Feather & Fan, the crochet way

feather and fan ... one of knitting's all time, old time traditions .....

and crochet has a version of its own as well!

have you done any reading about crocheting .....  given ANY thoughts to it?

perhaps you've mastered the chain ....

sometimes it's the simple pleasures for sure!

but i PROMISE that there is more out there worth trying ... experimenting ... and knowing that all you have to do is basically unZIP it ... and start over ... no permanent damage done!


while the initial chaining may take a while  (285) ... i learned, the hard way, how important/beneficial it is to place markers ever 50 stitches, just in case the phone rings ... or i needed to go do some laundry (as if!) ......

and once you've got the chain chained, the pattern consists of just 2 rows ... easily memorized .... and yet another great way to get geared up for your favorite team!!!

can you see the similarity?

just like there are "versions" of the feather and fan for the crochet AND the knitting community, there are a variety of LIGHTS that shine among all of us ...... as i was reading in Matthew this morning it dawned on me that although God calls each of us to be a light ....  we often shine in different 'watts' ....  some of us appear to flicker like a birthday candle while others burn bright like an aromatic Yankee candle!  Some are spot lites while others emit the soft glow of a night light.  High powered lights, soft lamp lights, incandescent lighting . . all varieties that reflect the inspiration of our every day ..... time invested in learning about Him, absorbing His characteristics and traits, and then reflecting them into the darkness... Serving to usher us back home like a steadfast front porch light, reflecting hope and bravery when the darkness seems darker than usual. Time with Him can't be contained and hidden under a basket ... Those light rays will ooze out from beneath the curves of the overturned bushel and the shadows will soon beckon you back ... Not hindered by the darkness... But highlighted all the more by such!

the sun rises and falls and provides opportunities for lights to shine ... but also allows some lights to dim due to time ... or lack of wattage .... or simply because its time to flip the switch .... and thus it seems that perhaps its time to do just that with my blog .....  time to be a light ... but perhaps in a different location .... a different Lamp . . . just waiting to see where He intends to place this candle here ... flickering and reflecting ....  humbled to serve and share this journey with others  . . .

blessings!

Friday's little smile

sometimes it's just the little things . . . . .






How CUTE will these little slippers be for your favorite BAMA baby! They just made me smile while I was knitting . . .

Hope you have a great weekend .... Counting your blessings, naming them one by one!





Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Shoveling Snow into my Sand Pail

it's monday .... June 20th .... and it's about a million degrees outside!  at least that's what it feels like to this city girl who is sporting a spray tan because i'm too much of a wimp to do the whole "lay out and bake like a pound of bacon" any more!  remember those days, though?  all the bad things like the gallons of baby oil we used in placed of SPF 900 sunscreen?  all the "solar" blankets that we laid on  (roasted on) when we laid out?  climbing out on the rooftop at school .... or laying out in the bed of a truck on the way BACK from laying out on the beach all day?

and did i mention that i have NEVER been able to keep a "bronze glow" about me?  i burn .... i peel ... i start over!  so, rather than spend any more time chasing the elusive tan so that i look like george hamilton ... i'm opting to keep my pale and pasty self inside, where it is much cooler .. and knit WINTER things!  Hats .... baby booties .... game day accessories for the little ones to get geared up for some winter athletics!

thus ... my version of a Hello Kitty hat ... and i'm working on the CUTEST little elephant booties .....  and a elephant hat to match .... and the Tiger Paw hat's in the works as well, so that EVERYONE stays warm ... and happy!

surveying the obvious circumstances and opting to find the bright (cool) side of things is one of the coping factors for this summer ....  thinking SNOW globes in the midst of the water sprinklers in order to stay cool .....  knitting wool while wearing shorts and flip flops ......  thinking COOL while 'glistening' as only a true southern belle can do!

this same mindset has worked its way, yet again, into my quiet time and played out in my heart as well!  i am LOVING, despite the discomfort at times, God's promise to equip me for whatEVER comes ... even if He knows i won't be giggling and doing jumping jacks about it ... He prepares me ... IF i simply choose to listen, obey and rely on Him.   Last week i read the book of Hosea .... talk about breaking my heart!  God asked Hosea to marry a woman that he KNEW was going to be unfaithful to him .. and out of obedience, Hosea did just that ... and he got his heart broken multiple times!  BUT Hosea loved his bride, fought for her, forgave her and committed to building a life with her!  sound familiar?  perhaps the perfect picture of how God feels for me?  He has been fully aware of my shortcomings, my verbal dissertations and soliloquies of repentance ... and then my willful disobedience and He CONTINUES to forgive and pardon and afford me yet another "do over" .....  which lesson i am then fortified with and able to "apply" when a friend does something that hurts ....  finding the blessing in the midst of the brokenness .....

truth in action!  Finding the "cool" in the midst of the heat .....  being able to APPLY because i have seen it demonstrated ....   not being overcome with the negative of the moment, but finding the proverbial "silver lining" ..... sitting on the hot beach of my day and filling my sand pail with Snow Balls of blessings!

have you ever read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers?  If my house ever burns down, i'm grabbing my Bible and my copy of Redeeming Love ... it is one of my all time favorite books EVER ... and God continues to use that story to prick my heart ... i pray that i can be more like Hosea in my love for others ....   my forgiveness towards others ..... the heart and mind of Christ!

maybe i'll grab my book ... my knitting .... and turn on some Christmas music just to cool the place off a bit!

"Turn to Me now, while there is time!  Give Me your hearts.  
Come with fasting, weeping and mourning.
Don't tear your clothing in your grief; 
instead, tear your hearts."


Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful.
He is not easily angered.  
He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you.
Joel 2:12-13

Friday and Frogs

FINALLY!!!

it's FRIDAY ....

and my Lil Frog is done!

and His smile is matching mine right now .....

i'm loving these quick projects that don't really require too much thinking in the middle of the summer heat!

i've been looking through my cotton stash and spotting large 'left over' balls that would be great for working on new crochet stitches AND also serve as more than just a designated "swatch" ..... why not turn them into wonderful little washcloths!  for some reason, back in the day, i bought one of those 'CONES' of white cotton .... and am thinking that i will spend time this summer working on a collection of these little washcloths .... in fact, i could do a PILE of them in white .. and then use up some of my other smaller stashballs for a pretty, colorful trim .....  and if i have a plethora of little squares to pick and choose from at any given time then it wouldn't be a big deal at ALL to whip on a personalized trim and bundle them together for a sweet little baby gift .... or a soft and frilly feminine spa package ... or a simple but thoughtful "you've been on my heart lately and i wanted you to know that i was praying for you" prize!

The pattern for the Lil Frog is posted (or will be in a minute) in the Au Pair tab .... hope you enjoy!  Have a great weekend!

Vacation Bible School for Adults

i remember LOVING summer time because it meant Vacation Bible School time for me and all of my friends!  i remember lining up outside the front of the church ..... finding my friends who were in the same grade with me, giggling and raising our hands wildly to be selected to be the Bible Girl or the Flag Carrier representative ....  i remember making sure i had my offering within easy access so i could make my contribution when the offering plate passed down our row .....  i remember how relaxed and comfortable the teachers seemed to be during the week when they were not so 'dressed and pressed' like they were on most Sunday mornings ....

i remember hearing the Stand Up and Sit Down chords being played during opening assembly time ... and loving the fact that i had taken piano for 2-3 years and could actually distinguish the difference (not that piano lessons really helped as much as the fact that i wasn't talking but was paying attention to when our leader stood UP or DOWN!) ....  i remember all the Bible Stories and themes that were used to decorate our department rooms ... and the props that were available to re-enact the Bible stories, i.e., wire clothes hangers and stockings stretched over them to make masks ...

i LOVED break time .... a) because i could talk without getting in trouble
                                        b) i could be outside with my friends and talk and not get in trouble
                                        c) because we always got 2 sandwich cookies and a cup of lemonade OR
                                                 3 butter cookie "rings" ... remember those?  we would drop them over      
                                                 our fingers and munch on them like they were rings to wear, along with  
                                                 our designated cup of lemonade ... and of course, i could talk and not get
                                                 in trouble!

BUT  my all time favorite part of Bible School was ........    CRAFTS!!!!

i can still remember one of my favorite projects (because it took ALL week!) was an old board that had a rooster outlined on it ... and we had to completely fill in the bird with beans!  and what an asSORTment of beans we had to choose from and glue down!  all the colors and textures ... i was convinced that i was creating the next Masterpiece for them to hang in the foyer of our little church!  (and who DOESN'T want a bean rooster adorning the entry to God's House? what a wonderful, welcoming message to all visitors, yes?)

and i also remember one year going to a friend's church with her and we made these awesome crosses out of a MILLION toothpicks all glued down in a really cool angular pattern ... and then we stained them ... and then we sprayed a sealant on them so they would last forEVER !!!  (or until our moms threw them away when they were cleaning up our rooms!) ....

LOVED me some craft time ... and it would appear that my summer is bearing a strangely retro resemblance to all those many years ago ....

my current 'craft' project will be the final compliment to the hole at the top of my yarn wall ......  the buckets are great ... and i LOVE being able to see all the colors of my yarn .. to pick and choose, to mix and match .....   i wanted a cute/clever/wise/poetic something or other to cap it off ... and i found it

More Yarn Than Time

p  e  r  f  e  c  t  !!!!

so i purchased wooden letters yesterday at my "home away from home"- - Hobby Lobby - - using a gift card i had received as a gift (duh!)  and have been playing with my yarn and glue for hours now!

and throw in some crocheting and knitting projects .... and i am one happy clam right now!  quiet in the house, heart and hands are busy ....  it's going to be a great day!

frog bib ... in the making ...
pattern (hopefully) Friday
under the Au Pair tab!

and as far as the Bible Story portion of my Vacation Bible School time this morning i was reading still in the book of Daniel .... and must confess that it's been a LONG time since i had read much in my Old Testament other than my Psalms and Proverbs .....  but because the morning had been so still and quiet i approached my reading like it was a Book ... not just a passage .....  not just a single 'devotional' thought or story .... but rather a "pack your lunch and go get lost in the book" kind of reading .... and i have found some WONDERFUL things ... just little quips and nuggets that God has used to whisper hope and reminders of His Plan and Purpose .... His love ..... His CLAIM on my devotion ... His Longing for my dedication and consistent service to Him!!!

Look at this:  Daniel 6:26 - 27 (a decree from King Darius regarding his observations based on Daniel's consistent walk with the Lord)  
"For He is the living God and He endures forever!
His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will NEVER end.
He rescues and He saves;
He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth."

*all from Daniel's faithful and consistent walk ... that matched his talk! (and prayer time)

and look at this verse.... Daniel 9:23 in response to Daniel's clarification regarding a dream he had had:

"As soon as you (Daniel) began to pray, an answer was given.... for you are highly esteemed."

Seriously?  when was the last time you honestly thought - out loud or otherwise - that your prayers were pushed to the front of the line/list?  and yet, God promises to hear us .....  it just really bolstered my spirit to think that one of His servant's questions and prayer for clarification could command an angel messenger's attention and reply!



Hebrews reminds me:  13:2
"Don't forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it!"

and 1:14  "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?"

i'm on my 2nd cup of coffee (the adult version of lemon aide) ... eating peanut butter crackers in place of my 2 designated sandwich cookies ....   all i need now is an offering plate and i can call today another wonderful day at Vacation Bible School ....

off to glue ... and ponder and pray ... for a messenger moment today!  (wonder what "angel" hair looks like?)

Throw Open the Windows

 Hopefully the pace is beginning to slow a bit ... schedule's are relaxing and you may even find yourself brave enough to 'consider' trying something new .... i.e., learning to crochet!  No need to be afraid of the hook ... it's just a new and different twist on another form of crafting ... and further justification for buying more yarn and trying new things!

i can still remember when my vast knowledge of crocheting consisted of buying a new skein of yarn and simply knitting MILES of chain stitch .... and that was all!  i remember always wanting to buy that variegated yarn with bright and vibrant color changes and then chaining like a crazy woman, watching as the hues and intensities change over and over and over ... i wasn't smart enough to realize that it was all so very predictable and patterned .... i was continually shocked and amazed at just how "cool" it turned out ... and now that i think about it ... i'm still pretty easily entertained!

but the years have passed and my curiosity has peaked ... and
my bravery has overcome my fear of failure .. and i have actually ventured into the Land of Row 2 .....  life AFTER the chain!  and guess what?  it's not such a bad place ....

i have learned that the way i hold my yarn when i crochet actually helps me with my tension as a knitter ... i have learned that ripping out is hurting less because i am more anxious to get it RIGHT than simply just get it done!

i have learned that i CAN read a pattern - - whether written out or charted ... and i'm really smart when i want to be!

i have learned to appreciate, all the more, my grandmother's patience and skill .... i still am not a big fan of her yarn or color choices (and pray that my age doesn't EVER send me in that color palette range!) .... but considering the limited options and places to shop, much less the patterns that were available 30 years prior to today ....  i think i'll hold on to my current array of books and magazines so i'm NEVER relegated to knitting OR crocheting toilet paper covers or Barbie Doll dresses   (unless, of course, it matches one that i make for my grand daughter as well . . if i ever get one of those!) ......

so, until i get to be an official "GiGi" with loads of little ones sitting on the porch swing, eating ice cream with me ... i'm finding joy and delight in knitting .. and crocheting this month ... for little ones elsewhere ....

it's just so sweet .. and tiny .... and i can't WAIT to have a little one of my own to rock and hold and pray over .. and share Jesus Loves Me with them ..... to find all the little ways and wonders to remind them how precious they are in God's eyes ..... i long to be remembered as a woman with a heart for Him ....  so that when i whisper His name it doesn't catch people off guard, but seems as second nature as my knitting .......

i was reading in the book of Daniel this morning about Daniel's faithful walk and life ... and how despite the threat of death he refused to pray to any one OTHER than God ... and you know that verse that said he went up into his room and opened his window towards Jerusalem and continued in his habit of praying 3 times a day ..... well .... the whole "opened his window" thing has always been an enigma to me - i just never figured it to be a "guy thing" to want a breeze blowing through his curtains, sunshine falling over his fresh cut fruit sitting on the breakfast nook beside a copy of the daily news and freshly brewed cup of coffee .... but toDAY, i learned that opening his window was a visible sign, among the Jews that were captive there, that they were indeed Jews serving (and praying unapologetically) to their GOD, Yahweh .....   and while he most certainly could have prayed a more "personal" and closed window prayer ... Daniel was fully confident that his God was not threatened by any king's edict ... or lions den .... and he continued in his 'habit' despite who may have been watching because he rested in the knowledge that God would continue in HIS ... taking care of Daniel ....

serving the Lord ... opening the window .... reGARDless .....  i have to believe that Daniel was confident yet comfortable while in his room .... i believe he approached that window and threw it open with abandon!  i believe he was refreshed and renewed with the air that blew through .... infused with a peace that truly passed all the administrators and satraps understanding ..... perhaps a bit nervous when he first met those hungry lions .... but can you just imagine how bolstered his spirits were while waiting through the night .... lions sleeping at his feet, and fears assailed while sitting on the rock in anticipation of the king rolling the stone back and finding him still there ... probably humming a true praise chorus or two or twelve throughout the night ... maybe some bed head ... all mixed with a quiet infusion of security and humility that God IS faithful . . .

and what about those poor guys who had to hoist him up and look the king in the eyes, knowing full well that THEY were about to be breakfast for those lions!  yikes!

perhaps those satraps should have reconsidered their 'traditional' ways .....  just because everyone ELSE was doing it was NOT justification for continuance ... Daniel's life had, up to that point, been an exemplary one .... a life that consistently demonstrated that serving God was a choice that was sustainable and profitable, both inward AND outwardly ......  it required adjustments that perhaps were against what everyone ELSE may have done, but Daniel knew that his God was faithful ... and could rest on that assurance as he went about EVERY aspect of his day ...whether at home or at work ... God was abiding with him!

following the pattern may require fine tuning things according to individual circumstances ....  i crocheted both of those little shoes yesterday ... the 1st attempt (the larger one) was with the hook that was recommended .... and was supposed to fit a 6-12 month old ....  but when i finished it seemed to be better suited for a 6 - 12 YEAR old!!!  so i made adjustments, followed the pattern still, and by going down 2 hook sizes am now closer to a shoe for a baby rather than a grown man!  and isn't that just like God's provision and way .... He tweaks us as we go, always monitoring and adjusting ... re-orienting and reminding and reassuring in order to accomplish what is His good and perfect will for me .... sometimes ripping out and re-doing ....  in order to clarify and fit .... because He can and always WILL keep the end result in mind as He shapes and molds me to be a perfect fit for His kingdom!  custom tailored ... NOT mass produced!

Throw open the windows ......

Simple Summer Projects

it's the 1st official day of summer for me .... and i confess that i woke up this morning a bit paranoid about what all i needed to do in order to make my summer time purposeful, at least for appearance sake ....

bubba asked what my plans were and i just looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights .... because i really, honestly and truly, had no plans ... NO projects or remodeling come to mind at this moment ... and other than the usual cleaning and cleaning ... and cleaning ... that i haven't done since ....

last summer!

so ... after opening a new, fresh bag of my favorite coffee (Peppermint!) .... and sinking down into the sofa, i opened my Bible and just started praying and pondering ... reading a Proverb for today .... looking over  my Bible Study for tonight's meeting .. and my eyes feel to one of my favorite Psalms ever ... and i found (by no accident!) this footnote that perfectly summarizes my Official Summer Plans:

"Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Him set the pace!
  Hold His hand in child-like trust, and the way before you will open
  up ....
  step by step."  (or stitch by stitch if you're a knitter!)

Psalm 73:23-26 drives this point even closer to home:

"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 strength of my heart

and my portion forever!"

SO ... i guess i've got my summer plan now!  To find delight in Him .... to embrace the quiet of the moment and find Him there ... despite what the world or my calendar or my conscience or even my knitting bag may say ..... 

perhaps today will be filled with making fun summer knitting plans .... options for projects that i may .. or may not ... get accomplished, much less photographed and blogged about .... but .. that, too, will be okay ... because regardless of my measurable 'success' ... i will view these next weeks as a retreat with my Savior .... appreciating the renewal and re-creation that He has ordered ..... kind of like a mini-Spa package, with my heart getting the deep tissue massage that only He can accomplish!

time to go crochet  (it's my June little "happy hiatus")  ... have you got your crochet hook yet?  

 and also ...

Saturday is Knit in Public day .... Hoover Public Library .... 2:00 - 6:00 .....  don't you want to come?