A new home

The name of my blog has bothered for a couple of months.  Although I changed the tag line to reference more than just crochet, it still just wasn't sitting right.  So I have started a new blog - My Chronicles of Yarnia.  All the posts from this blog have been moved there...please update any links or bookmarks to the new address as I likely won't be using this one any longer.  See you over in Yarnia!

God Bless Your Stitches,
nance

Wandom Wednesday

I'm feeling a little "Elmer Fudd-ish"

1. Why is it with less child transportation during the summer, I seem to have less time to knit/crochet?
2. Last day to finish the Fancy Feet Anklets before the self-imposed start of the Christmas gifts.  Familiar project—new technique.
3. I'll have to find something else to work on that I can take pictures of since I can't show the Christmas projects.
4.  I wonder how many more babies are going to be born this fall that will interrupt the Christmas gift knitting? Current count = 3
5.  I tried, really I did, but knitting magazines just don’t interest me. Sorry Interweave Knitting, I won’t be renewing my subscription.
6. I love finding a good crafting book at Half Price Books, especially on days we have a 15% off total purchase coupon! Those same days with a coupon but no good books really stink!!!...but I’m glad Allen found a lot of CDs for his birthday :-)
7. I’m not going to finish these socks
8.  I found a friend from a REALLY long time ago on FB (hi Bill!), it was like putting on a comfortable pair of socks!

God Bless Your Stitches,
nance

She seeks wool and flax. . .

Those who know me are likely thinking, "ooo! she's found a great sale on yarn", or "oh no! she's found a great sale on yarn". But they would be wrong....well, not entirely wrong

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but that's not where I'm going today.
I do a lot of praying while I knit/crochet. I believe God gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4), that He puts those desires there. So given the desire to be creative [with yarn], I honor that when I am able to fulfill that desire by building my relationship with Him.  So back to the subject, "She seeks wool and flax. . ." you may or may not know this is from Proverbs - She seeks wool and flax And willingly works with her hands. (Proverbs 31:13) This morning I started exploring this, a "word study" as my pastor says, and I was pleasantly amused.
First that this section of the chapter (31: 10-31) is in some translations labeled "The Virtuous Wife".  I know that in this day and age men and women, husbands and wives being considered to have different qualities and roles is thought of as antiquated and no longer relevant. I wholeheartedly disagree with that.  What was virtuous for a wife in the Old Testament is still virtuous for a wife today. Applying this section of the bible to myself I went thru it verse by verse.  Bad idea! My objective was not how, in my opinion, I fall down on many of these virtues but to understand why God pointed me to this today.
What this passage taught me is there are many things we wives do, many things we are expected to do and why. Many of them have to do with providing for and nurturing our families...this is where the wool and flax come in.

¹³ She seeks wool and flax,

And willingly works with her hands.

Besides this part, there are several other references to making and providing clothing -

²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
²² She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Scarlet and purple used as nouns is unusual but I know biblically these are often mentioned as offerings. To me that means they're special, expensive, not easy to come by; so mom/wife being able to clothe her family in them must give her great joy. I certainly get great joy in making and giving using even very ordinary materials.

Another verse that set me off looking was - 

¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff,

And her hand holds the spindle

I know a spindle is a spinning tool for twisting fibers together to make the thread or yarn. But what is the distaff? Hello Wikipedia!

[a tool] to hold the unspun fibers, keeping them untangled and thus easing the spinning process.

 Wow, another spinning tool reference!  But I read further. . .

As an adjective the term distaff is used to describe the female side of a family.

How interesting! The female, the WIFE!  So claiming this revelation (or just in the weird way my mind works!) I take away from all of this:

There's the literal interpretation of the making and providing. 

But,the Bible is full of word pictures and non-literal meanings of words. So looking at this in the more interpretive sense - 

(31:13) gathering wool and flax is family and she works diligently to keep things in order because unspun fibers, if not tended to, can become quite unruly and eventually useless.

(31:19) her family is the fiber placed on the distaff; unspun individual strands; as they are pulled and twisted onto the spindle they become a single usable strand

(31:21) she doesn't fear the difficulties her family may face because she knows she's covered them with the best possible materials, teaching them from the Word

(31:22) her own covering is tapestry, a woven fabric using the finest material, then stitched over with many colors (experiences) making it very thick and durable; tapestry can withstand a lot of abuse without showing much wear.  This is what a wife needs for herself in order to continue with the rest for her family.

And the chapter ends with this - 

³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands,

And let her own works praise her in the gates

Whether the fruit be a hat, a scarf, a sweater or mittens or the children she raises or the husband she supports,  all this gives glory to God and will stand before her in His Kingdom!

May God Bless Your Stitches,

nance

The Official Start of Summer

I don't ever think of summer really starting until after the kids' dance recital.  This year it's a week earlier, THIS weekend as a matter of fact.  So what that means for me is extended time during rehearsals (finale and dress) as well as the shows.  Since Allen and I perform at the end while the kids are getting set up for the finale I'm there from before the beginning until the very end with very little commitment to the show.  After the first dress rehearsal we were at ran an unprecedented 6 1/2 hours, I now bring a project along.  Although I was knitting a little this time last year all the previous years have been crochet projects.  So In the next two days I need to figure out what to bring.  I'd like to bring something that doesn't require a lot of focus because there are distractions (kids, other moms who didn't bring anything to do who like to chat....etc) also nothing too complicated because the theater is usually dimly it if at all.  I'm thinking simple socks (maybe a chevron lace or another easy lacy pattern), or maybe something from the KnitPicks Anklets kit, 

or finally committing to a pattern for my friends' baby blanket.  The next day and a half will give this a LOT of thought!  Of course there's always the set of fingertip towels I didn't get finished for the wedding last weekend...hmm, what to do? what to do?

God Bless Your Stitches,
nance

On a mission

The goal was to finish the Aria tank for the last day of school.  Despite the awful yarn we picked for the contrasting color and not being able to follow the pattern after putting in the contrasting color and having to “wing-it”. . .it DID get finished and worn for the last day of school.  I present to you the modified tank and beautiful FOURTH grader! I’m very proud of both J

God Bless Your Stitches,

nance

Summerwear

I can't believe I'm saying this but last week I found myself with nothing interesting to make!  I always seem to have so many ideas and not enough time but for some reason I couldn't think of a single one of them.  So looking thru my yarn for inspiration, I found a really pretty orange sherbet colored cotton and Sydney wanted a cami for summer. I searched for HOURS to find a plain, simple cami or tank pattern and came up with nothing!  This was close and Sydney liked it but it only goes up to a size 8, I need at least a 10/12.   

I thought of just making a tube in stockinette then adding some straps. One final search on my blackberry while I was at her dance class gave me the Panda Silk DK Aria Tank/Camisole, very close to what I was looking for. Here's progress so far.

 And the really pretty contrasting yarn.

I'm anxious to start on my Christmas projects but need to do some background reading and research first.  Of course I can't post progress of those but I'm sure they'll get a mention now and then.

So I've taken two days off of work and then the holiday weekend. Five days off in a row - that almost NEVER happens!  I'm so looking forward to spending time with my sweetie and my yarn.

God Bless Your Stitches,
nance

Spring is Sprung

I'm finally feeling spring and it's not just that my allergies have once again made a mess of my respiratory system and I'm treating another round of bronchitis...really, it's not.  I know I'm feeling spring because I want to make fun, warmer weather things with yarn.  I'm still leaning heavily towards knitting.  I look at it as a season, the crochet season will return again in time.  So today I'm feeling a little springy and and a bit flighty so here are my random thoughts on Spring and knitting. . .

1. I haven't knit a real pair of socks since I finished the Christmas rush and I'm itching to get back to them.  I got a small fix of them (pun intended) making two pairs for a friend's baby out of Christmas leftovers.  They were adorable and I'll try to get a picture of her in them soon.  For now, all you get is the picture from the pattern. I've also recently made her pink leg warmers (my own design, aka just winging it)...coming from a "dance family" there were a must!  I feel very honored they were used in her first portrait along with the tu-tu from Auntie I'm told.
2. I'm currently working on a pair of short-shorts for Sydney to wear for dance class out of a pale blue I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby.  Only a couple rows of ribbing for the waist and those will be done
3. I want to make a hat for a dear friend who's having surgery next week, just to cheer her up.  I've knit many winter hats lately but this should be fun for spring...need to find the right pattern and yarn soon.
4. New babies now, new babies later - how does one get to make all the projects queued up when something (or some ONE) new always comes along? New baby socks (same pattern as above but these are the actual socks), forgot a picture of the matching hat but it was adorable too.
5. I'm in love with sock yarn, corriedale sheep (well really just their fiber/yarn, don't know any of the sheep personally), double knitting and the prospect of making Folk Mittens.
6. I'm really looking forward to seeing my friend Jim this Friday and watching him shear his Alpaca herd...company of Luann and Sydney are part of the bonus package!

God bless your stitches,
nance