A Summer Clearing House, Project-a-Long

My friends and I over at the Christian Artisans Yahoo list are having a stashbusting, projectbusting, clearing out of a work-a-long...not just for our unfinished, languishing projects but also for our minds (hopefully!) We seem to have become so bogged down with questions, cares and concerns ~ we are hoping to grab some joy and share it with each other as we share work on some unfinished projects.

I have determined to see the joy and peace and strength in each day from the Lord...we know from His word that He provides it, but how often we miss it when we busy ourselves with so much work, worry and concern! I want to really take notice of each day He gives me this summer, and hope it will become more of a pattern in my life. I am basically a joyful person, and that joy stems from my faith in God. I refuse to lose that!

The idea of the project-a-long is to chose a tangible project you would like to "clear up" this summer. It can be any form of craft...knitting, spinning of some stash, dyeing that fleece you have been holding back to work on, weaving, crochet, sewing. We started the first of June and are keeping track weekly, cheering each other on if necessary ;)

So hmmmm, what project do I want to focus on? LOL...there is no shortage to chose from! Should it be the project that has been on the needles the longest?


The color displayed in this photo is awful! The yarn is actually very bright and pretty, handspun from one of Spinderella's thrum batts called My Granny's Apple (wish I had more of that one!) It is a Mitre Square Poncho I began for my daughter at least a few years ago and it is more than two-thirds of the way finished!

How about the largest project in my UFO collection?


This is the Wrap Me Up stole/shawl by KnittingatKnoon that we are working on as a kal at my LYS. I love it, it really holds my interest...but it is getting so large and is 100% wool - it is just getting to bloody hot to work on! Hmmm...may just leave this one down at the shop and work on it in the air condition when I am there!

Or the smaller ones, for more instant gratification?


These five single socks are only part of the unfinished socks I have suffering from Second Sock Syndrome. The sad thing is, most of the mates to these are more than halfway finished!!!

The one with the biggest problem to correct?


This is Hanami, by Melanie Gibbons of Pink Lemon Twist. I have quite a bit of handspun white Corriedale from my own flock ready to continue with this one, and I really love it - the yarn and the pattern. It is soothing to knit. But I messed up big time on the lace pattern and need to decide what I want to do about it (no lifelines in site on this - ugh!)

And this is only the knitting projects! I can't begin to show you spinning projects that should be finished; carding or combing projects; fiber blends to create and get sent to the mill...and what about the gardens? Don't even inquire about the gardens, with their weeds and unruliness!

Sigh...

This little prayer, written by Peter Marshall, really seemed to me to sum up my goal for this summer time effort. It is taken from a little booklet originally printed in 1949. It says:

"O spirit of the Living God, breathe upon us Thy gracious power. As the coming of spring rouses Nature from winter sleep, so may Thy Spirit revive us, giving us new hope and a livelier faith. If we have never before been conscious of our need, make our souls hungry for Thee, O God, that we may no longer be content to be half alive, which is half dead. Give us fullness of life, set free from fear and doubt, that we may find new joy in our labors..."

Amen.