Yarn Along Ramble

I've done very little knitting or reading since the last Yarn Along. I've done a lot of driving to the airport, some very brief hellos and way too many goodbyes. And the Triduum. That lack --ahem-- isn't going to stop me from posting a too-long Yarn Along;-).

I'm just little further on my latest Chloe (#6). I do have some plans, though. I met Ginny yesterday at Fibre Space, where a very nice guy named Micah was incredibly patient and showed me absolutely every non-animal yarn they had, all the while checking to be sure I wasn't going to go into anaphylactic shock just breathing the wool in the air. We had mixed success. I did buy a yarn to try and a sweet inexpesnive project bag to replace my Ziploc bag. I'm not really thrilled with the yarn yet, but we'll see what happens on the needles. If you are at all local, I encourage you to head to Old Town Alexandria and check out Fibre Space. It was just as I envisioned a neighborhood yarn store: warm, friendly, cheerful, everyone just happy to talk knitting. In addition to their kindness towards me, I heard them helping other customers during the time I was there. Just great folks! And a very nice selection--all those yarns I've spent hours researching online--right there to touch. (And how fun was it that they have a giant Mac right there on the counter, where I could log in to Ravelry and check a pattern? Very cool.) So well worth the trip. I drove over an hour and Ginny drove further. But I know we'd both do it again. Maybe we'll see you there.

It was a beautiful day in Old Town and Ginny and I had time to linger a bit over lunch. I thoroughly enjoyed my grown-up day out of the house. I didn't even get lost going or coming--truly I tell you, the GPS has changed my life:-). Patrick returned home late yesterday evening, ridiculously jet-lagged and dehydrated, and he flew out very early this morning. I had hoped to sit and knit while he told me all about Holland last night. But he was so tired he was incoherent. I have a sense that the next few months will be ones of intensity for him (and us). What do I bring to that this year that I didn't last year? I bring knitting. It's true that knitting is a stress-buster. Truly true. I admit to knitting through tears this morning as that early flight left the ground. Wet cotton doesn't move well. For me, all my knitting heretofore has been inextricably woven with listening to the the Word of God. Knowing that the only thing I know for certain is that there is much uncertainty ahead, I don't think I'll change my knitting rhythm even though Lent is finished.

With Paddy on his way back to Bradenton and Mike back out on the road, the bluebells all turned to green, and no plans for any further entertaining until late next month, it's time to settle into a new household rhythm. I'm reading --and applying-- Organized Simplicity. I'm also hoping to begin reading these three books on dyeing. (Just realized the links didn't work in the post on painting yarn. Sorry!). I've ordered a wee bit of alpaca to try to knit without itching. I'm really hoping that will work, because I do want to hand paint more yarn and I'd prefer an animal fiber. The books above address more than just animal yarns, though. I see some silk fabric dyeing and painting in the very near future.

I love to talk knitting and reading with you. Elizabeth, who nudges me out of my comfort zone on a regular basis, has me planning a knit-along. I wanted to knit a Chloe;-). She suggested the Baby Surprise Jacket. The pattern (which isn't really a pattern, but more like suggestions) for the jacket is available at Schoolhouse Press and in the video linked above. Included in the pamphlet is also a pattern for an adult one. My hope is to find my go-to non-wool yarn and one day knit a surprise jacket for myself. For now, though, I'll be knitting a baby jacket. If you're wanting to read an Elizabeth Zimmermann book (abundantly available at lots of libraries), the Baby Surprise Jacket is in Knitting Workshop. We're going to knit it together over the next few weeks, with Elizabeth assuring that I am successful. You know, Elizabeth has taught me that a mentor is an invaluable gift. So often women (and teenaged girls) are afraid to try new things, even though they really do want to know how to do it. We are so afraid to fail. And are we all perfectionists at heart, just a little bit? A truly good mentor, who can come alongside, and push a little while ensuring success? Unbounded blessing. Makes me stop to think about the ways we can blesss each other. Where can I mentor and help someone over her own doubts and into the sunshine of success?

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

{comments are open here for knitting and reading conversation}

Divine Mercy Novena: Day Six

"Today bring to Me The Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of  Little Children and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving My grace I favor humble souls with My confidence."

Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy, and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls and upon little children, who are enfolded in the abode of the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight you take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Image available at Saints Market
Divine Mercy Website

It Takes Courage to Encourage

I received an note not too long ago that was an exceptional glimpse into the thoughts of some of my readers. Just a few lines that accidentally ended up in my inbox. They weren't intended for me at all and, yet, there they were.  They taught me so much. I consider that note a great blessing and I'm grateful for the insight.

Among other things, the woman who penned the note remarked that before an author published a book of small steps towards virtue she should be sure that she can do them or that she has done them already.

I promise you that I cannot do every step in my book on any given day. I can do all of them at one time or another. I can do most of them on the days for which they were written. But I will never hit them all just right. Not on this side of heaven.

And the book wasn't designed that way.

All the small steps in our book have been done by Danielle or by me at one time or another. None of the small steps in the book are done by both of us all the time. We falter. We stumble on this path towards heaven and sometimes we even fall. If I were to wait until I'd perfectly mastered all those virtues--all those steps--all the time, I'd never publish. And if I had to be absolutely certain when I ponder an idea here that I can perfectly master it--or even that I should--this screen would be mostly blank.

Instead, I think aloud about peaceful, happy, holy family life and I wonder with you how to step heavenward.

 

That takes courage. It takes courage when I know that there are people who will take my own admission of my brokenness and use it to tear me down further. It takes courage to tell you that I am a mess and to trust that you won't despise me for it. And it takes courage to keep writing even in the face of some people who do exactly that. It takes courage to send the words of my heart out into the world.  I am not, by nature, courageous. I pray daily for courage.

We wrote Small Steps to encourage. That was our primary goal. We had seen the fierce competition and unfavorable comparisons among women and we genuinely desired to come alongside and walk together towards a common goal. A goal of peaceful, happy, holy women.

So, we looked towards the saints, those holy men and women who have gone before us. And we were grateful that they wrote, despite their doubts and struggles and imperfections. They shared their brokenness; they wondered aloud. They left us with a treasure trove of wisdom. The church assures us that they did not struggle in vain. And she encourages us to dip into the font of their wisdom. So we did.

We also composed prayers. There is no greater privilege than to pray with you. When I open my book to any given day, I know that you might be praying that prayer, too. And Jesus tells me that when two or more of us are gathered in His name, He is there. There with us. Stepping beside us. In our midst. (Matthew 18:20)

And yes, there are action items. Little things that we know will add up to great strides over the course of the year, little steps that we know from our our experience to be valuable. Sometimes, we hit them all just right. Sometimes, as on the day about which the email was written, we stumble and fall. I wrote the words that I eventually read on that day. And I lived them as well as I possibly could--because I believed that step to be a valuable one. And then, I told you that I failed to meet the ideal. I told you so that if you failed on that day too, you would find comfort in not being alone. I told you so that you could pray for me as I dusted off and began again. And I told you so that I could also tell you that I persevered. That the next day was better. That yesterday was awesome. I told you so that I could encourage you. That was the whole point.

We encourage when we invite another woman into our home for a cup of tea and word of friendship, even though there might be stacks of folded laundry on the dining room table, even though the only cookies we have to offer were bought from the grocery's day-old table yesterday. It takes courage to admit we don't have it all together, all the time. We ask her in and invite her to share her heart, letting her see the sometimes ragged edges of our own. We encourage when we confide that we, too, struggle and yet we also claim the ultimate victory that is ours in Christ. We admit that we are sinners in need of a savior. And she feels welcome. She is not made to feel judged or reproved by some unattainable icon, but loved by a fellow saint on a journey. She will come again; she will invite you into the corners of her home, knowing that you will see her heart and not her shortcomings. Together, we will take small, but meaningful, steps

Genuine encouragement grants grace. Grace is our topic for May. Genuine encouragement is gentle. Gentleness is our topic for June.

I pray that we can continue to give support, confidence, and hope to one another, even though it makes us vulnerable. I pray for the courage to encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thes 5:11).

Small Steps focuses on courage this month. Would you share your thoughts with us, let us find you and walk with you? I'd be so grateful and so honored to have you as a companion. Please leave a link to your blog post below and then send your readers back here to see what others have said.You're welcome to post the Small Steps Together banner button also.

Rainy Afternoon? Dye Yarn!

Several weeks ago, Elizabeth sent the girls some undyed yarn and Easter colors. She posted instructions for dyeing yarn and encouraged each girl to express herself with her own hank of yarn. They were eager to get after it. I promised that we would do it one rainy afternoon. 

And then the bluebells bloomed and we were outside, rain or not. But late last week, it rained and I was all bluebelled out, so we set about to dye yarn.

My girls had seen a sneak peek of Larkspur's beautiful yarn, so they'd settle for nothing less than using every color in the packet. Since I didn't happen to have pipettes on hand, I figured we'd give yarn painting a try. (I also brought out a turkey baster. It was clearly obvious it wouldn't give us detail but it kept Sarah entertained the whole time.)

I determined from the get-go that I would help one girl at a time. Good call. They required careful supervision.

The yarn was tied in several places, using a figure-eight style tie. We left it tied. Critical to minimize tangles.

First we soaked the yarn in 1 cup of warm water and and 1/4 cup of white vinegar. The girls eagerly squished the yarn and turned it over, careful to be sure every strand was wet.

We mixed our dye in our watercolor jars. We added one tablet of Easter egg dye and 1 tablespoon vinegar. And let it fizz. Fun. We talked a little about the chemistry of it all.

[Just an aside, but I dislike both math and chemistry. I'm beginning to suspect that Elizabeth is on a mission--via yarn--to convert me to someone who embraces math and chemistry. Between dyeing yarn and doing the math on  a Baby Surprise Jacket, I'm seriously using a part of my brain I've tried to avoid. Embracing math and chemistry would truly be a miracle.]

Then we filled the cups with water--about a half  cup's worth. We spread the table with a big green garbage bag and set our cups in the middle. Then, we circled the dye with the yarn. And we used our watercolor paintbrushes.

We talked about a pattern and everyone understood that we were going to move around the yarn in a rainbow order. Katie and I worked on hers first. I got her started and showed her how to paint the yarn on top and make sure she was painting the layers in the middle and then to carefully flip it and get the underside. She took off on her own and Karoline watched. There was blessed silence as she worked--everyone concentrating and creating. There was no end to Katie's patience.

Karoline required a great deal more help. First, Mary Beth guided her around. She soon decided that she wanted all the colors Larkspur had, but she was only interested in painting the purple herself. Mary Beth and I thoroughly enjoyed painting it for her helping her finish.

When the yarn was all painted, we carefully transferred it back to the large (15X10) glass casserole dishes. I covered them with plastic wrap and then I microwaved them individually. I microwaved for 3 minutes and then let it sit for 5 minutes, repeating this four or five times. lately, I've suspecting that my microwave isn't really working at full power even when it says it is, so I'd adjust your times accordingly.

Then I left to go to the airport.

When I returned, the yarn was completely cool. We ran a cool bath and swished our yarn around gently for about ten minutes. Then, we pulled it out of the tub, gently squeezed and placed it on the bathroom floor between two thick towels. We instructed Karoline to bourre until she was too tired to bourre any more. So, she gladly danced on the balls of her feet for few minutes. We hung the yarn to dry in the bathroom and waited patiently until the next day.

When there was no dampness left whatsoever, each girl recruited a brother to help her wind her very own ball of yarn.

Ta-Dah!

Mary Beth still has a hank of merino-silk to dye. But now, we're off on a bit of a rabbit trail. I'm pretty sure these  books will work for high school chemistry for both of us, no?

Remember, there's a great bargain to be had on Easter egg dyes this week;-). Go!

For undyed yarn, Knit Picks, has a wide selection at a reasonable price.

{Comments are welcome}

On My Mind: Easter Week

Sunday, late afternoon...

Outside My Window

It's finally spring. Virginia is greening up nicely and we're sure glad to see it.

I am Listening to

The Ladies of Cecelia perform Be Still and Know--over and over and over again. It's really beautiful. Longtime followers will recognize the amazing vionlist as MacBeth Derham's daughter, Libby. I think you will agree that she's grown into quite the lovely young lady.

I am Wearing

A sweater and a skirt and an apron.

I am so Grateful for

~safe travels. Mike and Patrick are in Amsterdam this week.

~3 goals and a 3-2 win over China. Patrick scored all three.

~decent telephone connections

~knitting

~cotton yarn

~a daughter who knows that baking is art

~Easter with grandparents and cousins

~ a darling picture of a young soccer player wearing Patrick's National Team jersey. Paddy signed it for him and sent it back to his parents so they could put it in his Easter basket.

I'm Pondering

Knitting twelve sweaters isn't insane. It's actually part of what keeps me sane, keeps me calm and focused on the important things, and brings me present into the here and now. Pretty amazing for something as simple as wrapping some string around a couple of sticks...over and over and over again. Until there's a sweater....or twelve. ~Amanda Soule

 

I am Reading

Organized Simplicity 

I am Thinking

about what to keep and what to change from my Lenten rhythm and resolutions. Actually, there's very little I expect to change. The only book I read during Lent was the Bible. I do look forward to delving into the stack I have for myself, but, I'd like to keep the extended Bible reading time as well. And all the other disciplines? All good. It was a very fruitful Lent.

I am Creating

A sweater shrug (number 5 or 6?) and I'm starting a new project this week, too.  With handpainted yarn. Karoline painted it. Much more on that later this week.

On my iPod

Knitting Yarns and Spinning Tales

Towards a Real Education

Mary Beth and I mapped out her first high school year and got everything tidied up and ordered. We'll begin next week. I like to have our school years run year 'round and my goal this year was to finish before the bluebells bloomed so that we could really enjoy some extended time outside this spring. That plan is mostly on track.

I know that she wishes she were attending a one of two schools in the area. The first is all girls and way out of our price range and a long commute. The second is an impossible commute. We're both trusting that God will provide during the next four years. I'm grateful that she is who she is. Pure blessing.

Towards Rhythm and Beauty

This Easter was very different than I imagined just a week ago. I thought we were going to the Shrine downtown and then to brunch at the club. Early in the week, we decided Mike should fly to Holland to meet Patrick. So, that makes it the first holiday without everyone together. That's new. Then, Mike's dad fell for the second time in as many weeks and it was clear that we couldn't do the trek into DC. So we stayed home. I  just sort of did reprise of last year. And it was fine.

But I missed them.

To Live the Liturgy...

Easter isn't time or place or even tradition. It's the awareness of the risen Christ and the intimacy of His forgiveness and His friendship.

Stephen and Nick served Mass Thursday night, SAturday at the Easter Vigil and first thing Sunday morning. This fact might not be remarkable except that before this week, they'd never, ever served. Now, they know what they're doing.

I am Hoping and Praying

for Elizabeth deHority. She is constantly on my heart and in my prayers. She needs you now. Please, please pray with me.

for the soul of Ty Lewis and for his family and for the countless soccer families who grieve his loss.

for Sarah and her family as they grieve the tragic loss of her sister-in-law.

for Mike's dad and for his mom and for his medical care.

 In the Garden

We planted sunflowers and snap peas and spring lettuces and morning glories. The tulips are fading and I need to think about color for the front beds. I'd like to get creative and I'd like to plant some perennials. In the end, I'll probably plant two flats of petunias. Just like last year.

Around the House

A few fun new Easter things.

A copy of Tangled and a very effective new de-tangler.  (Guess whose basket?) Hat tip to Lori.

Fresh supplies for the easel

Chocolate-covered espresso beans.

From the Kitchen

Recipe testing some meals inspired by the farmer's market for the summer issue of Faith and Family.

~Fettuccine Gazpacho Salad

~Mixed greens with Strawberry Vinaigrette

~Zucchini bread

and some more you'll have to read about in the summer issue. By the way, I got a sneak peek at the spring cover last week. So much darlingness:-)

One of My Favorite Things

safe landings

 

Sarah Annie this week

She misses her daddy. And her Paddy. This has been an intense time of travel for Mike. He's rarely been home this spring. Sarah is very attached to Daddy, so his absence rocks her world. And she's a big Paddy fan. Pretty much, we're both hanging on 'til the end of May.

A Few Plans for the Week

homecomings: Mike on Monday and Patrick on Tuesday (but Paddy will only be here for few jetlagged hours.)

For the first time in eleven years, I'm going to meet a friend for lunch. And a visit to a yarn store. I'm giddy with excitement.

More bluebells, no doubt, as they begin to fade. And lots of Bluebell Blogging. I have a billion blue photos to share.

Pretty sure there will be a doctor's appointment for Mary Beth. She had a CT scan last week to address some ongoing problems related to  last year's eye injury.

Make-up State Cup game from the weekend of the deluge. No idea when that will be, except it must be before Saturday, when the Round 2 game is to be played. And it's in Richmond. Can't wait to drive to Richmond on a weekday evening/afternoon.

Picture thoughts:

  

{{Comments are open. I have been terrible about responding to mail. Please forgive me? I do read every single note and I do pray for you. But, I don't always answer promptly. I'm hoping that having comments open on occasion will give me a chance to answer the more common questions for several people at once and will give you dear ladies an opportunity to talk with each other. They are moderated, so if you don't see yours at first, it means I'm busy knitting; it will appear shortly.}}