Pink Elephant

I made up this pink elephant as a gag gift for the youth group to give one of their leaders. I used some hot pink yarn I found this pattern, and an H hook. I ran out of the pink yarn so I finished off the trunk with white. Since I’ve already give the elephant to the youth group, I don’t know the size. I’d say about 8″ tall.

Progress

I worked on the bamboo wrap during the church service yesterday morning. It measures 61″ x 8″.

Yes, there are different greens. It’s the same color, but obviously a different lot. Oh, well. I’m making it for myself, and if anyone else is interested in one, I’ll make sure the skeins I pick up are from the same lot.

Then, yesterday afternoon and last night I worked on the Sweet Baby Jacket. I only worked on it a couple of hours, having to frog it because I started with the main color instead of the accent color. I really like the two colors together. It’s going to be a nice looking sweater. I hope Shelly likes it. Better, yet, I hope her friends like it.

…and while outside, I took a photo of the top of one of our trees against a beautiful blue sky

and a photo of one of my sons, who, evidently didn’t realize I was taking his photo. THAT, in and of itself, is amazing. Meet Kenaniah.

Sweet Baby Jacket for Shelly

My friend, Shelly, asked me to make a baby sweater and hat for her friends who are having a baby in September. She wants a purple one and it to be 12-18 months. I found this awesome looking book at Michael’s, Crochet for Tots, but it was $24.95 and I really didn’t have the extra funds to purchase it. So, instead, I picked up a(nother) Bernat booklet, Precious Pieces to knit and crochet. It was only $0.99. I picked up 2 skeins of Bernat Baby Coordinates in “Lovely Lilacs” and “Soft Mauve”.

Again, my gauge is off. Crocheting clothing is challenging for me with the gauge thing. I tend to crochet tight compared to most designers. So, I made a swatch (I HATE making swatches – just let me get to the project!) with a G hook. My swatch was 3/4 inch too small. So, I’ll use an H hook.

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8/27/07

I finished with the body portion of the sweater/jacket. I need to add the sleeves and then a border.

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8/29/08

Finished!

Nice Matters!

Wow. My first award. Christina, my sister-in-law, over at Kwisteena’s Kwaziness, has awarded me with the Nice Matters Award saying that I was a positive influence on the blogging world.

Well, thanks Cristina. You, too are a positive influence on the blogging community. Can I nominate you?

Here is my list of bloggers and their blogs whom I nominate for the Nice Matters award:

• Dawn at Because I Said So
• Jessie at Overflow of a Forgiven Soul
• Dee at CrochetingwithDee.com
• ladylinoleum at Monster Crochet
• Lynn at mundane matters in the life of lynn
• And last, but certainly not least, Christina at Kwisteena’s Kwaziness

There are LOTS of blogs I read. But these ladies shine in the Nice Matters department. Thanks guys. If you want, you can take this award and put it on your blog and nominate others. But, if you’re not into this sort of thing, don’t worry about it, no pressure.

Gauge – “Pink” Tidy Tote

I purchased Bernat’s pattern book, Easy Living with Crochet. I want to make a few of things in the book, but am starting today with 2a. Pink Tidy Tote. Why do people include colors in their titles? What if I’m making this Pink Tidy Tote in a different color? Oh, well. I’m using Bernat Softee Chunky Twists – Twilight Twists. It’s taupe, light taupe and light blue. Very nice colors.

The pattern calls for a G hook. Yes, you got that right. A bulky, size 5 yarn with a G hook. Well, I start with my 4.25 G hook, knowing I will probably have to use a larger hook. I end up with a J. A J! From G to J. That, to me, is a huge difference. I cannot imagine how loose this designer crochets! Unless it was a misprint. Oh, well.

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8/26/07

It’s coming along nicely. I just finished one skein and it measures 13″. I need to crochet this piece until it measures 34″, then sl st the foundation row to the last row, make the base, join it to the bag and make 2 handles. I hope I have enough yarn. If anything, I have a ball or two of Bernat Softee Chunky in just Taupe and also a taupe/blue/dark taupe color that might work. Might. Probably not. I should just stick with solids if I run out and don’t want to buy more.

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9/2/08

I finished the “Pink” Tidy Tote and I LOVE it!!!!!!!! The yarn is great and so is the bag. I ended up needing to use the lighter taupe for the handles because I ran out of the twists – and the pattern.

The bag measures 16″ wide x 13″ tall x 2″ deep. The handles are about 8 1/2″ tall.

Knowing the pattern now, if I make it again, I know what to do to make it wider or taller or even deeper. Very simple. I am planning on using this to carry my W.I.P.s in. I have a cart that I use that carries my books when I go to church and my crochet work. However, besides the fact that I love bags, I sometimes need a bag only to carry my work in. Also, I will use it as a purse to hold my wallet, iPod, phone and keys when I don’t want my purse with me.

My Yarn Store

I have decided to publicly share the vision I have for my yarn store. For those of you who may not know, I LOVE to crochet and I LOVE yarns. I had been wanting a yarn store for a while now, and have been praying for it, but not pressing in like I believe now I should have been.

When my family was at a conference at Morningstar Ministries in Ft. Mill, South Carolina, there was a speaker there named Bill Johnson. He has a church called Bethel Church in Redding, California.

I wrote down some things I heard him say one night and even downloaded the conference a couple of days ago so I can listen to it over and over. It was a powerful teaching.

Sorry about the flow, or lack thereof. I was just taking the snippets that the Lord was speaking to me for this.

“It is theologically irresponsible to take the great promises of scripture and put them off into a period of time for which we have no responsibility. Every generation is responsible to extract the life out of every promise.” Proverbs 25:2 – It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. God hides stuff for us not from us.

“Jesus being asked by Mary to deal with the wine. Jesus says, what does this have to do with me? This isn’t my hour – the hour for me to be unveiled as the miracle worker. He only said what he heard His Father say, so He got this information from the Father. Mary tells the servants to do whatever Jesus says. Jesus looks at the Father and says, ‘Apparently we have a change in plans.’ “

“The desperation of an individual can change the timing of an event. God is not as interested in certain events happening at certain times as He is interested in our involvement in the unfolding of those events. We are not puppets on a string. We affect one another. God has made himself vulnerable to the desires of His people. The church is waiting for the next directive of God and God is waiting on the dream of the church. Waiting for the thing that rocks us, that moves us. “

“When desires are formed in me, God is trying to resurrect them because he wants to become manifested in a practical way that affects the course of history. ‘Whatsoever desires you have, when you pray, you shall receive them.’ ‘My works abide in you’.

“If it matters to you, whom the Lord loves, it matters to Him. It does not have to be eternally significant.” Bill then referenced his book, “Dreaming with God”, which I picked up last night.

“Jesus changing plans and performing a miracle of turning water into wine because of a mother who, in so many words said, ‘I’ve been pregnant with these promises for 30 years and I’m going to blow up if I don’t see something happen! (Like Mary saying to Jesus) This may not be your time, but it’d be a really good time for me.’ You can only carry that word for so long.”

“‘John 12:40 – He blinded their eyes, hardened their hearts lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and I should heal them.’ It’s like God is saying, ‘I don’t want them to see because then they’ll repent and I’ll have to go forgive them and give them what they want.’ – Puzzling verse. It’s talking about Israel. ‘If I show Israel what I’m going to do for them before the Gentiles are added they will ask for it and I’ll have to give it to them before the designated time.’ Implication – If you see it, if He does not blind your eyes, than what you can see that is a future event, then you have legal access to bring it into your day. “

“All things are yours – things present and things to come.”

“King David caught a vision. Hope to set up a vision of worship. Legal access to the authentic presence of the kingdom. But it was illegal to approach the tabernacle without a blood sacrifice. What David did was illegal. But because the Lord did not veil David’s eyes to the future – after Jesus’ death and resurrection – that all can come before the Lord without the blood offering (because Jesus was the blood offering), David took hold of that and brought it into his own time and lived.”

This is what I wrote down that night, after going back to my room and being “high” on the promises which the Lord just unveiled.

Yarn/Coffee Shop

Separate but connected.

Coffee Shop – Tables where people can sit and drink coffee/tea and/or eat pastries.

I would like to, through a doorway or a larger opening, have a yarn shop. I want to sell yarns not available locally, but also less expensive yarns available locally. I want to make available tools for crochet/knit and other needle-craft crafts.

I want to have comfortable couches and chairs for people to lounge in and work on projects. I want tables that people can sit around and work on projects.

I want to play instrumental music in the store. Christian instrumental music. Don Potter, Alberto Rivera & Friends, Bruce Dailey, Theresa Griffith, etc. Worship jams, too. Or, maybe have videos playing of worship. Maybe have Christian music playing. I like what Morningstar’s bookstore has – a tv with videos of worship playing.

I want an area dedicated to classes. That people can come in and teach crochet, knitting and other needlecrafts.

I need the Lord to give me a ministry to support with money and/or projects that people make, maybe ZAO Water financially, but I want to be able to supply shawls, blankets, any handcrafted item that customers would want to donate to a ministry as well. These items would be prayed over by me and my children and any other trusted intercessor who would want to be involved.

As I was praying about this, I heard, Eagle’s Nest. Might be a good name.

I want to provide a place where crafters can gather to purchase hard to find yarn, to gather with other crafters, and to be touched by the Spirit of God. A place that people would come to to have prayers be answered, to see healings take place. To come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. That the Spirit of God would be so evident. That people would gather and talk about what God is doing in their lives and in their neighborhoods and not talk about each other.

Aquila is Greek for Eagle. It is also a constellation. Inside that constellation is a nebula, NGC 6751, also known as the Glowing Eye. Wow! It looks like a glowing eye! The interesting thing about the glowing eye, is this: that night Rick Joyner (Pastor of Morningstar) was speaking about the portals of Heaven and the eye of God looking down on us.

Add: I also am wanting to have a “Yarn of the week” and a “Tool of the week”. There have been so many times where I thought I’d like a hook or yarn, bought it, took it home and didn’t like it. My vision is that someone can come in, with the yarn of the week and tool of the week make up a granny square or something. They will know how the yarn works up and if they like the hook (or needles or whatever). Then I’ll have them drop the square into a basket to be sewn together with other squares into a blanket to donate to the local hospital for babies or other sick patients.

Introspect

Introspect – To look into or within; to view the inside of.

From The Supernatural Ways of Royalty by Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton, chapter 4, A Royal Flush by Bill Johnson, page 54.

~ I Don’t Do Instrospection ~

It took a while, but I finally realized that my best moments (mentalily, emotionally, and spiritually) were when I just did my best, and stayed away from introspection. This was a scary thing for me, because in my mind introspection was almost a rite of passage to my biggest dream – to be a revivalist. After years of struggling with the conflict of personal holiness, I prayed something like this:

Father,

You know that I don’t do so well when I look inward, so I’m going to stop. I am relying on You to point out to me the things that I need to see. I promise to stay in Your Word. You said that Your Word was a sword – so please use it to cut me deeply. Expose those things in me that are not pleasing to You. But in doing so, please give me the grace to forsake them. I also promise to come before You daily. Your presence is like a fire. Please burn from me those things that are unpleasing to You. Melt my heart until it become like the heart of Jesus. Be merciful to me in these things. I also promise to stay in fellowship with Your people. You said that iron sharpens iron. I expect You to anoint the “wounds of a friend” to bring me to my senses when I’m being resistant toward You. Please use these tools to shape my life until Jesus alone is seen in me. I believe that You have given me Your heart and mind. By Your grace I am a new creation. I want that reality to be seen that the name of Jesus would be held in highest honor.

Eating milk chocolate fudge sandwich cookies under a blue sky

What a name! What a blanket! This beautiful ripple blanket was lovingly crocheted using 9 balls of Bernat Softee Chunky yarn. Bernat Softee Chunky yarn is 100% acrylic and holds up well to machine wash and dry. A size K hook was used.

The blue/taupe/vanilla variegated stripes bring a nice touch of color to the dark and light taupe stripes.

It measures 30″ x 62″.

Bernat

Today after church, I dropped the kiddos off at home and drove over to Michael’s. I picked up 3 skeins of Bernat Softee Baby in Baby Pink Marl and 3 skeins of His Jeans Ombre. There are 2 couples that are having babies and I wanted to get new yarn for them.

I picked up 3 more skeins of the Taupes and Blue/Taupe variegated for the ripple blanket I’m making. I wasn’t sure how much yarn I would need, so I figured 3 more skeins would be safe.

I picked up 3 skeins of Bernat Softee Chunky Twists in Twilight Twists. I got their booklet, easy Living with Crochet to make, among other things, the tidy tote. I’m also wanting to try the stash baskets and pretty much everything else in the booklet.

I’m going to be a Busy Bee. Yee Haw!

Bernat Bamboo

My friend decided we should make the blanket twice the length it is now. Darn! Hee hee. She gave me the rest of the money owed for the entire blanket. I needed to go to Michael’s anyway, so I figured I HAD to pick up some of that Bernat Bamboo. Oh. My. Goodness! I picked up 12 balls. Yes, I am aware that each ball is $3.99. I wanted to make the wrap pictured on the wrapper. I needed to find out if the finished project is as soft as the yarn is by itself.

I also picked up a Clover J hook with a soft handle thing. Ok, I need to take a creative writing class or something. My descriptions need a little help. I cannot find one of my many J hooks and you never know when you need one, right? Oh, and whoever heard of an L hook? I honestly did not think there were L hooks. I have a K and I have an M and an N and a P and I think a Q. Oh, well. I tend to crochet tighter than the average designer, so I’m sure the M hook will work out just fine for my bamboo wrap. After I finish my friend’s blanket, I’ll whip out the bamboo. Yeah!