Romantic Soul Shawl

There's just something about Springtime that beckons to my romantic nature, causing me to pick up my crochet hook and create something light, airy, lacy and feminine. This fresh time of year with all it's full flowers and blossoming romance is made for dreamers and lovers and beautiful things like lacework shawls.

So I set aside my knitting needles from time to time, even though they always have works in progress on them as well, and reach for a crochet hook so I can feel the slick glide of ebony wood and lace weight fiber gliding through my fingers to create delicate articles that will feed my old soul. After all, Crochet was my first love even before I held my first set of knitting needles.

I made the body of this shawl using hand painted merino wool in shades of blue with a touch of delicate green and used a very soft white lace weight wool for the edging. I must admit that I had a struggle with myself for a couple of days...

Every single stitch of this was pure bliss for me. It was therapy for my soul. At no time, however, did I have the thought of keeping it for myself. I am years past that battle. I've been selling my handwork far too long for that. Then I wrapped it around myself after it was blocked and my sister came to take the photos for me. Well.... blue is a good color for me... I never make anything for myself...

the voice of my sweet sister, "Danette, it really does look good on you"...

 maybe just this once...

My wayward heart nearly won out. But then I remembered, as I always do, I have the ability to make another one anytime I want to. So....

You can find this one on my Shop here 

If you're like me and the whisper of lace moving ever so gently against your skin sings a song your soul recognizes, then you understand that momentary pull on my heart towards keeping it for my very own. I have to say though, I am certain I created it for someone very special. Someone who will experience all the same beauty and magic I did the moment I settled it around myself. I get a feeling about particular pieces while I'm working on them and once they're completed. I know they are destined for a lifetime journey with a special heart and soul.

That's why, no matter how much I love them, I let them go. I wrap them with care and send them off with a prayer for the recipient and thankfulness in my heart to God that I am blessed by the pleasure it gives me to make the things I make and that others are, hopefully, blessed by the use of them. Then I pick up my hook and needles and create anew.

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."

William Shakespeare

Shakespeare's Sonnets

Warm Hearts

These frigid Winter days are finding me nestled inside, hard at work with my hands, hooks, needles and sumptuous fibers. These fingerless mitts are identical in pattern to the Alpaca mitts I listed on my website a few days ago, however the Alpaca yarn I used was something I only had a few precious skeins of in my stash and, sadly, it has been discontinued. I have enough to knit only two pairs of mitts out of it. Therefore, I will be introducing these crocheted mitts into my line on a permanent basis in this elegant fiber blend of 50/50 Merino Wool and Bamboo. I absolutely love this lush fiber, as it offers that exquisite softness and wonderful bounce we all know and love from the Merino Wool, while adding a touch of strength and luster from the Bamboo, which gives it a subtle sheen as the light reflects off it. This is also a wonderful blend for anyone who has sensitive skin. So ... warmth, beauty, elegance and the functionality of having your fingers free... you really can't go wrong.

I have actually had these fingerless mitts in my line in the past, however they were made in a finer weight. I find I prefer them in a bit heavier weight for the all over cushy softness and warmth they provide this way. This is a sport weight yarn and unless a customer requests a lighter weight, I will stick with this. Although they are lacy and airy, due to the nature of crochet, they are surprisingly quite warm.

Now, one would think that, especially during the Winter, for those of us who live in areas that get bitterly cold, an actual full coverage mitten would be preferred. Let me just say right here and now, if any of you want those from me, I do knit mittens in all different styles. I even hand embroider across the tops of them... snowflakes with tiny glass pearl beads or delicate vining flowers, if you like. As a matter of fact, during the Fall and Holiday season I sold countless pairs of mittens to local customers via a craft faire and my annual Christmas Tea and Sale that takes place in my home, that I never listed on my shop nor had time to post pictures of on my blog. All that being said, however, my fingerless mitts remain my top selling items every single year. In this fast paced, social media, texting, journaling, java drinking, carpooling world we live in today, people want their fingers set free. Although I occasionally have some people say to me,

"I just don't get fingerless mitts..."

I have a whole lot of customers who snap them up like they are manna from Heaven. So many people have told me over the years they wear them inside all of the time, either at work or home, because their hands are just that cold.

 Here's my theory on that...

It's the old adage of "Cold hands, warm heart."

I believe you all have such beautiful and precious warm hearts,

that your hands are always cold.

This is what I found about that saying ...

Possible interpretation: A cool, reserved exterior may hide a kind heart.

{Hmmm... I like that.}

Note: In cold weather, blood goes away from the hands and feet to protect the brain and main part of the body.

Then your hands will be cold but your heart will be warm.

{Well.... there you have it.}

So, as far as I'm concerned, since we need to warm our hands,

we might as well do it with a touch of Beauty...

You can find the listing for the fingerless mitts shown in this post here.

They will be available in a variety of colors soon.

For now you can purchase them in this lovely, cool shade of Grey that has a definite undertone of Seafoam Green to it. Hard to describe but really very pretty and actually quite neutral.

I am also working on restocking my popular selling Jane Austen Mitts.

Thank you all for the love and support you show me.

I am thankful beyond mere words.

You keep my heart warm no matter how cold it gets.

"Whatever we are waiting for - peace of mind, contentment, grace,

the inner awareness of simple abundance-

it will surely come to us,

but only when we are ready to receive it with

an open and grateful heart."

Sarah Ban Breathnach

Speaking of Angels ...

Who turned the clock from midsummer to the first week of December when I wasn't looking? That's what it feels like, isn't it? We all know what order the months have in our calendar and that they never change but for some reason I always seem to be taken suddenly unaware when Christmastide is upon us once again, like Dorothy looking down at red shoes on a path in a different land...

Just yesterday I was knitting on my front porch swing with my dogs and birdcages outside, feeding my squirrels {which I still do} and now I'm wrapped up by a fireplace with extra socks and a sweater. Of course for me the one thing that remains the same, no matter the season or weather, is that I always have a steaming cup of tea while knitting... yes ... even in the heat. Can't help that. Must be fueled to work. I must say, this time of year it adds to the coziness of things.

I also have to insert here that I really, really do love Christmas and everything about it. That's why I got married just eight days before Christmas thirty three years ago. It's just that it always seems to sneak up on me.

For those of you who don't follow my Instagram and don't know it, I had an annual event in my home this last Saturday, which is one of the reasons I have been silent here on my blog for longer than intended. My fingers have been flying over lots of fiber in preparation.

Not to mention just a bit of housework and decorating. If you'll look closely at the first picture you will notice my Christmas tree has only lights and no ornaments on it. That's because I always wait until after our Sale to decorate it. We fill it with items that are For Sale on the day of the event.

This year's Christmas Tea & Sale went beautifully. There were four Fiber Artist's involved, including myself plus heavenly handmade, organic body butter and sugar scrub from another local vendor.

We served Cinnamon Coffee and Christmas Tea along with a variety of home baked goodies.

Our customers enjoyed their sweet treats and many of our fiber arts flew out the front door as though on the wings of angels. Every single thing about the day was lovely. If YOU were here I would like to say "Thank You".

Speaking of Angels...

As many of you know, my nine year old granddaughter, Gabriella

{one of my Angels here on Earth}, is a ballet dancer with Peoria Ballet. She was meant to dance two roles, one being a rather large role, in this years Nutcracker performance on December 10 & 11, however, she has a fractured tibia due to the fact she has grown six inches in the last two years. The doctor says this is twice the amount she should have grown in that time period, therefore that particular bone was not able to keep up with the rapid growth spurt.  

When my daughter explained the situation to the Executive Director at Peoria Ballet she said Gabby could still be onstage just standing and not dancing. She said injuries are so common in the world of dance and they figure out a way to work around them because the children work so very hard all year long to be in the performance and they are heartbroken if they are unable to participate. She's right. Gabby was heartbroken and this made all the difference.

Thank You Executive Director...

Now that's an Angel in action if you ask me.

And now though I'd like to join Miss Puss in her Winter's nap...

I really must decorate the Christmas tree because this weekend will be busy with

The Nutcracker and next Monday we will be having our

Knit Night Christmas Party here.

So much to be happy and thankful for during this Joyful and Festive Season.

May you all be very Merry & Blessed.

"I expect to pass through this world but once.

If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show,

or any good thing I can do any fellow human being let me do it now.

Let me not defer or neglect it,

for I will not pass this way again."

Stephen Grellet

1773-1855

As I was in the midst of writing this post I received a call from my Dad to tell me that my beloved cousin passed away in her sleep Sunday night. We grew up very close. She is one of the little girls I talk about in a previous post entitled

The Nearness of God.

Her name was Kari. She was just thirteen months older than me, making her only 53 years old.

In her late thirties she suffered a brain aneurysm and over the course of years has had twenty eight brain surgery's. She passed away unexpectedly but peacefully, in her sleep in the night at her sisters home after attending a Christmas Open House with her. So I will be making a trip to the Chicago area this Thursday to attend her services. Your prayers for my family at this time are much appreciated.

She was my Aunt's firstborn child.

I am heartbroken at the loss of her. I will carry her in my heart all the days of my life and return often to those carefree days of our childhood... days full of laughter and sunshine... days of running through cornfields and playing dress up with Grandma's aprons.

Rest in Peace My Sweet Kari,

Once again you're floating in a world that knows no time,

And Thankfully, no pain.

&

God Bless You All.

A Tranquil Heart

As I have continued to step from one decade of my life to the next I have discovered something about myself. I think it was always in my original blueprint but it took the hand of Time to continuously polish and perfect it day after day, year after year over the many moments of my life. It can be summed up best in one simple, yet profound word...

Contentment.

In retrospect, I have basically always believed wholeheartedly in the theory that one should bloom where planted and, quite honestly, that seems to come rather naturally for me. Even my mother has always said this about me, which has always made me feel really good inside. When I reach for the stars, they are the stars in my own backyard. I am a nester, a homebody, a nurturer and, well, quite simply, content in the life God has blessed me with.

My husband is still my best friend after being together for 37 years. Our two grown daughters are a constant source of pure love and joy to me, along with their husbands. My grandchildren fill my heart to overflowing. They all make life a continual feast for me.

Amongst my many blessings, I also have beautiful friendships. The flowers were a gift from a sweet friend a couple of weeks ago when she came for an afternoon of knitting, laughter and tea on the front porch. I have reached a point in my life of taking pure pleasure in the sweet, simple things of life, like that afternoon with a friend, beautiful new twists of yarn, a new project to crochet or knit, an unexpected gift of flowers, a phone call from an old friend who I haven't heard from in awhile, a cozy kitty napping in my kitchen, the many wonders of nature and the sheer bliss of a good pot of tea.

A new shawl in the works

Leia ~ Hilary, Brandon & Archer's kitty

Mercedes

Tallulah, who eats from my hand

A friend who showed up on the porch

As Time carries on its march and I continue to stroll through this world,

 I am constantly aware that my heart becomes increasingly more full

of

peace and thankfulness

for the simple treasures that are my life.

"It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

Laura Ingalls Wilder

"A tranquil heart is life to the body ..."

Proverbs 14:30 a

Glory Days

October is being gentle of spirit for a few days, giving us tender days of golden sunshine and huge cotton clouds drifting lazily across clear blue skies. I find myself opening windows once again to air the house, grabbing my knitting, brewing a cup of tea and wandering out to the front porch to settle in on my beloved porch swing to enjoy these days. They are like a beautiful ear of Indian corn, these fresh early glory days of Autumn that are sprinkled in here and there. I know they must be captured and appreciated when we are blessed with them. Before too long the porch swing will be silent.

Therefore I continue to knit cozy warm articles for the cooler Fall days and Winter that surely is coming. For I know it's easy to be fooled on these mild days of lovely, light breezes but eventually the winds of change will come. So I find mitts and mittens continuing to fall from my needles.

Then in the midst of it all I had the pleasure of something light and almost Summery come through my Shop as a custom order. I was able to put down the knitting needles for a few hours and pick up my crochet hook.

I have a regular customer who likes to purchase little pretties from time to time and after buying one potholder in a different color combination she also placed a custom order for this one.

The first time I ever made one in these colors was for my sister, Bridget, so I always think of her when I recreate it. I have to say it's my favorite color combination for these potholders.

Speaking of Bridget, we do finally have a diagnosis after the many doctor visits and blood tests.

She has Aplastic Anemia, which you can read about by clicking on the live link.

We Thank all of you for your continued prayer on her behalf.

Your love and support mean the world to all of our family.

Those of you who know Bridget know how much she loves to cook and bake.

Here's a sampling of her recent artwork.

Even though she doesn't feel her very best, she continues to worry about her big sister when I get overly tired. The week after the Pumpkin Festival Craft Faire she sent supper over every single evening so Scott would be fed while I was knocked out on the couch. Not only was I exhausted from the Craft Faire but once I get through the Pumpkin Festival, my busy season is in full swing and I knit or crochet all hours to stay on top of it. She has also baked fabulous desserts for my Monday night knitting group the last three weeks. These gorgeous pumpkin cookies were last nights offering.

How wonderful it is to have a sister to go through life's journey with.

These are glory days indeed.

"What sets sisters apart from brothers and also from friends

is a very intimate meshing of heart, soul and the mystical cords of memory."

Carol Saline

Community

Well the whirlwind of Morton's 50th Golden Pumpkin Festival has finally come to an end and I am slowly recovering. I was unable to do my usual Thankfulness Tuesday post yesterday due to overwhelming fatigue but after an afternoon nap and then 12 hours of sleep last night here I am.

So please bear with me as I try to figure out exactly what day it is...

This photo shows only a portion of our booth about mid morning on the first day, which was actually two spaces wide, and I had to snap quickly between customers. We had two days full of gorgeous sunshine that brought out a beautiful crowd of shoppers. There was a bit of issue with the weather on Friday that caused our director to have to work hard and rearrange the whole schedule {hats off to you Kim for all of your hard work!} but in the end it all worked out perfectly. It was the best show the three of us have ever had. So many of the items that we have spent hours working on sold and that makes us so happy.

Plus I came home with custom orders as well.

But here's the real bonus for me...

I really love the opportunity to be involved in my community in this way. Being up there in the midst of it really is all about community and people coming together for a common goal and to have a good time. At my heart of hearts God programmed me to be a people person and I spend the entire year that I am creating fiber art for this craft faire looking forward to the time I will spend with the different people who will flow in and out of my booth. We always have family and friends who help with the setup and show up to visit, shop and show their loving support year after year, which I cherish more than words can say. If any of you are reading this... Thank You. Then there's the thrill of meeting all the new people that trickle in and out to look and try things on and make purchases or custom order items if we don't have the right size or color they need. I always find myself face to face with and old high school friend or two who has moved away and is home just for the festival and it's so much fun to reconnect. I also gain new knitting and crochet students every year too because they take my business card and show up for lessons and oftentimes we become friends. Although it takes me a good week to recover due to my health issues, I absolutely love every single drop of it all and I wouldn't miss it for the world. I am so thankful that when the smell of pumpkin starts floating on the air I find that God has once again given me the energy and strength I need to be involved in this very special event.

Of course there are also the rides that start on Wednesday before the Craft Faire.

Eric took Gabby and Parker up the first evening and got this picture of Gabby but there are no photos of the little guy. He was very excited about the train... but only watching it. He had no plan to ride it. Maybe next year.

Brandon captured this moment of Hilary and Archer on the merry go round.

I'm always so busy getting ready for the Craft Faire and setting up and then selling that I often have to conserve my energy just for the business at hand. Thankfully they are good about sending me these precious pictures when they snap them.

I hope this post finds each of you enjoying this last true day of Summer in

Good Health and Great Happiness.

I will be back in a few days to share a recipe and show you

what I'm working on for my

Christmas Sale.

For now I leave you with a lovely quote on community and friendship ...

"Alone we can do so little;

together so much."

Helen Keller

The Goodness of The Lord

Yesterday was a milestone in our household. It was the day we celebrated my husband, Scott's, five year mark of being a Pancreatic Cancer Survivor. For anyone who knows anything about this particular cancer, you realize what a truly miraculous thing this is. Very few people beat this one. It's considered The Big Boy of cancers. When I was thirteen I watched my grandmother lose her two year long battle to it and all those memories made me even more thankful that God had a different plan for Scott and me and our whole family.

For one thing we have two little grandsons he might never have known had things gone differently. This is Archer we are pictured with. He belongs to our oldest daughter Hilary and her husband Brandon.

We celebrated his second birthday on Saturday, September 10th at a local park on a very beautiful day.

His name is actually Archer Scott, which made a certain set of grandparents cry when we received that announcement after his birth. The joy that he has brought into our lives truly has no words. He reminds us in many ways of his mother at the same age and yet he is much like our beloved son in law as well.

His cousin Parker, who was two in May, was at the party as well.

His first question when told he was going to Archer's birthday party was,

"Will there be cake and will it have frosting on it?" He also really likes balloons.

  I just can't imagine Scott not being here to experience every drop of these two little men that God has sent straight down from Heaven just for us.

Look at this beautiful face. Once again, the perfect blend of a much loved daughter and son in law.

The joy that they all bring to our lives is something that I could have experienced on my own you might be thinking... but believe me, it would never have been the same without My Beloved. Scott and I have been together since I was a mere girl of 15 and he was really still just a boy of 19. At this point we are one flesh, one breath. Sometimes it's hard for me to tell where he stops and I begin. So I am more thankful, clear down to the very deepest part of my heart and soul, than anyone will ever know, that God chose to allow me to keep him. I thank Him every single day for His blessing.

We went through a difficult time five years ago, there's no denying that. Scott had sixty percent of his pancreas removed, along with his spleen and a soft ball sized mass. We spent six nights in the hospital. He was so sick that some of it's a blur to him but I remember every detail. During that time both of our daughters were planning their weddings six months apart. Scott had surgery in September, Chelsea was married in October and Hilary was married in April.

Plus in the midst of all of it, Scott had massive radiation treatments. He was so thin that he had to be refitted for his tuxedo he wore in Chelsea's wedding. He still jokes that it was her who walked him down the aisle in that wedding. But he made it. He danced with both of his cherished daughters at their weddings and he was here when their children entered the world. And by the Grace of God he is still by my side. I have to say here that I knew before we were told that Scott had cancer, that he did indeed have cancer. I felt the Lord preparing me. However, I must tell you that I also knew just as certainly that God would see us through. I had complete assurance of heart about it. That doesn't mean the journey was easy by any means but I always believed he would be

A Survivor.

"I would have despaired unless I

had believed that I would

see the goodness of the

Lord

In the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord;

Be strong and let your heart

take courage;

Yes, wait for the Lord."

Psalm 27: 13, 14

My Constant Solace

In the Spring of 2000 I left the public workforce for the final time. Throughout the years I was raising my two daughters I was mostly a stay at home mom. However there were times I worked small, very part time jobs and even went back to school for a period of time. Then I went to work when they were in upper grade school at a bank in the small town I live in. That job started out as part time as well but soon grew into full time. I loved that job and everything about it. I was a bank teller and eventually trained all of the new bank tellers. As much as I enjoyed the detail part of the work involved it was the people I really loved. My coworkers became a second family to me and I became very fond of the customers. That's what it always comes down to for me really when God plants me in a new place; it's all about the people. So when I leave a place it's the loss of daily contact with those people that I grieve.

The fact that I left that job rather suddenly made it all the more difficult for me to cope with during the time. Although I have been struggling with rheumatoid disease since the age of nine, it took an aggressive turn when I began to approach my mid thirties and a new diagnosis of Systemic Lupus was added to the existing Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fybromyalgia. I no longer had the stamina to make it through a work week or even a work day. I couldn't think straight at times and when you are responsible for handling extremely large amounts of money all day long and teaching others to do the same and have to balance your own cash drawer and a new tellers twice a day every day a clear head is rather essential. I was practically crawling in the back door when I got home in the evenings. When all of the tests finally came through the doctor called me in and had a long talk with me. It was time for me to quit work she said and the really hard part was that she didn't even want me to give a two week notice. She told me that if I worked another two weeks I would end up in the hospital in even worse shape and it would just be harder to get things under control. I was ordered to go the next day and explain the situation and clear out my things and Go Home. Well then... Okay...

She said that if there was any problem they could call her and she would explain. Of course, there was no need. They were wonderful at the bank. Remember, my second family. God works all things out. I, however, was a bit shattered. Oh I was too sick to continue to work as far as my body was concerned but my heart and mind took a very, very long time to catch up to things. Years really. The rug was pulled out from underneath me so suddenly I felt. One moment I was working hard and laughing my way through the day surrounded by lots of people and the very next day I was too sick to get out of bed most days and eventually on disability. This was not exactly where I thought I would find myself at the age of 34. Not only was I suddenly lonely because my husband was at work and my girls were in school all day but I struggled big time with feeling that I no longer had any purpose in life and never would have again. Prior to this time not only had I worked at the bank, I had been a cosmetologist and worked in a beauty salon, I had worked in a gift boutique, helped my parents run a family owned business and done many things over the years at church such as teach Sunday school classes, lead youth group along with my husband and help lead women's ministries. I felt completely defeated. If I can't help other people in some capacity then what good am I ever going to be? That was at the heart of the issue for me always.

So... what did I do? I have to admit it required  the help of an antidepressant for awhile to get me over the initial hump of it all but I also needed something to do to self soothe, fill my time and show that I was being productive in some way.  So once again, I picked up my knitting needles, crochet hooks and yarn. I had learned to knit and crochet both many years earlier and would do a bit here and there but hadn't had much time for it while working full time. On those days when I was home alone and adjusting to a new season of life and, quite honestly, too sick to do anything else, I would prop myself up on the couch or even in bed and knit or crochet for hours. And stitch by stitch my heart began to heal. Eventually I no longer needed those antidepressant pills. Not only was I filling my days with something I loved, my family and friends were enjoying the fruits of my labor at birthday and Christmas time so in at least that small way I felt like I was giving something to someone again.

The years rolled by and I wound up taking courses to be certified by the Craft Yarn Council of America and now I teach private lessons in my home so I have knitting and crochet students coming and going from time to time and it gives me that connectedness I need with people. Plus I get the joy of teaching something I love doing so very much. Then there's my Etsy Shop as well and the local craft fair that I do along with my annual Christmas event in my home. All things considered, I am pretty pleased with the way God has grown my passion for fiber arts into a small, home based business that I can easily manage around my rollercoaster of good and bad days.

No matter what direction my life has taken or will take in the future, knitting has been and will continue to be, my constant solace. My love for it has seen me through my own dark and uncertain days of redefining myself on this journey of life. My hands continuing onto the next stitch and the next one and the one after that got me through the hours of Scott's surgery when they removed the bulk of his pancreas and the days after that when he was so sick in a hospital bed, then through all of the cancer treatments that followed. Regardless of what life brings my way, I just keep stitching through it all.

Has my physical health gotten better? No. But sadly, that's often the nature of long standing rheumatoid disease. A few years ago I took a medication in pill form to try to get things under better control. I didn't respond well to it and it made me nauseous literally night and day. After 2 1/2 years of feeling sick all of the time, being too thin as a result, and much prayer, I entered the world of biologics. I started self injecting Enbrel on a weekly basis 2 years ago this month. I respond very well to this medication and saw results by the second injection. I have virtually no side effects from it.  However, as with many people who are on it, I am not fully remissive. It is most likely due to the fact my disease is long standing. I am much better with it than without it so I stay on it and Thank God that I live in a day and age when medical advancement makes this possible for me. After all, there's a life to be lived and I don't want to spend the bulk of my days doing it in bed. I would so much rather be enjoying my family and friends and, well, my knitting.

I'm making progress in the hats this week. This is my dear friend Erin standing beneath my dogwood tree wearing the blue hat. I think the blue is stunning against her beautiful thick brown hair. It brings out her lovely blue eyes too but these pictures didn't catch that.

Modeling the cream colored hat for me is my youngest daughter Chelsea once again. For those of you who remember posts with my granddaughter Gabby in them, this is her mommy. I really love the contrast of the soft creaminess of this hat against her gorgeous red hair.

This hat is a slower knit than the fingerless mitts due to the fact that it is lacework but it is well worth the effort in the end. As with many of the patterns I use, I have taken the liberty to make my own changes to this here and there causing it to come out the way I prefer it. Even though it takes a little longer and requires more concentration it is still very self soothing, especially as the soft cotton yarn floats through my fingers. I can get one hat accomplished from start to finish and a good start on another one in a days time if the rest of Life doesn't crowd me out too much.

So I just keep knitting...

And when I need a little break I take one.

And always I Thank God for helping me to be the very best I can be at every changing season of my life.

"Make the most of yourself ...

for that is all there is of you."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

(1803-1882)