Knit and Pray

Catholic woman talks about knitting, sewing, crocheting, cross-stitching, crafting and Catholic Faith and family.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

WEDNESDAY WRAP UP



I'm so glad I didn't wait til the last minute on the tablecloth! It's taking what I think of as forever to do. I think that when I get the center beige lace finished I'll pick up some knitting just to break the monotony.
The weather is certainly keeping us entertained. If you don't like the weather just wait, it'll change. (and how!) We are supposed to get snow tomorrow and who knows then if the kids will have school Friday. One more reason I thank God I'm at home. It was very difficult to get things organized when I worked out of the home!
Still trying to decide what to give up and to do for Lent. Lent is supposed to be a time of change. Not just for changes' sake but to lead us toward a closer walk with Jesus. There was some discussion on one of the Ravelry groups. A few good ideas too! Should we spend less time on the computer? I think the boys definitely should consider this. The tv shows we watch regularly are Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters, Project Runway, and anything about the Civil War is watched by Eric. He is fixated on that time in American history and would love nothing better than to be a Civil War reenactor. Eric has decided to forego chocolate this Lent. Daniel will be celebrating his first Communion at Easter:~D I'm sure we'll be discussing why this is such an important occasion.
I don't think I'll be joining in on the Forty Days For Others knit along this year. I do so much charity knitting throughout the year and I feel that I need to focus more on my family this year. We'll be thinking more on what we want to accomplish this Lent, and quickly as it's only a week away.
Hope you are all feeling well and have a wonderful rest of the week:~D

Monday, January 28, 2008

A MOST EXCELLENT MONDAY




Firstly thank you for your prayer regarding JoAnn. She is doing well and there was no cancer! Thank you God!!! It's time for healing and counting blessings:~D
I've started the beige color on the tablecloth. I'll leave the stems and leaves for last. It will be some time before it's finished though.
Today is the feast day of one of my very favorite saints, St. Thomas Aquinas. Here is a link to some prayers to and by St. Thomas Aquinas.
A big surprise for me this morning was an e-mail from Sallee that I was a winner in her contest! What a nice way to begin the week:~D
Esther has nominated me for an Excellence award! Wow, what a lovely thing to do. Thank you Esther! Now I'll need to nominate 10 blogs (only 10!) who I believe are excellent.
1. I always find Esther's blog most excellent in sharing our faith and it doesn't hurt that she's in Hawaii either;~)
2. Micki shares her collection of holy cards. They are so inspirational.
3. Mark Shea is one of the wonderful places to go for a humorous look at life.
4. Catholic Caveman is a little raw with the truth, but if you want some unvarnished enthusiasm for our Catholic faith, go visit the Caveman. He won't bite, but watch out for his club, he can hit hard;~P
5. Mark Scott takes the most beautiful pictures of Catholic places of worship in and around the St. Louis area. Really a pleasure to visit his site.
6. Danny Seo's blog is one to go to for green inspiration.
7. Tracy is just so inspiring and generous in sharing her patterns for preemies. Her pictures of her vacations are wonderful to behold as well.
8. Michelle always has something wonderful to share on her blog. She and her husband Jack do the most beautiful cross stitching and their dog Katie is so cute!!
9. Sallee at Knit Nana is one of the nicest people! If you get the chance check out her handmade purses. They are so well made. Check out her sweet cat The Meezer.
10. Barbara is so inspiring to me. She homeschools, makes rosaries and is a fabulous cook too.
Of course I think all of the links on my sideboard are excellent and are an inspiration to me whether I'm knitting and/or praying. I'm grateful to everyone who visits this blog and am especially grateful for the lovely comments left here. I pray that we may all see life as an excellent adventure:~D

Thursday, January 24, 2008

THURSDAY UPDATE



Both sleeves are now finished on Norm's Cobblestone Pullover. I will begin on the tablecloth today.
Thank you to everyone for their well wishes and prayers! I'm feeling better than I have in a good long while:~D It's not 100% yet but what an improvement.
I'm asking for your prayers for Daniel's godmother JoAnn who is scheduled to have surgery this Saturday to remove her ovaries, uterus, cervix and resection her colon. Whew! There's a family history of this kind of surgery and we pray there will be no cancer.
I'd like to share one of my most favorite prayers:
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PRAYER FOR TODAY
O my God, this day in my prayers, I pray for:
-For all families to pray together
-My spouse and my children
-For all the youth of the world
-My mother and father
-My grandparents
-My brothers, sisters, relatives and all friends
-For all those who have no one to pray for them
-The Holy Father and all his intentions and his safety
-All bishops, priests, brothers and sisters
-Mother Church and all her children
-The poor souls in purgatory
-All those for whom I have promised to pray
-Those who love me and those who hate me
-The dying and those who die today
-The sick, the poor, the rich
-For the homeless that they find shelter and food
-The neglected, the persecuted, and the enslaved
-Those endangered and in distress
-The tempted, the doubting, the despairing
-My country, its president, and all its officials
-Those who died in military service for their country
-Those who lost loved ones in the struggle
-For all nations and all races
-For peace in the world and all its people
-To end all ABORTIONS
-Men of good will that they may come to the fullness of the faith
-Men of evil ways that they may be converted
-For all those called to serve in the Mission
-That all will respond to the request for a global consecration
-For the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
-For the Reign of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
AMEN!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

SICK AND TIRED

Sometimes plans just don't pan out. Friday I was feeling pooly but Norm and Daniel drove me by Simply Fibers to drop off the two papipads I'd finished. I was so sad not to be able to stay and knit!!!
Saturday was not the best day either and I just tinkered at working at Norm's sleeve. You know I'm really sick if I don't knit something! I even had Norm do the weekly shopping and had him look for embroidery needles. He almost came home with machine embroidery needles:~D He thought it through when he saw the eye at the bottom of the needle. I'm very proud of him that he came home with the right needles. However, embroidery has not begun as yet.
The good news in this is that I believe I have found the reason for my poor feet suffering so. I had begun to take supplements for my blood pressure a while back. All natural, safe and effective. There are side effects apparently that have gone away since I've stopped taking them. Thank you God for helping to heal me! My body is trying to rid itself of the toxins that have built up, so that's why I'm feeling so badly at the moment.
I had called my doctor and they never got back to me. I figured that if there was anything found in the x-ray or blood work that I'd have legal recourse and that if nothing showed then it could wait. I don't trust doctors much anyway. It's a long and sad story that I won't go into.
Friday I got another bill from them and thankfully my bank statement showing that I had indeed paid them came the same day. Having called the billing office I believe everything should be taken care of.
Let the healing continue!
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SERENITY PRAYER

GOD grant me the SERENITY to accept the things

I cannot change.

COURAGE to change the things I can and

WISDOM to know the difference.
AMEN.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

GOOD NEWS!

At long last Springfield, Missouri will be having a Latin Mass. Tentatively scheduled for February 10 at 4pm at Holy Trinity. Check out the news here.
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MAGNIFICAT
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid; for, behold, henceforth all generations shall call me Blessed; because He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him. He has shown might with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has given help to Israel, His servant, mindful of his mercy. Even as He spoke to our fathers--to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

YESTERDAY'S NEWS





Well folks it's been busy around here and so far I've knit up all the booties I'm going to for a while. As you can see the box is about half full so that means I'll need to knit more stuff for The Preemie Project. I'm not feeling rushed about this as my goal for this year is to knit more for my family and myself.
I finished two papipads and have a bag of yarn left over for a third. Time to focus on Norm's pullover and my Clapotis.
The first sleeve on Norm's Cobblestone Pullover is begun and I've gotten about to the middle of the Clapotis. A little attention here and there and my projects should get done by their deadlines.
There's a Knit-In at Simply Fibers tomorrow night I'm hoping to get to at least for a couple of hours. Maybe I'll start the third papipad and focus on the conversations instead of a pattern.
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MORNING OFFERING
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, the reunion of all Christians. I offer them for the intentions of our Bishops and of all members of the Apostleship of Prayer, and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

THANK YOU FREECYCLE


Ask and you shall receive. I had used up all my Red Heart yarn and so asked for some on Freecycle and received two bags of yarn today, so I started on a Papipad. I'm ready to start on Norm's sleeve and have a few more booties to get done before I'm caught up with The Preemie Project items for awhile.
I have been knitting for over 30 years and so with anything you practice for very long you get pretty fast at. Also as with Wendy at Wendy Knits I pick things up throughout the day and do a little here and there. Those stitches will add up.
2008 is going by pretty fast so far. We are already over 1/3 done. I'm going to have to see how long it takes me to embroider the tablecloth and see how much time I need to budget for to get it done in time. I'll begin to work on it next Saturday. My MIL worked on one that was smaller and it turned out so nicely!
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NIGHT PRAYER
Watch, dear Lord,
with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight,
and give your angels charge over those who sleep.
Tend your sick ones, O Lord Jesus Christ,
rest your weary ones.
Bless your dying ones.
Soothe your suffering ones.
Pity your afflicted ones.
Shield your joyous ones.
And all for your love's sake.
Amen
~SAINT AUGUSTINE

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

WHAT'S HAPPENING WEDNESDAY




Well, I have finished the dozen cloths and thought I'd share them with you. I really like the the way they turned out especially the cat. The Rose is nice in the bright red. The flower is pretty and the pastel is nice using the old Grandmother's Favorite pattern. It's made out of Bernat Cottontots so it's extra soft. I've done a little work on my clapotis and the booties. Will be working on Norm's Cobblestone Pullover the next few days too. Hope to have a good deal done by next Wednesday's progress.
We had the boys hunkered down in the tub the night before and they got Norm awake at 3am when they heard the tornado alarm. I slept right through that part, so the next morning was difficult for them to get up and going. When I was growing up my grandparents had a cellar in the back yard. When we heard on the radio that one was on the way we would head out in the rain and sometimes hail to visit with the slugs and spiders. One or the other of my grandparents would check outside and look at the sky. I would get so scared that they would get blown away. Ah, memories. Hope you have a great weekend and better weather:~D

Sunday, January 06, 2008

WASHCLOTHATHON







Well, that's what it's been like around here. I got inspired to begin to make those dozen washcloths. The instructions for the butterfly cloth came from a member of Cloths For Crisis and isn't available anywhere else that I know of. The other cloth instructions can be found when you click on the name:
Waving frog
Airplane
Sailboat
LOVE
Rose
Clover
I've made two of the clovers so counting the butterfly that makes 8. Only 4 more to go. I'm hoping to deliver them with Ivory Soap by the end of next week. Today I've been working on booties. Hope you have had a wonderful day. We broke the record high today. It's hard to image it being 70. We are going to get it bad in Feb/Mar I'm thinking.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

WIP WEDNESDAY





Just a quick post to show what I'm working on. I've got 11" done on Norm's Cobblestone Pullover. I finished a "butterfly" cloth and started one with a frog on it. Here's also the beginning of the "Lucy" top from "Wendy Knits" by Wendy Johnson. I believe I'll be working on the sweaters back and forth with a cloth or booties in between.
*I've got 6 1/2" more to go on Norms' before I begin on the sleeves.
*I'll be working on my sweater the rest of the evening.
*Finished the frog cloth but, will show pictures later.
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Will be SO GLAD when election year is over.