Spring Peeper

One of my favorite things about living in the Midwest is how obvious all of the seasons are. Winters are cold and snowy; springs are made for rain boots and daffodils; summers are hot and sunny; falls are crisp and colorful. As far as seasons go, my favorite times of the year are the transitions from fall to winter and winter to spring.

What’s not to love about spring?! Flowers, pretty pastels, Easter, spring break, warmer weather… I love it all! Although there is a blizzard of giant fluffy snowflakes outside right now, spring is peeking out from under the warm earth.

Crocuses are always the first sign of spring 

My darling Husband just finished up his spring break. The end of his second year will be coming soon, but not before a little breather. He spent a long weekend with his buddies from high school doing lots of manly things like basketball games, brewery tours and poker. During the week he got some much needed rest. Then we finished up our break with a road trip back home. He had a very valuable experience spending time with the legal counsel at Mayo Clinic. While in Rochester, we got to chase around, I mean visit with, our little cousins. My, what busy lives they have for an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old! Somehow we fit basketball practices, piano lessons, basketball games, baseball practice, dancing, movie-watching, sleeping, and lots of eating into less than 24 hours! A dinner party, church, and Sunday brunch, all with family and friends from home brought an end to our weekend away.

I’ve lately had some wonderful opportunities to teach. My co-worker is part of a mother’s group that meets twice weekly to learn crafts and cook, and they invited me to come to teach them crochet! I am no crochet expert – I wouldn’t even call myself an intermediate crocheter - but I know enough to get them started. I had such a fun time teaching them!

Last Fall when my church held their annual chili cook-off and auction, I donated some knitting lessons and my dear friend bought them. We have been spending time together whenever possible and we are currently working on a beautiful but fairly complicated hat. She wants to learn knitting-in-the-round, lace, and chart-reading all at once. This girl is adventurous in everything she does!

Although I haven’t been doing much knitting of my own, I’ve been catching up with photographing my completed projects. 

This sparkly bangle was my Secret Santa gift for work

Meem's Christmas gift - arm warmers so she can stay cozy while she reads in bed

This was a Christmas gift for one of my besties from college

I knit this lovely sweater so long ago. I bet this has been folded up in my closet for almost four years! Way back then, the finished product turned out to be a little bit big for me. I felted it just a bit to shrink it but I wasn't happy with how short it turned out. I really ought to knit another one. It's such a great sweater. 

Mr. Kitty Cat has been staying cozy warm all winter in our Log Cabin Blanket too! 

Happy Spring dear friends! 

XO Natalie

New Year Resolutions

I don’t recall ever making a New Year’s Resolution. I’ve never needed to lose weight or quit smoking or get out of debt. I like to think that I make growth and improvement a daily commitment. An entire year is a long time to commit myself to a single goal. And how can I possibly pick just one thing to improve upon? Furthermore, I fear not meeting my goal. If I am going to dedicate an entire year to meeting a goal, it better be big and it better be good. This whole New Year’s Resolution thing is just too much for me! Either it seems too shallow, or too narrow, or too broad and scary.

But this year, I’m going to give it a try.

First, I must acknowledge God in all things. He has blessed my husband and I so very richly. I am daily faced by those without homes or jobs or any kind of stability and reminded that we are blessed. We have a warm home, plenty of food and clothing, financial peace, and the knowledge of Christ’s love and life-giving sacrifice. We have far more than enough. We are growing in Christ by his Word, his provision, his love, and his grace.

Listen to Paul’s prayer for the church in Colossae:

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience” - Colossians 1:9b-11

God’s people are not stagnant. We are called to grow and learn and “be transformed by the renewing of [our] mind[s].” Therefore, I pray for God’s blessings as I focus on social and spiritual growth, and physical and mental training during this year, 2013.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

My goal for mental well-being is to keep learning. During my college years, I started learning to speak Italian and play guitar. I enjoyed them both so much, but let other interests fill my time. This year, I want to pick up the guitar and start studying Italian again. I can only trust that God will find a way for me to use a second language and a new musical skill for His glory. I think it’s also a good idea to do puzzles like crosswords or Sudoku, both as a way to relax and keep my mind sharp.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – Romans 15: 5-6

My goal for both spiritual and social well-being is to strengthen the bonds of friendship with my Christian friends. For the past year and a half, one of my very top priorities has been to strengthen my husband’s and my relationship. As we continue to grow together in Christ, I think it is also time to give some attention to Christian friends that God has placed in our lives. I miss my college roommates like crazy, and we’ve made some great new friends at church. I want to make coffee dates and weekend visits a much more regular occurance this year. I am giving knitting lessons to one of my new friends here in Chicago and can't wait to have a friend to knit with! Surrounding myself with other Christians strengthens my faith by allowing me to discuss Scripture and work through everyday struggles with the help of a second, Christian perspective. It reminds me of the call to be pure and holy and I learn so much by seeing other living out their faith. God blesses Christian fellowship! After a few months in role as the Fellowship Coordinator at church, it's about time for me to make fellowship a more personal priority. 

Oh how I miss these girls!!

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Doesn’t everyone want to be healthier in the New Year? I started a really great exercise regimen at the end of 2012, but I’ve taken about a three-week vacation from it. I am so glad that I can actually feel the difference! My body felt pretty normal during that first week with minimal exercise, but by the second week I was feeling quite achy. By the third week I was craving exercise! I'm thankful to be getting back into my routines and feeling better again! Thus, my goals for 2013 are to continue with this regimen and drink more water. In this way, I hope to praise God with my body.

My Exercise Regimen

Please keep me in your prayers as I dedicate this year to the Lord in these ways. 

Anene

Last week on Wednesday Dec. 12, 2012 our Grandmother Anene was born to eternal life. She was truly an amazing servant of the Most High God and was most certainly welcomed into his presence with much celebration. I knew her for three short years and in that time, grew to admire her so much. She holds a very special place in my husband's heart. She was involved in the everyday life of her children and grandchildren. She was with us for every family gathering. She showed me grace and hospitality like only a true Southern Belle could. She brought us all a little closer to an understanding of God's love.

Her children wrote a beautiful obituary that can be found here. Please keep our family in your prayers as we mourn the loss of this amazing woman and remember God's promises.

Stille Nacht

all is calm...

... all is bright

In Advent Love and Joy,
Natalie

A Little Log Cabin in the Big City

Just in time for the freezing Chicago weather to set in, I finished our super-cozy Log Cabin blanket! Hubby, kitty and I all LOVE this blanket! It is the warmest, squishiest blanket I’ve ever snuggled in!

Cascade Yarns’ Magnum was my yarn of choice for this blanket of blankets.  It’s quite impossible to go wrong with a super-bulky, super-soft 100% wool single ply yarn. It’s absolutely gorgeous and such a pleasure to work with. No itches here! I can sleep soundly all night long resting my cheek on this blanket. It’s perfect.

Although I started working on this blanket way back in May, it really is a speedy knit. It seems that the exact properties that I can’t get enough of in November are quite detestable in July and August! The entire blanket is knit in soothing garter stitch. A beginner would most certainly be able to knit this blanket. The one technique that is more advanced than basic garter stitch is picking up and knitting. Each rectangle is knit back and forth. Then to start the next rectangle, you simply pick up and knit along edge of the next block going counter-clockwise.

The pattern I used is by Pickles, a Norwegian duo who create very lovely simple knitting and crochet patterns. Although such a simple blanket does not really require a pattern, they added a couple extra special instructions for a slipped stitch edge to take this blanket from slightly wonky to clean, crisp, and professional.

If you are ever interested in knitting a blanket like this one, do take into consideration the fact that stitches are not as tall as they are wide, especially with garter stitch. This can cause some issues on the corners where the perpendicular pieces meet. To avoid this, it is imperative to maintain consistent gauge and remember that, when picking up stitches along the side of a knitted piece of fabric with a slipped stitch edge, pick up seven stitches and then skip one. That is, over eight slipped stitches (which is 16 rows), only knit into and pick up seven stitches.

This gorgeous blanket is such a treasure, and one that will bring countless nights of cozy warmth! 

Target Volunteers - Library Makeover

I had the great pleasure of spending my day off giving some much needed love to a Chicago Public School through Target and Heart of America. Target and Heart of America have been partnering for the past five years to makeover libraries in schools in need all across America. Ryerson Elementary School in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood was chosen to receive the 149^th library makeover. Hundreds of Target team members, along with a local construction company, the Chicago Food Depository, and many from Heart of America volunteered their time to make this library makeover a success, and also to hand out books and food to each family.

The sea of red that attends these events makes me very thankful to work for such an amazing company. Target gives 5% of all of their profit back to communities in the form of these library makeovers and thousands of other volunteer events. That translates to about $4 million and many thousands of hours each week!

The library not only got a facelift with new paint, carpet, seating, tables, and bookshelves; it was also provided with 2,000 new books! Promoting literacy is a huge initiative of Target Corporation. I was blessed with a family who read to me very often as a child, and thus, with the ability to read well before I started school. I never even considered that there were children in the United States who didn’t have a similar opportunity, much less the ability to read by 5^th grade! This is a very real battle for children and families in Chicago and many other places in our great country.

Bullseye came to visit!!

All of the children’s families were invited to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the library (which was completed before we got there), and then they were provided with seven books for each child to start their very own home library, and 20-30 pounds of healthy “brain” food for each child. They sure were weighed down when they left! Yet, I’m sure some of their everyday burden was lifted. 

I was part of the team that handed out food. My day consisted of unloading the truck, setting up the assembly line of food, and filling up the families’ bags with all of their great food!

Setting up shop 

This room was filled with fresh fruits and vegetables 

The dry goods room is all ready to roll!

They're here!!! 

I must confess that I was a little grumpy to have spent my one day off in my 11-day stretch working. How awful that the thought even crossed my mind. Having the opportunity to work for the good of God’s Kingdom instead of for the good of just myself is something I’ve been craving and now have been blessed with! I see so much need around this city – physical need, spiritual need, the need for fellowship, among so much more. What a blessing to have to opportunity to address it. Praise God for his goodness, and for giving us what we need, even when we don’t really want it.

Keeping Cozy

I finally took the time this weekend to block and photograph these lovely socks! Socks sure look intimidating to make with all of their special shaping, but they really are quite simple, as is just about everything in knitting! The pattern I used for these came from Ann Budd’s Getting Started Knitting Socks.  This book allows you to choose nearly any yarn and needle combination, and sock size, to create a perfect sock every time. The instructions are so clear and the formula so versatile. It is a great book for anyone who would like to knit socks.

The yarn is Paul and Carol Wagner’s (aka Hidden Valley) Willow Series yarn – a 50/50 blend of Suri Alpaca and Coopworth Lamb. This is my all-time favorite yarn.

I wore these socks under my boots to church on Sunday and, especially for being in high heels, my feet felt so great! After church, hubby and I came home, put on our comfy clothes and hand-knit alpaca socks, got some work done and then snuggled up to watch a movie. Perfect!