Saturday, May 30, 2015

Projects and more projects

Life sure has a way of getting ahead of me sometimes.  I've made lots of goodies over the last 9 months, and even taken photos of almost all of them, but haven't taken the time to post any here.  Today its time to remedy that.  IF I don't get too many interruptions that is.  

 This is the (mostly stash yarn) blanket I made for Kimberly after I finished Stephen's.  Not sure where the pictures of Stephen's are so when I find them, I'll post them.  You know.  Later.



This prayer shawl was made yarn I found in a mill end basket at a JoAnn's in Billings, MT when Michael and I drove back from NY last year.  Super soft, but no idea on the brand/color.  Its 100% stash yarn too.  At the time I made it, I had no idea who it would go to, but I prayed that it would bless the recipient.
Eventually I gave it to my very good friend, Sherry Z, when her hubby passed away last summer.  She was thrilled to have it and told me that one of the things she had done while he was in the hospital was wander into the chapel where she found this giant shawl in a big chair.  She would wrap herself up in that shawl and feel like God's arms were holding her.  This shawl wasn't quite so big, but she has since told me she puts it over her bed at night and it reassures her that He has not forgotten her.  I'm glad to know my work is touching others.


These are two pictures of the shawl I crocheted while we traveled back from NY.  Its Red Heart's With Love yarn I had in my stash for quite a while and I didn't have a purpose for it when I made it.  Just wanted to keep working on taming the stash.
In November I donated it to the 4-H auction held at the Festival of Trees dinner.  Just a few weeks ago I found that a good friend, Nancy V., won it and she sent it to her daugher-in-law for Mother's Day.  When her grandson saw it, he declared it was meant for him and that was that.  I told her I had been praying for the recipient as I made it, and she was especially tickled because her grandson is totally in love with Jesus and at only 7 years old, she knew it would bless him to know that its a prayer shawl.  

In January and February I made 2 prayer shawls specifically for Turning Point Church's ladies' retreat, but I forgot to take a picture of them before giving them away.  The photo below shows one made from the same yarn as one of them.  It was won by Carol B., who was once-upon-a-time my Missionette's sponsor.  Kinda cool to give back so many years later.  The other one was a dark purple and green variegated and won by Shirley B, who was Kimberly's Sunday School teacher when she was in kindergarten.  
This prayer shawl was the first I've made with a specific receiver in mind.  Lisa's 28 yo son passed away suddenly and tragically in February.  It hit the entire church hard, but for Lisa, who had already lost 2 children in a car accident 27 years ago, it has been unbearable.  I wanted to do something tangible and it was all I could think to do.  
The yarn was another batch of millends found in Billings, MT.  I had 8 skeins and to date, 6 of them have become prayer shawls.  It turns out that it is I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby.  Now that we have a HL in Bend, OR, I can buy more of this oh-so-soft yarn.  And I have.
I've been careful not to buy any for "stash", but just what I need for various projects.  I have ended up with leftovers, but that doesn't really count now, does it?

Alas, there is more, but I have to make dinner and live life.  I'll get back sooner rather than later.  I promise.