Splendor

"The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily did not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness." -- Therese of Lisieux

I have often thought of this quote over the last eight years -- but not in the way Saint Therese intended. She was talking about all the kinds of people and their gifts that were needed to build God's kingdom here on earth, and how we all needed to be different for that to happen. I loved that image of spring and all the different flowers that bloom, and it stuck in my head.

I came to think of it in terms of the Crafty Angels as it became clear to me that each and every one of you have unique gifts and talents, and each of you like to make different types of yarny goodness in different ways. In the early years, I sometimes worried that we might not have enough baby caps, or scarves, or something -- yet it always turned out that we had exactly what we needed, when we needed it, for the people who needed it. I may be dense about some things, but it didn't take long for me to see God's hand at work among you!

Your individual uniqueness never ceases to amaze me. Never once, in all these years, have two people made exactly the same yarny goodness thing in exactly the same way! Can you believe that? Never! I can now pick up a bit of yarny goodness and probably 90% of the time tell you exactly who made it. Your work is as distinctive as your face or fingerprints. And every single year, you make - by divine grace - exactly what we need for the familes we serve. That still blows me away, every single time I open a box, envelope, or bag full of your love.

Speaking of boxes and bags, more love came in late last week! First up is Angel Cathy Jones from Chicago. There was a big bag of her yarny goodness on my front porch when I went to bring in the Sunday paper - Pastor Greg had brought it over from church early in the morning. What a great way to start my Sunday! Want to see what she made?

Isn't this a great afghan for one of our senior men at Friendly Towers or a man who has suffered an illness or loss? I really like how Cathy used various shades of burgundy in this blanket. Our Supervisor Cowboy liked it so much he refused to get off of it after I took this photo - which you'll see in the photos below!

She also made these great scarves -- two of which will be just great for the men we serve at Good News Community Kitchen. The other will be perfect for a woman in one of Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters.

"Do I like this prayer shawl, Mom! It is so soft and warm. One of our 'grandmas' will love it!"

Angel Cathy also made this lovely prayer shawl for one of the senior women we serve at Friendly Towers. I really like how Cathy was brave enough to CROCHET it out of Homespun yarn, which we all know is very dificult to crochet with!

Thank you, Cathy, for sharing your gifts with the families we serve and helping the Crafty Angels garden bloom! Your yarny goodness will bring light and life to so many this winter!

A box of love came all the way from Australia, too. Angel Hazel Lindsay and Armitage's Army have been very busy -- just look:

I just loved the cabled detail on the yoke of this baby sweater.

Aren't these baby sweaters just gorgeous? They will be just perfect for the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital. And I really like the mitts -- these are so helpful in keeping babies from scratching themselves with their tiny hands - and keeping those tiny hands warm in the winter. Hazel's work is so fine that I just know the new moms will treasure these tiny keepsakes!

And there was more in the bottom of the box:

Incredibly soft, fluffy, warm scarves for the homeless women we serve - which will be most appreciated this winter, because it is supposed to be very cold here this winter.

Hazel, thank you so much for taking the time to create so much love for so many of our little, and not so little, ones! I do not have the patience to use such fine yarn and needles as you do - I am in awe of your talent!

What a beautiful garden and spring you Angels create - each and every year. I can't wait to start distributing all this yarny goodness!

About the photo up top: doesn't it look like our Supervisor is looking really pitiful? Supervisor Cowboy was TRULY glad I didn't try and put one of the baby hats on him -- I took pity on him because it was a night with very full moon. Both Cowboy and Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent are VERY sensitive to full moons - they actually spent the entire day hiding in their respective closets. I just didn't have the heart to torture him with the baby hats - although he would have looked so darned cute in one of Hazel's baby hats!!

Used

"Do not fear to be busy. You are the servant of all. 'He that would be the greatest among you, let him be the servant of all.' Service is the word of my disciples...Be used. Be used by all, by the lowest, the smallest. How can you best serve? Let that be your daily seeking, not how best can you be served." The Two Listeners in God Calling

I came across this quote in God Calling some time ago, and marked it in the book with a little Post-It tag so that I could use it on this blog at some point. I liked it, because I sometimes feel "too busy" with Crafty Angels responsibilities on top of everything else I have to do and, I admit, sometimes that makes me cross and cranky (just ask Frank!). It was really nice to be reminded why the Crafty Angels are important to God, and that I should not fear being busy. Invariably God provides the strength, endurance, stamina, or "conicidential" cancellation of some other thing I'm supposed to do whenever I feel that way. It's rather amazing how it all works out, and I've learned just to trust that things will work out as they are supposed to.

The important thing I carried away from this quote was that I am to be "used." Even to the point of being "used up" -- by the lowest, the smallest. And that it is my duty to think of ways to be "used" by those we serve. Now that is heavy. While my sister Cin keeps telling me she is going to get me a t-shirt with "Stop me before I volunteer again!" printed on it, it's actually important that I be "busy." And you Angels have indeed been busy -- three packages arrived over the last couple of days!

Angel Cathy Falkenstein from Loomis, CA had emailed me to see if any of the Angels might want some sock yarn. She had purchased it, but found it hard to work with. Of course I said YES!

So, if you would like to make some socks, let me know. And I know that there are several of you who like to make socks for the families we serve! This is lovely sock yarn, and enough to make several pairs. Cathy also included some cotton chenille yarn she had tried to use for spa cloths - but found she liked Peaches and Cream yarn better. There was also one other bit of yarny goodness inside:

An absolutely perfect preemie baby hat! I tried really hard, Cathy, to get our Supervisor to wear it, but he just would not cooperate -- even with treats! Thank you, Cathy, for sharing this gift with us -- I'm betting I'll be getting emails really soon asking for your yarn!!

Angel Debbie Anderson from Auburn, IL has been VERY busy -- she sent us a BIG box of yarny goodness and all in fall colors:

"What?? You need to pack this blanket away in the big bins in the basement? I don't think so, Mom! I LIKE this blanket! Are you sure Angel Debbie didn't make it for me?!?!?"

Don't these colors just remind you so much of Halloween candy corn?!? They surely did remind me -- I craved candy corn all evening after I took these photos! The hats and scarves will be just perfect for the folks we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters -- and the blanket will be perfect for one of our senior men at Friendly Towers. Can't you just see it really brightening up a grey winter day for him? And there was more:

Another wonderful blanket for one of our senior men -- just perfect, Angel Debbie!

And a lovely baby blanket for one of our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital. It is so nice and soft. Thank you, Debbie, for keeping busy serving the lowest and the smallest. You are such a blessing to so many people!

We also received two boxes from Angel Hazel Lindsay in Australia from Armitage's Army. The first box has been driving Supervisor Cowboy and Princess Cody INSANE ever since it arrived, because a strand of yarn had worked its way out of the box, and hung quite tantilizingly from the box's corner. I would wake up in the middle of the night and hear the Princess whapping at it with her paw. Both cats were present at the box opening -- you can see the Supervisor's reaction in the photo up top:

Can you see his paw at the end of the table trying to grab that strand of yarn? Here's what happened next:

Needless to say, the yarn barely stayed on my dining room table long enough for me to take the photo! Princess Cody was waiting on the floor to catch the yarn as soon as it started falling down. I don't know what it was about this lovely purple yarn, but it was like catnip to the cats! They left all the other skeins alone, but were fascinated by the purple yarn. The purple yarn coordinates nicely with the multicolored yarn right underneath it -- there may even be enough to make a prayer shawl if someone combines both colorways of the yarn. The other yarn is great, too. Thank you, Hazel, for sharing this bounty with us -- and Cody and Cowboy!!

So don't be afraid to be busy, Angels. Allow God to use you for the smallest, the lowest. He will work out whatever needs to happen for you to do what He wants you to do for the families we serve. Just trust, and keep those hooks and needles going! You are changing the world!

Love

"To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name." -- Thomas Merton, from A Book of Hours

I've been thinking about love a lot lately -- mainly because it has been staring me in the face every time I go into our basement and walk around and through all the stacked bins of yarny goodness you Angels have sent in! I thought of the quote up top on one of those trips, and felt it truly describes the Angels -- love is indeed your name, or at least your middle name! And selflessness is definitely your character -- you can't miss that staring at all those full bins. I've read several of Merton's books, and particularly enjoyed A Book of Hours. If you are into love, it is definitely worth checking out.

More love came in the mail and arrived by personal delivery late last week. On Friday evening, Michelle Malles came by and dropped off some lovely yarny goodness that she and Angel Debbie Koubas made for us. Both Debbie and Michelle are from the Chicago area, and work where Frank used to work.

First up is Angel Debbie's loveliness. She made us two special scarves for our fundraiser, and Angel Kathy Waldsmith is modeling one of them up top (yes, it was cold enough to wear a winter coat to church here on Sunday - and because the boiler was out again at church, Kathy was really glad she had worn it!). Here's a closer look at that gorgeous scarf:

Debbie made a second version of that same pattern, but with finer yarn on smaller needles -- I'm modeling it here:

Michelle said that Debbie said the scarf was easy to make -- I'm not so sure, so I'm going to try and get the pattern from Debbie to see. I do know that it defintely takes a lot of love to make a scarf like this -- it's complicated and you would have to keep careful track of exactly where you were in the pattern. It also takes a considerable amount of selflessness to make something this lovely and then not keep it to wear yourself!

The love in this scarf caused quite a stir at church. I've been wearing a Crafty Angel shawl or scarf to church on Sunday for the past several weeks as advertising for our upcoming fundraiser -- inevitably people comment on them during coffee hour after church, and I then have a nice lead into telling them about the fundraiser! Angel Debbie -- your scarf got lots of compliments on Sunday!!

Debbie also took a class during the summer to learn how to make this stunner:

It's sort of a very narrow shawl/long scarf that drapes nicely around your neck. Take a look at the lace stitch Debbie used:

Isn't that just lovely? Michelle said that she watched Debbie work on it during lunch hours, and it was quite complicated. You can't tell from this photo, but it's made in a lovely shade of pale green in a cotton blend yarn -- just perfect for spring. Supervisor Cowboy really liked it, too! Thank you, Angel Debbie, for using your talents to make us such lovely scarves for our fundraiser -- they are gorgeous and I'm positive they will sell quickly because people can easily sense all the love stitched in with the yarn!

Angel Michelle has also been busy:

"Whoa! My paws are tingling, Mom!!! It must be all that love I'm feeling!"

Spa cloths for our challenge! Each of these scarves is different and uses a different stitch or knitting technique. Michelle said that making them has been a wonderful way to teach herself how to knit -- she is getting VERY good! These will be wonderful for our spa bags for the women in homeless shelters served by Cornerstone Community Outreach and Wellspring Center for Hope. Thank you so much, Michelle, for caring for the women we serve -- these will be a source of comfort for them during a very difficult time in their lives, and every time they use them, the women will be reminded that someone loves them -- even if they don't feel very loveable.

Angel Joyce Dattalo from Oswego, IL sent in a HUGE box full of love, too. Want to see what was inside? You know you do!

Hats for our challenge to make hats for the men served by Good News Community Kitchen! And scarves and mittens to match! The hats are just awesome -- extra thick -- and just perfect for the men who live on the streets even during the coldest part of the winter. Thank you so much, Angel Joyce -- you may just save one of these men's lives this winter with your gifts of love.

And there was one more love gift inside:

"Mom, this blanket is GREAT! What a wonderful blessing for one of our senior ladies this Christmas!"

I agree, Supervisor Cowboy. This blanket is soft and so warm, and such a lovely colorway -- it will be treasured by the homeless senior woman living at Friendly Towers who receives it. Thank you, Angel Joyce, for caring so much for so many people we serve. You are truly a blessing to all of them!

So much love, so much selflessness touching so many lives in so many ways. Yup, you Crafty Angels certainly are made in the image of God! What a blessing, and inspiration, you are!

Treats

"In ancient times, cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this." -- Terry Pratchett

Hi, Angels! It's me, Cowboy, your favorite Supervisor! I'm cross today, so I'm taking over the blog today because I have a special message for you at the end. But Mom says I'm supposed to talk about yarny goodness and a bunch of other stuff first, so here goes:

I got pretty excited when Pastor Greg brought over two different packages from church. One was crinkly paper, and smelled like it came from waaaay far away. The other was a nice tidy box that look like it would be great to play in when it was empty. Turns out we have TWO new Angels! WHOOO HOOO!

The crinkly paper envelope (and you know we cats like crinkly paper!) came all the way from the United Kingdom - can you believe it? Angel Hazel Lindsay has been talking to Armitage's Army again on their bulletin board, and Anne Davies decided to send us some treats -- after she saw my picture on the blog, of course! Take a look:

"These sleepers are really nice and soft -- the kiddies will have no problem sleeping in these!"

And check out these purple pants -- three different sizes even! These clothes will be just great for the children served by Parenting Progress - the teen moms will really appreciate them. Angel Anne also sent a card that send she sent me "love from the U.K."! My fan club just keeps growing because I'm so handsome. Thank you, Anne for the treats -- our kids will love them!

The nice tidy box came from new Angel Helen Magnavita from Slatington, PA and had treats in it, too. Want to see what she made for our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital and Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters?

These baby blankets are AWESOME!!! I wanted to take a nap on them, but Mom said they were for babies, not cats. Too bad, because they are really nice and soft. Mom kept going on and on about the "stitchwork" to Dad -- I'm not sure what THAT is, but I do think the babies will really like them a lot. Angel Helen sent me a card, too -- she said she saw me on the internet and she wants to help the Angels take care of the poor and homeless people. I think that is really pretty special -- thank you, Angel Helen, for taking care "our" babies. You are going to make the new moms really happy!

Did you know that Mom won't let me go in the basement any more? And it's all because of all of YOU!! I love sneaking down into the basement when Mom isn't looking -- there are all kinds of cool hiding places down there and I can really freak Mom out by not coming when she calls my name. Well....NO MORE!! Mom says it's too crowded down there now and she'd never find me if I got stuck somewhere, so I can't go downstairs. I didn't believe her until she showed me the pictures she took:

Yup, all those GIANT bins are full of completed yarny goodness -- treats for all the families we serve -- and YOU made them! And the little bins against the wall are full of yarn for you all to use. Can you believe it?!?!? Dad lost Mom on Sunday when she was working down there after church -- he told me he went down the stairs and he couldn't see Mom. The bins are stacked taller than she is! She had to stick her arm up in the air and wave her hand so Dad would know where she was! It is really something to see -- Dad takes all our visitors down there now to see all the yarny goodness. So I don't know why he won't take ME down there - he keeps saying I'll get lost. Dad has a bet with Mom that she'll have to start stacking bins in the garage before Thanksgiving if the Angels keep sending in more treats. Mom says she thinks she can wiggle the bins around and fit even more bins in the basement!

OK...........Mom just left to answer the phone and I've got the laptop all to myself! Angels, I need your help!! Mom STILL hasn't bought me some decent treats -- she just has these icky ones she got with coupons that I HATE! I know lots of you Angels have cats (although they aren't as handsome as me!), and I'm SURE, because you are all Angels, that you give your kitties GOOD treats! So email Mom and let her know what kind, OK? Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent and I are really getting cross about this lack of decent treats -- we work pretty hard around here chasing yarn balls, greeting Angels when they come to visit, checking Mom's knitting progress to make sure she doesn't make mistakes, AND posing for pictures for the blog! We DESERVE GOOD TREATS!!! Ooops! I hear Mom on the stairs! I'm clicking the publish button NOW!

Hands

"Christ has no body now on earth, but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he is to go about doing good; yours are the hands with which He is to bless people now." -- St. Teresa of Avila

As I mentioned in my previous post, several Angels sent in boxes and envelopes recently, and I'm anxious to show you all the yarny goodness they sent in -- and they sent in LOTS! Oh...I'll explain that picture over to the left at the end of this post (got to build excitement, you know!!).

First up is Chicago Angel Margie Chan:

Sweet baby hats, Birgit, for your challenge!! In her note, Margie said she has been very busy at work, and this was all she could get done. And that is just fine, Margie -- that hats are lovely and will be just perfect for the babies we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital! Thank you!!

Angel Alexis Leuth from Winter Springs, FL sent us two PACKED boxes -- take a peek:

Hats for all ages -- just perfect for the families we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's and WellSpring Center for Hope's shelters!

Spa cloths for our challenge!! WHOO HOO! Alexis said she really enjoyed making these this summer when it was so hot in Florida -- and don't the colors just look like Florida?!?

Alexis said that she doesn't make sweaters or clothing, but she did hit a super-great sale at Target -- and look what she sent for the kids we serve:

Just look at all these great sweaters, baby things, and socks! They are absolutely wonderful for the children at Cornerstone's shelters! Thank you so much, Alexis, for sending us so many lovely things (including the tiny Whitman's Sampler box, which I DID NOT share!!). This is just great!

Angel Linda Faubel from Ladd, IL emailed me during the summer and asked what the Angels needed for the folks we serve, and I told her that we could really use some hats and scarves for men. Linda took that to heart:

WOW!!! And DOUBLE WOW!! Now that is a LOT of hats and scarves -- they will be great for the men we serve at Good News Community Kitchen!

Linda was also thinking about our babies:

Isn't this a lovely baby blanket? I just love the pattern!

She also sent SO MANY baby hats for the challenge, Birgit! Look carefully -- Linda used sportweight or baby weight yarn that is the striping and jacquards yarn, which makes patterns like sock yarn. It turns out looking like you did Fair Isle crocheting or knitting -- when in fact you just did plain crocheting or knitting. If you haven't seen this type of baby yarn before, check it out. There are patterns on the ball bands that take advantage of this striping feature, and I've seen the cutest baby sweaters that you would swear were drop stitch or Fair Isle knitting - but the yarn did all the work! Very cool!

Linda also makes wonderful afghans, and she sent us two:

Check out the hearts inside the colored squares! Perfect for one of our seniors at Cornerstone's Friendly Towers!

Ever make a baby blanket and think: "I wonder what this would look like made into an afghan"? Wonder no more:

This afghan was made with the same stich pattern as the baby blanket Linda sent us, just made larger and in a different colorway. Awesome!! All the Angels who crochet who were at our get-together now want to make this blanket! I will be saving this blanket to use as a comfort afghan for a man who is facing a health crisis or the illness/death of a family member. It will be treasured.

Linda --thank you so much for your commitment to the Crafty Angels and for blessing us with the wonderful yarny goodness you make. So many people will be touched by your kindness!

As I opened all these boxes and envelopes of yarny goodness, I thought of the quote up top. It has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and I came upon it after a discussion in my high school youth group during which we argued heatedly about how God worked in the world when He was up in heaven. As only teenagers can, we were fixated on how all that blessing stuff actually got DONE - other than by divine miracle, and none of us had ever seen a miracle.

I thought St. Teresa nailed it perfectly -- and it opened up a whole new world to me: we human beings were God's hands and feet -- we did the stuff to get the blessings done here on earth, following His divine direction, according to His divine plan. I remember thinking: "Whoa! What a responsibility!" and feeling slightly overwhelmed. But that teenaged epiphany literally changed my whole mindset, and the course of my life. I definitely think that Margie, Alexis, and Linda are being God's hands by creating all this wonderful yarny goodness -- and so are all the Angels. What marvelous calling we all have!!

Oh....about that picture up top. Angel Linda also sent something else:

Have you ever seen women fighting over bargains in Filene's Basement or something in the movies? It was sort of like that when I pulled these skeins of Pound of Love yarn from Linda's boxes. Angel Jeannine Patt lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw them (that's her up top!!) - it's her favorite yarn. There were serious negotiations over who got what color! Linda -- there is lots of baby yarny goodness being made being made as I write this with your yarn!!

Circles

"Until he extends his circle of compassion to all living things, man himself will not find peace." -- Albert Schweitzer

This past week was a busy one for the Crafty Angels. We received six BIG boxes and two envelopes of yarny goodness from far-flung Angels, and the local Crafty Angels met on Saturday, October 10. I decided to do two posts on all the lovely handmade items because there were so many! So I'll start with our get-together on Saturday.

We had a wonderful time of inhaling yarn fumes, fondling yarny goodness, and coveting yarn. Plus we had lots of laughs! Even with the cold, dreary weather, the temperature inside my house was nice and warm - both from the love waves given off by the yarny goodness the Angels brought with them and the warmth of friendship. We were a small, but mighty, group. Want to see who was there? Take a look!

Angels Debbie Kreusch and Doris Ahlstedt - both from Chicago, and Lisa from Lake Forest.

Angels Jeannine Patt and Penny Sawczak - both from Chicago, and Carol Flowers from Barrington.

Penny started off the parade of yarny goodness with these lovelies:

A lovely blanket made by a friend of hers at work, which will be perfect for one of the young girls served by Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters.

LOTS of wonderful scarves for the folks we serve at Good News Community Kitchen and Cornerstone Community Outreach.

A beautiful prayer shawl - everyone just loved the colors!

And toys for the kids at WellSpring's shelters -- she made scarves for the bunny above and the bear (a Chicago Bear) up top! Penny, thank you for your speedy fingers and creativity. You rock!

Angel Debbie Kreusch had the babies we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital on the brain, and in her fingers:

We were blown away by this blanket -- it is amazing because it is NOT knitted, it is CROCHETED using a special technique to fade out the yarn colors working with two strands of BABY YARN, AT THE SAME TIME, and a very complicated stitch that puts one strand of yarn in the front and one strand in the back.....actually, I got completely lost when Debbie tried to explain it to us. Suffice it to say it is indeed something you have to concentrate on doing, and you can't be chatting with someone while doing it. The results, however, are truly heirloom worthy.

Always the Queen of Scraps, Debbie made this blanket out of leftover yarn from the previous blanket!

If you remember the post from our last meeting, Debbie took home lots of partially finished squares made by Lela Runquist, and donated by her daughter Amanda Bixby, when Lela moved into an assisted living center downstate. Look what Debbie brought back, made from those squares:

Beautiful blankets for the seniors we serve at Cornerstone's Friendly Towers! These are not only gorgeous, but will really keep our seniors toasty warm this winter. Debbie did a great job crocheting all the squares together and creating artistic designs from them. Debbie, thank you for continually taking on challenges and being absolutely fearless in trying new techniques and stitches - you are an inspiration to us all!!

Angel Carol Flowers has been busy, too:

Lots of nice, warm, feminine scarves!

And beautiful spa cloths for the spa bags we're putting together for the women served by Cornerstone's and WellSpring's shelters. The Angels would also like to thank Angel Anita Hohenstein and honorary Angels Mary and Michael Doucette for their very generous donations of spa bag "innards" -- small bottles of body lotion and body wash. The Angels are shooting for 500 spa bags this year -- and we are well on our way! Carol, thank you for your so very strong dedication to the cause and great willingness to teach so many of us how to do what you so wonderfully do!

Angel Jeannine Patt took some more of our "never-ending balls" of donated yarn -- this particular yarn has AMAZING yardage! -- and with TWO skeins, made this lovely prayer shawl:

This is the second one she has made, and they are just gorgeous. Trust me, this shawl will be treasured by someone facing a serious illness or death of a family member.

Jeannine also had our Swedish Covenant Hospital babies on the brain, and made this gorgeous baby blanket -- which she said consumed yarn like there was no tomorrow! But just look at the lace edging she put on it - breathtaking! Another family heirloom! Jeannine, thank you for always caring so much for our babies, and for making yet more prayer shawls whenever I ask. You are such a blessing!

Angel Doris Ahlstedt always likes to make baby things -- and just look at these sweet baby hats, Birgit! More for the "bath-tub filling" challenge! We also all really liked the baby blanket -- Doris used simple stitches, but created an absolutely lovely pattern. Doris, thank you for sticking with the Angels for so long - and for being so concerned that all the babies we serve have something lovely to go home from the hospital in. You have touched so many lives!

Carol has been teaching Angel Lisa how to crochet over our last two get-togethers, and just look how far Lisa has come:

Scarves for the Red Scarf Project - wonderful!

And gorgeous spa cloths using all sorts of stitch combinations. Way to go, Lisa! Lisa, you have such a busy life with so many, many demands on your time. Thank you for deciding to learn how to crochet on top of your already great knitting skills, and for squeezing in work for the Angels in those fleeting free minutes you get in your day -- and doing this consistently. You amaze me!

As we laughed and chatted, I thought of Schweitzer's quote up top. I pray for each of you Crafty Angels every day, and I've mentioned before that one of the things I pray for you is for compassion -- because I just can't see how you can do Crafty Angels work without feeling compassion for those in need. It dawned on me on Saturday that, very definitely, the Angels' circles of compassion have grown tremendously in the eight years of our existence -- and continue to grow every year. Your circles of compassion now encompass not just people in Chicago, but those in need across the United States, in Afghanistan, in Africa, andon waterways literally around the world. WOW!! Angels, YOU ARE AMAZING!!! I am so thankful for your loving hearts, creative spirits, nimble fingers, and great dedication. What an impact you have made, and are making, in your global circles of compassion!

Neighbors

"We are not asked to love the neighbor as neighbor, but as ourselves." -- Geevarghese Mar Osthathios, Metropolitan of the Orthodox Syrian Church in Kerala, India

I have LOTS to show you, but first, a happy announcement! Angel Helen Watson from Wadsworth, IL is the happy grandmother of a brand new bouncing baby boy - Linkin David Watson! Congratulations! After that, almost everything pales in comparison -- well, almost everything..... except the packages that arrived from California and Australia!

Angel Cathy Falkenstein from Loomis, CA sent us an envelope with these inside:

"Where are my kitty treats?!?!?!? I got up off the Polarfleece blanket because you said there would be treats!"

Uhhhhh.....Supervisor Cowboy, the Angels can't see the yarny goodness with you sitting on it.

Ahhhh....that's better! A lovely turquoise scarf for the folks we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters and a Christmas spa cloth for the women we serve at WellSpring. Thank you, Cathy!! Both bits of yarny goodness were made with lots of love and are just wonderful!

Angel Hazel Lindsay sent us a big box of goodies from Armitage's Army in Australia -- want to see?

"I'm warning you, Mom: no treats, no cooperation!"

Supervisor Cowboy, I know it's Sunday afternoon and you prefer to keep the Sabbath holy (or maybe just sleep on the Polarfleece blankets) -- but the Angels want to see you! And these lovely scarves made for the folks we serve at Good News Community Kitchen. OK, OK -- I'll go get the treats.........

Ahem.....now, let's try this again!

Hey! Cowboy! Where did you go?!? Oh, well -- this way you can see this gorgeous baby blanket even better. How perfect for the babies we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Isn't this just the sweetest little baby sweater with matching mitts? I just love the color, and so will the new mom!

Finally, some cooperation! Yet another wonderfully made baby sweater for a little boy!

"I WANT TREATS!!!"

Hey!! Cowboy, the Angels can't see the sweater with you sitting on it! Now be a good boy! Get off!

Thank you. That's better! Won't this look so cute on a toddler girl living in one of Cornerstone's shelters? Hazel even made a hat and scarf to match:

And just look at this yarny goodness:

Just perfect!! I really liked the yarn Hazel used in this little sweater -- it's "Barbie pink," sort of "spongy," very lightweight and warm, and it washes like a dream. This will be a little princess' prized posession! And there was more:

"I don't like these new treats you bought! They are icky!!"

Oh, good grief!!! OK, OK, I'm sorry, Supervisor -- I had the coupon and I've heard other kitties really like them. I apologize - the next time I go to the store, I'll get a different kind. Can we get back on track here?

Thank you. This sweater will be just wonderful for a toddler boy -- Hazel's needlework is just so fine. It will become an heirloom!

Hazel also packed in some extra goodies:

Ballerina Barbies! These are guaranteed to make a little girl's eyes sparkle come Christmas!

And nice, warm hats Hazel found on sale for the men at Good News Community Kitchen! Thank you, Hazel, for your continual generosity, commitment to service, and beautiful yarny goodness! You are such a treasure!

Another treasure stopped by on her way home from church, bearing gifts:

Angels, meet honorary Crafty Angel Sonja Bowen and her husband, Bill! Sonja heads up the knitting and crocheting ministry at Fourth Presbyterian Church here in Chicago, and we became fast friends because Bill worked with me at the Central Conference office until he retired last year. Just look at what she gave us!

REALLY BIG BAGS O' YARN!!! This yarn was donated to the ladies at Fourth Presbyterian, but the agencies they serve are pretty strict about the kind and color of yarn the ladies can use to make things for them. So Sonja always gives me the yarn she cannot use -- and this is a bumper crop!! WHOO HOO!! I've been praying for more yarn to fill our bins, and here comes Sonja! Thank you, Sonja, for your neighborliness and willingness to share -- you are such a blessing to us!

Frank and I were talking about being a good neighbor and what that meant on Saturday night, and of course, I quoted the Bible -- you know, "Love your neighbor as yourself." We talked about what that meant, and I remembered the quote up top. I like the emphasis Osthathios puts on "neighbor" and "ourselves." We humans, being human, always love ourselves the best of any people around, and usually our families come in second. Neighbors can come in a distant third -- or even further behind than that. But God calls us not to love neighbors as we would someone way down the list, but as we would love the person first on the list, ourselves. Now that is something to think about!

Then we started talking about who is our neighbor. Just the folks that live next door to us? What about the guy across the street? How about the homeless man I've seen lately pushing his grocery cart around our neighborhood in the morning when I'm on my way to work? What about the people the Crafty Angels serve? What about that child living in poverty in Africa or the mom giving birth at a hospital in Afganistan? Is a neighbor someone you have some sort of tie to or feeling for -- or is a neighbor any human being?

Angel Helen Watson carries the idea even further -- she considers all the people she knits and crochets for as members of her family. They are her grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on. Her goal is to treat them as she would treat her family members. And believe me, she treats her family pretty good!

So, if we were in a philosophy or theology class, we'd be at the point where we could begin to agree that our neighbors could be most anyone -- anywhere in the world. That is profound. And if you add in on top God's command to love them just as we love ourselves, the first people on our lists, that can rock your world. Just imagine what would happen if people did that! But I don't have to imagine -- I see it every time I open a box of yarny goodness sent in by an Angel. I see how Angels are changing their world -- one neighbor at a time!

Influence

"Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another." -- George Eliot

Two packages arrived from Crafty Angels in the past couple of days -- both of which were full of love and brightened my spirits!

Angel Cathy Falkenstein from Loomis, CA is so very faithful in making things for the Angels -- in fact, she is one of the very first Crafty Angels from outside the Chicago area!! Take a look at what she crocheted for the women we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters:

"Mom, I really like this Christmas-colored spa cloth -- do you think Angel Cathy would let me put it on my pillow in the closet??"

I agree, Supervisor Cowboy, that the Christmas-colored spa cloth (right by Cowboy's paw) is lovely, but Angel Cathy made those for the ladies we serve! So no, the spa cloths must go to them, not you. And the ladies will indeed like these -- in her note Cathy said that she really likes doing the spa cloths because they are fun and quick. And that is why Angel Birgit Yacoub calls spa cloths and baby hats "potato chips" -- because you can't do just one!!!!! Thank you, Cathy -- you will be making someone's Christmas much brighter this year!!

Angel Alexis Lueth from Winter Springs, FL also sent in a package -- and inside was a charming book of quotes, just perfect to use on the blog! And, yes indeed, the quote up top by George Eliot is from that book. Thank you, Alexis, for providing inspiration -- and more quotes for what Frank calls my "quote addiction!"

Last week I got an email from Angel Helen Watson from Wadsworth, IL that just cracked me up -- Angel Helen has the most fun sense of humor! She told me about "places" she had been visiting based on the colors of yarn she was using for her Crafty Angels projects. For example, in my email back to her, I told her that: I just came back from "Burgundy" where I worked on my Red Scarf Project scarf, and before that I had been in the Arizonan "Painted Desert" working on a prayer shawl, but I was looking forward to going to a "Fiesta" where I was going to wind yarn for another prayer shawl. I had been on a trip around the world! Who knew?!?!?!? Where have YOU been? Let me know, and I'll share your "trip" with the Angels!

If you think back over your life, I'm betting you will find that the quote up top is very true. The Crafty Angels are some of the most loving people I've ever met, and believe me, your influence is far greater than you can ever imagine.

I'll never forget the time I was at one of the groups we serve and a teenager, a recipient of your gifts, pulled me aside and told me that he still had the hat an Angel had made for him three years previously. He told me no one had ever made anything for him before, and he treasured it so much that he wanted to say thank you. I told him I hoped he felt the love that was added to that hat, and he said he did -- and it was a wonderous feeling that someone cared for him so much they made him a hat. He was still amazed about that.

A simple hat, made with love, given to a teenager in need. Three years later he is still amazed by that gift. Oh yes, Angels, you have influence beyond your wildest dreams!

Called

"Maybe I'm not making big changes in the world, but if I have somehow helped or encouraged somebody along the journey, then I've done what I'm called to do." -- Sister Thea Bowman

Hey, Angels!!!! It's me -- your handsome spokesmodel Cowboy! Didja miss me?? Like all BIG STARS I went on hiatus the last few weeks, chilling out, snoozing on the Polarfleece blankets, practicing my poses. But I knew it was time to come back from vacation when Angel Helen Watson said her granddaughter Madelyn wanted to know where I was. She missed me! I figured you all did, too, so I'm back!

You can imagine my surprise when I was checking out the blog the other day to see what Mom had been up to and I saw that GEORGE AND Addi got to write a blog post -- and even ROCKY got coverage!!!! NO FAIR!!!!! So I sat Mom down and told her the facts of life -- I'M THE STAR! And I told her that if she ever wanted uninterrupted sleep, she'd better let ME write a post. She said OK, so here goes:

We have a new Angel! Angel Lori Nienke from Chicago got a new job at the Blind Service Association. She made a new friend there -- Heather Groh -- and Heather made us some baby blankets for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Just look!

Lori and Mom really liked the color -- I think the new mom who receives it will like it a lot, and so will the little baby.

Last week Mom had lunch with Angel Joann Larson from Glenview. I was glad Joann came over to the office and dragged Mom out -- Mom's been eating so many peanut butter sandwiches Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent and I are afraid she's going to turn into a peanut! Joann brought along lots of goodies -- take a peek at the spa cloths she made for our ladies at Cornerstone Community Outreach's and WellSpring's shelters:

Mom really liked that lacy blue one -- I think they are all just perfect! She also made warm woolly socks for Afghans for Afghans -- part of their project for new moms at a hospital in Kabul -- which she sent off already.

And there was more! Look what Joann made for the men at Good News Community Kitchen and our families at Cornerstone:

But I think this scarf is the BEST:

This scarf brings out my innate handsomeness, don't you think? I look MMMMMAAAAHHHHVVVEEELLLOOOOUUUUSSSS!

Angel Joann has gotten her friends to make things for us, too. The ladies at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church gave her lots of yarny goodness. Joann already sent in their hats and scarves to the Christmas at Sea project, but there was still more. Angel Birgit -- the next picture is for you:

SIXTY FIVE BABY HATS!!!!! I think we can start filling up a second bathtub for Birgit's challenge! 11 of those hats were made by Dorrit Herreid. AWESOME!!!!!

This is a whole lot of yarny goodness and love, Angels! You did GOOD! Mom said I had to say something "theological" at the end. I saw the quote up top on Mom's desk -- she saw Sister Thea on "60 Minutes" once. Mom told me that Sister said that little things people do for others really add up, and are far more important than big things people only do once in awhile. I've been supervising Mom making prayer shawls for the last two months, and she told me that while a prayer shawl may seem like a small thing when someone has lost a loved one or is very sick, it can mean a whole lot.

I guess that's true -- I heard Mom talking to her boss Jolene, who was really sick this summer, after Jolene got better and called Mom to thank her for the prayer shawl. I didn't hear what Jolene said, but it made Mom cry. When I jumped on Mom's shoulder and batted at the tears, Mom said it was OK -- she was just really happy the shawl helped Jolene. I believe everything the Angels make has that power because it has so much love in it. The Angels are helping people every day, little by little. Mom told me once she wants to be a little mouse, peeking around the corner in heaven when each of the Angels gets to meet all the people who received their yarny goodness, and the Angels learn what that gift meant to them. She said the Angels won't believe their eyes and ears!! I think that will be AWESOME....but I'd feel a whole lot better if Mom wanted to be a little CAT!

Repetition

"The repetition of small efforts will accomplish more than the occasional use of great talents." -- Charles H. Spurgeon

Whew! It was a wild weekend, Angels! And it was a wild weekend because Honorary Angel and Director of Marketing Frank Pokorny (that's him over to the left there) and I had to clean out and rearrange the basement to make room for all the yarny goodness you Angels are making! I would not have been able to do it without my husband's help, for which I am truly thankful. Do you know that you have almost filled all the bins I used ALL last year?!?!?!

We even had to start putting bins in the GARAGE! We skipped church on Sunday (horrors!!) to hot-foot it over to Target because they had the giant 30 gallon bins I use for storage on sale for $6.44 each -- a true bargain! But, when we got there, we found out that our Target had not received ANY of the bins. I was irked, needless to say, but got a rain check for 8 of the bins when they DO come in. And I know that you all will easily fill those 8 bins up!

Want to see what came in? You won't believe this:
Those bags hold close to 500 Beanie Babies!! Yes, Angel Michelle Males has donated her ENTIRE collection to us, so that we can give them to the children at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters, WellSpring Center for Hope's shelters, and Parenting ProGRESS for Christmas gifts. AWESOME! The kids will just LOVE these, Michelle -- thank you so very, very much for so generously sharing your collection with kids in need!


Yarny goodness came, too! Unfortuantely, our spokesmodel and supervisor Cowboy was sacked out on the Polarfleece blankets with his sister Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent when I took the photos, so his furry Highness isn't in these shots. But this way, you focus on the beauty of the stitches:
First up is Angel Carol Stephan from Forest Park, IL. In her note she said, "It has been a long while since I sent something your way -- but I do enjoy staying in touch via your blog, so you and the Angels are often in my thoughts. I marvel at how much some of the Angels church out - they are like machines! I work at a much slower pace." That, and she has had three sets of twins and two pregnant sisters-in-law to knit for! This layette set will be perfect for the new babies and their moms we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital -- I think this will become a family heirloom! Thank you so much, Carol, for taking care of OUR babies!


We also got a box from Australia from Angel Hazel Lindsay, head of the Angels of Armitage's Army:
Scarves and Barbies - it doesn't get much better! The scarves are perfect for the women we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's shelters, and the black one will be just perfect for the men we serve at Good News Community Kitchen. And the little girls at Cornerstone's shelters will just looooooooove these Barbies! Thank you so much, Hazel -- please let the Army know how much we appreciate their generosity, and them!


Angel Birgit Yacoub from Champaign, IL sent us a BIG box, and this just took my breath away:

Angels, let me introduce you to "Hope." Birgit wanted to make something very, very special for the Good News Community Kitchen's annual fundraiser, which happens in late October. So she designed this gorgeous bed-sized blanket HERSELF! It is a one-of-a-kind, and Birgit hopes it raises a goodly amount of money to help feed the homeless people the Kitchen serves. As always, Birgit's stitchwork is just gorgeous, but she had outdone herself on this blanket. It is truly breath-taking!

And there was more:

Lots of spa cloths for our Spa Cloth Challenge - we now have TWO 30 gallon bins filled with spa cloths, Angels! I particularly like the orange one on the left with the hearts worked in.

Wonderful hats and scarves for the men at Good News Community Kitchen -- and Angels, if you are wondering what to make next -- we could surely use some hats and scarves for men.

And LOTS of baby things for our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital:

Lots of baby hats for her Bathtub Full of Baby Hats Challenge -- for which we have very nearly filled up at 30 gallon bin with hats already!

And check these out! BIBS!!! What a great idea for spa cloth cotton! Some have bands that fasten around the neck with a button and some have ties. Great idea!

And just look at this beautiful set for a girl baby -- that's a poncho to the right, even though my lousy photography skills make it look like a baby blanket.

Thank you, Angel Birgit, for your amazingly generous spirit, creative mind, nimble fingers, and caring heart. You never cease to amaze me -- and you are such a blessing to ALL of us!

As I unpacked all these boxes, the quote up top from Charles H. Spurgeon came to mind. This summer when my Dad started to get worse and I had trouble falling asleep because of worrying, I searched Amazon.com for a good devotional to read at night before I went to sleep. I came across Spurgeon's "Evening by Evening"-- which includes a reading each night from one of his many sermons. He died in 1892 after a very long, illustrous career as a preacher in London, but his sermons could have been written today.

Spurgeon was all about steady, bit-by-bit, step-by-step growth in one's understanding of the Bible and faith -- and the importance of living out that faith in small ways, every day. He was also all about the English language and chosing just the right word to covey what he meant. As a writer, I am thoroughly enjoying his compound-complex sentences and joyful use of complex words. He's also teaching me about hanging in there and working in small ways every day to reach out to others. That is just what Michelle, Carol, Hazel, and Birgit -- and all of you Angels -- are doing every single day, with every single stitch and every donated toy. And what a wonderful world you are creating for so many, many people!