One of my daily bursts of happiness is when I get to catch up with inspiring blogs as I drink a cup of java. I have to admit, I have had blog envy for quite some time and I think it has kept me from posting. But over the last few weeks, I have pulled out my camera and have gotten back on the wagon. I want to show you some of the blogs that I read everyday and how I have taken to copying their style as a way of seeing myself in a more complete and beautiful way. I am certainly in a time of becoming. And this bit of photography and writing just helps me see what God is doing in my life. It has made me stop to realize how very many of the changes that I have made in my life have been inspired by reading what someone else has shared about her life. I have been very tempted to do a makeover of my blog lately and eliminate many of the past postings. But I think I will leave most of them for now and just continue traveling forward. I hope you enjoy the walk with me.
I drool daily over the photos I see on The Purl Bee, Attic24, BrooklynTweed, and Pleasant View Schoolhouse, Knitorious and Oh Fransson.
Wow. Just the typing of my daily reading list seems like such an incredible way to share a part of myself with you. These blogs are a delicious mix of domesticity, natural and simple living, fiber arts and creating beautiful spaces within your own life that bring you great joy. You will see lots of close up photos of knitted, crocheted, quilted and growing things along with snaps of children, healthy freshly-prepared foods, and cups of tea and java. Sigh. Yummy, relaxing shots of life.
Here are a few particular photos that seemed to sing deep within me and that inspired me to catch the same kind of glimpse into my own life and projects....
This photo is from Attic24.
It is on a day when she was writing about her crochet. I used to crochet quite a bit. Never anything as colorful as what she has been doing, though. Mostly baby afghans. I had set it aside for what I had considered the more complicated and more highly esteemed knitting. I had to rethink my reasoning on all this and have begun to crochet again over the last few weeks. And to try to capture a bit of my Becoming in order to share it with you.... As you can see, I have been hard at work over the last few weeks. I started out with a set of two dishtowels and two hotpads for a swap from my other favorite blog Down to Earth. That is the one that inspires me to make my own natural cleaners and to begin to garden organically. These went out to a mother in El Paso who was delighted with their cheerful brightness.
Then I decided I needed some gifts for some very special teachers that have touched the lives of my children this year. This one is for Nate's preschool teacher who wanted also wanted something Bright. It still needs its handles and lining. I finished the outer bag construction last night at my Keep Me In Stitches meeting. We had a great time of fellowship, encouragement and show and tell!
I have even put more stitches into the very first crochet bag I started months ago. It is also almost done. I just need to choose its lining. It looks so subdued in comparision to all the brightness.
Everytime I carry this bag, I have people ask me to make one for them. I think this bag is well on its way to starting me a business! This is my knitting bag that is made from fabric strips and is fully-lined with six pockets.
This is an afghan I have started to try out a new stitch. I am just using it as a prayerful listening afghan and will donate it to charity when it is finished. It is child-sized.
Two bags a week made for commission could carry me a long way toward my being able to purchase a loom. It is a dream that has seemed way too far out of my reach. But by finishing things, I am beginning to see it could very well be in my near future. I am thinking that I will use my "sit by the pool and watch my kids swim" time this summer to work for this....
I am thinking that about $350 dollars would get me started nicely with a folding, portable loom I could carry to knitting nights and to classes I teach. It would weave fabric that is about 25 inches wide which is plenty wide for prayer shawls. I am claiming this beauty. It'll be on my table by September! Yippee!
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