beep beep: on impatience

Our Jeep is a blessing.

(This hydrangea growing in my backyard is a blessing, too.)

You might laugh at that, but it is. And this is what I was chanting to myself last Saturday as I buckled Joshua into his carseat and started up the car for a grocery run on that rainy summer morning.

I buckled my seat belt and then realized that the seat was wet. Really wet. And then I gripped the steering wheel - also wet. The rain was leaking into the car, pooling in the upholstered ceiling, and dripping from the driver's side shade right onto my leg. Frustrated, I grabbed the only thing I could reach while still buckled - the picnic blanket I've kept in the car this summer - and tried to deal. Then I realized that my toes, too, were being dripped upon. What a day for flip flops, right?

Then I began to feel bad for myself. "Why do I have a ten-year-old leaky Jeep? Why can't I have a nice new car that's comfortable?" But I was stopped in my tracks as God quickly reminded me that, A. I don't deserve any of the blessings he's given (among them food, clothes, a home, shelter, a family), let alone this car, B. I'm on my way to buy groceries, for which we have just enough money, and C. This car is dependable. Not to mention, D. This car was a GIFT to us.

When we couldn't buy a second car, and had just totaled our only vehicle, friends of ours just gave us their extra vehicle. Free. Gratis. No strings attached. That was how the Jeep came to be ours. We paid for its new salvage title in NY state (it was once in a rollover accident, and the frame has never been quite true since. Hence, the leaking and the doors and windshield not fitting quite perfectly), put on the new plates, and it was ours. A blessing. An unanticipated, undeserved blessing.

And yet, I'm still impatient. And ungrateful. The knee-jerk reaction when I'm frustrated. Beep beep!! You've inconvenienced me. Still catching myself thinking about that elusive day when we might have two cars again, when they might be newer than ten years old, when they won't be gas-guzzling, 18mpg vehicles. When we can buy new furniture. When we can upgrade....

And it's not wrong to dream, but it's wrong to dwell on what we wish we could have, when we have so many things we can be thankful for now. I need to cultivate gratitude and thankfulness, a peaceful spirit, and a gentle, generous heart. I need to be willing to give of what I have - materially and emotionally - to others. I need to stop holding on with such clenched little fists to these temporal things that really don't matter anyway.

Whew. It's hard, isn't it?

I'm thankful for:

1. Peace in my home
2. A loving husband
3. My sweet little boy
4. My cat
5. Our very own laundry machines in our very own house
6. Enough food to eat
7. Those cute sparrows we saw on the walk today, and the tiny orange flowers in someone's grass
8. My pink Nalgene full of clean, filtered, fresh water
9. Our church
10. That blessed blue Jeep Liberty.

charity knitting

I like knitting for other people. It's somehow harder to knit for myself - like the time is better used if I can give something away!

Each year, I knit things to give to my family members as Christmas gifts, and I like to try to fit something in to give to a charity. This year, I found the Red Scarf Program, which is part of Foster Care to Success. The organization helps college students to feel loved and warm on Valentine's Day each year by sending a red scarf to each student that has been in foster care.

Here's what I came up with:

A squishy, soft infinity scarf!

I happened to have some red acrylic yarn in my stash that was looking for the perfect project. Paired with a reddish brown mohair, it makes a cozy scarf!

I knit in a basic basketweave pattern, using big needles to allow the mohair to stay lofty. It didn't take long to finish because of the bigger needles!

To finish the scarf, I seamed the finished edges together, creating an infinity scarf. It will be so cozy - worn once around the neck, or twisted double for extra warmth. The college student bonus is that both of these yarns are machine washable, and therefore, late-night (or early morning) coffee-run friendly.

I hope and pray that the student who gets the scarf feels cozy and warm! I wish I could hug you and tell you that you truly are loved.

knitting for baby

It's so fun to have a reason to knit, long before Christmas presents are calling for completion. It has also been wonderful to have some cooler weather in the evenings - makes holding yarn and needles a wonderful thing!

About a week and a half ago, I cast on for this vest, using some gray Lion Brand Cotton Ease yarn that I had purchased on sale somewhere a long while ago. One skein was missing a paper label, but I don't generally see that as a big deal when I'm paying, oh, $1.50 per skein. Especially since the full price on Lion Brand's website is listed at $7.69 per skein. Yeah. Not a bad deal.

So, I forged ahead and cast on. I love knitting with cables, and was so pleased at how the back of the sweater turned out.

Here's the back of the sweater, before ribbing was added to the sleeves.

I chose to knit the 12 month size so that Baby can wear it next autumn all the way through the spring. I'm thinking it might make a really cute Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter outfit, depending on how fast the little guy grows. I also decided to leave out the buttons at the shoulder, because the v-neck looks big enough to stretch over a baby head without too much trouble.

The vest is made in two pieces - front and back - and then is sewn together before the ribbing around the arm holes and v-neck is added. I ran out of my first skein of yarn halfway up the v-neck on the left side, and joined the new skein. I knit the other side of the v-neck, seamed the shoulders and sides, and only then did I realize...

...these two skeins of gray cotton are two different dye lots.

Translation: the color is not an exact match. It's subtle, but I can see it, and it's frustrating. However, there is no way that I'm ripping out that much of a sweater; I'd have to undo the perfectly seamed sides (thankyouverymuch) and knit the entire front again. Not happening. Not until the next time I make this sweater.

In typical Linnea style, I just continued with the pattern, adding the ribbing at the arm holes. Cute.

Then I picked up stitches for the neck line, knit the five rows of ribbing as prescribed and had a second frustrating realization: there are no instructions for a decrease at the v-neck to make the ribbing lie flat.

This time, I did rip out stitches - but just three rows. I did some decreasing at the point of the "v" - as neatly as I could - and tried to make it work. I think it was somewhat successful.

See? Somewhat successful, almost-flat v-neck trim.

Most of my disappointment at this point is because I had hoped that this little project would be an exquisite heirloom, destined to be passed down from our Baby to his baby to the next baby... as long as it would last. It's really cute, but not perfect. Not a complete failure, but still sad.

I do like it, though. And I'll try again...but not for a while! Now, it's on to other little projects.

spring knitting

Quite a while ago, my mom found a lot of red merino wool yarn at an estate sale, and she bought all of it for me! At fifty cents a skein, it wasn't a bad price. I've been enjoying making things out of it - here's the most recent project!

It's a spiral-y, ruffly scarf. It's light and airy, but still warm - just right for spring! I found the pattern on Lion Brand's website. It's called the Spiral 'Ruffled' Scarf. They recommend using a thicker yarn for most of the project, and then switching to mohair for just the outside edge of the ruffle. However, I used mohair for the entire project, making it a much lighter weight scarf!

Here's the ruffle scarf, folded in half, with the ends tucked through the loop!

The construction of a ruffle in knitting is really ingenious. For this one, at least, you cast on 100 stitches - this is the length of the scarf, rather than the width. Then, increases are made by yarn overs (abbreviated yo) for ever stitch in the first row, doubling the stitches. The stitches are doubled twice more for about 800 stitches! The rapid increases make the fabric appear to ruffle as it spirals on itself. Neat! I like the pretty pattern that is created by the yo - lots of lacy eyelets in the fabric.

Valentine's Day - just a peek!

Happy belated Valentine’s Day! I hope yours was full of beautiful blessings and reminders of how much you are loved.

heart shaped pizza - yes!

I made a couple of things for my dear husband to celebrate our love:

Ten romantic date night coupons – I cut 3”x3” squares of paperboard (thinner than cardboard, heavier than cardstock or cereal boxes) and covered them on both sides with one of four kinds of scrapbook paper. There had to be music notes, of course, since we’re both musicians. I then cut hearts out of a sheet of handmade art paper given to me by a friend, and glued those onto five of the squares. In my scrapbooking and card-making stash, I have quite a few scrap papers, and the copper metallic paper was just begging to be added in the form of hearts.

I added handwritten verses from Song of Songs to finish off the romantic front of the cards.

Something else was needed, though, so I got out my kraft paper and made envelopes for them, numbering them 1-10 with stickers.

 

Inspiration struck again, and I penned lines from our first dance song onto the front of the envelopes.

 

Finally, I tied them all up with ribbon.

 

He was thrilled, by the way!

Our weekend was filled with togetherness…

 

…snuggling…

 

…more snuggling…

 

…and pizza, of course!

Add caption

cocoa crinkle cookies

I can hardly contain the chocolaty deliciousness! My Grandma and Grandpa gave me a Hershey's chocolate cookbook for Christmas, and I've flagged some recipes to try. First on the list: Rich Cocoa Crinkle Cookies. Observe:

Oooh, ahhhh....


I am pretty sure this is a new go-to cookie. It might rank just above below chocolate chip cookies (mmmm!!!). At any rate, it's a new personal favorite!

Here's the recipe from my new cookbook:

2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Hershey's Cocoa (I used Special Dark)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar

1. Combine granulated sugar and oil in large bowl; add cocoa, beating until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to cocoa mixture, beating well.
2. Cover; refrigerate until dough is firm enough to handle; at least 6 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (commentary: 1 inch is decidedly too large, in my book. However....); roll in powdered sugar to coat. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched lightly and tops are crackled. Cool slightly (2 minutes, here). Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

The recipe says it makes about 6 dozen, but I only came up with about 5.5 dozen, and with making the cookies smaller than suggested. I promise I only ate one two. So far, that is.

And how do they taste? A little like brownies! Slightly gooey, crunchy around the edges, so richly chocolate. A total success.

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!

knitting to give away

Every year that I've been at this college, we have done a winter wear drive to clothe the people of Buffalo, NY who don't have the money for coats, hats, mittens, boots, and other winter items. Many of these people are refugees or immigrants, and they receive help from Jericho Road Ministries. I have always wanted to participate by knitting something special for these people and their struggling families. College studies and busyness always got in the way.

This year, I started early. I wanted to be sure that I had time to make at least one thing to give away this winter. So I made a hat. And then a few more!

The first one is an infant size hat - quick and easy - using scraps from my stash, even some self-striping sock yarn. I held two strands together throughout the project, so it's pretty heavy fabric. It should keep its new owner toasty! The colors are not what we see as traditional for infants, but I think it may suit the darker skin of many of the refugee children who take shelter in Buffalo. Do you like it?I made a child-sized hat next, using a creamy yarn with flecks of other colors. It's pretty basic - flexible enough to be for a boy or a girl. It's lightweight and stretchy.The next hat is for an older child, about 12-14, or for a woman. It's brown and burgundy striped, which I think is also flexible for a young man or woman. This last hat is a true work of love. It's the best hat I have ever knitted, I think. It wasn't easy. And it's a little hard for me to give it away. But we're made to be poured out, right? Filled to fill others? And gifted to give away. Blessed to bless others.

But I digress. I knitted using the technique called "fair isle" knitting or "intarsia" - that's using two or more colors to create a design. I used a traditional snowflake pattern, making the "snowflakes" smaller as the hat gets smaller. I'm really proud of this one, and I hope that the new owner - a man or woman - feels loved and cared for when they wear it. It's a navy blue yarn, using the same creamy tweed-like yarn that I used to make the child-sized hat. What do you think? And the view from the top: It reminds me of the Christmas that my grandma made the black and white Kirsten doll sweater for my doll instead of buying it - the sweater was so expensive! And tiny! And detailed! Now that I know how much work it is to knit like this, I am so much more thankful and amazed at the work that my grandma put into that special gift.

I hope that these little contributions help to make a family more at home here, that they'll feel welcome, stay warm and healthy, and learn about the hope we have in Jesus.

Elizabeth - no peeking!

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth, if you're reading this, click away! Don't want to ruin the surprise... unless you're reading this after your birthday, of course. :o)

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Much thought went into what I could get for Elizabeth for her birthday - jewelry? cute note cards? a picture frame for her puppies? something for her classroom? a new lanyard for school? a Vera bag? But nothing seemed right. Nothing was quite what I was hoping for. Thankfully, though, I came across a blog (that I can't put my finger on right now) that had a link to a travel set. The set included a zippered case, a silky blanket, and a sleep mask. I tucked the idea away, thinking I might make one for Christmas.

Rather serendipitously, I got my Jo-Ann Fabrics coupons in the mail last week, just as I was beginning a new little project. Hubby and I headed off to see his parents for the weekend, and my MIL took me shopping. Yay! We happened to stop at Jo-Ann's, and all the ideas clicked. Bold black and white floral pattern. End-of-the-bolt fleece. It was meant to be! I purchased 2 yards of the floral pattern, and all of the end-of-the-bolt fleece - about 1.75 yards. Lucky for me, the fleece was extra wide. I was able to use my coupons on each cut of fabric. Woo hoo! I also bought a zipper foot and some elastic.

After laying the fabric out on my dining table, I realized that since the fleece was so wide, I could actually use it width-wise for the length of the blanket. Sweet - lots of extra fleece. I sewed all around the blanket, right sides together, and trimmed the corners before turning right side out. I then topstitched all the way around the blanket with white thread. I like it!

The blanket is actually twice this width - I had to fold it over so you could see the edges!

Next, I traced my own sleep mask onto a piece of scrap paper, and used that as a pattern. I cut a layer of floral and a layer of fleece, and then sewed them together with a very small seam. I notched all the edges so that the curves would be smooth. I then realized that I had forgotten to add elastic, so I ripped a few stitches, added elastic, and sewed it back up. A little more topstitching - done!

Then I had to decide how to make the travel case. I debated making just straps to go around it, and perhaps adding a pocket to the blanket for the sleep mask. I realized that I had forgotten to buy a zipper, so that case idea was out. Eventually, I settled on making a tote bag to fit the blanket. Using the extra fleece for the sides and the floral for the front and back, I fashioned a little tote! I added a pocket to the front with room for the sleep mask and an mp3 player, and I lined the tote with silky fabric.

Isn't it cute?

I love how it turned out!

using our gifts

First, a random, recent apple pie I made. Consider this exhibit A: using my gifts. Ha. The hubby enjoyed this delicious offering.

Today's sermon was from Romans 12:3-8, which focuses on the different kinds of gifts that people are given. Some are gifted to teach, or lead, or speak - some are gifted to encourage, to be givers, to show mercy, to serve.

I've always known that I was good at music, and it has been in my heart to be a teacher - I just can't help teaching. To see if I was perceiving these things correctly, I took a few spiritual gifts tests.

The first lists my gifts as musicianship, leadership, and hospitality.
The second one again puts music at the top, followed by discernment, hospitality, wisdom, encouragement, and leadership. Teaching is much further down than I expected.
The third test ranks teaching first, administration second, and exhortation third.

Slightly surprising. But clarifying, I suppose.

I do see myself as a leader, and a person who can easily discern what is the best course of action. I have musical gifts, and I use them gladly. I love having people over at my house, and being surrounded by friends. And, of course, if I have knowledge to share, it's hard to help it!

I suppose these things should confirm for me that I'm in the right place. Conducting is a very leadership and administration based pursuit, but it's also relational. It combines facets of teaching and musicianship. It seems to be the right career for me, if I am to continue to pursue a career. Motherhood is still calling, and I don't know if I could give my best to both. Not a decision for today, though!

Happy Sunday to all.