Sunday, September 21, 2014

A Prayer for Today (21-September-14)



O God,
from your providing hand even the dissatisfied and grumbling
receive what they need for their lives.
Teach us your ways of justice
and lead us to practice your generosity,
so that we may live a life worthy of the gospel
make known through your Son Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.

Prayer & Image Credit

Saturday, September 20, 2014

The Post In Which It's Our 17th Anniversary!



17 years ago today (how can it be 17 years!!!! It seems like just yesterday!), the Hubs and I joined our lives together. On that day, we said these vows: (and yes, I know it says Christie, that's me, I just hadn't started going by my preferred name of C.C. yet)

I Russell take you Christie, today before our family, our friends, and before God, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold from this day forward in sickness as well as in health, in poverty as well as in wealth, in the good that lights our days, and the bad that darkens our ways. I pledge to be the spiritual leader in our home and to submit myself and our family to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I vow to be true to you alone until God in His wisdom shall separate us by death.

I Christie take you Russell, today before our family, our friends, and before God, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness as well as in health, in poverty as well as in wealth, in the good that lights our days, and the bad that darkens our ways. I pledge to be your helpmate in building our home under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I vow to be true to you alone until God in His wisdom shall separate us by death.

Who would have known that in these past 17 years, there would be so much sickness, poverty, and bad darkening our ways. Thankfully, the good that lights our days has fair outweighed those difficult times. Here's hoping that year 18 is full of health and that our days are lit with good!

Happy 17th Anniversary Bubba!
I love you the mostest-ostest-ostest-ostest-infity!



Tuesday, September 16, 2014

The Post in Which I Was Tagged for the Creative Blog Hop

I was nominated by Kirsten (Aphaia on Ravelry) on her blog for the Creative Blog Hop.

So, I'm supposed to answer four questions and then nominate two other people to answer the questions.



What am I working on?
TOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! My brain is about to give up the ghost if I don't decrease all the things on my plate.

I'm working on a new shawl design that will release on 1-October (this is the one that is the most pressing on me right now, so once I finish it, I think I won't feel so discombobulated). The shawl will be available in both a 4-ply (fingering) weight and a DK weight. It starts with just a few stitches and then continues to increase until you run out of yarn. I love how this pattern came together, but it was a lot to challenge myself with in such a short timespan.

Next, I'm working on the 3rd pattern for the Doctor Who Companions Sock Club - 2nd Edition that I'm collaborating Julia of Pandia's Jewels on. U.S. Memberships will cost $135 USD, Canadian Memberships will cost $149 USD, International Memberships will be $162 USD, Limited Memberships for the club will become available on the Pandia’s Jewels website http://www.pandiasjewels.com/products/doctor-who-companion-sock-club on October 10, 2014 at 10am EST and run until October 17, or until memberships run out. This is a 3 month club membership and packages will be mailed out on the 18th of November, December, & January 2015. Patterns will be sent to you Ravelry Library on the 25th of the same months the club is running.

And lastly, I'm knitting a plain vanilla sock with a Fish Lips Kiss heel for myself out of the gorgeous Outlander inspired colourway, Je Suis Prest, by Jess of Ginger Twist Studio. This is part of the #CountdowntoOutlander and #KiltMeNowKAL. I also claim credit for the amazing colourway because I begged Jess to dye a special colourway for me to knit for the KAL. LOL! If you want your own skein, it will be available for purchase here http://www.gingertwiststudios.com/product/sheepish-sock-je-suis-prest/ when Jess dyes the next batch (the first 2 batches sold out extremely quickly).



How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I seem to have found a niche in the Doctor Who world. When I designed my first Doctor Who inspired sock pattern (Rescue Me, Chin Boy, and Show Me the Stars), there really weren't that many Doctor Who inspired patterns out there (most were either dishcloths or the 4th Doctor's scarf). Since then, I've done several other Doctor Who inspired sock patterns (many of those are part of the Doctor Who Companions Sock Club). I've designed other items as well (preemie hats, a cane cozy, a scarf/fingerless glove set, socks not related to Doctor Who, and shawls), but my best sellers continue to be the Doctor Who inspired sock patterns. I have some ideas rumbling around my brain for some other fandom inspired patterns, but those are on the back burner for the time being until I get the current designs finished. I'm thrilled to have found my little spot of the fandom / knitting world and hope it remains successful for as long as possible.



Why do I create what I do?
I originally started designing because I couldn't find the perfect pattern for a specific project I wanted to knit. Then others contacted me and loved my work, which encouraged me to keep adding new patterns to the mix. As most of you who know me in person or via the online world (especially our fabulous Geeky Girls Knit Podcast viewers) know, I have some very severe and debilitating health issues. Designing patterns has kept me going through some very dark days, weeks, months, years. It keeps my brain active as I figure out the patterns, it keeps my hands busy, and it gives me something to focus on besides the pain. Without knitting and designing, I'm scared to think where I would be. It has been a life saver for me!



How does my creative process work?
When I first started designing, I was largely inspired by the yarn I had picked. First came the yarn, then came the pattern. However, now, I am more inspired by the Doctor Who character I am bringing to life in knit stitches or by shapes or stitch patterns. Usually I start with the inspiration thought and then find a yarn that will work (or have the special colourway created) and then sketch out some pattern possibilities (I also utilize stitch dictionaries for inspiration) and start swatching to see if the design element is going to turn out like I want. Most times, it doesn't, so I go back to the drawing board and try different options. I have a basic vanilla format for both a toe-up and cuff-down sock that I usually stick too while adding in the design element on the front, back, or sides. I design all my socks in the 64 stitch size to begin with and then grade it up to the 72 stitch size. It usually takes me a month from the time of swatching to having a pattern ready to be test knit. I then have at least 2 testers per size knit up the pattern (I usually give them around a month unless there's a pressing deadline to finish the test knit). After the testing is done, I simultaneously photograph the project (my daughter Damaris is usually my model) and work on formatting the final pattern. I have a template for my patterns so it is mostly about putting the right directions in the correct spot. 9 times out of 10, I keep the pattern details a secret even from our podcast viewers (I usually share some spoilers, but not the finished project) until it releases. When that happens, it's all about the PR and getting the word out so people can find and hopefully purchase the new pattern. In the midst of that, the next pattern on the list has already begun the design process and may be close to the testing phase already.



I nominate Julia (Nimruse on Ravelry) of Pandia's Jewels and Sam (StealthDragon on Ravelry) of KnitRunDig to answer the questions next.


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:


Sunday, September 14, 2014

A Prayer for Today (14-September-14)



In the cross our need meets God's redemption
In confidence and hope,
we bring the prayers of our hearts
for the transformation of the church and the world.
Accept our prayers, God of mercy,
in union with Jesus the Christ,
who offered his life for our salvation
upon the wood of the cross
and who now reigns with you in eternal glory
forever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer & Image Credit

Sunday, September 7, 2014

A Prayer for Today (7-September-14)



God, you are the power of liberation,
calling your servant Moses
to lead your people into freedom,
and giving him the wisdom to proclaim your holy law.
Be our Passover from the land of injustice,
be the light that leads us to the perfect rule of love,
that we may be citizens of your unfettered reign;
we ask this through Jesus Christ,
the pioneer of our salvation.
Amen.

Prayer & Image Credit

Monday, September 1, 2014

The Post In Which I Check In For August 2014

It can't be 1-September already! Where do the days go????? I wanted to write this post to check in on how August went with my goals for the year.

So, let's have a look at my 2014 goals progress:

~Keep a daily journal.
Continuing to stay strong with this goal and in fact, I'm converting others to the Bullet Journal system I'm using. If you haven't checked the system out, you definitely should!

~Continue keeping a list of the eucharisteo/gifts/joys/Thanksgivings in my life.
I'm doing this in my daily journal. I'm over 3,600.

~Read at least one non-fiction book each month of 2014. ~ completed book #12 in August and continuing to read more books
1 ~ Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life by Lauren Winner ~ completed 5-January-2014
2 ~ Almost Amish: One Woman's Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life by Nancy Sleeth ~ completed 18-January-2014
3 ~ In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honore ~ completed 9-February-2014
4 ~ Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider ~ completed 16-March-2014
5 ~ Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Diane Moody ~ completed 4-April-2014
6 ~ The Knitter's Life List: To Do, To Know, To Explore, To Make by Gwen W. Steege ~ completed 3-May-2014
7 ~ The Organized Kitchen: Keep Your Kitchen Clean, Organized, and Full of Good Food-and Save Time, Money, (and Your Sanity) Every Day! by Brette Sember ~ completed 17-May-2014
8 ~ I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey from "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough" by Brene Brown ~ completed 29-June-2014
9 ~ The Yarn Whisperer by Clara Parkes ~ completed 9-July-2014
10 ~ Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World by Tsh Oxenreider ~ completed 22-July-2014
11 ~ Junia Is Not Alone by Scot McKnight ~ completed 28-July-2014
12 ~ Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray and Still Loving My Neighbor by Jana Riess ~ completed 10-August-2014
13 ~ The Seasons on Henry's Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm by Terra Brockman ~ 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 sharing about designing at least six knitting patterns, knitting at least two sweaters for myself, knitting at least six pairs of socks for myself, spinning at least five batches of fiber, knitting several preemie hats to donate to charity, and who knows what else!
So far, I've completed:
*Design Projects ~ 5
*Cowls ~ 5
*Gloves ~ 1
*Hats ~ 24 (23 of them are preemie hats for charity)
*Shawl ~ 3
*Socks ~ 20 (5 are new designs, 5 of them are for me, 10 are gifts)
*Sweater ~ 1
*Washcloths ~ 5
*Misc. Items ~ 2
*Spinning ~ 5
TOTAL ~ 66 projects completed in 2014

In progress are:
*Shawl ~ 2
*Socks ~ 2

Details are below.



Finished Projects
2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #20, 2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #21, 2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #22, + 2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #23 ~ From my own free pattern Top Down Preemie Hat. Knit on US6 (4mm) needles with various yarns + colourways (you can go to the page for each hat to see the details). Our knitting group, the Town Mouse Knitting Club, knit hats earlier in the year to donate and I decided to continue making 1 per week to donate later.




Birthday Socks for Katy ~ From my vanilla sock recipe with the Fish Lips Kiss heel. Knit on US1.5 (2.55mm) needles with Four Seasons Gründl Hot Socks Print in the 517 colourway. These are a gift for a sweet friend's birthday.




Endless Rainbow ~ From the pattern by Martina Behm. Knit on US1.5 (2.5mm) needles with Sheep Dreamery Arundel in the Peony colourway + fivemoons Artemis 4ply in the Rainbow Nebula colourway. I won the peony colourway from a podcast kal and I took it with me on our London/Unwind Brighton trip so I could find the perfect rainbow colourway to pair with it for this pattern. I adore how it turned out! I want to wear it every day, all day!





Super super super super super super secret project 5 - I also completed another Doctor Who inspired sock design. It will be the first pattern in the Doctor Who Companion Sock Club - 2nd Edition - U.S. Memberships will cost $135 USD, Canadian Memberships will cost $149 USD**, International Memberships- will be $162 USD, Limited Memberships for the club will become available on the Pandia’s Jewels website http://www.pandiasjewels.com/products/doctor-who-companion-sock-club on October 10, 2014 at 10am EST and run until October 17, or until memberships run out. This is a 3 month club membership and packages will be mailed out on the 18th of November, December, & January 2015. Patterns will be sent to you Ravelry Library on the 25th of the same months the club is running.



Current Works in Progress
*Shawl ~ Super super super super super super secret project 6 + Super super super super super super secret project 7 - these are actually 2 of the exact same project except I'm knitting one in fingering/4-ply weight yarn and the other in DK weight yarn, current plan is to release this new pattern on 1-October-2014
*Socks ~ Super super super super super super secret project 8 - this is the 2nd pattern I'm designing for the Doctor Who Companion Sock Club - 2nd Edition + #KiltMeNowKAL Socks - these are vanilla socks for me knitted in the Je Suis Prest colourway from Ginger Twist Studio as part of the #CountdowntoOutlanderKAL + #KiltMeNowKAL



2014 Completed Projects:



Design Projects
*Spoilers Socks (Doctor Who Inspired) ~ completed 1-March-2014 ~ this pattern which was inspired by Doctor Who's River Song was exclusively released to members of the Doctor Who Companions Sock Club on 25-July-2014 and will be available for the general public to purchase on 18-January-2015 on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spoilers-socks-doctor-who-inspired

*Come Along Pond Socks (Doctor Who Inspired) ~ completed 30-March-2014 ~ this pattern which was inspired by Doctor Who's Amy Pond was exclusively released to members of the Doctor Who Companions Sock Club on 25-August-2014 and will be available for the general public to purchase on 18-February-2015 on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/come-along-pond-socks-doctor-who-inspired

*Super super super super super super secret project 3 ~ completed 26-April-2014
*Indie Burgh Yarn Crawl 2014 Socks - Pair One ~ completed 25-May-2014 / Indie Burgh Yarn Crawl 2014 Socks ~ Pair Deux ~ completed 11-June-2014 ~ this pattern was released on Wednesday, 18-June-2014, just in time for the first Indie Burgh Yarn Crawl on Saturday, 21-June-2014, it is available to purchase on Ravelry at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/indie-burgh-yarn-crawl-2014-socks

*Super super super super super super secret project 5 ~ completed 17-August-2014



Cowls
*Casu Cowl ~ completed 7-February-2014
*Sweetness Cowl ~ completed 15-March-2014
*Sowing the Seeds Cowl ~ completed 30-March-2014
*Cantaloop ~ completed 29-May-2014
*Sowing the Seeds Cowl 2 ~ completed 8-June-2014



Gloves
*Urban Necessity Gloves ~ completed 23-January-2014



Hats
*Take A Bow Hat ~ completed 14-January-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #1 ~ completed 7-April-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #2 ~ completed 11-April-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #3 ~ completed 17-April-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #4 ~ completed 23-April-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #5 ~ completed 30-April-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #6 ~ completed 7-May-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #7 ~ completed 20-May-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #8 ~ completed 21-May-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #9 ~ completed 28-May-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #10 ~ completed 4-June-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #11 ~ completed 11-June-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #12 ~ completed 18-June-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #13 ~ completed 20-June-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #14 ~ completed 22-June-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #15 ~ completed 6-July-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #16 ~ completed 6-July-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #17 ~ completed 17-July-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #18 ~ completed 24-July-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #19 ~ completed 30-July-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #20 ~ completed 6-August-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #21 ~ completed 15-August-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #22 ~ Completed 24-August-2014
*2014 Top Down Preemie Hat #23 ~ Completed 31-August-2014



Shawls
*2014 Ravellenics Leftie ~ completed 21-February-2014
*Stripey Hitchhiker ~ completed 2-July-2014
*Endless Rainbow ~ completed 27-August-2014



Socks
*True Love Socks ~ completed 20-January-2014
*2014 Ravellenics Ãœber Vanilla Socks ~ completed 18-February-2014
*Spoilers Socks (Doctor Who Inspired) ~ completed 1-March-2014
*Come Along Pond Socks (Doctor Who Inspired) ~ completed 30-March-2014
*Super super super super super super secret project 3 ~ completed 26-April-2014
*The Hubs 40th Birthday Socks ~ completed 28-April-2014
*Indie Burgh Yarn Crawl 2014 Socks - Pair One ~ completed 25-May-2014
*Birthday Socks for Jeremy ~ completed 26-May-2014
*Indie Burgh Yarn Crawl 2014 Socks ~ Pair Deux ~ completed 11-June-2014
*Phalanges for Noah ~ completed 13-June-2014
*Tetius for Noah ~ completed 16-June-2014
*Planum for Genevieve ~ completed 24-June-2014
*Mix Match Leftover Socks for Genevieve ~ completed 28-June-2014
*Birthday Socks for Lola ~ completed 5-July-2014
*Birthday Socks for Wyatt ~ completed 14-July-2014
*Birthday Socks for Waylon ~ completed 16-July-2014
*#TheAlmonsTakeLondon Socks ~ completed 19-July-2014
*It's Not Magic, It's a Sock Blank! Socks ~ completed 29-July-2014
*Birthday Socks for Katy ~ completed 19-August-2014
*Super super super super super super secret project 5 ~ completed 17-August-2014



Sweaters
*Delancey Cardigan ~ completed 25-May-2014



Washcloths
*Washcloths for Stormageddon - Doctor Who The Angels Have the Blue Box ~ completed 1-January-2014
*Washcloths for Stormageddon - Doctor Who Cyberman ~ completed 3-January-2014
*Washcloths for Stormageddon - Doctor Who Bowties are Cool ~ completed 5-January-2014
*Washcloths for Stormageddon - Doctor Who Don't Blink Dishcloth ~ completed 6-January-2014
*Washcloths for Stormageddon - I Heart Heart Doctor Who Dishcloth ~ completed 7-January-2014



Misc. Items
*Garter Stitch Headband ~ completed 2-January-2014
*My Cane Didn't Want to Be Naked Anymore 2 ~ completed 4-July-2014



Spinning
*Third Spinning Project ~ completed 3-February-2014
*2014 Ravellenics Pink Punis ~ completed 21-February-2014
*The Border Tart Merino and Tussah Silk ~ completed 6-May-2014
*The Border Tart Nine Pinkish Bumps ~ completed 18-July-2014
*Chocolate Brown Unknown Fibre ~ completed 27-July-2014




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 during 2014! I'll talk to yall next month with an update on my progress for August.