Progress on WIPs

I am almost half way through my Granny's Favorite prayer shawl.  I have crocheted 108 granny squares out of around 240.  I like how it is shaping up.  I know I have enough scrap yarn, but hope I have enough of the off-white yarn.

The rectangle for the Eleanor Shrug is almost finished.  After I crochet three more pattern repeats (six rows), I have to sew up the sides and add an edging around the outside.  I am looking forward to wearing it.

The book I am still reading is "Daughter of Twin Oaks."  So far, the daughter, Jesselyn, has dressed up like a boy to get the remaining thoroughbread horses away from their plantation in Kentucky, to keep them from being seized by soldiers in both armies during the Civil War.  The story is mainly about what happens to her and her freed slaves that accompany her on the journey.

I am sharing this post at the links on this page.


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Prayer Shawl Helps to Heal

I was having a bad day with MS yesterday.  I was sore all over, and very tired.  I think it was due to the change in weather over the past couple of days, but I am not sure.  It is on these kind of days where I can't do very much, since I have so little energy and hurt with most movements.

There is one thing I can still do.  I can crochet.  God has blessed me with this ability, and I will use it as long as I can to glorify Him!  I often make prayer shawls, where I pray for the person who will receive the shawl while I am crocheting.  Sometimes these shawls take weeks, sometimes months.  I am often crocheting these shawls while I am working on other projects.  When I am finished, I take the shawls to the Prayer Shawl Ministry group at the church I used to attend when my husband was the choir director there.  I also attend this group on Monday afternoons,  when I am not working.  The fellowship I have with the ladies there also blesses me.

So, between naps and some time on the computer yesterday, I finished my latest prayer shawl.  It is an easy pattern that I learned from a baby blanket pattern published many years ago.  The yarn I used was Red Heart's Super Saver in Aran Fleck and Caron's One Pound in Espresso.  The pattern alternates between single crochet, chain three in one row using one color and the next row of three double crochets in the chain three space of the previous row in the other color.  I ended up running out of the Fleck color, so I finished with an old Sayelle Bone-colored yarn I had in my stash.  I love how it turned out.  I pray that the person who receives this shawl will find joy in its making.  It brought peace to me.

Look on my Sharing page to see where I linked this post.

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WIP Wednesday~ 7/11

Prayer Shawl

 I have a knit and crochet project to show today.  My daughter says she doesn't have to ask me what I am working on any more, because prayer shawls and baby items are "all I do."  ; )   Yes, I do a lot of them.  They give me a lot of pleasure, to make something for someone else, since I can't do the things for my family as well as I'd like.  I think that is one reason I will never sell my items.  This is my mission.

Baby Dress

So I am repurposing yarn from previous projects I have made, that I no longer want.  The yarn for the shawl used to be a sweater, and the yarn for the dress used to be doll clothes for my daughter that has grown out of that stage.  I like to know someone else will use them well.

Two Taaadahs!

Yarn Stash Shawl

I finished the shawl I had just posted on Tuesday.  I didn't have all that much to do.  I want to have it blessed before I send it to the recipient.

Cozy Rug

This is a cozy little rug I made out of a variegated cotton yarn and nylon craft/rug yarn.  The pattern suggested 4 cotton strands together, but I didn't want to work so hard! :)  It is nice and soft under my feet right in front of my favorite overstuffed rocker.


Please check out my new Sharing page, where I posted all the pictures/ blogs to which I link.

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Finished Afghan

I was very surprised how fast this worked up. I really like the color combinations, and hope the receiver will appreciate the work I did. It will go to my church's charity for our local hospitals.
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Award Update

Since my original post about this award, I have had two other blog friends pass this award on to me as well. Because of my limited time related to health issues, I am only going to follow two of the rules, # 2 and #3.

2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.

3. Mention 7 random things about yourself.

So, thank you Karisma (again), Tracey, and Mary.


Karisma was one of my first followers, when I discovered and posted on Tuesdays Tallies at Gingerbread Girl.  Like me, she crochets quite a bit, and enjoys taking pictures.  She lives in Australia, and maybe even lives in the same province as I did when I was there.  She blogs about her crocheting at Karisma's Kraft.

I "met" Tracey through Creative Every Day, and we are part of what I call a "mutual admiration society."  She also crochets and is participating in the Granny A Day 2012 project, like me.  She is also 40-something, and has a husband, two boys and a couple of pets. Her blog is called Whistle Stop Crochet 

The third person to pass on this award to me is Mary.  She is one of my newer followers, through my new Linky Follower button.  I haven't done much posting about this, but we share the love of cooking, and both deal every day with a chronic illness.  It is wonderful to find people that understand a little better what I go though.  Mary's primary blog is Go Ahead...Take A Bite.

And now, seven more random things about me.

1.  I have lived in 21 houses/places in my (almost) 48 years.

2.  I was late at becoming a mom, for the first time, at 32 years old (young?).  

3.  I married a man with two children (my bonus kids), and my daughter had her first child (a son) six months before I had my first, also a son.  My last grandchild (a granddaughter) was born 20 months after my last child (a daughter).  There is one other granddaughter in between.

4.  Before I had children, I was very active in community theater.

5.  I love to sing, but since I am a "working woman", I don't have the energy to participate in any choirs/groups like I did before Multiple Sclerosis.

6.  I write poems.  I post some of my poetry here, and some at Mlissabeth's Musings.  I also write small stones there, and if you click on the link above, it explains what they are.

7.  I am a foodie.  I love to cook, but don't do as much as I used to because of  a family of picky eaters and a lack of time.  But I still love to look at recipes online, and collect cookbooks.

Okay.  I wanted to share a little more, and acknowledge some good blog friends.  Mission accomplished.

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An Early "Ta-Dah!"

The baby blanket is finished!  I didn't want to wait until Tuesday's Tallies to post.  I just love it.  I think it turned out so pretty, and I hope the person who receives it will be blessed in using it.  It will be going to my local children's mission project.

Linking to:

A Creative Harbor

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Crocheted Baby Dress

This is a dress I finished today that was based on a pattern at the Miracles Happen website.  Miracles Happen is a network of knitters and crocheters that help to provide for newborn babies' early needs.  From the website:

        "Sometimes, when a woman is pregnant, she experiences feelings of confusion, she may feel scared, or helpless. Her whole world is changing and she doesn't know what to do. Many women have their own resources (family, friends, medical professionals) to turn to in this time of need. But many do not. Staff at pregnancy crisis centers are there to listen to these women, to share their concerns, and to offer real hope for their future.

Miracles Happen is a network of volunteers who make and distribute handmade items for a newborn baby's early needs."

I have been crocheting for The Sewing Closet, a local charity for children throughout our county that, through poverty, would not otherwise receive new clothes.  Many of the women sew clothing, but I am one of a few that crochet or knit blankets and layettes for our local hospitals' maternity wards, for parents who are not prepared to have the items necessary for taking their baby home.  It is websites like Miracles Happen that are inspirational to me.

I am linking to:

http://www.acreativeharbor.com/

http://creativeeveryday.com/

http://www.create-with-joy.com/2012/01/inspire-me-monday-week-4.html

Prayer Shawl

Made with Loops and Threads Ombre in the color called "Luxury," and trimmed with Moda Dea Dream yarn. It is so soft and warm!  I pray that it is the comfort intended for the person who receives it.

Inspire Me Monday

Magical Monday Blog Hop

Bubble Suit and Bunting Update

Since I made the bunting, I was in the mood to do more quick projects.  I saw a pattern for a bubble suit I liked on Miracles Happen and decided that was my next project.  I used some scrap sport weight yarn and decided to put my own spin on the pattern by making the bottom part look like a separate pair of shorts.  I hope a new mother will be happy to have it for her newborn boy.  It will be donated to my local church mission project.

I also decided to add the trim on the bunting, and am pleased how it turned out.  It is a little more feminine for the new baby girl.

Star Baby Afghan

I heard that our local mission needed baby blankets for the layette sets they send to the local hospitals.  They just donated about 15 sets last week, and were in need of more blankets.  I had several small scraps of pretty yarn, and started on a pentagon shape.  Eventually, I decided to make it into a star shape.  It is just the right size for a cover for a newborn, or to use in a baby carrier.  I was pleased with the combinations of colors.

Ruffled Baby Sweater.

More crocheting.  This time for the local mission "Kids Clothes Closet,"  where children can get brand new clothes if their parents can't afford them.  Most of these kids get hand-me-downs, or used items, so having something brand new would be very special for them.

New Blog Title

I have changed my blog title to one that I think this blog is about.  It comes from all my passions: crocheting, writing poems and acting, and my musical interests.  I tell my husband those are my avocations, meaning I don't get paid for them. I think that if I did get paid for them, I might not enjoy them as much, and it would become a chore.  Crocheting and writing are very therapeutic and relaxing for me.

Slippers

This stocking was made for the daughter of a fellow teacher who has an inoperable brain tumor.  Other teachers are filling it with girly things like make-up, nail polish, fuzzy socks, etc.

I have made several pairs of slippers for "The Pink Slipper Project" and will be mailing them soon.

I celebrate Christmas all year by making things for others, and sharing God's love, hope and peace.  I am blessed to be able to create and to share my creativity.