This I Believe

last week a friend from school shared some essays with me that brought me to tears. She is asking her students to write their personal "This I Believe" papers and as i was reading some from the website submitted by other adults i sat at the front desk and cried like a baby! In front of God and everyone who walked through the front door, i found myself moved by certain individuals' ability to put on paper their very soul and the essence of what they believe and live by. and .. i've been pondering since that day, on what I Believe .... just what IS my passion and motivation for why i do what i do ....


Conclusion: All i know and model in my life is based on The love of a Saviour. Parents and friends have made contributions along the way, but the core of my motivation and inspiration is based on the selfless abandonment with which Jesus Christ loves His children and even those who have rejected His love. We all live to hear the beauty and peace and acceptance of the phrase "I Love You" but when you hear that phrase, followed by a tangible expression, the marriage of the two solidifies the meaning. When i look at the life of Christ and realize that He WILLING surrendered His life to die so that i could live .... what greater exhibition could there be of genuine love? Romans 5:8 reiterates it like this: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God's love for us is pro-active, not just a passive statement or occasional/random act of kindness. And perhaps this is where i get my Martha vs Mary mentality.

It's easy to say "i love you" when you know you'll hear it back .... however, Christ willing died and left our response up to us. His gift came with no strings attached but eternity promised to those who received it. And while there is no gift that i could ever offer that could begin to convey my love for someone to that degree, i have come to realize that This I Believe: i love to serve, and my motivation for such is that i live to love those around me. Did you know that a single pair of knitted socks contains 10,800ish stitches of I Love You? and consider this: a slice of homemade pound cake contains 120 calories of I Love You (before you add the extra ice cream). And the next time you share a "simple" washcloth with a friend, you will be sending her 459 stitches of I'm Praying for you as you go through your day and do the tasks that you are called to do. Love is Hard .... Love is Easy ... Love is a Real .... Love is Yarn ... Love is Time .... Love is a Song ..... Love is a Gift ... and is mine to give ...... the perfect harmony and beautiful DUET when shared.

I John 4:19 We love Him, because He first loved us.

Actions may speak louder than words but should never be a substitute - Loving in word AND deed gives Labor Day a whole new spin .... a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver.

My English Garden

It's August ... it's Hot.... but i can Dream, can't i, of having a private little garden, complete with sculpted hedges, climbing ivy, charming picket fences and perhaps a fountain or two trickling through out ... fragrant roses, lush grass beneath my feet .... cobblestone walkways with the aroma of fresh herbs growing up between the cracks .....  and of course, i'm sitting out in my veranda, on my porch swing overlooking this amazing creation .... a Large glass of refreshing ice tea sitting to my right, my yarn basket filled with new yarn and books are scattered over the floor because i am so stirred to creativity in the midst of this paradise.

but WAIT .... it's August in Alabama .. i'm in my knitting room with the fan blowing on High .. the air conditioner has not stopped running in 3 weeks i think .... i DO have yarn scattered out in the middle of all the overdue library books ... iced tea IS close by and the only floral i see now is the vine on my rug ....  but i am STILL dreaming of my own Garden Oasis as i worked on this August trellis lace ....  and maybe one day i too will have a garden as graceful and lush as lush as this wonderful lace as this wonderful lace pattern ...... Open the gate and get started on yet another month of yarn overs and knit 2 togethers ... have you noticed how you've learned to slant your stitches to the right OR to the left just by inverting your needle position?   SSK will create a Left lean, and K2tog will produce a right lean.  Who knew we'd be learning things in the everyday joy of simply sitting and knitting! (and it's much better than pulling weeds right now!)

see  how teeny tiny the little
 needles are?  they just
knit and knit and knit!

I'm also avoiding those weeds by working on my socks!!!  I AM LOVING these little portable projects .... i guess i feel like most days my life is just one big circle ... and so these socks seem more than appropropriate at this time!  i ordered some more new needles this week and am loving this new size ... 9" circulars from Hiya Hiya .. in bamboo AND stainless ...  using some Debra Norville Serenity yarn that was in my stash ... which seems to be growing by 2 skeins at a time ..  and this time i tried a toe up approach ... simple knitting so that the yarn does all the 'work and patterning' and i'm just knitting in small but happy and fulfilling circles!  ;)

 Sometimes Knit So Simple is the best approach and it's hard to convince others that knitting these little socks is actually a very RELAXING endeavor.  Because there is no pattern to follow, no counting, just straight knitting - they really DO go rather quickly.  It's never a problem to put them down and then panic to wonder 'where was i' when i pick it back up.  i'm doing a simple rib pattern on the cuff ... Row 1:  K3, P1, K1   Row 2:  K2, P3 ... just a little deviation from the standard k2, p2 rib.. and i think (I KNOW) i like it!  and do you have ANY idea how much yarn is available on ebay!  ...  i'm loving this self striping yarn ... all the Look of Impressive without all the work!   ... it's our little secret!  Too bad i don't have size 6 feet .... i'd REALLY be flying!  you HAVE to give socks another try .. in case you've had a bad taste in a prior knitting life!

St. Louis Summer

it's been a simple summer ... an overzealous 'to do' list that has reminded me just exactly why i DON'T like "to do" lists .... too much pressure because i write down too much, can see too many things to be done and then panic at the thought of all that is NOT being done rather than celebrating all the things that HAVE BEEN accomplished.  For instance:  my Knitting Class with The Knitting Guild .... 16 swatches to do - only 6 completed.  BUT  i also wanted to learn to knit socks using the Magic Loop ... and i actually DID get that done .... not just one pair but TWO pair of socks ....

 

are they pretty?  from a distance, yes!  up close ... well ..... i'll just say i have learned aLOT .... i'm really good at ripping out and 'reloading' the stitches on my needles ..... and have already started my 3rd pair.

We spent the weekend with Bo in St. Louis and during that special time i discovered some really neat places to sit and knit while there ....

Socks at the Cardinal's Game

Socks at the Arch

worked on my Knitter's Tan
and WOOL socks by the pool!

Always time to grab a few quick stitches wherever we went ... the kids had fun swimming, i had fun listening to them laugh with each other, and i got a few more rows done on my socks!  The Cardinal's played a great game, and yes! i DID watch the game, but found time to sit and knit between innings!  And the Arch!  It was beautiful .. but also VERY Hot on that Saturday so i sat for a minute and looked out over the Mississippi River and added a few more rows to my socks....

Before long we were heading back to Birmingham and by the time we crossed over the Missouri state line i had finished my 2nd sock of the pair, complete w/ Kitchener Stitch, and quickly grabbed a new skein for a new pair. I think these will be straight knit, easy and mindless and striped in lavender and green .... some Debra Norville yarn i found at Joann's to try.  

just one of MANY rows
 inside The Loopy Ewe!

While we were out and about on Friday Bo was kind enough to let me stop in at The Loopy Ewe (http://www.theloopyewe.com/)  .... and WOW!!!!  what an amazing selection of yarn to actually see in person!  And the ladies that were so busy working their mail order side of the business were kind enough to stop and help and offer advice and suggestions .. i found yarn for MORE socks for me, for Bo and for ... ???  if you get a minute check out their web site ... and just get ready!  so much fun ....

it's time to go back to work and while my To Do list still has much To Be Done, i do believe that the simple summer of 2010 has left nice feeling of satisfaction at learning that even small steps of progress count!  Knit So Simple ... one row at a time!

Just July .....

Where has the time gone?  For 6 months we've been knitting small sections of lace ... learning new techniques ....increases, decreases, yarn overs (that are legit and not mistakes!) .....and each month serves as a small documentation of things, times, places ... a journey that we're half way through.

however in the midst of all this lace i found myself taking a quick summer siesta .... put down the lace, the swatches for the Master Knitting class ... and picked up some cotton .... i am participating in a Cloth and Soap swap through a group on Ravelry so i finished cloths for a mother & daughter and then sent an extra cloth to a new friend who is currently undergoing chemo and didn't feel like she could participate.   i found some really neat soap molds on line and make each of them a complimentary bar of "knitting soap" .. scented w/ sweet pea .. packed them up and mailed them off!

Moss Stitch & Basketweave
make pretty washcloths

Easy Peasey Baby Bib
pattern available for free
at Ravelry.com

and since i was on such a cotton roll i managed to complete 2 of the easiest little baby bibs for some upcoming showers .... $1.87 = 2 little prizes.  it doesn't get much better than that!

and did i mention that i finished my 1st pair of socks!!! and am hoping to put the toe in sock #1 of my 2nd pair!   i am LOVING this Magic Loop Sock knitting .... don't you want to join me?  i PROMISE .. it's so very easy ... just 1 set of circular needles and 95% of the time ... you just KNIT!!!!!  (unless you just WANT to get all complicated!) ....

July's lace pattern is attached ... how much fun to find 'fishtale' lace ... in the middle of summer ... 4th of July .. fishing and picnicking and just enjoying time with family and friends ... Click here to cast your yarn ... to catch the only fish that will leave a smile on your face and no foul fish odor when it's all said and done!

Don't forget to check out the Pattern Drawer for back lace patterns or look at The Stitch Knitch for instructions for the washcloths.