Yarn Along: Where I Break the Rules

I seem to consistently break the one picture and brevity Yarn Along rules. If I didn't, I'd post three or four knitting posts a week. Instead, I save them all up in my head until Wednesday. I love Wednesday. Begging your grace?

I finished Chloe #4, blocked it, put a button on it, and gave it away. Officially, it's the first finished sweater because I still haven't put buttons on the ones for my girls.  This one went to Zoe, which means that as I knit, everyone found every opportunity to say, "Oh, you're working on Zoe's Chloe?" Yep. Very fun. And what a sweet, sweet baby...

I have cast on for yet another Chloe (the 6th I have cast on), this time for a baby not yet born. This one is in Blue Sky Alpacas Multi Cotton. It feels lovely in my hands and is stitching up rather nicely. I'm pleasantly surprised with the cotton. But I still don't want to have to knit everything in cotton.

I've promised myself that I will move beyond Chloes after this sweater. Not sure exactly where I'm going, but I'm going to knit something other than a Chloe. I think even my family is getting bored. Carmie made this adorable vest for Sarah. She's worn it and worn it and worn it since it arrived a few weeks ago. I see the value of vests for toddlers and I know that these could be the workhorses of her wardrobe, so maybe that's the direction I'm going. I just need to figure out which yarn...

Reading? I have stuck to my Lenten resolve, but I have lined up Easter Week reading. Here's my problem: my Lenten reading was on audio; I listened to all of it. But now, I have some books to read. As far as I know one cannot read and knit at the same time. How am I going to find time to knit, to read, and to blog? 

I caved and bought three book-books, despite my promise to myself only to buy books on Kindle this year. At the insistence of every knitter who offered an opinion, I'm going to read two Elizabeth Zimmermann books, simply because it appears to be the thing to do. And then, in hopes of getting my house so together that I create more pockets of time in which to knit, I am going to read Organized Simplicity. {Mary Beth notes that all our "simplicity" books are blue. Could we just paint the house blue and attain peace of simplicity?}

Be sure to stop by and visit Ginny and see what other folks are knitting and reading.

{comments are open to chat about knitting and reading and organizing and such:-)}

Bloggity Bigday Giveaway

On April 6, 2006, this blog made its first appearance. I was a very tentative blogger who was really talked into it by a friend, who also did my first blog design. I was newly pregnant (and very sick) with my sweet Karoline. I couldn't imagine ever having enough to say here.

Lots of things have changed since then and I'm surprised nearly every day by the serendipitous, grace-filled  adventures this full life offers and the way that blogging gives them voice.  I'm grateful for the lessons I've learned here. I'm grateful for the opportunity to create and share here.

In all honesty, I've struggled with what to write today, how to capture what this space has meant the last five years. I'll never forget sitting in the hospital with Mike the night Karoline was born, reading so many kind words and sweet prayers, feeling an overwhelming sense of good and community and friendship. Praise God there have been many such days since this blog began. Nor will I forget nights in front of this screen with tears streaming so fast that the painful words blurred and I could not even see to read. I drafted this post weeks ago (so that I wouldn't forget the whole anniversary thing) and left this part to finish today. And what has come to mind, over and over again, is "all good." All of it. Even the painful parts.

All good.

All I've learned--about books, and cooking, and nature, and knitting, and friendship, and God, and myself--all of it is for my good. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart (and home) for that good. Thank you for caring about me, about my family, about this place on the 'net.

To celebrate five years of publishing here, I'm hosting a giveaway. Or two. Or three.

Because knitting is the new passion, I'm giving away this darling knit and read book, Spud and Chloe at the Farm.

And

Small Steps for Catholic Moms

And

 

Real Learning

Leave a comment and let me know which one I can send you (Remember, comments are moderated, so it might take a little while foryou to see your comment appear.)  Winners to be announced on April 10.

And hey, thanks so much for dropping by so often. I'm happy and so grateful to share my heart and home with you.

Yarn Along: One Pink "Fweater"

Pardon me, please. I'm a little late to the Yarn Along.

I was knitting.

Elizabeth teased me last week that I had my first UFO (Unfinished Object). Indeed, I had casted on for Katie's shrug before finishing Sarah's.

But only because I didn't know how to finish Sarah's.

I definitely don't think I will be the UFO type. I'm all into finishing. Like stay up until midnight and get up a 5 AM to finish finishing. So, this week, Sarah's "fweet fweater" is finished.

 

{Come here, Baby Bedhead, see what Mama has for your morning surprise.}

And Katie's is completed all except a few more easy rows of length and the ruffle.

 

{{{And blocking and buttons (but I don't know how to do those yet and I've lost the buttons somewhere in the van).}}}

The goal is to finish all by Friday, when I expect the mailman will deliver yarn for Karoline's striped shrug. I don't want to start something new until I finish these.

 

We're reading lots of knitting-and-wool-related picture books. I cleared out the glass-fronted cabinet in the family room and installed our yarn (a shelf for me and a shelf for the girls), a basket of needles and such, and these lovelies:

Phoebe's Sweater (for more on Phoebe, don't miss this interview and Phoebe Mouse's blog)

Freddie's Blanket

Knitting Nell 

Charlie Needs a Cloak 

Warm as Wool 

The Mitten 

Sunny's Mittens 

Pelle's New Suit

and these for next week:

Woolbur 

Noodles Knitting 

Red Berry Wool

Argyle

Remain in me, as I remain in you

Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.

John 15: 4-9

In the atrium, right before their first confessions, the children gather with their parents and meditate on the  the true vine. It is my favorite of five preparatory meditations. I will never tire of watching the "ah ha" in the eyes of children (and, frankly, their parents) when they see that God is the sturdy vine that supports healthy gowth and He also prunes so that they will bear much fruit.

Lent is a time of pruning. Before the rapid growth of springtime, before the burst of joy at Easter, He prunes. I have been blessed in Lents past. I have been blessed with a gracious God who cares so much for me that He  made clear to me what I must do lest I wither and die. Last year, He showed me how to prune away the branches in my life that were keeping me from spending time in Him, from remaining in Him. He showed me that there is a difference between talking about religion and being drawn into the very being of Jesus Himself.

I turned to the timeless prayers of the Church, to scripture, and to the wisdom of the saints of old. I went again and again and again, with the rhythm of a well-practiced monk, to the Liturgy of the Hours. And there, I lingered, remaining in Him. Easter found me clinging to God.

Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.

~G.K. Chesterton

Lent is a gift. A grace. An opportunity. Lent calls us to Him.

Lent is a chance for a Love Dare like no other. It's a chance to let the God prune and then to water us with His grace. It's also a chance to rest in Him, to stop trying to struggle under our own strength and let His love be sufficient be more than enough. It's a time to surrender to the love of God. A woman cannot have a love affair with a stranger. She cannot have a love affair with someone she knows only through the teaching of other people.

In order to be in love with God, she has to remain in Him. But how? How to remain in God? How to know Him so well that she rests in Him, abides in Him? How to be always with God?

To be ignorant of scripture is to be ignorant of God.

~St. Jerome

“The Gospel,” they explained, “is to be understood not as a book or a doctrine, but rather as a person: Jesus Christ, the definitive Word of God, who made himself a man.”

~drafters of the preparatory document of the 2012 Synod on the New Evangelization

To know God as a person--to have a relationship--she must know Scripture. And not just a little, not just as read from the missal. Not just on Sundays. But really, really know it. Know it so well that she rests in it, that it is the background music to her life, every minute of her life. Know it so well that it abides in her and she in it.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you..

I want to breathe the Word of God to the point where I don't know where I stop and He begins.

Have you ever met someone like that? Someone truly united, truly remaining in God? It's an amazing thing to behold. She walks in grace. She blesses with her smile, with her gestures, with her words. She lives the life for which she is created because she is the genuine image of God He intended her to be.

I want that.

So, yes, this Lent is about Scripture, with the sure idea that this is not a temporary Lenten habit but a lifetime habit.

I know that in order to make time for Him, I will have to again prune away those things rob time, waste time. I will have to quiet the voices that do nothing to bring me closer to God and nothing to help me hear Him. And then I will make some conscious choices.

There will still be that Lenten spring cleaning list (For those of you to whom I promised it, I haven't forgotten. An unexpected death this week has our family schedule making way for mourning and funeral. Maybe next week I can share). God will accompany me as I clean. I've downloaded an amazing new audio dramatization of the RSV Bible to my computer and my iPod. I can listen as I deep clean corners, as I fold laundry, as I clear clutter. And if my children happen to be with me, all the better. They can listen, too. I start the day's listening every day with Colossians, because I promised a friend I'd memorize with her and I'm woefully behind where I should be by now. And then, I move on to the Gospels.

I'm focusing on the Gospel of Matthew because that's the Church's focus this year. So, it's Matthew again and again in my listening, until it's a part of me. The children and I are memorizing large chunks of the Gospel of Matthew together, using a simple system. I fully admit that I have exploited the ridiculous competitive spirit in this family to motivate some major memorizing. Whatever it takes. I think this gift of the Word could be the greatest gift we ever give our children.

The books baskets have been stuffed with Bible story books and children's Bibles. And I will make time, several times a day, to read them aloud in unhurried, joy-filled moments with my own dear loves. (I hope to make a list of New Testament story picture books to share with you very soon--feel free to email me with your favorites.)

There are Bibles in nearly every room of my house and we've recently begun to consult several translations and commentaries and a Bible dictionary whenever something comes up in conversation. These moments of discovery are joys with older children.

And then there is that lovely electronic version on my Kindle. A Bible everywhere I go.

Lenten reading this year? Oh, it's so much more than just Lenten reading.

It's Jesus.

The Word of God.

Christmas Giveaway!

I was unaware that it arrived. One of my many helpers must have opened the package. He or she left it on the table right next to the foot of the stairs. It was there that it caught my eye as I was ascending with a stack of laundry. I stopped, went back down those few steps, put down the clothes and picked up the book. And there I was still an hour and a half later, while chaos threatened to bubble up around me and the laundry begged to be tucked away.

I read randomly, flipping through essay after essay, remembering old friends and discovering new inspiration.  Stories for the Homeschool Heart is a book of lessons. Between the covers, we read the lessons mothers learn when they open their hearts to teaching their children at home. It sounds so cliche to write, "You'll laugh; you'll cry," but in that stolen hour and a half, I did both. And when I finally brought myself to put the book down and get on with my day, I was better for having stopped everything to read. And to listen. There's a lot of wisdom there.

The ladies at Stories for the Homeschool Heart are having a giveaway. Drop everything and go enter because today's the last day. And then meander back here, because I'll give you a few more days and another chance to win something.

There's something else I want you to read. Theresa Thomas, who with Patti Armstrong, is an author-editor of Stories for the Homeschool Heart, recently wrote this thoughtful piece: What your Wife Really Wants for Christmas. Go on, read it; I'll wait. And when you come back, leave me a comment and tell me what you really want for Christmas. When you do, you will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of Stories for a Homeschool Heart.

Comments are open, but they are moderated, so you might not see yours right away. Today's that office bowling extravaganza; I'm going to be away from the computer:-) Comments close at 6 PM, my time, on Friday.