True friends are to me...
T - totally honest with you
R - reminders of God's blessings
U - united against opposition
E - energizing when you're just feeling blue
F - fun and exciting when you need to be
R - relaxing to be around when you're just hanging out
I - interested in how things are going
E - encouraging in all aspects of your life
N - never old or boring
D - definitely a must in life
S - silly and loud when you reach that totally exhausted point where everything is hilarious
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Necessity vs. Luxury
I have a short list of blogs I read on a daily basis, and one of them posted this question recently: In this economic climate, what would be the very last discretionary (i.e. – not strictly necessary) expense you would give up?
Well, that one really made me think. What would be the very last “luxury” I would give up if my budget was super tight? Now those of you who know me, you’re all thinking, “Yeah, we know what it would be. It would be all that yarn and wool stuff she messes with all the time.” Hmmm, not so much, actually. Shocked? Me, too, at first.
In actuality I have enough yarn to keep me knitting well into 2012. I really don’t need to buy any more, but it’s hard to resist a new color combination, and of course I have to get the specific fiber combo for that special request… (See 2009 Goals for explanation and solution.) And I have plenty of knitting mags and pattern books, as well as all the notions needed for a project – so I’m set there.
I actually had to think hard about what would pretty difficult to give up. And get this – it was tea! Yep, I would find it pretty hard to give up my new-found love and respect for loose-leaf teas (thanks, Amanda!) I would have to drink (oh, the horror) Lipton™! (Not to rag on Lipton, just after you’ve had the best…) It not just the caffeine, though that would be near impossible to let go, but the richness and flavor, and even the ritual of making it every morning would be hard to let go.
Then I near smacked myself in the forehead. Why am I even thinking along these lines? “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Amazing, no? He also provides for all our needs (that’s needs, not wants – hard lesson to learn, I can tell you) and if He brings me to that point, well all I can do is lean fully on Him.
But as an academic question – what would you be hard pressed to give up? I think the answer might surprise you.
Well, that one really made me think. What would be the very last “luxury” I would give up if my budget was super tight? Now those of you who know me, you’re all thinking, “Yeah, we know what it would be. It would be all that yarn and wool stuff she messes with all the time.” Hmmm, not so much, actually. Shocked? Me, too, at first.
In actuality I have enough yarn to keep me knitting well into 2012. I really don’t need to buy any more, but it’s hard to resist a new color combination, and of course I have to get the specific fiber combo for that special request… (See 2009 Goals for explanation and solution.) And I have plenty of knitting mags and pattern books, as well as all the notions needed for a project – so I’m set there.
I actually had to think hard about what would pretty difficult to give up. And get this – it was tea! Yep, I would find it pretty hard to give up my new-found love and respect for loose-leaf teas (thanks, Amanda!) I would have to drink (oh, the horror) Lipton™! (Not to rag on Lipton, just after you’ve had the best…) It not just the caffeine, though that would be near impossible to let go, but the richness and flavor, and even the ritual of making it every morning would be hard to let go.
Then I near smacked myself in the forehead. Why am I even thinking along these lines? “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Amazing, no? He also provides for all our needs (that’s needs, not wants – hard lesson to learn, I can tell you) and if He brings me to that point, well all I can do is lean fully on Him.
But as an academic question – what would you be hard pressed to give up? I think the answer might surprise you.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A couple of memes
I also posted these on Facebook. I got tagged for a couple of memes and thought I would post them here for those who aren't on FB. Hopefully you'll at least ... , ah, understand me a little better! :-)
One Word Share
I was tagged for this one too - but I don't think I'll tag any one else.
Where is your cell phone? purse
Your hair? short
Your father? Dan
Your favorite thing? fiber
Your dream last night? random
Your favorite drink? tea
Your dream goal? publish
The room you are in? office
Your fear? pain
Where do you want to be in 6 years? home
Muffins? pumpkin
One of wish list items? yarn
Where did you grow up? Susanville
The last thing you did? work
What you are wearing? turtleneck
Your t.v.?disconnected
Your pets? kitties
Your computer? used
Your life? awesome
Your mood? joyful
Missing someone? maybe
Your car? Honda
Favorite store? yarn
Your favorite color? purple
When is the last time you laughed? now
Last time you cried? week
Favorite Show? Stargate
In love? always
Favorite Restaurant? sushi
25 Random Things
I’ve been tagged for this meme so much in the last couple of weeks that I figured I’d better at least get these out there. And this way you get to know so much more about me than before! (Uh, not!) LOL – yeah, most of you already know this stuff about me. :-)
1.The Lord Jesus Christ is the author of my salvation. As the final Passover Lamb, He died on that cross once for all – for past, present, and future sin – and one day (hopefully soon) I will be with Him in heaven. My hope is that all of you will be there with me, too!
2.I love to knit.
3.I love to spin.
4.I thought about putting those last two in the rest of this list – but then that wouldn’t tell you much more about me!
5.I love knitting things for friends and family. I think it is part of my love language.
6.I’m not a big traveler. It’s either the planning thing or the being away from home for longer than a day thing.
7.When I do travel – I far prefer going with other people, preferably friends.
8.I am a writer.
9.Going along with #8 – I actually have a manuscript all ready to go. Just need to actually send it out there. Yeah, I’ll get right on that! ;-)
10.I like to write science fiction. That’s probably because I also like to read and watch SciFi. It’s a whole genre thing.
11.Now please don’t laugh (because this is going to be so high school) – I have actually authored a couple of fan fiction pieces – most of them over 10K words.
12.I bet you did not know #11 about me!
13.I have been to Vancouver, BC and I want to go back.
14.I have also been to Mexico – twice.
15.I have worked in the automotive industry for 9 years now.
16.I have also worked at a yarn shop. I spent more than I made. Go figure.
17.I love to teach knitting – especially to friends.
18.I ♥ Stargate! Total fan, here!
19.I don’t have cable or an antenna for my T.V.
20.I own not one but two Ipods. Itunes is my friend.
21.I know how to play the piano – not very well, but with practice…
22.I played the clarinet and oboe in school – and still play the oboe. As Danny Kaye once said, “The oboe is an ill wind nobody plays good.” And I say, “Hey, I resemble that remark!” :-)
23.I come from a family of musicians. My mom is a music teacher, plays piano and sings tenor/alto; my dad sings bass and leads worship; my brother Andrew sings baritone/bass and plays saxaphone, trumpet, accordian, and bass; and my other brother David also sings and plays the bass.
24.Classical music is my happy place. Listening to Mozart and knitting – it’s the new yoga.
25.I am a groupless discussion leader at the Reno Women’s Night BSF (Bible Study Fellowship.) Definitely next year though! God has really used me in a substitute capacity, and this year has been a great opportunity to be fully prepared for next.
Hopefully this is random enough, however reading back over it there does seem to be some clumping going on. Eh, oh well. Hope you learned something you didn’t know about me, and I truly hope it didn’t scare you! :-)
One Word Share
I was tagged for this one too - but I don't think I'll tag any one else.
Where is your cell phone? purse
Your hair? short
Your father? Dan
Your favorite thing? fiber
Your dream last night? random
Your favorite drink? tea
Your dream goal? publish
The room you are in? office
Your fear? pain
Where do you want to be in 6 years? home
Muffins? pumpkin
One of wish list items? yarn
Where did you grow up? Susanville
The last thing you did? work
What you are wearing? turtleneck
Your t.v.?disconnected
Your pets? kitties
Your computer? used
Your life? awesome
Your mood? joyful
Missing someone? maybe
Your car? Honda
Favorite store? yarn
Your favorite color? purple
When is the last time you laughed? now
Last time you cried? week
Favorite Show? Stargate
In love? always
Favorite Restaurant? sushi
25 Random Things
I’ve been tagged for this meme so much in the last couple of weeks that I figured I’d better at least get these out there. And this way you get to know so much more about me than before! (Uh, not!) LOL – yeah, most of you already know this stuff about me. :-)
1.The Lord Jesus Christ is the author of my salvation. As the final Passover Lamb, He died on that cross once for all – for past, present, and future sin – and one day (hopefully soon) I will be with Him in heaven. My hope is that all of you will be there with me, too!
2.I love to knit.
3.I love to spin.
4.I thought about putting those last two in the rest of this list – but then that wouldn’t tell you much more about me!
5.I love knitting things for friends and family. I think it is part of my love language.
6.I’m not a big traveler. It’s either the planning thing or the being away from home for longer than a day thing.
7.When I do travel – I far prefer going with other people, preferably friends.
8.I am a writer.
9.Going along with #8 – I actually have a manuscript all ready to go. Just need to actually send it out there. Yeah, I’ll get right on that! ;-)
10.I like to write science fiction. That’s probably because I also like to read and watch SciFi. It’s a whole genre thing.
11.Now please don’t laugh (because this is going to be so high school) – I have actually authored a couple of fan fiction pieces – most of them over 10K words.
12.I bet you did not know #11 about me!
13.I have been to Vancouver, BC and I want to go back.
14.I have also been to Mexico – twice.
15.I have worked in the automotive industry for 9 years now.
16.I have also worked at a yarn shop. I spent more than I made. Go figure.
17.I love to teach knitting – especially to friends.
18.I ♥ Stargate! Total fan, here!
19.I don’t have cable or an antenna for my T.V.
20.I own not one but two Ipods. Itunes is my friend.
21.I know how to play the piano – not very well, but with practice…
22.I played the clarinet and oboe in school – and still play the oboe. As Danny Kaye once said, “The oboe is an ill wind nobody plays good.” And I say, “Hey, I resemble that remark!” :-)
23.I come from a family of musicians. My mom is a music teacher, plays piano and sings tenor/alto; my dad sings bass and leads worship; my brother Andrew sings baritone/bass and plays saxaphone, trumpet, accordian, and bass; and my other brother David also sings and plays the bass.
24.Classical music is my happy place. Listening to Mozart and knitting – it’s the new yoga.
25.I am a groupless discussion leader at the Reno Women’s Night BSF (Bible Study Fellowship.) Definitely next year though! God has really used me in a substitute capacity, and this year has been a great opportunity to be fully prepared for next.
Hopefully this is random enough, however reading back over it there does seem to be some clumping going on. Eh, oh well. Hope you learned something you didn’t know about me, and I truly hope it didn’t scare you! :-)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Thoughts on Peace, Happiness, ...and the Tabernacle?
As part of my writing creatively goal, I will be trying to post on my blog (and as a note on Facebook) on a fairly regular basis, like once a week. Now, just as a note, I tried to do this before and it ended up being more like once a month…but we’ll see. As far as subjects go…
…well, the sky’s the limit as they say. So that means you could be getting anything from my thoughts on the current lesson in BSF to a sci-fi short story. Just a warning – there will probably be some fiber and knitting related content, too. Some? Hahaha, yeah right. There’ll be lots of that!
Anyway, the last week has brought some very interesting conclusions into my awareness. The first is that there are lots and lots of people trying to achieve peace and happiness this year – though worldly means. And the second is that, “Good gracious, the tabernacle was unbelievably awe-inspiring in every aspect.” (See, thoughts on current BSF lesson.)
For the first…
I came across an article on Yahoo the other day about achieving happiness. My first thought was, “Well, no-one can do that without God,” and my second was, “Hmm, wonder what they are telling people to do now?” (You know, the ubiquitous “they.”) So I clicked on it. There were 5 sections – one was, “If you’re feeling stressed, relax!” Another was “Are you feeling despair? Find hope.” After reading the article I thought, “How can anyone do any of this without God? It just isn’t humanly possible.”
I can’t imagine going through life without the hope and joy and peace of knowing God, and that walking with Him provides. I can’t imagine the constant worry and despair and darkness that would pervade your life. And yet I see people trying to reach those goals all by themselves. I happened across a blog post about peace – both world peace and inner peace. Nowhere did it even mention a divine help or higher power, let alone God’s help, to that goal, but specified that we are each responsible for achieving that peace within and around us. I was completely blown away. Violence and sin and worry and darkness (anti-peace) will continue in a downward spiral until we bring the Father back into the equation. Only He provides the hope of lasting peace on earth and in our hearts.
Now for the second part of my …er, dissertation.
Last weeks lesson in BSF was all about the people of Israel making the articles for the tabernacle and putting it together. Now, I’ve read Exodus before, but never really picked up on just how detailed everything was. And the detail is recorded a couple of times – both when God is giving the information to Moses on the mountain, and also when Moses is passing it along to the people. It is so detailed I can picture it almost entirely in my head – the soft light coming through the linen curtain surrounding the Ark, the gold gleaming softly, adding it’s own luminescence to the space. And outside in the courtyard – the curtains with their colorful embroidery, the bronze, silver and gold reflecting the light of the sun during the day and the light of the pillar of fire at night. One person, either a leader or group member, said something to the effect that through this detail we can get a glimpse of what heaven might be like. How right she is, even if it is the merest, teeniest glimpse!
And the great things is – we can see God and glimpses of heaven in everything - from the peaceful calm of a winter sunset to the graceful landing of a flock of geese. (I’ve been walking around Virginia Lake in the evenings.) I know some people find it hard living here in Reno because of the barrenness of the desert climate, and seeming dullness of the colors. I don’t at all, in fact I love it here! Each changing season is continuously new, with unplumbed depths to see and hear and experience. Every day brings a different light or a new angle of seeing something of His creation that He created specially for Reno, NV. Sometimes when a view or a panorama takes my breath away – I like to think He made it just for me.
Sorry – got a little off track there. Anyway, back to the construction of the Tabernacle. Not only was its appearance spectacular (a place fit for a king – or simply fit for the King of Kings,) but the work that went into it blows my mind. Especially the amount of spinning and weaving that went into the curtains around both the innermost space, but encircling the whole thing. (Aha, you knew I had to bring fiber into this somehow!) I was telling the group in Leaders Meeting how hard it is to spin goat hair, and that you truly had to have the skill and be willing to do it (Ex 35:26) – to do many, many hours of it.
Then they had to weave all the yarn that had been spun – wool, linen, goat. There had to be a precise gauge that had to be met so all the curtains would be the same dimensions. I also noticed that the robe of the ephod for the priests was woven in one piece. That is a weaving skill rarely evidenced in such a nomadic culture, that early in history. Only God could have given them the insight and skill needed to do that. It also takes some heavy-duty equipment.
And don’t forget any dying that had to be done. Only a few people could’ve done that as they needed to match colors fairly consistently. Not to mention the processing of the dyes to begin with – cochineal (red) from a certain kind of bug, purple from a certain kind of shellfish, and blue from indigo and lye.
All in all – a lot of work. Work which I’m sure we as a culture or even as the Church might not be willing to do. Of course we have machines and tehnology to help us today. But that should make the work and end result that much grander, that much beautiful, that much…regal and befitting a Lord of All. And the service that much easier, and our hearts that much more willing. Shouldn’t it?
…well, the sky’s the limit as they say. So that means you could be getting anything from my thoughts on the current lesson in BSF to a sci-fi short story. Just a warning – there will probably be some fiber and knitting related content, too. Some? Hahaha, yeah right. There’ll be lots of that!
Anyway, the last week has brought some very interesting conclusions into my awareness. The first is that there are lots and lots of people trying to achieve peace and happiness this year – though worldly means. And the second is that, “Good gracious, the tabernacle was unbelievably awe-inspiring in every aspect.” (See, thoughts on current BSF lesson.)
For the first…
I came across an article on Yahoo the other day about achieving happiness. My first thought was, “Well, no-one can do that without God,” and my second was, “Hmm, wonder what they are telling people to do now?” (You know, the ubiquitous “they.”) So I clicked on it. There were 5 sections – one was, “If you’re feeling stressed, relax!” Another was “Are you feeling despair? Find hope.” After reading the article I thought, “How can anyone do any of this without God? It just isn’t humanly possible.”
I can’t imagine going through life without the hope and joy and peace of knowing God, and that walking with Him provides. I can’t imagine the constant worry and despair and darkness that would pervade your life. And yet I see people trying to reach those goals all by themselves. I happened across a blog post about peace – both world peace and inner peace. Nowhere did it even mention a divine help or higher power, let alone God’s help, to that goal, but specified that we are each responsible for achieving that peace within and around us. I was completely blown away. Violence and sin and worry and darkness (anti-peace) will continue in a downward spiral until we bring the Father back into the equation. Only He provides the hope of lasting peace on earth and in our hearts.
Now for the second part of my …er, dissertation.
Last weeks lesson in BSF was all about the people of Israel making the articles for the tabernacle and putting it together. Now, I’ve read Exodus before, but never really picked up on just how detailed everything was. And the detail is recorded a couple of times – both when God is giving the information to Moses on the mountain, and also when Moses is passing it along to the people. It is so detailed I can picture it almost entirely in my head – the soft light coming through the linen curtain surrounding the Ark, the gold gleaming softly, adding it’s own luminescence to the space. And outside in the courtyard – the curtains with their colorful embroidery, the bronze, silver and gold reflecting the light of the sun during the day and the light of the pillar of fire at night. One person, either a leader or group member, said something to the effect that through this detail we can get a glimpse of what heaven might be like. How right she is, even if it is the merest, teeniest glimpse!
And the great things is – we can see God and glimpses of heaven in everything - from the peaceful calm of a winter sunset to the graceful landing of a flock of geese. (I’ve been walking around Virginia Lake in the evenings.) I know some people find it hard living here in Reno because of the barrenness of the desert climate, and seeming dullness of the colors. I don’t at all, in fact I love it here! Each changing season is continuously new, with unplumbed depths to see and hear and experience. Every day brings a different light or a new angle of seeing something of His creation that He created specially for Reno, NV. Sometimes when a view or a panorama takes my breath away – I like to think He made it just for me.
Sorry – got a little off track there. Anyway, back to the construction of the Tabernacle. Not only was its appearance spectacular (a place fit for a king – or simply fit for the King of Kings,) but the work that went into it blows my mind. Especially the amount of spinning and weaving that went into the curtains around both the innermost space, but encircling the whole thing. (Aha, you knew I had to bring fiber into this somehow!) I was telling the group in Leaders Meeting how hard it is to spin goat hair, and that you truly had to have the skill and be willing to do it (Ex 35:26) – to do many, many hours of it.
Then they had to weave all the yarn that had been spun – wool, linen, goat. There had to be a precise gauge that had to be met so all the curtains would be the same dimensions. I also noticed that the robe of the ephod for the priests was woven in one piece. That is a weaving skill rarely evidenced in such a nomadic culture, that early in history. Only God could have given them the insight and skill needed to do that. It also takes some heavy-duty equipment.
And don’t forget any dying that had to be done. Only a few people could’ve done that as they needed to match colors fairly consistently. Not to mention the processing of the dyes to begin with – cochineal (red) from a certain kind of bug, purple from a certain kind of shellfish, and blue from indigo and lye.
All in all – a lot of work. Work which I’m sure we as a culture or even as the Church might not be willing to do. Of course we have machines and tehnology to help us today. But that should make the work and end result that much grander, that much beautiful, that much…regal and befitting a Lord of All. And the service that much easier, and our hearts that much more willing. Shouldn’t it?
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year - One Day at a Time in '09
This post is also going as a note on Facebook - so this is for those that aren't on FB (and why aren't you?) :-)
At the beginning of every year for the last few I’ve set goals for myself instead of resolutions. It has definitely increased the percentage of those goals being kept rather than letting the resolution slide the week after New Year’s, or totally forgetting I even had that resolution on Jan 2nd!
In the past two years I’ve met at least 70% of my total goals, 90% of that has been financial and spiritual! This is definitely something that is helping me – especially when I have it posted someplace where I’ll see it on a regular basis. The last couple of years, it’s been my blog (handmadebyhannah.blogspot.com) but I haven’t been keeping that up regularly, so I need to find another place.
One thing I’ve been doing also is recapping the previous year, and then laying out the goals for myself for the new year. It has been on my blog previously, but this year all y’all get to hear about it too, and can help keep me accountable. :-)
So here goes:
Well, it was an awesome year. Went by fast, but hey – time does that as you get older (as I hear it, anyway!) To recap, it started out with God nudging me toward checking out BSF (Bible Study Fellowship for those not in the know.) My friend Leah was in it and highly recommended coming even though they were already halfway though the study of Matthew.
Let me tell you – even studying half of Matthew (especially the later half) was powerful stuff. It kick started my quiet time in the mornings (which truth to tell wasn’t much in the way of organized or consistent.) God also drew me closer to Him through study of His Son, and through more consistent time with Him. Leah and I also became closer friends and sisters-in-Christ as a result.
In February I took an actual vacation and went to visit some family. That was a lot of fun. That was also when I found out I was going to be an Auntie!! I cannot tell you how excited I was. I even picked up some yarn on my trip to knit the first thing. (Funny – that cardigan actually became Ilse’s Christmas present.) I was able to make time to stop at Stitches West (which if you’re not a Knitter/Fiber enthusiast I really can’t describe except as a convention for yarnies.)
The middle part of the year was somewhat unremarkable – except that I really enjoyed BSF, was singing in choir at church (the Easter cantata was great as was an a cappella piece,) and playing on the Worship Team. June and July are always fun – with hiking and biking and a couple of camping trips thrown in for good measure.
Then August rolled around – and that’s when God really went to work on me!
First it was the Mentoring program at church. I don’t know why I needed to go to the Orientation Coffee – I just knew I needed to be there. Okay, I thought, maybe I need some guidance from a more mature woman of God, or maybe God was going to be using me in someone else’s life. It turned out that He was going to use me in another’s life – someone with experiences and years more than me, even. God has been so gracious – when I call on Him for strength and wisdom and clarity of speech, He is there. And I’ve learned so much over the past few months – especially about the true power of prayer, and more effective use of prayer. I have been so privileged to be witness to His wondrous answers to those prayers.
But God didn’t call me to just that. Oh no, He had a lot more in store for me!
Back in June, the teaching leader of BSF had called me – asking me to pray about becoming a discussion leader. I had thought and prayed about it previously (when my friend was asked) and said I wasn’t ready to commit to that quite just yet. I let it go, didn’t think much about it until the end of August when Leah happened to mention that Kim was still looking/praying for a couple more discussion leaders. And of course, that’s when God started poking me saying “Hey, I think you can give up your Saturday mornings to be with Me!”
So, after a couple weeks of constantly thinking and praying about it (and being nudged unsubtly by a couple of other friends), asking God to just let me be - I finally called Kim and told her what had happened. We met, and talked, and two weeks later I was at my first leaders meeting.
The last few months have been awesome. Walking through Exodus along with Moses and learning about this great man of God has opened my eyes to a whole host of things. About a month into BSF, I became somewhat discouraged because I didn’t have a group yet, and it didn’t look like I would anytime soon. However, God nudged me again and showed me that I was a blessing and learning more as a sub than having a group of my own. Working with all of the women in BSF, including all the leaders, as well as the blessings showered on me through the mentoring program has shown me that God has given me a gift for encouragement, leading of all things to work in women’s ministries – a place I never would have seen myself going!
But wait - the year’s not over yet!
At the very beginning of October, I became “Auntie Hannah” for real! Ilse Christine Merritt was born on 10-1 and our whole family loves her to pieces. I’ve only seen pictures, but I have the privilege of seeing her hopefully in March. She, of course, has been showered with a multiplicity of knitted items. :-) All washable and cotton. My brother is a changed man since becoming a father, and we’ve all seen it. God is certainly working in that family, and my prayer for them is that God will give both my brother and SIL the wisdom and strength to be the best parents they can be.
November and December were interesting months. With the holidays fast approaching, God was showing me I needed to let something in my busy schedule go. I was unwilling at first, as I love everything I was doing. However, though a mini-crisis, I saw that the Worship Team had to be let go for a short time. The worship pastor was very understanding, and a weight was instantly lifted from my shoulders. I am also excited to be returning next week! God is very gracious!!
Now, during this break of sorts I had hopes to look into possible lessons for either voice or oboe – to master one or the other. Well, what do I do but go and learn a completely new instrument. For those of you who don’t know, I am currently taking cello lessons, and I love every minute of it. Well, maybe not the extremely frustrating minutes, but you get the idea. And God totally provided. The lady who’s teaching me is charging a very minimal amount, AND she’s letting me borrow her old cello until I can get one of my own! The sound is so mellow and warm, and has such a broad range. Not sure where this is leading, but I have a ways to go before playing in front of anyone, anyway.
I feel very blessed and extremely thankful for all my wonderful friends at Sierra Bible Church. I have gotten to know some wonderful ladies this year such as Kaysi H., Amanda B., Katie I., Heather H., and Valerie H. I hope to get to know you all much better this coming year. I also drew nearer to my best friends – Leah, Amy, Kelly, and Mandy. I thank God nearly everyday that you are in my life – challenging, blessing, encouraging – and most especially - praying!!!
Christmas was at my house this year for the very first time. I had a wonderful time planning and preparing and decorating. The tree is still green and lush. (But it will be going bye-bye very soon.) The cats loved the dangling ornaments – fortunately I only lost one small one. Now that the holidays as almost over, its time to focus on the New Year coming in!
But wait – what about how I did on 2008’s goals?
2008 Goals
Spiritual
1. Be in the Word and pray more
2. Read at least a couple of books by Christian authors (namely C.S. Lewis and Elizabeth George.)
This one was so easy with God’s help. I was definitely in the Word more as well as prayed more. Kind of had to – what with being a D.L. and all. :-) I did read a couple of books – “Beautiful in God’s Eyes” by Elizabeth George, and “Outrageous Joy” by the Women of Faith leaders.
Financial
1. Pay off remaining 2 cards to be debt free by Dec 08.
Now – this one wasn’t quite accomplished. I do have one card left, but that’s because I decided to get a jump on 09’s goal of saving. So it wasn’t a complete bust! :-)
Physical
1. Lose weight with exercise.
2. Eat healthier - less bread products.
Hehehe – like the year before I did great during the summer, but any weight I lost definitely is back on. *shrug* Eh, I tried. And I will try again. And again.
Personal
1. Knit from my stash (exceptions being February and for gifts.)
2. Write more - a lot more.
Now – these ones I accomplished. Big time!! I did knit from my stash (except for the exceptions.) I did fall off the wagon once – and that was only because the yarn was less than $2 a ball. Definitely couldn’t pass that one up. ;-) I am going to do this again this year – with the only exception being for gifts.
As for the writing – did that too. Earlier in the year. Kind of lost it about June, but if you are really interested (and I mean really) you can ask me about it in person. Lets just say that the stuff I wrote would only appeal to a very small demographic. I did enjoy it, and most of what I wrote was received pretty well. I am going to try it again this year. Hopefully, I’ll get some inspiration soon!
Now, hopefully you’ve stuck with me this long! ‘Cause here comes 2009:
2009 Goals – “Take one day at a time in ‘09”
Spiritual
1. Spend more time with God in the mornings.
2. Use prayer as a more effective part of communion with God and pray with specific goals in mind.
3. Tithe (I couldn’t decide whether to put this in spiritual or financial as it is both.)
Financial
1. Put a lot of $$ into savings.
2. Look into buying a house.
Physical
1. Walk! Exercise! Walk! Ride Bike! Hike! (Eh, you get the idea.)
Personal
1. Knit from my stash (except for gifts.)
2. Do some designing.
3. Write creatively about various subjects.
Now, what do you think?? Seriously, I’d like to know your thoughts. Especially, since if you didn’t know me all that well before – now, you do!!
Please make it a great, safe, and productive year!
At the beginning of every year for the last few I’ve set goals for myself instead of resolutions. It has definitely increased the percentage of those goals being kept rather than letting the resolution slide the week after New Year’s, or totally forgetting I even had that resolution on Jan 2nd!
In the past two years I’ve met at least 70% of my total goals, 90% of that has been financial and spiritual! This is definitely something that is helping me – especially when I have it posted someplace where I’ll see it on a regular basis. The last couple of years, it’s been my blog (handmadebyhannah.blogspot.com) but I haven’t been keeping that up regularly, so I need to find another place.
One thing I’ve been doing also is recapping the previous year, and then laying out the goals for myself for the new year. It has been on my blog previously, but this year all y’all get to hear about it too, and can help keep me accountable. :-)
So here goes:
Well, it was an awesome year. Went by fast, but hey – time does that as you get older (as I hear it, anyway!) To recap, it started out with God nudging me toward checking out BSF (Bible Study Fellowship for those not in the know.) My friend Leah was in it and highly recommended coming even though they were already halfway though the study of Matthew.
Let me tell you – even studying half of Matthew (especially the later half) was powerful stuff. It kick started my quiet time in the mornings (which truth to tell wasn’t much in the way of organized or consistent.) God also drew me closer to Him through study of His Son, and through more consistent time with Him. Leah and I also became closer friends and sisters-in-Christ as a result.
In February I took an actual vacation and went to visit some family. That was a lot of fun. That was also when I found out I was going to be an Auntie!! I cannot tell you how excited I was. I even picked up some yarn on my trip to knit the first thing. (Funny – that cardigan actually became Ilse’s Christmas present.) I was able to make time to stop at Stitches West (which if you’re not a Knitter/Fiber enthusiast I really can’t describe except as a convention for yarnies.)
The middle part of the year was somewhat unremarkable – except that I really enjoyed BSF, was singing in choir at church (the Easter cantata was great as was an a cappella piece,) and playing on the Worship Team. June and July are always fun – with hiking and biking and a couple of camping trips thrown in for good measure.
Then August rolled around – and that’s when God really went to work on me!
First it was the Mentoring program at church. I don’t know why I needed to go to the Orientation Coffee – I just knew I needed to be there. Okay, I thought, maybe I need some guidance from a more mature woman of God, or maybe God was going to be using me in someone else’s life. It turned out that He was going to use me in another’s life – someone with experiences and years more than me, even. God has been so gracious – when I call on Him for strength and wisdom and clarity of speech, He is there. And I’ve learned so much over the past few months – especially about the true power of prayer, and more effective use of prayer. I have been so privileged to be witness to His wondrous answers to those prayers.
But God didn’t call me to just that. Oh no, He had a lot more in store for me!
Back in June, the teaching leader of BSF had called me – asking me to pray about becoming a discussion leader. I had thought and prayed about it previously (when my friend was asked) and said I wasn’t ready to commit to that quite just yet. I let it go, didn’t think much about it until the end of August when Leah happened to mention that Kim was still looking/praying for a couple more discussion leaders. And of course, that’s when God started poking me saying “Hey, I think you can give up your Saturday mornings to be with Me!”
So, after a couple weeks of constantly thinking and praying about it (and being nudged unsubtly by a couple of other friends), asking God to just let me be - I finally called Kim and told her what had happened. We met, and talked, and two weeks later I was at my first leaders meeting.
The last few months have been awesome. Walking through Exodus along with Moses and learning about this great man of God has opened my eyes to a whole host of things. About a month into BSF, I became somewhat discouraged because I didn’t have a group yet, and it didn’t look like I would anytime soon. However, God nudged me again and showed me that I was a blessing and learning more as a sub than having a group of my own. Working with all of the women in BSF, including all the leaders, as well as the blessings showered on me through the mentoring program has shown me that God has given me a gift for encouragement, leading of all things to work in women’s ministries – a place I never would have seen myself going!
But wait - the year’s not over yet!
At the very beginning of October, I became “Auntie Hannah” for real! Ilse Christine Merritt was born on 10-1 and our whole family loves her to pieces. I’ve only seen pictures, but I have the privilege of seeing her hopefully in March. She, of course, has been showered with a multiplicity of knitted items. :-) All washable and cotton. My brother is a changed man since becoming a father, and we’ve all seen it. God is certainly working in that family, and my prayer for them is that God will give both my brother and SIL the wisdom and strength to be the best parents they can be.
November and December were interesting months. With the holidays fast approaching, God was showing me I needed to let something in my busy schedule go. I was unwilling at first, as I love everything I was doing. However, though a mini-crisis, I saw that the Worship Team had to be let go for a short time. The worship pastor was very understanding, and a weight was instantly lifted from my shoulders. I am also excited to be returning next week! God is very gracious!!
Now, during this break of sorts I had hopes to look into possible lessons for either voice or oboe – to master one or the other. Well, what do I do but go and learn a completely new instrument. For those of you who don’t know, I am currently taking cello lessons, and I love every minute of it. Well, maybe not the extremely frustrating minutes, but you get the idea. And God totally provided. The lady who’s teaching me is charging a very minimal amount, AND she’s letting me borrow her old cello until I can get one of my own! The sound is so mellow and warm, and has such a broad range. Not sure where this is leading, but I have a ways to go before playing in front of anyone, anyway.
I feel very blessed and extremely thankful for all my wonderful friends at Sierra Bible Church. I have gotten to know some wonderful ladies this year such as Kaysi H., Amanda B., Katie I., Heather H., and Valerie H. I hope to get to know you all much better this coming year. I also drew nearer to my best friends – Leah, Amy, Kelly, and Mandy. I thank God nearly everyday that you are in my life – challenging, blessing, encouraging – and most especially - praying!!!
Christmas was at my house this year for the very first time. I had a wonderful time planning and preparing and decorating. The tree is still green and lush. (But it will be going bye-bye very soon.) The cats loved the dangling ornaments – fortunately I only lost one small one. Now that the holidays as almost over, its time to focus on the New Year coming in!
But wait – what about how I did on 2008’s goals?
2008 Goals
Spiritual
1. Be in the Word and pray more
2. Read at least a couple of books by Christian authors (namely C.S. Lewis and Elizabeth George.)
This one was so easy with God’s help. I was definitely in the Word more as well as prayed more. Kind of had to – what with being a D.L. and all. :-) I did read a couple of books – “Beautiful in God’s Eyes” by Elizabeth George, and “Outrageous Joy” by the Women of Faith leaders.
Financial
1. Pay off remaining 2 cards to be debt free by Dec 08.
Now – this one wasn’t quite accomplished. I do have one card left, but that’s because I decided to get a jump on 09’s goal of saving. So it wasn’t a complete bust! :-)
Physical
1. Lose weight with exercise.
2. Eat healthier - less bread products.
Hehehe – like the year before I did great during the summer, but any weight I lost definitely is back on. *shrug* Eh, I tried. And I will try again. And again.
Personal
1. Knit from my stash (exceptions being February and for gifts.)
2. Write more - a lot more.
Now – these ones I accomplished. Big time!! I did knit from my stash (except for the exceptions.) I did fall off the wagon once – and that was only because the yarn was less than $2 a ball. Definitely couldn’t pass that one up. ;-) I am going to do this again this year – with the only exception being for gifts.
As for the writing – did that too. Earlier in the year. Kind of lost it about June, but if you are really interested (and I mean really) you can ask me about it in person. Lets just say that the stuff I wrote would only appeal to a very small demographic. I did enjoy it, and most of what I wrote was received pretty well. I am going to try it again this year. Hopefully, I’ll get some inspiration soon!
Now, hopefully you’ve stuck with me this long! ‘Cause here comes 2009:
2009 Goals – “Take one day at a time in ‘09”
Spiritual
1. Spend more time with God in the mornings.
2. Use prayer as a more effective part of communion with God and pray with specific goals in mind.
3. Tithe (I couldn’t decide whether to put this in spiritual or financial as it is both.)
Financial
1. Put a lot of $$ into savings.
2. Look into buying a house.
Physical
1. Walk! Exercise! Walk! Ride Bike! Hike! (Eh, you get the idea.)
Personal
1. Knit from my stash (except for gifts.)
2. Do some designing.
3. Write creatively about various subjects.
Now, what do you think?? Seriously, I’d like to know your thoughts. Especially, since if you didn’t know me all that well before – now, you do!!
Please make it a great, safe, and productive year!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
On Hold
Look at that - another month's gone by. Anyway, fall is shaping up to be as busy (if not more so) as my summer has been. So this blog's going on hold. I haven't felt the urge to for a while (haven't even been doing any other writing) so until my life calms down - this will remain un-updated. See you when I see you!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Busy Summer
Sorry about so long between posts - I hadn't realized until last week that it's almost been two months since my last one. But the time in between has been filled to the brim with losts of exciting and fun stuff. This has been a very busy summer for me, and I'm having a great time.
There was hiking:
This was in July - see the white patch on the other side of the lake? Yeah, that's snow! :-)
There was birthdays:
...with awesome food and friends.
Great times hanging out with the girls in Sacramento:
..and even some cute animals:
...red panda's (I want one for a pet!) and young tigers.
And there was lots and lots of knitting!
Socks for presents:
Socks for me (with help from Kitty):
Wedding presents:
Baby gifts:
And knitting up some of that handspun, handdyed stuff I have just lying around:
There was hiking:
This was in July - see the white patch on the other side of the lake? Yeah, that's snow! :-)
There was birthdays:
...with awesome food and friends.
Great times hanging out with the girls in Sacramento:
..and even some cute animals:
...red panda's (I want one for a pet!) and young tigers.
And there was lots and lots of knitting!
Socks for presents:
Socks for me (with help from Kitty):
Wedding presents:
Baby gifts:
And knitting up some of that handspun, handdyed stuff I have just lying around:
I dyed these separately - the orange in my first foray into dying, and the brown/darker orange I dyded earlier this year. Both are Blue-Faced Liecester I spun after dying. I really enjoyed knitting on my handspun - especially the brown. That turned out great.
The baby clothes went with my brother to Phoenix when he went to visit our other brother. My niece is due in the middle of September and her name is Ilse (pronounced Il-sa.) There are a few more things I've been working on, which I'll try to get to them before she's born.
I'm visiting my parents for a couple of days, and yesterday I helped my mom pull out some of my old baby clothes and blankets - most of which my grandmother made. It was really neat to remember (or have my mom remember) what I looked like in them. Most of the littler pieces will go to my niece as they are still in great shape, with the understanading that they are to be passed to the next little girl in the family.
Hopefully, I won't be as busy in August so there will be more frequent updates. And of course lots more knitting. You know, Christmas is coming up! ;-)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Long Weekend
Well, the long weekend finally got me enough time to finish up some things, ...er, a few things, ...er, one thing. (And technically it's not even finished finished - I have to wash and block it and sew up the front and put on a button.)
But it's cute and soft and I can't wait to see my neice in it (I have to wait a while - it's a 6-12 mos size and she's not even born yet.) So I present the Blue Sky Alpaca's Baby Dress:
It's knit out of Rowan Cashcotton 4-ply on US 3's. It was fun and fairly quick to make, and the angora gives it just that tiniest touch of softness and bloom. I'm working on a diaper cover to match.
I also did a fair amount of spinning this weekend. I haven't spun in a while, and I managed two skein of this Blue faced Leicster I dyed in my first foray last spring into dying. I didn't really like the way the roving looked - I was going for green and pink and lavender and ended up with lots of pink, a tiny bit of lavender and a fair amount of an icky greeny-gray color. I figured it would be a perfect over-dying project.
So I started spinning it - quick and dirty, not really caring about eveness. Once I started spinning though - I started to really like it. The greeny-gray drafted and spun out into a pretty silvery gray! That gray blended nicely with the different shades of pink and lavender.
Not sure what to call it, but I spun it up nicer after the first few yards and got 2 fairly even skeins out of it. I really like the way the gray comes up - some dark, some light. There's actually a bit more gray in it than the photo shows. And some of it is more purple than it looks. I wonder what it'll want to become? ;-)
But it's cute and soft and I can't wait to see my neice in it (I have to wait a while - it's a 6-12 mos size and she's not even born yet.) So I present the Blue Sky Alpaca's Baby Dress:
It's knit out of Rowan Cashcotton 4-ply on US 3's. It was fun and fairly quick to make, and the angora gives it just that tiniest touch of softness and bloom. I'm working on a diaper cover to match.
I also did a fair amount of spinning this weekend. I haven't spun in a while, and I managed two skein of this Blue faced Leicster I dyed in my first foray last spring into dying. I didn't really like the way the roving looked - I was going for green and pink and lavender and ended up with lots of pink, a tiny bit of lavender and a fair amount of an icky greeny-gray color. I figured it would be a perfect over-dying project.
So I started spinning it - quick and dirty, not really caring about eveness. Once I started spinning though - I started to really like it. The greeny-gray drafted and spun out into a pretty silvery gray! That gray blended nicely with the different shades of pink and lavender.
Not sure what to call it, but I spun it up nicer after the first few yards and got 2 fairly even skeins out of it. I really like the way the gray comes up - some dark, some light. There's actually a bit more gray in it than the photo shows. And some of it is more purple than it looks. I wonder what it'll want to become? ;-)
Sunday, May 4, 2008
The good ol' 70's
One of my friends hosted a 70's era themed party last night! It was...interesting. Nah, it was way cool and fun!
This was our groovy host, Scott:
Wow, I never noticed what pretty eyes he had! ;-) Nice smile, Scott, way better than chipmunk face!
Here's Scott and Jake:
Tired already, Jake? Come on (snap, snap) wake up, open those eyes!
Our resident lovebirds, Steve and Erin:
I think he said he already had that jacket on hand. Uh...
Ah, there you go, Jake. Hey, you have pretty eyes, too! ;-)
Amy, Leah, and Tanya:
Aka Flower Girl, Roller Derby Girl (see the elbow pads), and...Future Girl? Did she dress up? (J/K - Tanya was wearing the ubiquitous peace symbol as a sign of her commitment to the era.)
And of course any theme party wouldn't be complete without my brother:
Yeah, man! BTW - the sideburns and 'stache are real. He grew it out just for this. I tell you, he can really go all out!
Hanging out with the Jakester (after he woke up of course!) :-)
Me and Amy:
Aka Disco Girl and Flower Child! Thanks to Leah for picking up the shirt for me!
And the group shot:
What a great group of friends. I love all you guys and I thank God every day for you! :-)
This was our groovy host, Scott:
Wow, I never noticed what pretty eyes he had! ;-) Nice smile, Scott, way better than chipmunk face!
Here's Scott and Jake:
Tired already, Jake? Come on (snap, snap) wake up, open those eyes!
Our resident lovebirds, Steve and Erin:
I think he said he already had that jacket on hand. Uh...
Ah, there you go, Jake. Hey, you have pretty eyes, too! ;-)Amy, Leah, and Tanya:
Aka Flower Girl, Roller Derby Girl (see the elbow pads), and...Future Girl? Did she dress up? (J/K - Tanya was wearing the ubiquitous peace symbol as a sign of her commitment to the era.)
And of course any theme party wouldn't be complete without my brother:
Yeah, man! BTW - the sideburns and 'stache are real. He grew it out just for this. I tell you, he can really go all out!
Hanging out with the Jakester (after he woke up of course!) :-)
Me and Amy:
Aka Disco Girl and Flower Child! Thanks to Leah for picking up the shirt for me!
And the group shot:
What a great group of friends. I love all you guys and I thank God every day for you! :-)
Well, I noticed I hadn't posted in a while. (Someone may have also mentioned it to me.) The last three months it's only been about once a month. Getting lazy, guess.
Anyway, I have finished a few things in that time. Including this blanket for my soon-to-be neice:
Anyway, I have finished a few things in that time. Including this blanket for my soon-to-be neice:
It's four large log cabin squares sewn together. The log gabin squares were inspired by MasonDixon Knitting. I knitted it with Lionbrand Cotton Ease on US 9's. I like how the colors compliment each other. Kitty would like my brother David and his wife, Anna to know that he helped too:
Lexy says that she helped, too...by not being in the way!
By the way, Anna...(if you're reading this) there will be cat hair on all the stuff I make. (shrugs) It simply can't be helped! :-)
Now for any Stargate fans...I have to brag...
Yeah, baby!! All ten seasons!!!
In other incidental knitting, I finished a sweater for myself. Of course, I don't think I'll be able to wear it until fall, but I was able to wear it a couple of times right after I finished it (cuz - you know it hasn't been spring until now!) :-)
As evidenced by the picture below:
Took this while walking yesterday. It was simply gorgeous, and today it is raining. Yeah for Spring!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Phoning It In
It was such a beautiful day on Saturday that I just had to get outside. I knew I shoud have taken my camera, but fortunately I did have my phone with me. All the bird and flower pictures were taken with my phone. The knitting pics I took with my regular camera. All in all it was a pretty busy weekend. I went to a BBQ on Sunday and got some sun, and had fun with great friends. Then yesterday, it was still nice, but very windy and somewhat cloudy. (Very windy as in 75mph winds.) This morning I wake up to...snow on the ground. Albeit, just a dusting but it was cold this morning - and started snowing again about 7am. There is also a possibility of snow next weekend. Ah, so much for spring! Apparently, there is a cold snap all over the States.
Anyway, on my walk I saw a grebe, next to some sort of duck with a white body and black wings and neck. You can see it below:
And you definitely can tell it's spring when you see little goslings and ducklings being shepherded by mommy and daddy:
The daddy was chasing away other ducks and geese as mommy brought the little ones closer to the shore:
I noticed a lot of trees in bloom - a lot of pink ones:
I did get some knitting done this weekend. Actually I was surprised by how quickly this finished up. I started this tam Friday night and finished the last 3 or 4 rounds Sunday morning. This is my first true fair-isle project, and I really enjoyed it.
Okay, now I need to go knit plain stockinette!
Anyway, on my walk I saw a grebe, next to some sort of duck with a white body and black wings and neck. You can see it below:
And you definitely can tell it's spring when you see little goslings and ducklings being shepherded by mommy and daddy:
The daddy was chasing away other ducks and geese as mommy brought the little ones closer to the shore:
Daddy climbed out first, followed by the 3 biggest goslings:
...as mommy tried to get the rest to climb out.
It looked like it was going to take a while, so I kept walking. It was very cute, and neat to see.
I noticed a lot of trees in bloom - a lot of pink ones:
Those of you who know me, you know that pink is my favorite color! :-)
I did get some knitting done this weekend. Actually I was surprised by how quickly this finished up. I started this tam Friday night and finished the last 3 or 4 rounds Sunday morning. This is my first true fair-isle project, and I really enjoyed it.
I used the pattern out of this book, using KnitPicks Palette, on US 2's and 3's.
And of course the gratuitous inside shot:
I am very happy with my tension throughtout - although the last few rounds on DPN's could have been a little better. I haven't quite wove in all the ends yet - that'll be for this upcoming weekend! :-) I also need to re-block it using a larger plate. All I have are small luncheon plates, and the hat looks like it has two tiers. Not true tam form!
Okay, now I need to go knit plain stockinette!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Birthdays and Baby
Wow, I hadn't realized I hadn't posted for so long. It's actually been more than a month since my last update. March has been pretty busy for me - Easter was a big part of that, but now that that's over, I have a little more time and energy.
I've been walking much more frequently now that the weather has been okay, and the time changed. The little lake near my place is hosting a flock of cormorants (the big black birds in the picture below.) I had seen them before - but only thier backs and necks. I'd never realized just how big they actually were. While walking this morning (before it got cloudy and cold) I saw a couple of them diving and coming up with nesting material. There is an interesting congloeration of fowl at this manmade lake. Last week I saw a pair of grebes but didn't have my camera with me. It was probably just a resting point for them as I haven't seen them since.
Ducks and geese and other birds are pairing off, trees are budding, tulips and daffodils and narcisus are blooming - its definitely spring! Yay!
A couple of my friends are celebrating significant birthdays this weekend, so I've been working on a couple of presents:
100% BFL in two different colorways plyed together, approx 525 yards. Enough for a nice pair of socks. This is going to my friend who knits.
And these are for my other friend (she doesn't knit) who loves pink just like I do. Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the colorway "Tickled Pink." I think I have enough yarn left for a pair of shorties for myself.
Now I mentioned in my last post that I found out I'm going to be an Auntie. So of course I've been working on some things. One of them is this:
A log cabin square out of Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (see, mom - cotton and washable) from Mason-Dixon Knitting. I'm going to do four squares with the colors in different sequences and an I-cord edging to finish it off. I had originally planned on something else with this yarn, but it just didn't work out as easily as I'd hoped. I am really happy with this though, and am almost finished with the 2nd square already.
On the spinning front:
More BFL (handdyed by yours truly) and chain-plyed for color retention. I really liked how the brown came out. I'm not sure what to call it - Tiger Lily or 1970 (you know for the orange!) :-)
Happy Spring!
I've been walking much more frequently now that the weather has been okay, and the time changed. The little lake near my place is hosting a flock of cormorants (the big black birds in the picture below.) I had seen them before - but only thier backs and necks. I'd never realized just how big they actually were. While walking this morning (before it got cloudy and cold) I saw a couple of them diving and coming up with nesting material. There is an interesting congloeration of fowl at this manmade lake. Last week I saw a pair of grebes but didn't have my camera with me. It was probably just a resting point for them as I haven't seen them since.
Ducks and geese and other birds are pairing off, trees are budding, tulips and daffodils and narcisus are blooming - its definitely spring! Yay!
A couple of my friends are celebrating significant birthdays this weekend, so I've been working on a couple of presents:
100% BFL in two different colorways plyed together, approx 525 yards. Enough for a nice pair of socks. This is going to my friend who knits.
And these are for my other friend (she doesn't knit) who loves pink just like I do. Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the colorway "Tickled Pink." I think I have enough yarn left for a pair of shorties for myself.
Now I mentioned in my last post that I found out I'm going to be an Auntie. So of course I've been working on some things. One of them is this:
A log cabin square out of Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (see, mom - cotton and washable) from Mason-Dixon Knitting. I'm going to do four squares with the colors in different sequences and an I-cord edging to finish it off. I had originally planned on something else with this yarn, but it just didn't work out as easily as I'd hoped. I am really happy with this though, and am almost finished with the 2nd square already.
On the spinning front:
More BFL (handdyed by yours truly) and chain-plyed for color retention. I really liked how the brown came out. I'm not sure what to call it - Tiger Lily or 1970 (you know for the orange!) :-)
Happy Spring!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Vacation
I was on vacation last week and really enjoyed it. 4 days off of work, two days relaxing in SoCal, a whirlwind of family, friends, kids, dogs...and fiber?!! That's right, not only did I get some beautiful handpainted fiber, I also visited a couple of old LYS's. Friday I stopped by Stitches West on my way to visit some friends in NorCal. Anyway, lots of pics to follow.
On Tuesday, I left early enough to be able to catch the sunrise over Mono Lake.
This is why I drive. Especially through the mountains. Seeing God's creation in all it's unfettered glory is simply amazing. The amount of snow we've gotten this winter so far is a boon for the water levels.
My brother, David, called me at about 6:30am, just after I took these. I'm going to be an aunt!! :-) It was really exciting finding out. I was grinning most of the way into Bishop. She's due in Sept, and they don't know what it is yet. Hopefully, we'll find out soon - you know, so I can start the wardrobe! ;-)
Anyway, got down to Orange Cnty and visited one of the yarn shops in my list - Velona's. It's in Anaheim Hills and the most un-organized and chaotic shop you'd ever see. The owner seems to know where everything is though, and they carry some really old stuff (like Pengoiun yarn and Anna magazines.) I stocked up on sock yarn, as you'll see, and found what I think is some old Rowan called "Donegal Lambswool" in a medium gray that'll be great for either socks or gloves.
The next stop was the Yarn Lady in Laguna Niguel. Again, some more sock yarn, as well as a stripey cotton blend in either boy/girl colors for a baby sweater. It'll be for...you guessed it, my new nephew or niece! :-) They had a selection of pretty nail files up at the counter and couldn't resist the spinning wheel one.
Then I was done for the day - literally and physically. I was beat, so went to my aunt and uncle's house where I stayed for the next couple of days. They have the cutest dog named Buddy - a sweet Laslo-Apso/Std Poodle mix. He's only a couple of years old and still wants to play...a lot. He had a lot of energy.
How can you resist that face!! All together now...Aawwwwww!
On Wednesday I visited my friend Lori Lawson of Capistrano Fiber Arts (she was the one who taught me to spin 2 1/2 years ago.) I wanted to get more of her handpainted fibers. See what I got! At the top is 50/50 merino/bombyx in the colorway "Jungle", and along the bottom from left to right is pinks merino/mohair (which I started spinning already), merino, and BFL.
On Thursday my aunt and I went out to visit my cousin's family. They have two kids - Devon and Dylan. They were a riot to be around, really sweet kids with a lot of energy. Devon will be 5 in August and Dylan 3 in June.
This is what we saw as we pulled up - the parking lot.
Couldn't resist taking a picture of that - all thier scooters and cars all pulled up nicely at the top of the driveway.
And while Devon learned to knit...
Dylan read a book.
An hour into our visit and we all trooped outside for some air and a chance for the kids to run around and play. Here are a couple of action shots. Dylan looks so determined, his lips pressed together as if he's thinking, "I'm going to do this, I will go down the steep driveway when mommy's not looking." Devon was just happy to be outside.
Friday I left early and drove to Santa Clara for Stitches West. Once I got past the valley and was going west, the landscape was so beautiful and lush...and green! I'd forgotten how green everything is in SoCal during the winter. Though this picture was taken farther north, the coloring is similar.
At the Stitches market I was almost overwhelmed by the number of vendors and people. I'd been before about three years ago, and was totally overwhelmed then. This time I made it through all the booths and kept (mostly) to my budget. I couldn't belive how much money was changing hands - and this was only Friday. Two more days still for people to buy, buy, buy!!
These patterns called out to me, all being very feminine and sized/shaped for my body type (hopefully!) :-)
This is the rest of my loot - at the top a BLF/Alpaca blend roving, from left to right - Tess Designs 100% silk in silver and purple, Toots LeBlanc handspun jacob/alpaca/mohair fingering weight, Claudia Handpaints 100% 20/2 silk, colorway "Bearded Iris," and 100% Kid from Brooklyn Farms(?). In the middle (if you can't read it) is a stamp I found at Village Spinning and Weaving that says "Handspun By:" with a spindle below. I thought it was very cute, and I can definitely use it.
Friday afternoon saw me heading up to Placerville to visit my good friend Jessica and her husband Mark. I stayed overnight with them and left Saturday afternoon to head back home. I was a little pictured out, so didn't take any. They have two friendly dogs and a herd of cats. :-)
This whole week I encountered all types of weather. Starting with the clear sunshine on my drive down, followed by serious fog while dropping down over the Cajon Pass, then it rained both Tuesday night, off and on Weds, and poured most of Thursday. Friday morning it was raining hard still, but cleared up through the valley. Wind was gusting through the valley, then it was back to rain and clouds on the coast.
Didn't dampen my spirits, nope - not even the snow over Donner Pass coming back. I had the novel experience of chaining up for the first time. It took me about an hour to get throught the pass and drop down into Truckee. All things considering, it could have been worse. They closed it later that night.
This is what I came home to. Yay, more snow!! :-) It snowed a good 6" Saturday night, but it all melted by Sunday afternoon. :-( Oh, well, there's still 2' more on the slopes. My brother and friend and I are planning on going snowboarding this Saturday.
On Tuesday, I left early enough to be able to catch the sunrise over Mono Lake.
This is why I drive. Especially through the mountains. Seeing God's creation in all it's unfettered glory is simply amazing. The amount of snow we've gotten this winter so far is a boon for the water levels.
My brother, David, called me at about 6:30am, just after I took these. I'm going to be an aunt!! :-) It was really exciting finding out. I was grinning most of the way into Bishop. She's due in Sept, and they don't know what it is yet. Hopefully, we'll find out soon - you know, so I can start the wardrobe! ;-)
Anyway, got down to Orange Cnty and visited one of the yarn shops in my list - Velona's. It's in Anaheim Hills and the most un-organized and chaotic shop you'd ever see. The owner seems to know where everything is though, and they carry some really old stuff (like Pengoiun yarn and Anna magazines.) I stocked up on sock yarn, as you'll see, and found what I think is some old Rowan called "Donegal Lambswool" in a medium gray that'll be great for either socks or gloves.
The next stop was the Yarn Lady in Laguna Niguel. Again, some more sock yarn, as well as a stripey cotton blend in either boy/girl colors for a baby sweater. It'll be for...you guessed it, my new nephew or niece! :-) They had a selection of pretty nail files up at the counter and couldn't resist the spinning wheel one.
Then I was done for the day - literally and physically. I was beat, so went to my aunt and uncle's house where I stayed for the next couple of days. They have the cutest dog named Buddy - a sweet Laslo-Apso/Std Poodle mix. He's only a couple of years old and still wants to play...a lot. He had a lot of energy.
How can you resist that face!! All together now...Aawwwwww!
On Wednesday I visited my friend Lori Lawson of Capistrano Fiber Arts (she was the one who taught me to spin 2 1/2 years ago.) I wanted to get more of her handpainted fibers. See what I got! At the top is 50/50 merino/bombyx in the colorway "Jungle", and along the bottom from left to right is pinks merino/mohair (which I started spinning already), merino, and BFL.
On Thursday my aunt and I went out to visit my cousin's family. They have two kids - Devon and Dylan. They were a riot to be around, really sweet kids with a lot of energy. Devon will be 5 in August and Dylan 3 in June.
This is what we saw as we pulled up - the parking lot.
Couldn't resist taking a picture of that - all thier scooters and cars all pulled up nicely at the top of the driveway.
And while Devon learned to knit...
Dylan read a book.
An hour into our visit and we all trooped outside for some air and a chance for the kids to run around and play. Here are a couple of action shots. Dylan looks so determined, his lips pressed together as if he's thinking, "I'm going to do this, I will go down the steep driveway when mommy's not looking." Devon was just happy to be outside.
Friday I left early and drove to Santa Clara for Stitches West. Once I got past the valley and was going west, the landscape was so beautiful and lush...and green! I'd forgotten how green everything is in SoCal during the winter. Though this picture was taken farther north, the coloring is similar.
At the Stitches market I was almost overwhelmed by the number of vendors and people. I'd been before about three years ago, and was totally overwhelmed then. This time I made it through all the booths and kept (mostly) to my budget. I couldn't belive how much money was changing hands - and this was only Friday. Two more days still for people to buy, buy, buy!!
These patterns called out to me, all being very feminine and sized/shaped for my body type (hopefully!) :-)
This is the rest of my loot - at the top a BLF/Alpaca blend roving, from left to right - Tess Designs 100% silk in silver and purple, Toots LeBlanc handspun jacob/alpaca/mohair fingering weight, Claudia Handpaints 100% 20/2 silk, colorway "Bearded Iris," and 100% Kid from Brooklyn Farms(?). In the middle (if you can't read it) is a stamp I found at Village Spinning and Weaving that says "Handspun By:" with a spindle below. I thought it was very cute, and I can definitely use it.
Friday afternoon saw me heading up to Placerville to visit my good friend Jessica and her husband Mark. I stayed overnight with them and left Saturday afternoon to head back home. I was a little pictured out, so didn't take any. They have two friendly dogs and a herd of cats. :-)
This whole week I encountered all types of weather. Starting with the clear sunshine on my drive down, followed by serious fog while dropping down over the Cajon Pass, then it rained both Tuesday night, off and on Weds, and poured most of Thursday. Friday morning it was raining hard still, but cleared up through the valley. Wind was gusting through the valley, then it was back to rain and clouds on the coast.
Didn't dampen my spirits, nope - not even the snow over Donner Pass coming back. I had the novel experience of chaining up for the first time. It took me about an hour to get throught the pass and drop down into Truckee. All things considering, it could have been worse. They closed it later that night.
This is what I came home to. Yay, more snow!! :-) It snowed a good 6" Saturday night, but it all melted by Sunday afternoon. :-( Oh, well, there's still 2' more on the slopes. My brother and friend and I are planning on going snowboarding this Saturday.
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