The Time Has Come...

I've been thinking on this for a while now. I began blogging even in the days before blogging was a thing. I wanted Damaris to have a way to know what the months before she was born were like, so I started writing letters to her on our website. She'll be 16 in October, so it's been a while. Over the years, there have been time when I've blogged more frequently and times when I've blogged less frequently. I've shared good times and bad times. It's been a journey just as I've been and continue to be on a journey.

However, in the last couple of years, I've been sharing myself online in lots of ways (links below) and just don't feel the need to blog anymore. It's not because I don't like writing (I still write quite a lot in my bullet journal and other places online). It's just become an obligation for me to blog, whereas in the past, I blogged because I wanted to.

So, this is the end of blogging for me. Does that mean I'll never blog again? No, if I come to a time where I think and feel blogging is right for me again, I'll start up again. But for now, for this time, and this place, this is goodbye. I have tons and tons of gratitude for those who have followed me over the years and read my work and commented. I appreciate each of you!


My pal Winnie the Pooh says, "It’s always useful to know where a friend-and-relation is, whether you want him or whether you don’t."
So I won't leave without telling you where you can find me online:
~ on Ravelry as JavaPurl
~ Knitting Designs on Ravelry & my JavaPurl Designs website
~ on Twitter as cc_almon
~ on Fitbit as user 2F8K2V
~ on Instagram as cc_almon
~ the weekly video podcast Geeky Girls Knit that Damaris and I co-host
~ our Ravelry group ~ Geeky Girls Knit Podcast
~ on Twitter as geekygirlsknit
~ our Facebook page
~ on iTunes
~ on YouTube

Hope to see you around the interwebs! Grace and Peace and Happy Knitting (for you knitters obviously, although I think everyone should be a knitter and I'll teach you if you want to know how!)! xx



Image Credit | Image Credit | Image Credit

May Check-In

Wow, May was busy! I spent almost a week in London vending at a fibre festival and spending time with my good friend Sam. I did get tons of knitting done this month. It didn't feel like it, but looking back today at everything, I am shocked how much I got done.

Things are really picking up now as we are deep in the planning and organizing for the Geeky Puffin Knit Palooza which is a knitting retreat I'm co-hosting with Damrais and my friend Sam here in Edinburgh at the end of October. We're are so excited and grateful for the support of so many in the fibre community as we work to make this retreat very special! If you are interested in participating, go sign up now. Spaces are limited.

At the beginning of the year, I wrote a blog post, The Post In Which I Look Ahead At 2015. I want to just check in on a couple aspects of this each month (and then I'll check in on everything at the end of the year). So here we go:

~Read at least one non-fiction book each month of 2015.
1 ~ The Accidental Anglican: The Surprising Appeal of the Liturgical Church by Todd Hunter ~ completed 21-1-15
2 ~ The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning ~ completed 7-2-15
3 ~ Soulful Spirituality: Becoming Fully Alive and Deeply Human by David G. Benner ~ completed 31-3-15
4 ~ Cross-Shattered Christ: Meditations on the Seven Last Words by Stanley Hauerwas ~ completed 4-4-15
5 ~ Found: A Story of Questions, Grace & Everyday Prayer by Micha Boyett ~ completed 4-5-15
6 ~ Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown ~ currently reading

~I plan to continue sharing about the creative part of my life which includes knitting, spinning, and designing patterns on a month to month basis here on my blog. Hopefully that will include releasing 12 new patterns, knitting 3 sweaters/tops for myself, knitting 1 preemie hat per week, knit 7 stockings for family, finish at least 100 projects, and who knows what else!



Projects Finished this Month:
~2015 Top Down Preemie Hat #18, #19, #20, #21, + #22 - continuing on with the 1 preemie hat each week goal
~Mamma Vertebrae - I worked on this sweater for myself for 5 months, but I finally finished it. Wasn't totally thrilled with the sleeves when I finished, so I ended up having my friend Sam help me do surgery on it. It was a gruelling undertaking, but I'm so happy with how this fits now.
~Christmas Stocking 2 of 6 for Sister - my sister Carrie asked me knit Christmas stockings for her family, this makes 2 of the needed 6
~Russ' 41st Birthday Socks and 2015 Birthday Socks for Jeremy - birthday socks for the Hubs and birthday socks for a dear friend
~My new design, Super super super super super super secret project IBYC15 Socks Pair 2 - a new pattern designed for the Indie Burgh Yarn Crawl which happens here in Edinburgh on 13-June and 14-June
~Oh, Oh, We're Halfway There, Oh, Oh, Livin' On A Prayer Shawl - a shawl for me with better pics coming soon, I was gifted this luxurious alpaca, silk, and cashmere blend yarn and I wanted something super squishy to go around my neck, I'm in love!

So the total thus far:
Christmas Stockings - 2
Cowl - 1
Preemie Hats - 22
Shawl - 1
Socks - 3 single socks and 10 pairs of socks
Sweater - 2
Misc - 2
Total - 43 projects complete

Design-wise -

~Nice to Meet You Rose (Doctor Who Inspired Socks) ~ this pattern came out of exclusivity and is available for purchase via Ravelry

~Oi! Watch It Spaceman! (Doctor Who Inspired Socks) - this pattern released on Monday, 25-May-2015, to the members of the Doctor Who Companions Sock Club ~ 3rd Edition (Summer 2015). The pattern is exclusive to the sock club members at this time, but it will be available on Wednesday, 18-November-2015 to everyone.
~So that puts me at 10 patterns released thus far this year.

On the Needles -
~A new design project - Super super super super super super secret project IBYC15 Socks - The official display pair is done, but this pair will be for me. 1 sock is done and 1 sock is left to knit.
~Christmas Stocking 3 of 6 for my Sister Carrie - I'm about 54% done with this one.
~Mamma Mia - I've revamped my goals a smidge, instead of 3 sweaters for me, I've changed it to 3 sweater/tops for me. Mia is a gorgeous flowy tank that'll be fab for summer on it's on but also will be fab for the rest of the year with a short sleeve or long sleeve tee under it. I'm at about 13% done with this one.
+ in my insanity, I'm working on a sock yarn blanket which I'll most likely be working on for the next several YEARS!, When you think I'll zig, I'll zag. Then when you think I'm gonna zag, I do zag, just to mess you up for the next time, when I might zig Blanket (bonus points if you know that the name of this blanket is a Gilmore Girls reference)

As always, find all my completed projects plus what's currently on my needles on Ravelry:


And you can also find all my knitting pattern designs (those available for purchase and some freebies as well) on Ravelry:


Thanks for journeying with me this year. Talk to you next month.

A Prayer for Today The Sixth Sunday of Easter (10-May-2015)

God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us
to eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever
Amen.

Prayer Credit / Image Credit

A Prayer for Today The Fifth Sunday of Easter (3-May-2015)

Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Prayer Credit / Image Credit

April Check-In

April is done! April was a time of recovery after the Edinburgh Yarn Festival in March, plus a time of prepping for vending at I Knit Fandango on Friday 15-May-2015 + Saturday 16-May-2015 at Royal Horticultural Halls, Lindley Hall, Westminster, London. If you're in the area or are travelling there, make sure and stop by the JavaPurl Designs / KnitRundig booth.

At the beginning of the year, I wrote a blog post, The Post In Which I Look Ahead At 2015. I want to just check in on a couple aspects of this each month (and then I'll check in on everything at the end of the year). So here we go:

~Read at least one non-fiction book each month of 2015.
1 ~ The Accidental Anglican: The Surprising Appeal of the Liturgical Church by Todd Hunter ~ completed 21-1-15
2 ~ The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning ~ completed 7-2-15
3 ~ Soulful Spirituality: Becoming Fully Alive and Deeply Human by David G. Benner ~ completed 31-3-15
4 ~ Cross-Shattered Christ: Meditations on the Seven Last Words by Stanley Hauerwas ~ completed 4-4-15
5 ~ Found: A Story of Questions, Grace & Everyday Prayer by Micha Boyett ~ currently reading

~I plan to continue sharing about the creative part of my life which includes knitting, spinning, and designing patterns on a month to month basis here on my blog. Hopefully that will include releasing 12 new patterns, knitting 3 sweaters for myself, knitting 1 preemie hat per week, knit 7 stockings for family, finish at least 100 projects, and who knows what else!


Projects Finished this Month:
~2015 Top Down Preemie Hat #14, #15, #16, + #17
~Christmas Stocking 1 of 6 for Sister - my sister Carrie asked me knit Christmas stockings for her family, this makes 1 of the needed 6
~Bubble-y Socks and Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitten Socks - 2 new pairs of socks for me
~Super Secret Blanket Square - for a collaborative gift
~My new design - Super super super super super super secret project Doctor Who Companions Sock Club - Third Edition - 2nd sock pattern which is on sale now at http://www.pandiasjewels.com/, memberships for this club close tomorrow, Saturday, 2-May-2015

So the total thus far:
Christmas Stockings - 2
Cowl - 1
Preemie Hats - 17
Socks - 3 single socks and 7 pairs of socks
Sweater - 1
Misc - 2
Total - 33 projects complete

Design-wise -
~Stripey Sleeves of Warmth - I released this free pattern last week. All the details on how to get the pattern for free is on the pattern page on Ravelry.
~So that puts me at 7 new patterns released thus far this year.

On the Needles -
~A new design project - Super super super super super super secret project IBYC15 Socks + Super super super super super super secret project IBYC15 Socks Pair 2 - This is the the official sock pattern for the 2015 Indie Burgh Yarn Crawl which happens in June.
~Sweater 1 of 3 for me - Mamma Vertebrae - I only have about 1/2 of the 2nd sleeve left and this will be complete! My goal is to finish it before I leave for London in about a week and a half.
~a shawl for me, Oh, Oh, We're Halfway There, Oh, Oh, Livin' On A Prayer
~Christmas Stocking 2 of 6 for my Sister Carrie
~Secret Socks for Someone Special
+ in my insanity, I have cast on a sock yarn blanket which I'll most likely be working on for the next several YEARS!, When you think I'll zig, I'll zag. Then when you think I'm gonna zag, I do zag, just to mess you up for the next time, when I might zig Blanket (bonus points if you know that the name of this blanket is a Gilmore Girls reference)

As always, find all my completed projects plus what's currently on my needles on Ravelry:


And you can also find all my knitting pattern designs (those available for purchase and some freebies as well) on Ravelry:


Thanks for journeying with me this year. Talk to you next month.

A Prayer for Today The Fourth Sunday of Easter (26-April-2015)

Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:
raise us, who trust in him,
from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,
that we may seek those things which are above,
where he reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

Prayer Credit / Image Credit

A Prayer for Today The Third Sunday of Easter (19-April-2015)

Almighty Father,
who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples
with the sight of the risen Lord:
give us such knowledge of his presence with us,
that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life
and serve you continually in righteousness and truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever
Amen.

Prayer Credit / Image Credit