I know I'm posting lots of blogs about crafts and links and not much else, but that's because it's the end of the school year, and I'm giving myself a bit of a break from all things writing-related, so that I can concentrate on finishing the year well.
Of course, I'm still jotting down lots of blogging ideas, so I have a dozen or so half-started blogs in process. At some point those will become full-fledged posts, and this blog will expand again to include more than just, "ooh, interesting!" and "ooh, pretty!" :D
In the meantime, I think crocheting is keeping me sane. It's so rhythmic and soothing. And the results are so satisfying:
I wasn't sure who this blanket was meant for when I started it. It was just an effort to use up odd bits and bobs of leftover yarn.
But as I finished it up this past week, my little Anna kept coming over and petting it, and talking about how pretty the colors were. So I think it's found its owner.
Working on this scrapghan has been very satisfying. You know how nice it is to use up the last can of something you bought ages ago that's sat in your pantry for forever? Or to finally drag out and plant the seeds that have been sitting in the cupboard since last fall? It's that kind of feeling. "Look! I took something that could have been tossed and instead found a use for it! I imposed order! I made room for beauty!" Honestly there's something right and proper about that. Something satisfying. It's not the same as internal order, and not as good, but I think sometimes that imposing external order - ordering the tangible - gives us the picture we need - the necessary example - for imposing order on our hearts. It's like this, whisper our crafts. What God wants to do in your heart is something like this. Let Him be to you as you are to this craft. Let Him have free reign to make the beautiful thing He can already see in the raw materials. Give over and watch. Give over and be made new.
Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell
3 comments:
I love the blanket! Do you have a pattern you could post?
Brilliant, both the scrapghan and your reflections on how crafting can represent God's relationship with us. Way to use up all those yarn remnants!
Thank you, Katie and Katatti!
Katatti, I made up the pattern, but I can try to describe it. The six squares are made separately. The central square in each is eight rows of 16 double crochets. Then you start at an edge (any edge) of your little square, attach your yarn (in a new color) and chain eight. Turn, and chain three (counts as double crochet), and double crochet across the chain and the edge of the square (24 double crochet). Repeat on each of the edges of the square, only on the next three strips, you'll want to attach your new strip to the previous strip with a slip-stitch.
Repeat this strip-addition two more times, till you have a big square like you see in the pictures. Make six squares. Then crochet around the edges of each in white (I think I used half-double crochet for the white edging). Then crochet the squares together, and half-double-crochet an edging around the entire blanket.
I hope that's clear enough - I'm no pattern writer! But feel free to ask any questions if you run into trouble. I'm glad you like it. :)
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