuses to trust Him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it.  And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to Him.  (John 3:16)

True Love is sacrificial .... True Love grows when the Giver is more concerned for another's wellbeing rather than their own.  True Love is forever looking OUTward rather than consumed with personal, selfish gain.  True Love restores.  True Love forgives.  True Love is a commitment of perseverance and endurance and celebration AND sentiment.  True love is a partnership of compliments and courtesy, correction and concern, joy and jubilation, daily journeys and lifetime lessons.  True love inspires and insulates. 

True love grows among couples, no doubt.  But the gift of friendship and the love that stems from a kinship when 2 little girls meet on the playground in 3rd grade is a hard bond to dismiss.  The kindred spirits that unite, oh so strongly, during high school - - proms and pep rallies, club meetings and football games, Sunday School, church camp and choir tour - - That's the Love that lets you call them at 3 in the morning, despite the passage of time and the many miles in between, and ask them to pray for you.  Or just call to check on them and remind them of their significance and worth in your life . . . 40 years later!  STILL !!!!!  For girls, it's the giggles!  and i'm so grateful to report, that despite the passage of time, the gray hair and the wrinkles that just seemed to pop up from who-knows-where, those giggles still remain ... a happy heart does good, like a medicine!

Just as David and Jonathan were loyal friends, who demonstrated a sacrificial love for one another, who lived a life of compromise with regard to the other's well being, i believe that the Lord brings those friends into our path today.  For seasons ... for celebrations .... for reminders that He Loves Us and desires to bring out the best in each of us through His many gifts .... including our friends.

So ..... grab your needles, your crochet hook and knit or crochet some hearts for those you love!  Celebrate this Valentine's Day with a Thank You card for the True Friends in your life ..... whether they are the Best Friends of Right Now ... or have had an impact in who you have become .....

True love emulates ... True Love mentors .... True Love renews and restores .... and our True Love should be based on and shared with our First Love ... our Heavenly Father ...

We love Him, because He FIRST loved us!

Rip . . Rewind . . ReNew

checking in the bag .... wishing it was organized and neat .... but am facing the reality of the tangled mess of 'creativity' ....  these days are filled with lots of hurry up and wait ... and my bag is most certainly a reflection of that mindset!

plans for the past saturday, spent in albertville at a show choir competition, were to get TWO scarves done!  my bag was packed with SIX skeins of yarn, crochet hooks and knitting needles, magazines/patterns/pictures, water bottle and snacks!  the bus ride was designated, in my mind, as the perfect amount of time to whip out a ripple wave scarf . . . and the 1st 200 stitches were easy!  but THEN .. there was the whole 'follow the pattern' thing ......  crochet a while ... rip it out!   try again .... rip it out!  it clearly turned into a sit and RIP rather than a sit and knit!  so i packed that option up and got out the options for scarf #2!  the best/worst part of the process is that i had a picture in my head ... but nothing in my bag!  so ..... cast on .... knit a while .... frowned!  ripped out!  cast on .... knit a while longer ..... TRIED to talk myself into satisfaction .... frowned!  ripped it out!  i have learned over the years that honesty IS the best policy so ripping out really isn't a big deal when you're not happy with your project .... but honestly!  i was starting to sound like the infamous FROG!!!!  Rip it!  Rip it!  Rip it! 



FINALLY - -
i LIKE it!

still working through my stash .... trying to knit an Alabama fan a scarf that will keep her warm and smiling for quite a long time.  Houndstooth HAS to be integrated ... and after doing some searching i found this Tweed Slip stitch pattern ... and i'm LOVING it!  it's a quick and easy knit, despite the 2 colors being used ... and i can see this one being added to the 12 months of scarves ... later in the year!   Now, if i can just find something equally as cute for the Auburn sister .. we'll have a whole family full of smiles!

Valentine options?

i found several patterns on Ravelry for some cute little hearts to knit ... or crochet ... so i pulled out my trusty crochet hook yesterday and whipped just a few of these out during choir practice yesterday morning (ooops!)  .... and STILL managed to play when i was needed, crochet while they were working on their dances ... and EVERYONE was happy!  

With a week that seemed to be filled with more Re-doing than actually forward progress i find that it's hard NOT to be discouraged at times.  Two rows added ..... Two INCHES ripped out!  the ebb and flow of my knitting so closely parallels most of the days of my life .... Two steps forward .. one GIANT bump backwards ..... and yet the one constant is that i am never alone!  Regardless of my direction, i know that the Lord is with me.  Regardless of my knitting mishaps, i know i've still got my yarn, i just have to figure out what the best options are .....  and i guess, the lesson here is to maintain the "REGARDless" mindset .... Sometimes i have the 'pattern' laid before me clear as day .. other times, not so much.  But i can . and will continue to choose to rest in His promise .... even if i have to speak in Frog-eze while i'm working! 

  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; 

I will counsel you and watch over you. 

Psa. 32:8

I remember when . . .

You know you're getting "older" ... or more "mature" when you can honestly start a sentence with "You know, I remember when ______ " and then fill in the blank with an actual TRUTH of how things used to be!  And today, i'm confessing that i've stepped over that line into THAT place where i can honestly tell you that i DO remember when Lion Brand Yarn was a good source for knitting patterns and instructions BUT a majority of their patterns were for purchase only!  They had SOME free patterns [1,000,000 things to do with Fun Fur] but all the good ones, or at least all the ones that i wanted, were only available for purchase!

and then, when the 'Recession' hit, the management team of Lion Brand Yarn decided that it would be in every one's best interest to open their Pattern Drawer up ... to EVERYONE .... for FREE!  And not just stop there, but to CONTINUE adding new patterns, new designers and introducing new yarn lines that keep things interesting and FAR from home made!  Lion Brand Yarn has become one of my favorite go-to sites because there are great tutorials, amazing stitch references so that i don't have to always tote a stitch dictionary/reference book along in my knitting bag, fun little cartoons about Lola - the old lady knitter, good pictures and plenty of good "extras", like the ability to "SAVE" your favorites and create you own little "notebook" - complete with notes about each individual project that you are saving or working on.

Lion Brand Yarns started in 1878 as a family owned business and is in their 5th generation of ownership.  This family has dedicated themselves to keeping their yarns current and relevant to today's knitter ... the range of yarn from cotton to cashmere, from wool to wool-ease, provides each of us with something to work on at an accessable price.  Most area craft stores carry their yarns and their on-line support and pricing makes it an affordable option as well.  In the past few years they have taken the Knitting Fever to a new level and have a very Progressive Store located in the middle of New York City.  This store rivals any of the boutique shops that dot the sidewalks there, and has allowed many "Average" knitters [as most people seem to define their knitting skills]  to gain new insights as to what is really Out There for them to knit with.  I LOVE it when you find yourself bombarded with choices .... with colors and textures that almost take your breath away .... and then find yourselves enveloped in the sensory overload and swept away by the pattern options that compliment all the choices! You walk out of the store conVINCED that you CAN do whatever project you just surrendered to!  Their staff is very encouraging and committed to teaching the youngest little hands to start a project ... to aid the older hands with returning to the skills they started many years before ... to find something for everyone .....

It's always fun to reminisce (yet another sign of "maturity") about the good ol' days, when you first learned to knit .... or you remember when you completed your first BIG project .....  you flip through journals and photo albums that highlight the gifts you've knitted and shared with others .....  looking back is often a great catalyst for those days when we hit the bumps in the road ... the knots in the yarn .... the patterns that don't seem so clear!  (time to Frog!) ....  Isaiah 12:2-6 reminds me so eloquently -

Surely God is my salvation;  I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song.  Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name;  make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exactly.  Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.  Shout aloud and sing for joy, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.

looking back on all that God has done for me . . Remembering When . . . encourages me to Press On .... or to just sit and knit and wait for Him ..... His History has proven, time and again, to be Faithful ...." I know Whom i have believed, and am persuaded that He is Able to Keep that which i've committed unto Him against that day!"

looking back ... counting blessings .... grab your crochet hook and make yet another Valentine ... perhaps you could tuck this one inside your Bible to remind you of how much you are loved and cherished by HIM!

Are your Ribs showing?

K2, P2 ribbing

Can you remember the last time you actually saw your ribs protruding through your skin... their definition clearly visible as your rib cage became the Focus of the momentary picture of who you were/are?  For most of us, we give no thought at all to our ribs .... they are just there - holding us up and out - - protecting all that is contained within - - but also very well padded and insulated and long forgotten.

There's no need, however, for us to have this out-of-site, out-of-mind approach to the ribbing in our knitting.  Ribbing can actually be one of those make-or-break techniques that becomes the perfect compliment for all the stitches to follow ... the quintessential ending to the thousands of stitches that have been knitted and lined up like a perfect platoon of soldiers all standing at attention.  And don't kid yourself into thinking that Ribbing is just Knit 2, Purl 2, repeat.  No ma'am.  There's more to this Lather, Rinse, Repeat technique that you can even imagine!

Rows & Rows,
Blocks of Color
the Perfect Sit & Knit Project

ribbing at the edge
"snugs" the fit and
covers the ears
to keep them warm as well

Ribbing is the combination of Knit and Purl stitches that form a vertical stripe that characteristically draws or cinches in the knitted fabric, creating an ideal method of providing elasticity for those areas that need to be more fitted - - cuffs or sweater hems or socks.  This elasticity is not limited to utilitarian purposes only.  It also serves in a  decorative role when used in a scarf.  When applied to a hat, the fit becomes more 'forgiving' and allows for a personalized or "customized" [sounds more expensive and couture] fit and snugly wraps the head and fits like a glove!

Ribbing is all about the proper combination ... the give and take that is created by the Purl stitches which Recede when followed by the Knit stitches which Stand Out.  The front runner of Jesus, John the Baptist, had a good understanding of the Ribbing in his Christian Walk when he declared "He must increase, I must decrease."  (John 3:30).  Part of the maturing process for me is not just Saying that verse .. but Living that verse.  Accepting the notion and applying the Truth of it all ... Allowing God to Increase in His Presence in my daily life - both in the visible areas that others may notice AND in the quiet of my own heart where i reveal who i really am ... and all that i lack, in order to become MORE like Him.  I do believe that this will be my own Lifetime Learning Lesson ... finding the Proper Combination of Who He is ... and Who i can be when i acknowledge His love and leadership in my own daily walk. 

This pattern is called a
Mistake Rib and is achieved
by altering the K - P combination*
(on purpose!)

If you study the Basic Ribbing of K1, P1 or the K2, P2 you find that the Knit Stitches take Front and Center stage and the Purls retreat to the background ... and yet despite the recession they are situated and snugged up so very close to the Knits .... and when i think about that in regard to my own life i should find comfort and encouragement in knowing that He desires to be Front so that i don't really have to!  His Presence provides me a refuge to rest in the Recesses of His Protection and Care, learning to trust while tucked in His Shadow .... still in line with Him, but acquiescing to His Lead .. and my follow!

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - - and this not from yourselves, it if the gift of God - - not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.   [Eph. 2:6-10]

*Mistake Rib:  (Works on multiples of four plus three.)

*Knit two, purl two across,* ending with knit two, purl one.
Repeat this row for the pattern.

Making a List . . Knitting it Twice . .

January almost seems a blur ... it blew in and out rather quickly, or so it seems.  And now, February has hit, brought some ice with it and the weather people seem to to think that even more ice is coming!  Lots of cold!  Lots and LOTS of cold .... so why not turn your thoughts and yarn to something WARM and FUZZY!  Today is February 7 .. which means that NEXT Monday will be Valentine's Day!  Just 7 days to do something special for those that you love ....

The internet is LOADED with Heart patterns .... so why not grab some yarn and needles and begin working on some very special, one of a kind, hand made cards to pass on to YOUR Valentine?  This cute little card will be a treasured heirloom one day when you share your heart with them ....

Got a friend who loves to read?  Why not find a Beautiful Book of Friendship Poems and Quotes and tuck this Sweet Little Bookmark within its pages?

Remember all those "Conversation Hearts" that you ate (and that now will break your teeth) growing up?  Why not make your OWN version . . . fill a bowl up with these little calorie-free versions and start a conversation of your own!  (this link works great but i can't get the picture to download.  it definitely is WORTH clicking over there to check it out though!)

or what about these?  with or without the little faces, they would be a great way to use up some scraps, or fill with potpourri and tuck into your dresser drawers for a soft and fragrant reminder each day.

and as always, there is a plethora of heart washcloths out there ....

 option 1

option 2  (this is one of my favorites!)

option 3

Michael's has a great 40% coupon this week ... why not print it out and visit one of the area craft stores and purchase a pack of blank stationary cards that you can use for your own personalized Valentines? 

Your knitting would be a beautiful adornment on the outside of the card .. and then find a verse to pen on the inside .....

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.                                              

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails ....... I Cor. 13:4-8 

. . . let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth                   I John 3:18

 

 Phil. 1:3

Friday Funnies

"...Knitters just can't watch TV without doing something else.

Knitters just can't wait in line,

Knitters just can't sit waiting at the doctor's office.

Knitters need knitting to add a layer of interest in other, less constructive ways."
                                              
— Stephanie Pearl-McPhee


It started sleeting while we were at school yesterday .... and for our mild mannered, warm weathered environment this is NOT a good thing!  Everyone seemed to go into a flurry of frustration and worry - parents called about school getting out early because "it's going to freeze and THEN what are you going to do with all those children?"  [because you don't think the administrators aren't watching the weather - - or that they WANT to spend the nite with 1,000 children that aren't their own?] .... but anyway ...

the whole world seemed to decide to close down at 2:15 ... and EVERYONE tried to head home via the grocery store because that IS the way of the South.  Must buy up all the milk and bread on every shelf in order to hunker down for the blizzard that is bound to be approaching ......

UNLESS you're a knitter!   I knew in my heart of hearts that we had some bread .. and little bit of milk ... but my main focus was . . . . did i have enough YARN in my stash to ride out the storm .... i was calculating the amount of sleet and early dismissal time against the time to complete an afghan ....  not really sure if i should be calling upon my calculus or my physics backgrounds to derive the correct answer .... but just to be on the safe side, i stopped off at Hobby Lobby and stocked up!  Only a knitter ... and their High Fiber regimen!

You know you're a knitter when you buy purses based on the overall size rather than the aesthetic value it is fashioned for - bottom line:  how much yarn will it hold and does it come with some neat compartments to hold my needles, my stitch markers and an extra pair of scissors?  Is it adequate enough for small projects like socks or baby hats ... or does this have the potential for my cell phone AND  the front of a sweater in progress?

Knitters can't Just Sit or stand in a line and do nothing ... that's time that could be used for a scarf ... turning the heel of a sock .... a new little bib .... Knitters are multi-tasker poster children!  They know how to fill EVERY moment of time .... and yet enjoy the quiet, pleasant moments spent in the company of friends WHILE knitting them a scarf!  Seems to me that everyone should want a knitter as a close friend!

Perhaps all this sitting and knitting has also afforded a profitable introspective into matters of the heart.  i know it has for me;  time to sort through things, filter out the 'not so good' events and help put things into a right perspective.  Time to find contentment in the quiet and allow the Lord to whisper to me .. and actually be heard as He speaks words of hope and promises of peace. To seize those rare snippets of solitude and turn them into rich nuggets of encouragement .. savoring the Security that grows when His Word is planted in my heart and then stirred  .... recalling verses that remind me that "He gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." 

Knitting gives me time to talk out loud and to remind Him that i am listening .... "But i trust in Your unfailing love;  my heart rejoices in Your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me."  And you have to know that God truly loves you when He promises He'll never leave you ... even WHEN you sing to Him!  :)



the Best Snowball EVER !

 I think i'll go make my own version of a snowball ... and as i'm rolling it around i'll ponder on the blessing that the Lord shared with Moses ... and me!   (see, still multi-tasking!)

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon  you and be gracious to you;
The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Confessions from the Knitting Bag . . .

. . . and i'm not referring to mySELF as that "Bag"!  As i sit here and look down inTO the knitting bag that i'm carrying this week i see what looks like the Black Hole . . the bag is FULL of stuff, but at the moment it doesn't look very productive!  In fact, it's a rather jumbled tangle of yarn and needles and magazines . . a guitar cable left over from Saturday's showchoir competition [too bad i can't convert it into a truly usely circular needle - - the cable is incredibly flexible!]  . . a notepad that i have failed to use when drafting a new pattern ....  oh wait!  there's no PEN for me to write with .... an 'emergency' tube of Dr. Pepper LipSmackers .... a few little Crystal Lite packets and some peppermints WAAAAY down in the bottom ... somewhere ....

at one time i also managed to cram my snack, lunch and dinner into that bag with ALL the yarn .... 4 additional skeins of cotton to knit a bib AND my water bottle!  So, while it's been a good carrying case for all my intentions, it's a bit discouraging to confess that although my bag was filled to the brim, my productivity can't say the same!

what KNOT to do!

This week i did manage to complete the Shadow Knit Washcloth AND i have knitted a really cute little Heart shaped baby bib ... i just have to find that pen and write the pattern down so i can post it on Monday!  and i have a really neat Cabled Scarf idea meadering around in my head ... but so far, i have knit probably 12" on it and ripped it out .... 5 times at least .. and thus ... i have a HUGE pile of yarn!



patiently waiting ...




Lesson Learned:  Worrying about getting something done does NOT make it actually happen!

I still have to figure out how to get little straps attached to the heart bib .. it's been sitting on my dresser staring at me since Sunday ... and it STILL doesn't have straps!

The Cable Scarf is GORGEOUS in my head .... but i can't get my fingers and yarn to cooperate ...... just YET!

Perhaps it's all about finding the help i need in the gift of TODAY!  In asking for help with the HERE and NOW!  What?  Ask for help? Out Loud?

God says to "Seek ... and you will Find! .... when you seek me with ALL your heart!   (how appropriate to hear that verse whispered this month!) ...

Genesis 16:13 ... Hagar acknowledged her awareness of God when she was brought to a halt after worying about things and trying to run away .... "You are the God who sees me" . . . "I have seen the One who sees me."  

Romans 8:31  "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

2 Corinthians 4:18  "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

So, today's declaration .... is to consider the lilies of the field;  they toil not, neither do they spin.  They just sit in the field and display, in all their gorgeous array of vibrant colors, a God who gives good gifts to His children.  If God cares this much about the lilies, that are here today and gone tomorrow, how much MORE does He care for me as His daughter!  Perhaps the mess i've made worrying about all my plans for "tomorrow's" knitting projects is a pretty accurate reflection of my heart as well ... worrying about what He's going to do about next week, i'm missing the beauty of today ..... I guess it's time for me to view that tangled mess of March's yarn as an exciting adventure into what God has in store .... not discouraged as i see it now, but Hopeful for what it will be become .. one day at a time!