Crafty Angels

Warmth on a Cold Day

2012-01-29T11:06:00.013-06:00

A small, but hearty, contingent of the Crafty Angels gathered on Saturday, January 21 at Edgebrook Covenant Church. Given that Chicago received about six inches of snow the night before, Sandy and Anita didn’t hold much hope that others would show up. Much to their surprise, they were joined by four Angels who braved the elements and came ready to work. Debbie Kreusch, Jeannine Patt, Pam Gantzer and Lori Nienke came bearing yarny goodness, treats, and a “can do” attitude. There were lots of new shipments from Angels near and far to unpack, sort, and – most importantly – admire!

Jeannine Patt has certainly perfected her “hook and needle” skills. Look at the beautiful purple felted hats and purse she created! She also brought a gorgeous lavender baby afghan and sweater as well as a purple hat and scarf set. Purple never looked so good!

Debbie Kreusch also came loaded with an extraordinary variety of her yarny goodness. No pattern seems too big for her to tackle! She brought the beautiful crocheted baby sweaters she has become known for, adult sweaters, slippers, a beautiful bronze-colored scarf, and finished off a lovely pale yellow baby afghan and sweater that, at our last gathering, was a partially completed project – by someone else!

Lisa Kowar contributed these well-crafted black scarves in our push to gather enough dark scarves to make a delivery to the folks at A Just Harvest soup kitchen.

Anita worked up two sets of scarves and matching headbands with a new Lion Brand yarn she wanted to try (Vanna’s Colors) and two black scarves for A Just Harvest.

We received several boxes of yarny goodness from Janeece Lewis of Adel, Georgia. Here are the wonderful hats, scarves, and mittens she made. Angel Janeece also included spa goodies in her shipment – soap mitts and “innards” for our spa bags.

Chicago Angel, Lynette Ackmann, sent us loads of wonderful baby afghans, hats, scarves and shawls. We “ooh’ed and aah’ed” over her duck baby afghan and the child’s snowman hat she made. Adorable!

Angel Joyce Dattalo of Oswego, Illinois contributed some sweet toddler sweaters, two beautiful afghans, and lots of scarves to be enjoyed by recipients in several of the local ministries we support.

Angel Marya Preston of Wheaton, Illinois worked up some colorful spa cloths and many toasty hats, scarves, and afghans which will be happily received by the folks at Cornerstone Community Outreach, Northpark Friendship Center, and A Just Harvest.

Shown below is all of the yarny goodness sent by Angel Linda Wright of Dayton, Ohio. Look at the lovely hat and scarf sets and all of the other great hats in various sizes and colors. The baby afghan will go to a special newborn at Swedish Covenant Hospital and the shawl and spa cloth, as well as the hats and scarves, will be sent to Cornerstone and Northpark Friendship Center.

All the way from Australia, we received a shipment of scarves from Sandra McInallis – a member of Armitage’s Army. Thank you Sandra!

Angel Elizabeth Carr of Atlanta, Georgia sent us these beautiful baby blankets and a whole multitude of hats for the infants at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Last, but certainly not least, just look at all of the yarny goodness sent by Dianna Overall from “The Klickers” of Loogootee, Indiana.

Many, many thanks to each and every one who continues to create and care. Opening your boxes at our gatherings is like Christmas over and over again. We get excited as our bins continue to fill with your many love gifts.

And the Goodies Keep on Coming!

2011-11-20T14:55:00.027-06:00

"Dreams grow holy put into action" -- Adelaide Proctor

Hi! Chris here! Lots of holy dreams showed up on Saturday, October 29 when the Crafty Angels met at Edgebrook Covenant Church to open boxes of goodies that had arrived over the past several months, and to share the yarny goodness that they themselves had made during that time. It seemed as if the goodies just kept on coming as box after box and bag after bag was opened. Chicago Archangel Sandy Rice was so impressed and inspired by the Angels' handiwork that she insisted that we do a blog post, just so all of you could see! So, with Able Assistant Anita Hohenstein manning the camera, lots of pictures were taken, and sent to me here in Maryland on a DVD. So grab a cup of cocoa, tea, or coffee, put your feet up, and prepare to be inspired. Just look at these lovelies!

Angel Angie Lyke has kept herself very busy and brought in a great assortment of goodies:

So has Angel Carol Flowers, who is now fully recuperated from breaking her thumb - a very frustrating disability for a confirmed crocheter. You can see that it didn't change the quality of her work, though:

Angel Carol Stephan sent in a box full of yarny goodness, including her famous baby sets:

Angel Debbie Kreusch made more of her famous toys and even had time to make some baby blankets. Just check out those baby sweaters, too:

The Happy Charity Klickers from Loogootee, IN sent in a windfall of yarny goodness!

Angel Doris Ahlstedt made more of her favorite baby things:

New Angel Doris Freeman sent in some lovely yarny goodness:

Angel Helen Watson sent in manyPACKED boxes of dreams made holy:

New Angel Joanne Robbins sent in a lovely baby sweater:

Angel Joyce Dattalo sent in this wonderful yarny goodness - including her famous baby sets, made up of a baby blanket with matching sweater and hat:

New Angel Kathleen Evans has been busy on our behalf, too, and she knitted the scarf in my favorite stitch - seed stitch:

New Angel L. Wright sent in these pieces of holiness:

Angel Linda Faubel has been very busy crocheting!

Angel Mary Grotz brought much love worked into yarny goodness, including even baby booties:

Angel Maureen Martin had these lovelies to share, with lots of warm hats and scarves for men - always needed:

Angel Peggy Kingsley brought in lots of dreams, too:

And last, but certainly not least, Angel Penny Sawczak brought in ARMLOADS of love!

WOW! Can you believe all this inspiration! A big thank you goes to all the Angels who made things, but also to the lovely women who came to unpack the boxes and sort things into their proper storage bins in our new digs at the church - including Angie Lyke, Carol Flowers, Heather Groh, Mary Grotz, Penny Sawczak, Phyllis Snodgrass, Debbie Kreusch, Peggy Kingsley, and Anita Hohenstein.

All the items you see here, along with BINS FULL of yarny goodness already received and photographed previously for this blog, will be blessed by Pastor Greg early in December, and delivered to Cornerstone Community Outreach, Swedish Covenant Hospital, and the North Park Friendship Center before Christmas -- so that they can be distributed to recipients in time for Christmas. Swedish Covenant Hospital also reserves baby things to be distributed during the coming year.

I am inspired -- and impressed -- by all the dreams turned into action you see here! Thank you, each and every one of you, for caring for all those we serve. You did it again -- in grand style!!

A HAPPY Crafty Angels Update!

2011-09-27T12:49:00.003-05:00

Angels and friends –

Here is the update you’ve been waiting for, and it is FULL of good news!

New Archangel in Chicago!

While I am working on establishing a base here on the east coast, we have a new Archangel in Chicago! Sandy Rice, long-time Crafty Angel, has offered to head up “Angel operations” in Chicago – and I am so happy that she is taking on this role. She is in charge of all Chicago operations, and will oversee the collection, sorting, storage, and delivery of all of your yarny goodness love gifts. Sandy is a whiz at organization, and has already been on the job getting things ready for the rest of this year and next. Sandy can answer any questions you may have about our Chicago efforts – you can email her at tasmann98@sbcglobal.net or call her at 773-792-0372. Long-time Angel Anita Hohenstein has volunteered to be Sandy’s able assistant, and I am so happy that Anita is willing to add this to her busy schedule! She is Sandy’s second in command, and will help Sandy make sure things go smoothly.

Chicago Activities

Here is the latest on our Chicago efforts:

1. Our next gathering will be on Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 10:30 AM in the Chapel at Edgebrook Covenant Church (6355 N. Spokane Ave., Chicago, IL 60646). Angels will sort through all the boxes of yarny goodness that have arrived and put the items into storage bins, discuss plans for next year, and work out general logistics. You won’t want to miss this event! If you would like to bring some treats to share, please let Sandy know.

2. Our second gathering for the fall will be held on Saturday, November 12 at 10:30 AM in the Chapel at church, and its focus will be putting together spa bags for Swedish Covenant Hospital. We have TONS of spa cloths, and if you would like to donate travel-sized bottles of bath gel and body lotion, we would be very happy to receive them.

3. We’ll be supporting FIVE organizations: Swedish Covenant Hospital, Cornerstone Community Outreach, the North Park Friendship Center, A Just Harvest, and Edgebrook Covenant Church’s prayer shawl/comfort afghan ministry. Given limited storage space and shipping funds, we’ve decided to focus on these special groups in Chicago because of the impact they have on the needy in Chicago. A little further down I’ll outline what is needed for each organization.

4. Our goal is to distribute your yarny goodness very early in December as we usually do, so that our supported organizations can distribute them before it gets really cold, and/or as part of their holiday gifts to their clients.

5. Our space in the church has been finalized, and we are ready to take in shipments of your yarny goodness! WHOO HOO!!! You can drop items off at the church Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday between 10 AM and 2 PM (please call first at 773-763-4230 to make sure our church secretary, Ginny, is there to let you in) or you can mail them to: Sandy Rice/Crafty Angels, Edgebrook Covenant Church, 6355 N. Spokane Ave., Chicago, IL 60646.

6. Given our reduced funds, we won’t be able to ship yarn to Angels around the country. In the past we were able to do that, but our finances just won’t make that possible right now. So consider this a GREAT opportunity to reduce your stash!

Supported Organizations

We have decided to scale back our support for various organizations at this point, due to space limitations for storage at church. That is why we are currently supporting only five local organizations. If you have made things for Project Red Scarf, Afghans for Afghans, Mother Bear Project, or Christmas at Sea, please feel free to send your love gifts off to those worthwhile groups yourself. All of them have a HUGE demand for your love gifts, and will be most appreciative of them. You can easily get shipping specifics on their websites – just Google the organization.

What is Needed

Here is a list of what is needed for the five Chicago organizations we will be supporting:

1. Swedish Covenant Hospital – baby blankets, caps, sweaters, and booties. There is also an expressed need for preemie sized blankets, and as soon as I get some definitive information on what size Swedish Covenant Hospital would like those to be, Sandy will send out an email to all of you.

2. Cornerstone Community Outreach – hats, scarves, mittens, socks, slippers, and sweaters for all ages; afghans; shawls; and soft toys for children.

3. North Park Friendship Center - hats, scarves, mittens, socks, slippers, and sweaters for all ages; afghans; shawls; and soft toys for children.

4. A Just Harvest – black hats and scarves for the men served at this community soup kitchen.

5. Edgebrook Covenant Church Prayer Shawl/Comfort Afghan Ministry – prayer shawls for women and afghans for men who have suffered a loss in their family, a critical illness, or other life-altering situation.

6. Given our limited storage space, we are not accepting donations of yarn at this time. If that changes, I’ll let you know.

The Newsletter and the Blog

Given everyone’s time crunches, we’ve decided to let the monthly newsletter and blog stay “on vacation” for a bit longer. I’ll be updating the blog with the information contained in this email, but we won’t be putting up photos yet. Once I get established here on the east coast, we’ll start that up again. Until then, Sandy and I have agreed that good old email is the best way to communicate with each other.

East Coast Efforts

I’m going to be staying here in Maryland and have already discovered that there is a very, very great need for your yarny goodness here. I’m looking for a home church, and have joined a couple local organizations that support local hospitals, food pantries, and shelters in the Annapolis/Baltimore area. Once I find a church or organization that is interested in hosting the Crafty Angels (I have a tiny condo with VERY limited storage space), I’ll let everyone know about them, the groups they support, and what is needed. Until then, the focus of the Crafty Angels will be on the five groups in the Chicago area.

Thank You!

I really want to thank all of you Angels for hanging in there with us during this unexpected transition. So many of you have been emailing me to say that you’ve been continuing to make yarny goodness and have been stockpiling it – just waiting to send it in. You are all so special, and are such a blessing to me – and to all the recipients of your love gifts. Before I left Chicago, I shipped out everything we had to Afghans to Afghans, Mother Bear, Christmas at Sea and Red Scarf Project. AND I took a HUGE car-load of baby things to Swedish Covenant Hospital. The folks at Swedish were truly appreciative of your gifts – they had distributed the things we gave them last year at the holidays within a couple of months!

I also want to say a HUGE thank you to Sandy, Anita, and the Trustee and Executive Boards at Edgebrook Covenant Church. Without them, and their blessings, we wouldn’t be able to continue doing what we do. They believe in what you are doing, and are just thrilled at the impact you all are having on those in need in Chicago. Keep doing what you do – changing your neighborhood, country, and the world – one stitch at a time!

Peace,

Chris.

Heros (or Heroines)

2011-06-26T14:48:00.011-05:00

"Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say: This is my community, and it is my responsibility to make it better. Interweave all these comunities and you really have an America that is back on its feet again. I really think we are gonna have to reassess what constitutes a 'hero.'" -- Studs Terkel

I thought of this quote as I opened boxes, an envelope, and bags that arrived at church this week. So many Angels, so busy! And I have so much to tell you, so be sure to read until the end!

But first, what you came here for! Some lovely yarny goodness arrived this week and I can't wait to show it to you. First up, Angel Cathy Falkenstein in Loomis, CA has been very busy making hats -- hats for all sizes:

She even took the time to put tags on the hats with special care instructions, because these aren't the typical acrylic yarn we usually use. I particularly like the wonderful magenta hat in the upper right-hand corner. It will definitely brighten the heart of one of the women we serve on a dark, gray winter day here in Chicago!

She's also been making spa cloths for the women in Cornerstone Community Outreach's shelters and the new moms at Swedish Covenant Hospital:
Thank you, Cathy, for caring for so many people that you will never get to meet!

Angel Linda Faubel in Ladd, IL has also been very busy -- that's her baby blanket up top, which is already at Swedish Covenant Hospital! She's been busy making afghans -- and has been collaborating with Angel Birgit Yacoub from Springfield, IL. Take a peek at the GORGEOUS afghan Linda crocheted using Birgit's pattern:

Isn't this just amazing! Can't you just see it covering the bed of one of the seniors at Cornerstone's Friendly Towers? The pattern reminds me of Amish quilts, and Linda's handiwork is just exquisite. Great effort, Linda and Birgit!

Linda also made this lovely afghan -- which is equally large and warm. Again, lovely stitchwork, and one of our senior ladies will just LOVE it!

Angel Linda has also been concerned about keeping our men warm, too:

These wonderfully warm hats and scarves will go to the men we serve at A Just Harvest (the black ones) and the North Park Friendship Center. All the scarves are extra wide and the hats are extra warm. I particularly like the pattern Linda used for a couple of her hats -- she used a smaller crochet hook to start the hat, went to a slightly larger one for the crown, and then went to her usual hook for the rest of the hat. The result is a hat that is densely warm on top -- perfect for the men we serve who live on the streets even in the coldest part of winter, because you loose most of your body heat through the top of your head. Great idea, Linda! These hats and scarves will be a big hit!

We also received two bags of goodies at church from someone who didn't leave their name with them -- so if you created these lovelies, please email me and let me know who you are:

These will be just wonderful for the folks we serve at the Friendship Center and Cornerstone's shelters! They made so well and are so nice and warm, too -- thank you, Anonymous Angel! She also sent us a bag of yarn, which has been carefully put in our bins!

I love Studs' (one of my favorite writers) quote up top, because I truly believe each and every Angel is a hero -- or heroine -- because they do exactly what Studs says: they want to make a difference for the better in their community. And make a difference you certainly do, as I found out when I delivered your love gifts to Swedish Covenant Hospital this week. Not only were the nursing staff tremendously appreciative of your yarny goodness (they wanted me to be sure to let all of you know how much the new moms love your baby blankets and baby clothes), but I also got to meet a recipient of your yarny goodness.

As I was running back and forth to my car unloading your yarny goodness, an elderly woman watched me closely from the waiting area inside the hospital. When I was done, she waved me over and wanted to know if I was the lady who brought the baby blankets. I told her yes, and that all of you Angels made them.

She was so excited! She said she had been praying to meet the "blanket lady" ever since she received two baby blankets three years ago. She was in ICU at the hospital for over a month, in and out of consciousness -- and very upset. A nurse went and got two baby blankets to lay over her in an effort to offer her some comfort. The woman said that she felt great comfort and peace immediately, and used the blankets every day she was in the hospital. She took them with her into the rehab facility she went to after being in the hospital and now has them at home. She told me that she uses them every night, a pink one and a purple one, and cannot fall asleep unless they are covering her. She wanted me to tell all of you that she has gotten so much comfort from those blankets -- they were truly a blessing to her. She gave me TWO big hugs for you -- so consider yourself doubly hugged!!

And we can consider ourselves doubly blessed! As we approach our 10th birthday next week, I am very happy to tell you all that we have outgrown our basement! AND the trustees of Edgebrook Covenant Church have made available space in the church to house our growing ministry!!! WE ARE MOVING INTO LARGER QUARTERS!!! Whoo hoo! I never imagined this day when we started so many years ago. I am thrilled beyond words -- this means that the Board of Trustees and Executive Board fully appreciate and honor the work you do, because we don't have a huge church! To get space is a REALLY BIG DEAL!

So I need to ask you all a big favor for the next 6-8 weeks: please don't send any more boxes of yarny goodness until you hear from me. We need time to finish renovations to make room for us and to get all of our existing inventory and yarn over to church, set up, and organized. It will be much easier for me if we don't have any incoming yarny goodness during this time of transition because I want to make sure things get photographed properly and you all get credit for your work, and I'm so afraid that something will get set aside

I also need to ask you to hold off sending in yarn until you hear from me. Our yarn bins are filled to overflowing (a wonderful position to be in!!), and right now we have all the supplies that we need. I know this will change in the fall after we move, and I'll let you know when to start sending in your stash.

I'll be taking a brief break from blogging -- the next 6 weeks will be extremely busy for me at work. I'm helping bring in a new online class system at North Park University, and we have hundreds of classes to convert before the new fall term starts in mid-August. I'll be doing lots of extra work, and won't have time to properly blog about your gifts. Please bear with me -- I want to do a good job and make sure everyone gets proper credit, and I'm just very afraid that something might get set aside and that won't happen.

I'm asking you all to "actively wait": please keep making all your yarny goodness, check out our new home on Ravelry for inspiration (just type in "Crafty Angels" after you sign up -- it's free), and stockpile those goodies until you hear from me. Trust me, it will be worth the wait! It will be WONDERFUL!

Holy and Precious

2011-06-19T14:11:00.009-05:00

"Whether we are poets or parents or teachers or artists or gardeners, we must start where we are and use what we have. In the process of creation and relationship, what seems mundane and trivial may show itself to holy, precious, part of a pattern." -- Luci Shaw

Angel Karen Egolf from Wheeling, IL sent in her first batch of yarny goodness for the year this week, and all kinds of wonderful things were in it! Just look at the hat and matching mittens for a toddler up top -- perfect for one of the children we serve at Parenting PROgress. And the teen moms will love the hats next to them -- I just love the lace edging Karen knitted on the edge. These lovelies will also be perfect for them:

Karen's cabling is just gorgeous, and I envy her skill with lace -- so beautiful!

She also made some great baby things for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital -- and they will be delivered this coming week!

Over 300 babies are being born each month at Swedish Covenant Hospital, so they were very happy to learn the Angels had filled TWO GIANT BINS with baby blankets and TWO LARGE bins with baby hats and sweaters already this year!

Angel Karen was also thinking about the women in Cornerstone Community Outreach's shelters when she made these lovely spa cloths:

And just look at the beautiful prayer shawl and comfort afghan she made:

She used the same stitch pattern on both of them, and I really like it. It give just enough texture to make the item interesting, but doesn't overwhelm the yarn. It even looks great with the variegated yarn in the afghan -- and usually textured stitches and variegated yarn just don't work too well together. I'm going to email her for the pattern she used for the shawl -- I'm totally enraptured by it!

I truly do believe that the Angels take something mundane -- basically sticks, hooks, and string -- and with love, care, creativity, and skill, turn the mundane into love gifts that are indeed part of God's grand plan. The resulting yarny goodness is most certainly holy and precious in His eyes, and in the eyes of the recipients. Thank you, Karen, for creating such holy and precious gifts!

Kindness

2011-06-12T15:11:00.008-05:00

"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love...Perfect kindness acts without thinking of kindness." -- Laozi, 570-490 BCE

I thought of the quote up top while I opened all the boxes and bags that arrived at church this week -- and as I packed up yarn to ship off to Angels around the country and finished goods to be sent to Christmas at Sea, Halos of Hope, and the Mother Bear Project. The Crafty Angels are indeed kind, and I believe all this yarny goodness is an act of perfect kindness, done by Angels without even thinking about how kind they are.

Angel Alma Wamsley, one of the first women to join the Crafty Angels ten years ago, slipped me these perfect pink hats on her way into church last Sunday. It's hard for Alma to get around now, so she often can't make it to our gatherings or church on Sunday. But she's still thinking about those in need, crocheting kindness into her perfect hats!

Angel Hazel Lindsay in Australia was doing kindness lately -- and thinking about people who will be cold this coming winter. Take a look at the yarny goodness that was packed into the box that arrived with about a zillion gorgeous stamps on it this week:

I wanted to show you the detail in these scarves -- I just love the feather and fan stitch pattern, and Hazel has used it to perfection on these two scarves. And it shows you how different the stitch looks using different weights of yarn -- the purple scarf is made of heavier yarn. Aren't they just lovely? These hats and scarves will keep the folks we serve at the North Park Friendship Center and Cornerstone Community Outreach's shelters warm this winter!

Angel Marya Preston from Wheaton, IL has been busy in two ways: she's been knitting these lovely hats for the children we serve --

AND she's been getting her friends involved in producing kindness! Her anonymous friend at work sent along these great hats and scarves:

Aren't thse just great? She made the dark colored ones extra thick and warm for the men we serve who live on the streets -- and the men at A Just Harvest will particularly like the dark navy and black ones. Marya also sent along A LOT of warm skull caps for the men at A Just Harvest that she purchased in black and darkest navy -- so if you like to make scarves, but not hats, I could certainly use some black or dark navy scarves to pair up with those hats.

We also received a box from the Happy Charity Klickers in Loogootee, IN, thanks to head Klicker Dianna Overall. Just look what was inside!

Hats and scarves for all ages! The colorful hats are extra thick and warm -- perfect for the teens at Cornerstone's Leland House and the young moms we serve at Parenting PROgress. The Klickers also sent some nice and warm purchased skull caps for the men at A Just Harvest -- so start working on those scarves!

Angel Shirley Miller in Phoenix, AZ sent a box full of all kinds of kindnesses - take a peek:
Lovely spa cloths!

Perfectly kind baby blankets for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital!

And blissfully soft scarves and hats for girls. Wonderful!!!

Thank you, Alma, Hazel, Marya and friend, Klickers, and Shirley for practicing perfect kindness -- and sharing your love with those in need. Your handiwork is GORGEOUS!!

Altruism and Peace

2011-06-06T19:19:00.017-05:00

"The more altruism we develop in a day, the more peaceful we find ourselves. Similarly, the more self-centered we remain, the more frustrations and trouble we encounter." -- Dalai Lama

I came across this quote late last week, and thought of the Angels -- who must be among the most peaceful people on the planet, based on their altruistic efforts on behalf of those in need. I think you'll agree as you scroll through this post!

Some provisos first: there was no way I could post every single photo I took at our gathering on May 21 -- this post would take forever to load, it might crash your connection to the internet, and I am already dangerously close to my limit on photo space on Blogger.

So.....what you see is a highly edited selection of the yarny goodness that was delivered and displayed at our gathering. I tried my best to get something in for everyone who attended -- but if you attended and don't see any of your yarny goodness up here, please believe me it was not because your goodies weren't good enough, it's simply because in my old age I no longer remember exactly what each person brought three weeks ago. So I apologize in advance to anyone who might feel slighted -- please don't, I'm just an idiot. After all this time, I still haven't figured out a way to keep straight who made what in the rush of joy and excitement that comes at our gatherings, and Angels start flinging all this wonderful STUFF O' LOVE on my dining room table.

First up, here are some photos that I CAN identify -- Angels who were at the gathering:

Angels Doris Ahlstedt, Debbie Kreusch, Phyllis Snodgrass and Mary Grotz -- all from Chicago (from left to right).

Angels Peggy Kingsley, Maureen Martin, Penny Sawczak, and Angie Lyke (from left to right). Peggy and Penny are from Chicago, Maureen is from Evanston, and Angie is from Naperville.

Angels Audrey Malone and Jeannine Patt (from left to right). Both are from the Chicago area. We were also joined later by Angel Karen Boykin -- and I'm sorry that I didn't get her photo! Karen is from Chicago, too.

We received boxes from Angels Amy Gawura from Chicago and Birgit Yacoub from Champaign, IL, too!

Now for the stuff you came for! In no particular order, here is only some of the very great yarny goodness that we all oohhed and aahhhed over -- grab an iced tea and prepare to be inspired!

Now don't you agree that this is some of the most golldurn amazing yarny goodness you have EVER seen?!?!? You Angels just keep getting BETTER AND BETTER!! What incredible creativity, skill, technique, and LOVE are exhibited here -- truly awe-inspiring. I am just overwhelmed -- and it's not from the nearly 100 degree temperature F here today in Chicago (it's still in the mid-90s as I write this tonight). Don't you feel the insistent urge to pick up your hooks and sticks and MAKE SOMETHING RIGHT NOW? I do, and I think I will -- so all I'll say (words cannot compete with all this LOVE) -- THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, ANGELS!!

PS - I apologize for the strange spacing in this post -- good ole Blogger is still barfing up HTML code in an incredibly random fashion and I have no control over it. Very frustrating - especially since I've spent the last six months programming my brains out full-time at North Park University!

It Matters

2011-05-08T15:24:00.008-05:00

"What you will do matters. All you need to do is do it." -- Judy Grahn

I thought of the quote up top when I received packages from two of our Angels this week. I think we Angels sometimes think that what we do here isn't really all that important, and with all the other demands for our time in our lives, that our needlework isn't really a big deal. That quote brings me up sharply and reminds me that our needlework is indeed a big deal, and it does matter -- we just have to do this. I say this as I struggle to fit my needlework into my suddenly very busy life (and honestly, I'm not doing to well at that right now!). But these two Angels have definitely been "doing it" -- with marvelous results!

First up is Angel Cathy Falkenstein, from Loomis, CA. Take a look at what was in her envelope:

Lovely spa clothes for the women at Cornerstone Community Outreach's shelters.

Warm baby hats for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Cathy experimented here with wool for the hats -- her husband is allergic to acrylic, and since she just loves to crochet, she is trying to find yarn that she can have in the house to work on with out bothering her husband's allergies. She also used all cotton yarn -- which washed up like a dream, and would be good for babies who had very sensitive skin. Because she used "non-typical" yarn for her hats, she even made care labels for each hat for the new moms!

These lovely hats are child sized, and made of very soft cotton. So soft, in fact, that I've put them in the bin for Halos of Hope, and they will go to children going through chemo.

Cathy, your experiments worked out very well -- thank you for taking on the challenge of finding something safe to crochet with and "doing it!"

We received a BIG box from Angel Talyn Klemmetson in Twin Falls, ID. She has been teaching herself to crochet and knit, and has been working on a variety of items to practice her skills. Just take a peek at how much she has bee practicing:

This is an ENTIRE dining room table full of "practice" scarves! Each is different, and she has been practicing different stitches and using different kinds of yarn. Each one is just wonderful, and they will be perfect for the folks we serve at the North Park Friendship Center, the teen moms at Parenting Progress, and at Cornerstone's shelters.

A variety of spa cloths, where Talyn tried different stitches and even knitting!

Just look at these amazing baby blankets for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Talyn has certainly mastered the technique of the Granny Square in crochet -- and the new moms will love these!

She also has been practicing use the loom for her handiwork -- and made the lovely hats up top. Can't you just see some young girls we serve bouncing through the snow this coming winter, nice and warm because Talyn tried something new?

Thank you, Talyn, for keeping on practicing and "doing it." Your handiwork is really amazing, and you are far better than you think you are!

I am inspired by Cathy and Talyn this week! What a testament to the power of believing that what you do ultimately matters -- so many people will be touched by the result of that dedication. Keep it up -- and thank you for being my inspiration this week!

Not Weary

2011-05-01T15:15:00.008-05:00

"We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed." -- Brother Lawrence

On a day during which we finally saw a bit of sun and felt a bit of warmth, Pastor Greg dropped off two big boxes full of love that fairly glowed! Angel Linda Faubel has certainly not been weary of doing little things, and these boxes held the yarny goodness proof of that. The contents made my heart glad!

Take a look at that pattern up top. Angel Birgit Yacoub designed another afghan, and Linda crocheted it. Between these two creative geniuses, they came up with this:

Isn't this absolutely breath-taking? The pattern is wonderful, and Linda's handiwork is just so fine. Birgit has suggested that it could be raffled off for our fundraiser in December, and I think she is absolutely right! She also suggested that we promote it on our blog, and see if we can get people to write in wanting raffle tickets. I'm thinking that might be another EXCELLENT idea! This photo does not do this afghan justice -- it is truly amazing, and large enough for to cover a queen-sized bed. It must have taken so very long to make -- it is composed of small squares, which Linda then sewed together. I would have completely lost my mind doing that amount of finishing, but Linda did and superb job.

There was more amazing yarny goodness in the boxes -- these brought a BIG smile to my face:

A collection of bears Linda made just for the Mother Bear Project - seven in all - 3 boys and 4 girls. I just love the grins she embroidered on their faces - they will make children in Africa soooo happy! When I told the bears that they would be going to Africa to be given to children who had no toys, and no parents, I swear their grins got even bigger!

And take a look at these:

That's a total of 56 spa cloths! I really like the star-shaped ones - they will make the women recipients at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters feel like stars! Each spa cloth is different, too.

And there was more:

Baby blankets for the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital - one for a boy and one for a girl. I really like the colorway Linda chose for the girl's blanket -- the color is a bit off here, but it includes shades of soft teal and rose. I would not have thought to put those colors together, but the effect is just so spring-like and lovely! The new moms who receive these blankets will treasure them!

In her note, Linda said it was nice to see everything turning green and flowers blooming -- AND I say it is nice to see love in action! That's what you see here -- Linda's love and devotion to all those folks in need we serve. I think God is smiling, too!

Resurrection

2011-04-22T16:52:00.015-05:00

"I give and receive blessings through my heart and hands." -- devotional from Angel Alexis Lueth in Winter Springs, FL

It's a cold, grey, rainy Good Friday here in Chicago -- the grey color, and maybe the rain, feel right, because today is the day we remember our Lord's passion, but the cold surely does not. My friend Margo told me yesterday that she had heard that this was one of the coldest springs on record in Chicago, and I believe it! Our spring is probably a full month behind my sister's "spring" in Annapolis, MD -- and I must say was absolutely envious when she talked about all the fruit trees blooming in people's yards when I called her today.

I always eagerly look forward to Easter -- to me spring then "really" starts, and I was so hoping we could all be resurrected with a little spring weather. Alas, that probably is not to be -- more rain is forecast at this point. So I was overjoyed to open boxes of yarny goodness that had come in this past week -- I can't wait to show everything to you because the colors will bring spring to you wherever you are!

First up was a box from Angel Hazel Lindsay in Australia -- she is the queen of matinee baby jackets, and she has had the baby girls we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital on her mind. Don't each of these sets look like precious little spring flowers?Thank you, Hazel! These are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! And the baby girls will look just beautiful coming home from the hospital for the first time!

I also received a box from Angel Shirley Miller in Phoenix, AZ. She had lots of knitting time when she was visiting her new grandson, Kellen Randal, in Boise, ID. Kellen, his mom, dad, and big sister are all doing well, and Shirley had a wonderful time. However, on the way home, her dog Olive developed a condition called bloat -- and passed away. I am imagining her playing with Cowboy up in heaven! I am so sorry for Shirley's loss. I think Olive would be pleased to see her Mom's yarny goodness here:

How wonderful! Hats and scarves for our families at the North Park Friendship Center, spa cloths for the women at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters, and baby blankets for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Thank you, Shirley, for caring so much for so many!

The Happy Charity Klickers from Loogootee, IN have also been very busy -- I received a BIG box from Archangel Dianna Overall. Just look at all the wonderful color that was inside:

Just look at those great hats and scarves for our families at the Friendship Center and Cornerstone, and what wonderful spa cloths! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Klickers! You are awesome!

In the spirit of Easter, I wanted to share more of the devotional that I mentioned from Angel Alexis Lueth above. She sent it with her Easter card, and it is entitled "Heart and Hands." Here it is in its entirety -- it made Alexis think of all of you:

"The heart is a universal symbol of love, perhaps because its continuous activity is essential to life, as is the activity of love. And hands are a universal symbol of that activity. God's love continually fills my heart. And the activity of my hands brings that love into expression as I go about my day. Whether I am quietly praying or busily preparing a meal, I use my hands in heartfelt demonstrations of giving and receiving. They are instruments of love that allow me to hug a loved one, create a newborn's blanket, or type a letter to a friend on a computer keyboard.

My heart and hands together are the means by which I continuously give and receive in an ongoing cycle of God's love in expression. I know -- with all my heart -- that I am blessed as I bless others."

I couldn't agree more! Here's wishing each of YOU the most blessed of Easters and a very happy Spring! Our April-May newsletter is now available, too -- you can read it by clicking the link HERE.

No Lack

2011-03-30T20:16:00.013-05:00

"Depend upon it, God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies." -- J. Hudson Taylor

This past week has brought packages and boxes nearly every day! Angels are busy doing God's work, and I thought of the quote up top as I photographed all the yarny goodness tonight -- so true! And there is such a diversity of goodness -- so let's get started!

Angel Illiana Stark from Chicago brought by the boxes of spa bag goodies up top, PLUS some wonderful yarny goodness:

His and hers hat and scarf sets! The apricot yarn in "hers" is so soft. And they are just perfect for the folks we serve at the North Park Friendship Center.

And just look at this lovely shawl/hat combo -- Illiana stitched part of the shawl together to make a hood. She chose marvelous yarn -- it has a very subtle metallic gold thread running through it, for a lovely bit of bling. I think I'll be saving this for our fundraiser! Thank you, Illiana!

Angel Cathy Falkenstein from Loomis, CA has been very busy, too:

She found this adorable flannel toddler dress at her local fabric store for only $2 -- and immediately thought of the families we serve. I think it will be perfect for one of the little toddler girls we serve at Parenting ProGRESS!

She also sent these lovely spa cloths -- I just love her signature colored borders around her cloths. And so colorful on a VERY grey Chicago day. Thank you, Cathy, for sending some California color our way!

Angel Dianna Overall of the Happy Charity Klickers of Loogootee, IN have been VERY busy -- she sent us a BIG box just full of love:

Hats and scarves for people of ALL ages -- just perfect for our friends at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters.

Baby blankets for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital, along with the adorable Pooh hat and mittens for the kids at Parenting ProGress. And spa cloths for the moms at Swedish Covenant Hospital!

And just look at this wonderful comfort afghan -- can't you see one of our senior men at Cornerstone's Friendly Towers wrapped up in it? Thank you, Klickers, one and all! You are AWESOME!

And there was more! Angel Kanani Caauwe has been getting practically everyone she knows knitting and crocheting for us -- including the "elderlies" in her family! And the things they came up with:

Is it possible to lust after a colorway?? I think I've fallen in love with the colorway of the yarn of that scarf in the center. I've not seen it before, but it is gorgeous!

Just look at those red scarves on the right for the Red Scarf Project! Whoo hoo! And all these hats, scarves, and spa cloths -- perfect for those we serve at homeless shelters.

But here come the best yet:

Bears for the Mother Bear Project!!! Aren't they just the cutest?!?!? And look at that precious toddler sweater -- the buttons match perfectly! Thank you, Kanani; Bonnie Witowski from Evergreen Park, IL; Marie Caauwe; and Barbara Hunssinger! You do EXCELLENT work!

Last Thanksgiving/Christmas season, our church had its annual Giving Thanks Offering. Each year a different group or organization is picked to benefit from the funds raised in the effort. This time, our church leadership decided to split the offering between five ministries that our church has personal ties to: the North Park Friendship Center, Leland House (one of the shelters run by Cornerstone), A Just Harvest, JustFood (an effort by our sister church, Resurrection Covenant, to grow food during the summer to sell to raise money for outreach programs - our church grows food on our front lawn for them), and us! On Monday, Pastor Greg distributed the checks, and each of us got a whopping $744!! So you all just be doing SOMETHING in God's way, because with this check and the money we raised at our fundraiser, we have enough funds to handle all our shipping and yarn costs for the WHOLE YEAR!! HOORAY!!!

It really is true, you know -- God has provided amazingly through your sharing of your stashes, sales and coupons whenever I have to buy yarn for you, bags of "spa innards," and funds to purchase that yarn and ship your yarny goodness around the world. I have learned not to worry in that regard -- over the past ten years, whatever we have needed has been provided in abundance. So keep doing what you are doing, Angels! You are indeed doing God's work here on earth! Bless you all!

Nearly Utopia (or Heaven)

2011-03-20T20:01:00.013-05:00

"We are not asked to subscribe to any utopia or to believe in a perfect world just around the corner. We are asked to be patient with necessarily slow and groping advance on the road forward, and to be ready for each step ahead as it becomes available. We are asked to equip ourselves with courage, hope, readiness for hard work, and to cherish large and generous ideals." -- Emily Greene Balch

The Crafty Angels had their first gathering of the year this past Saturday, and all I can say is WOW!!! I think our yarny goodness just keeps getting better and better! Take a peek at who was able to attend:

Angels Debbie Kreusch, Mary Gross, and Jeannine Patt, all from Chicago.

Angels Peggy Kingsley and Doris Ahlstedt, also from Chicago.

Angels Angie Lyke from Naperville, Phyllis Snodgrass from Chicago, and Carol Flowers from Bollingbrook, IL.

And last but certainly not least, Angel Joann Larson from Glenview, IL.

These lovely ladies have been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!! They brought so much yarny goodness that I've finally decided that I can't possibly show it all to you, or you'll be here all day oohhhing and aahhhing! So, in an effort to keep your download of this page manageable, here is an highly selective, edited version of the fruits of their labors:

From Angel Carol:

Lovely, warm hat and scarf sets, perfect for our folks at the North Park Friendship Center.

And GORGEOUS spa cloths for the women in Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters and the new moms at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

From Angel Angie:

Her very first baby sweater! Perfect for one of the babies served by Parenting ProGRESS.

And a truly lovely baby blanket for one of our new babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

From Angel Debbie Kreusch -- and yes, she made more toys (in addition to baby blankets and sweaters, an afghan, and lots more)!!

Phyllis thought this lion looked a whole lot like Tina Turner, and so we named her! These toys will be perfect for the toddlers at Parenting ProGRESS and Cornerstone's shelters.

Angel Peggy has gotten her friend, Jo, to start making things for us - just look:

Warm hats and scarves for our friends at the North Park Friendship Center and a great blue hat and scarf set for Christmas at Sea.

From Angel Doris:

Her famous baby hats for Swedish Covenant Hospital. We just loved the ones with the angled pattern - which she made up by herself!

Angel Jeannine has been exceptionally creative:

Won't these be just perfect for the toddlers at Cornerstone's shelters?

From Angel Mary:

Just look at these amazing sweaters! She made so many -- and so many of the children at the Friendship Center will be kept warm now!

Angel Joann brought goodies from our friends at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church:

Cotton hats for Halos for Hope -- Joann had read that cotton chemo caps are especially needed in the south in the summer, as the cotton is cooler and helps absorb perspiration. They also made 20 sets of hats and scarves for Christmas at Sea.

Joann also has been busy:

A lovely cabled scarf for the Red Scarf Project and a baby blanket for Swedish Covenant Hospital.

And hats and scarves for our men at A Just Harvest and the Friendship Center! She also sent off socks to Afghans for Afghans.

Angel Anita Hohenstein from Chicago wasn't able to be with us, but she dropped off some yarny goodness earlier in the week:

It's a table-ful of wonderful, warm scarves AND a table-ful of spa cloths!!!

See what I mean about the Angels' work just getting better and better?

We had a great time oohhing and aahhing, feasting, talking fiber and patterns, and sharing ideas. As I put things away after everyone left, I thought of the quote up top. The Crafty Angels certainly have the ability to put in hard work, especially in the service of large and generous ideals -- and they most certainly will help provide others with hope and courage. To my way of thinking, that's pretty nearly utopia -- or heaven! I just hope heaven is like a Crafty Angels gathering - I could spend forever at them and with the Angels!! How about you?

PS -- Yes, that is the ever-elusive Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent posing (reluctantly and with the help of her Dad) with Angel Anita's wonderful scarves. I'm trying to encourage her to take her brother Cowboy's place as our spokesmodel. I consider this photograph a HUGE success, given where she and I started from (Cody hiding in the deepest recesses of the closet.......)!

Good Labour

2011-03-13T15:18:00.009-05:00

"Let not the ghostly enemy find thee all idle, but that thou be reading, writing, praying devoutly, thinking, or some other good labour doing for the commonalty." -- Thomas a Kempis

I thought of this quote as boxes and bundles of yarny goodness arrived at church and my home this week -- nearly every day something wonderful appeared! You Angels have been VERY busy doing "some other good labour doing for the commonalty"!!

Angel Alexis Leuth from Winter Springs, FL sent in the wonderful hats up top for Halos of Hope -- each one is so soft and unique! Perfect!

She also wanted to get her scarves in early for the Red Scarf Project:

She has been trying out some new stitches and yarns, and found that scarves are a great way to learn new things. I agree wholeheartedly -- scarves are very forgiving and give you room to practice something new without having to worry about gauge or sizing. The same holds true for spa cloths, and I recently saw on the Lionbrand Yarn website that they are using washcloths as mini "lessons" in new stitches.

Angel Lisa from Lake Forest, IL has also been trying out new stitches on scarves -- check these beauties out:

Lisa also made these for the Red Scarf Project, and for those crochet novices like me, she said she achieved the effect by crocheting the scarf lengthwise with 2 colors -- and crocheted in the BACK of the stitches in each row, so you end up seeing more of one color or the other, depending on which side faces up. It looks more complicated than it is, Lisa says (good for me, given my novice crocheting skills!) and I absolutely have to try this!

She also has been practicing her feather and fan stitch, again using a scarf as her practice mechanism:
I think she did a wonderful job -- and one of the teens we serve at Parenting ProGRESS will love it!

Angel Carol Stephan from Forest Park, IL also tried something new - hats! Just look at the gorgeous hat and scarf sets she made us:
These are just perfect for the folks we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters! And there was more:
An afghan made out of the softest yarn -- you can't tell from my poor photography skills, but the colors are black, grey, and very pale PINK. Just perfect for one of the senior women at Friendly Towers!

Carol is famous for her baby sets, and she didn't disappoint with this one! I was HUGELY tickled with it -- it will go to Swedish Covenant Hospital, and the hospital's "colors" are blue and yellow (because our denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church was founded by Swedish immigrants - and the colors of the flag of Sweden are blue and yellow)!

Angel Jennifer Ramey from Charleston, IL sent in a VERY heavy box -- not only was there yarny goodness in there, but also the results of some power discount shopping:
Warm hats to help meet the need for the men at A Just Harvest -- and she got each of the hats for just 25 cents at Wal-Mart! She said she couldn't believe it -- and neither can I! So here is my challenge to all of you -- we need some scarves to go with these hats, and the colors are grey, navy, and brown. Can you help out?

Jennifer also sent some other lovely yarny goodness:
She made the black and white scarf and the purple hat. Several friends made the scarves - and it was their first time knitting or crocheting. I think each one did an exceptional job, and they will be just perfect for the people we serve at the North Park Friendship Center!

And there was more:
Jennifer made the fun baby quilt, and included fun soft toys for toddlers -- I think all of these will go to the children at the North Park Friendship Center!

We also received a bag of yarn from Angel Melly Ruan from Chicago, IL - which included sock yarn. Thank you so much, Melly!! The yarn will be put to use right away!

Thank you, Alexis, Lisa, Carol, Jennifer (and friends!), and Melly for caring about the "commonalty" -- using your valuable time, talent, and treasure to help those in need. You are such an inspiration to me -- and you encourage me to keep trying new things! What angels you all are!

And don't forget, the Angels are gathering at my house (6357 N. Leoti Ave. in Chicago) this Saturday, March 19 at 10:30 AM for fiber, food, friendship, fun -- and of course, ooohing and aahhhing over yarny goodness! Come and bring your friends -- we've got lots of yarn to tempt you, and there is sure to be lots of inspiration to be seen! I can't wait to see all of your "good labour"!

Less Difficult

2011-02-28T10:47:00.007-06:00

"What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?" -- George Eliot

I thought of this quote when I learned that my colleague, Rev. Dulcie Gannett, passed away unexpectedly shortly before Thanksgiving. She was a highly respected chaplain at Swedish Covenant Hospital, and had served them for a long time making life less difficult for those in crisis, whose loved ones were seriously ill. Dulcie was also a mentor for other women pastors in our denomination, and I had just seen her in late September, when she served on my ministerial standing committee during my regular three-year interview. As always, she was encouraging, supportive, and caring -- giving me the same gifts she gave the folks she served at the hospital. I both grieved, and celebrated, her homegoing -- she is deeply missed.

A few weeks ago, her brother Al contacted me and asked if the Angels could make use of Dulcie's "stash" -- she was a great knitter, and regularly contributed to KnitList -- the longstanding online forum for avid knitters. I said "Yes, absolutely!!" -- and on a rainy, cold weekend, Frank and I went to pick up Dulcie's donation. That's it up top, taking over our treadmill and a goodly corner of "Crafty Angels Central." Al also gave me all of Dulcie's knitting needles - so I have a very respectable stash now to give out when any of us teach classes to the Girl Scouts or local high schools. I think Dulcie is greatly pleased to think of all of you making wonderful yarny goodness from her yarn, because you all will most definitely make life easier for many people with her gift to us!

Several other Angels have been busy making life easier for others, too. Take a look at what Angel Cathy Falkenstein sent us from Loomis, CA:

Don't you just love these colorful spa cloths and baby hats -- perfect for the new moms and babies we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital? I really like the borders Cathy put around her spa cloths!

Angel Maureen Martin has been making life less difficult for new moms in Africa - just look at the photo she sent us of the lovely baby hats she made for Caps for Good:

Her pom poms are PEFECT!! This is AMAZING! Pom poms are a perennial subject of discussion at Crafty Angel gatherings -- many of us just can't get them right, but Maureen has done it!

Angel Lisa from Lake Forest, IL has been busy making spa cloths, too:

She was experimenting with patterns given to her by Angel Carol Flowers. And she didn't stop there:

Lisa made our first hat and scarf set for the Christmas at Sea Project! The seaman who receives it will be very nice and warm - the yarn she chose is very soft!

Angel Talyn Klemmetson from Twin Falls, ID has been VERY busy making life easier for others:

That's an entire dining room table full of spa cloths! Such cheerful colors, too -- and she thought about the new babies:

The yarn Talyn chose is so soft that I'm sure the babies will love them!

And we have a new Angel! L. Wright, from Dayton, OH, has been so busy making life easier for others -- just look at all the yarny goodness she sent us:

A lovely comfort afghan for one of our seniors at Cornerstone Community Outreach's Friendly Towers in the softest yarn imaginable and a wonderful baby blanket for a little boy.

Soft baby hats for Swedish Covenant Hospital and a wonderfully soft scarf for one of the toddlers we serve at the North Park Friendship Center. And there was more!

Spa cloths for the women in Cornerstone's homeless shelters! I don't know if you can make it out from my bad photography, but these spa cloths are very spring-y: the top one has a butterfly knitted in, and the bottom one has a birdhouse and a little bird knitted into it -- just lovely!

Angel Charlotte Mesimore, queen of discount shopping, scooped up some lovely yarn for us on super sale:

Can you believe that she got the Homespun yarn on the bottom for $.59 a skein!?!?!?!? Awesome! We can definitely make lives easier with these lovelies!

I felt such happiness opening all the boxes and bags full of yarny goodness destined to make other people feel loved and cared for! I had been feeling sort of down in the dumps, what with all the wretched cold, blizzardy, rainy, and grey weather we've been having here in Chicago -- and what with all the uncertain news on TV, and news that cuts were going to be have to be made to many social service agencies across Chicagoland, and the world - for heaven's sake. But Cathy, Maureen, Lisa, Talyn, Charlotte, and our newest Angel L. Wright, cheered me right up! That warm glow of love from this latest stash of yarny goodness lit up grey Chicago, and my heart, like the sun - the son of God. Thank you all for making life easier for others - and for me!

Availability

2011-02-18T16:18:00.005-06:00

"God does not ask your ability or your inability. He asks only your availability." -- Mary Kay Ash

I thought of the quote up top as boxes came in this week from Crafty Angels near and far. Each one was willing to be available to help others -- no matter how busy her own life was with family, community, friends, and church responsibilities. I was overwhelmed with what I saw when I opened the boxes, and you will be, too!

First up is Angel Hazel Lindsay from Australia. She has been VERY available -- just look at the gorgeous baby matinee jackets she knitted for our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital:

I really like the leaf pattern she knitted into the border of the aqua jacket -- so spring-like! And there was more:

LOTS of baby hats for Caps for Good -- which will get shipped out tomorrow. I just love the variety of colors, which reminded me of spring flowers -- can you tell I am CRAVING spring up here in Chicago?!?!?

Angel Mary Grotz from Chicago has been making caps, too:

I really like the brim she designed for the hats -- each hat has a distinctive yarn crocheted into the brim of the cap. It really dresses the hats up! These caps are a bit larger, and will go to Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Angel Linda Faubel from Ladd, IL has been VERY available -- she sent us THREE big boxes of yarny goodness! She made some GREAT hat and scarf sets for the men we serve at A Just Harvest:

I really appreciate how she made the scarves extra-wide -- that will keep the men who live on the street extra warm in the cold Chicago weather.

Linda was also thinking about our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital -- just look at these gorgeous baby blankets:

I really like all the different patterns she chose for them, particularly the first one. It's hard to tell from my bad photography, but she used bobbles - which I find challenging to make well - and hers are just perfect! The afghan on the left, directly on top of this paragraph, will be perfect for one of the seniors we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's Friendly Towers. Linda also made two other lovely afghans for them:

For some reason, the color looks a bit washed out in this photo, but in "real life" the colors are rich and lush!

In the card she sent us, Linda said: "Whenever I am crocheting for the Crafty Angels, I hope and pray that these handmade items will bring comfort to the people receiving them. I also think of Supervisor Cowboy now, too, and hope he is looking at us from above as we are knitting and crocheting, and that he puts his paw print of approbal on all the items we are sending."

Oh, Linda, I believe he IS watching all of us from above, and most definitely he would approve of all the breath-taking yarny goodness Angels Hazel, Mary, and Linda sent us. Thank you, Hazel, Mary, and Linda for being "available," and letting God use you to help Him care for those in need. You inspire ME to be more available, too!

Having Fun

2011-01-29T18:01:00.006-06:00

"Whence comes this idea that if what we are doing is fun, it can't be God's will? The God who made giraffes, a baby's fingernails, a puppy's tail, a crooknecked squash, the bobwhite's call, and a young girl's giggle, has a sense of humor. Make no mistake about that!" -- Catherine Marshall

Two big boxes of yarny goodness arrived this week, and the love gifts inside were so exhuberant, so cheerful, and so full of fun that I immediately thought of Catherine Marshall's quote up top! It looked like the creators of these gifts just had so much fun making them that I can't wait to share them with you all!

First up is Angel Debbie Anderson from Auburn, IL -- she has been SUPER busy having fun:

Just look at all these scarves! Each one is different, each one is bright and happy, and each one will be treasured by its recipient - and they are perfect for the families we serve at the North Park Friendship Center and Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters. Thank you, Debbie, for brightening so many people's lives with your yarny goodness!

Angel Lorene Schlie of Downers Grove, IL also sent in a BIG box of exhuberant yarny goodness:

Just look at this happy assortment of love gifts! On the left are wonderful scarves for the Red Scarf Project, in the middle are some gorgeous spa cloths, and in the upper right are two perfect baby blankets for the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Don't you think that Lorene has been having lots of fun?? Thank you, Lorene, for sharing your joy, your time, and your caring making your love gifts -- they are wonderful!

I also had a visit from our friend from Fourth Presbyterian Church, Sonja Bowen. Sonja dropped off some wonderful yarn for us that her knitters couldn't use because of restrictions on what they can make for the shelters they serve. What I most appreciated is up top: wonderful 100% WOOL yarn that will be perfect for us to use to make things for Afghans for Afghans. I am just picturing this yarn made up into thick, warm socks for men, women, and children -- in fact, I think that will be my next project (after I get the two baby blankets and the shawl done that are languishing in my "works in progress" bag! I've got jury duty coming up, so that should help -- lots of time sitting in the jury pool room!). What fun!

In these grey days of late January, when it's cold, grey, icy, and snowy here in Chicago, I just CRAVE color. Debbie and Lorene certainly fulfilled my craving today -- just as they will warm the hearts of those who receive their love gifts. Thank you both for having fun -- and sharing the results with us! I think I can hear God giggling!

In Memoriam

2011-01-19T14:07:00.004-06:00

Cowboy
May 1999 - January 2011
Dad's very best buddy, ever expressive and willing spokesmodel and Supervisor of the Crafty Angels, and the best darn cat there ever was.
Peace be to his memory -- he will be terribly missed.

I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul. - Jean Cocteau

Ready to Do

2011-01-16T14:26:00.005-06:00

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?" -- Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's Sunday afternoon, the day before Martin Luther King Day, and we're getting ready to "do" at Crafty Angels Central. Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent is working hard keeping snowflakes away from the house (that's the ever elusive Princess up top), and Angel Lisa K and I just got back from a Michael's run to hit the yarn sale.

Yes, we skipped coffee hour at church to get there before the lines got too long, but it was worth it:

That's $260 fundraiser money worth of Vanna's Choice, Homespun, and Red Heart Super Saver yarn, and a PILE of Sugar 'n Cream yarn for spa cloths! WHOO HOO!! The bins are refilling!

Angel Linda Faubel is helping refill our bins, too -- take a peek at what arrived at church on Friday afternoon:

Homespun, One Pound, and Pound 'o Love yarn! DOUBLE WHOO HOO! I really like the One Pound yarn for things like afghans -- far fewer places where you have to join the yarn, so less chances for knots coming undone. Thank you , Linda, for this bounty of yarn!

And we received another bounty this week:

Take a gander at all these spa bag innards! Angel Anita Hohenstein from Chicago and Angel Lisa K hit some major clearance sales and made a score for us, as did Angel Helen Watson in Wadsworth -- she found travel sizes of of shower gel on deep discount at Drugstore.com! Thank you all so much! These will be just wonderful in our spa bags!

Do you sometimes wonder if what you make for Crafty Angels makes a difference? When I've ripped something out multiple times to get it right, I sure do! So take heed of this card I received this week at church:

Dear Crafty Angels,

Thank you so much for all you do. I recently gave birth at Swedish Covenant Hospital and received adorable blankets and the wash cloth made by you. I truly appreciate the care you showed to me and all the other mothers and babies. I am a medical resident at Swedish and just found out about this amazing service only when I became a patient. Continue the good work and God bless all of you.

Love,

Anna Kulik-Carlos, new mom of baby Alex Jet Carlos

How cool is that! She also sent me a lovely photo of baby Alex, but I didn't have a way to scan it for you. Consider yourself thanked, and yes, you DO make a difference! So let's get out there and DO!

Opportunities

2011-01-09T17:15:00.005-06:00

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness." -- Seneca

I received three thank you notes for you Angels this week! Barbara Nordlund, director of Parenting ProGRESS, wrote to say that your hats, scarves, and soft animals (for the children!) were a MAJOR hit. she wanted you to know that the moms all felt that your generosity of time and talent is really incredible. Several of the mom signed Barbara's card, too -- and one said that her son especially liked the monkey that Angel Debbie Kreusch made, which he received from us.

Paige Sator from Christmas at Sea wrote to thank all of you for the beautiful hat and scarf sets you made for the men and women serving on ocean- and river-going ships, and Joanne Ekberg, director of the North Park Friendship Center also wrote to thank all of you for making a difference in the lives of needy people on the northwest side of Chicago. So consider yourself thanked!!

Yarny goodness also arrived this past week -- from five Angels! First up are my nieces Angels Katie and Anna Schmalz, from Glenview, IL. They have been busy practicing their knitting and work with the loom:

Katie made the spa cloths and the scarf for a child, and Anna made the hat -- I think our fearless Supervisor Cowboy looks quite handsome in it up top! He thought so, too!

Katie also wanted to share some of her Christmas gifts for "spa bag innards," which will be greatly appreciated by our teen moms at Parenting ProGRESS next Christmas - Katie donated shower gels and matching lip balm:

Angel Shirley Miller from Phoenix, AZ has also been busy -- just look at all the hats and scarves she made:

These will be great for the families we serve at the North Park Friendship Center. In her letter, she said that she has enjoyed practicing new combinations of stitches in them, and that she hopes the people they warm will feel the love that was knit into each stitch. She said she does think about these people while she knits, and often prays that they may know better days ahead.

Shirley has also been concerned about our babies being born at Swedish Covenant Hospital - she has a new grandson due in February:

She said she send all of you lots of wishes for a very happy New Year, along with her hopes that there will be less need for yarny goodness in 2011 -- but she'll keep knitting just in case!

Angel Linda Faubel has been thinking about the men we serve at A Just Harvest -- look what she sent us:

Black, navy, and dark brown yarn to make them hats and scarves -- perfect!

And we have a new Angel, Jacqueline Favis from Chicago, IL. In her note, she said she was very glad that she found us, because she loves the idea of donating to those who need warm items. And she sent some beautiful things:

These hats and the scarf will be wonderful for the folks we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach -- they are so nice and soft and warm!

Thank you, Katie, Anna, Shirley, Linda, and Jacqueline for taking the opportunity to extend kindness to people in need. Our opportunities to do just that keep growing -- and your efforts are truly appreciated by those who receive your yarny goodness, as you can see in the thank you notes. Keep on taking advantage of those opportunities -- and like Shirley says, keep knitting (and crocheting) just in case!

Beginning - Part 2

2011-01-01T12:53:00.004-06:00

"For all that has been, THANKS! For all that will be, YES!" -- Dag Hammarskjold

I saw the quote up top in one of my email devotionals today, and it immediately struck me because Dag Hammarskjold was one of my childhood heros. He was very active in service to others on a global basis, even before he became Secretary General of the United Nations. He accomplished much during his tenure there, and for a long time I wanted to work at the UN when I grew up.

But today his quote reminded me of OUR global Crafty Angel work for 2011 - even more so as I opened an envelope from Angel Cathy Falkenstein from Loomis, CA - which Pastor Greg dropped off last night on his way home from church. Take a peek!

"Mom, my New Year's resolution is to give you GREAT shots of me for the blog!"

I will admit that our fearless Supervisor Cowboy looks quite handsome in this shot with Cathy's beautiful, warm red scarf! That's what happens when you sleep all New Year's Eve like he did (well...at least until folks started setting off firecrackers in our neighborhood - then he and Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent high-tailed it into their respective closets!). Cathy's scarf is extra wide, extra long, and extra warm -- just perfect for one of the folks we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters.

Thank you, Cathy, for your generosity and willingness to help others. And to all of you Angels, here's a big "YES!!" to what you will be doing in 2011! Happy New Year!

Beginning

2010-12-31T13:01:00.008-06:00

"'...even a tiny ray of light in your darkness can make a difference. A single match can light a room.' Above all this I now realize that God can use us all to be that match, that when lit, can light up the world...Let God use your life and by faith believe that whatever you have to offer can in fact light up the world. Your life can shine on others living in darkness to guide them to the pathway of peace!" -- Rick Martin

I always like to start a new year in the way I wish it will go -- in other words, I have this weird custom or way of thinking that if I start the new year on the right foot, things will go that way throughout the year. So, I start a couple of knitting projects so I have something on the needles, I get all the laundry and ironing done, I tidy up the house, wash all the dishes, make lots of soups and stews to put into the freezer for quick dinners after work, organize the linens cupboard, get the banking done and have some cash in my wallet, pay all the bills, get my yarn stash and patterns in order -- all that sort of thing. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't -- but it's worked enough times that I've become somewhat superstitious about this "custom" of mine (Frank thinks I'm nuts!).

I was truly hoping that I would be able to start 2011 in the same way for the Crafty Angels -- I wanted to have some things done to start filling the bins, in hopes that the bins would continue to fill throughout the year. And YOU did NOT let me down! SIX boxes have come in since Christmas already!!! Isn't that just amazing! With all your own Christmas knitting and crocheting that you all must have had to do, many of you found time to think of the Angels. Just look:

To help kick off starting with full yarn bins, three of you sent in boxes of yarn! First up is Jen Banko of Cicero, IL:

Just look at this lovely yarn!

An anonymous new Angel in Oglesby, IL sent yarn, too:

And new Angel Tera Agyyong of Chicago, IL dropped off this gorgeous stash:

A WONDERFUL start to keeping our yarn bins full, don't you think? But there's more:

Angel Linda Faubel from Ladd, IL read about Caps for Good in our November newsletter, and got started right away. Just look what she did!

"These caps are howlingly awesome, Mom!!"

A tableful of crocheted hats, using the simple pattern in their booklet. And yes, of course, I had to have our fearless Supervisor Cowboy model one of them up top (but it took a lot of treats!)!

Angel Joyce Dattalo from Oswego, IL has also been busy making things for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital:

Four gorgeous layette sets -- can't you just picture how happy the new mother will be to receive one of these?

And the students from Paideia School in Atlanta, GA in the Knitting Club have been very busy:

Presidents Eva Steinberg and Elizabeth Snyderman say that they hope everything is worn in good health! I think that is very definitely going to be the case -- and I'm sending some of those lovely baby hats to Caps for Good! The rest will go to Swedish Covenant Hospital, and the hats, scarves, and lovely shawl will go to our "family" at the North Park Friendship Center.

Thank you Jen, Tera, Linda, Joyce, Eva, Elizabeth, and all the knitter at Paideia School! You are absolutely WONDERFUL -- and it is so magical to start off 2011 with yarn AND yarny goodness in the bins. I am positive all of your love gifts are just a small portion of what is to come in 2011.

And as I think about 2011, I am very drawn to the quote up top. It came by way of Angel Alexis Leuth from Winter Springs, FL. She saw it in an Advent devotional from her church, and it made her think of the Crafty Angels and thought it was a good thought to kick off our work for 2011. I couldn't agree more! Let's light our matches and light up the world!!

And if you are inspired and want to get started, check out the list of organizations we'll be supporting and what they need in our January newsletter, just click here. That lovely photo of snow on knitting was captured from Stephanie Pearl McPhee's blog!

Deliveries

2010-12-15T11:45:00.005-06:00

"Tied to the value of the person is the principle of servanthood. We value what we freely serve." -- Douglas Groothuis

It's delivery time! Your love gifts of yarny goodness have been delivered - and just in the nick of time, with very, very cold weather hitting the Chicago area just after deliveries were made. Many, many people are already being kept warm because of you, Angels!

Last week I shipped out all of your yarny goodness to: The Red Scarf Project, Mother Bear Project, Christmas at Sea, and Afghans for Afghans. I delivered your toys and hats and scarves to Parenting ProGRESS (and they will be distributed TODAY at their annual Christmas party!). I also arranged for pick up for your love gifts for Cornerstone Community Outreach.

Then I got a call from Pastor Greg Mesimore - he had taken his car in for service, and the repair place had given him a VAN as a loaner for the day! Did I want to take everything over to the North Park Friendship Center? You bet I did! So Pastor Greg and I loaded up the van, AND my little car with help from Frank:

Then we headed over to the Friendship Center in the bitter cold, packed full of love!

Volunteers formed a human chain to unload your love gifts into the Center.

And Joanne Ekberg, Director of the Center (that's her on the left with Pastor Greg), said to tell you that she truly appreciates your generosity! Your yarny goodness was unpacked the same day we delivered it and volunteers started distributing it right away!

That left me with my delivery to Swedish Covenant Hospital - and on Monday Frank and I loaded up his car and my car and headed off in sub-zero temps and high winds to spread the love! You caused quite a stir at the hospital when we started bringing in all of your love gifts -- I was stopped by patients, visitors, staff, security guards, doctors, and nurses. EVERYONE wanted to know who made all the lovely baby things in the storage bags, and once I told them, they wanted to know the WHOLE story about you!

Joann Meigs, head of Maternal Health (that's her on the left), wanted me to be sure to tell you what an impact you have had, and continue to have, on the needy moms and their babies served by Swedish Covenant Hospital. She told me that sometimes she gives a new mom two baby blankets because she knows that the mom has nothing at all for her baby. With her assistant Joanne (on the right), she whisked those two carloads of love gifts right upstairs to the maternity ward and started distributing your yarny goodness right away! (And yes, that's me in the middle, with frozen ears and windblown hair with the worst haircut I've ever had in my life -- so please excuse the "scarecrow" look!)

I truly hope you are feeling warm all over knowing that your gorgeous handiwork is spreading love all over the world RIGHT NOW as you read this post! Thousands of people are being touched by your love gifts, and are thankful for YOU! I surely am! Take a deep breath, pat yourself on the back, and give a big ole GRIN as you imagine all those in need treasuring all that you made this year. YOU ARE AWESOME!

And I've gotten a box of more yarny goodness already! As Angel Helen Watson said when I talked with her yesterday, "That box is a seed for next year's yarny goodness! You should always start the new year in the way you want it to go -- and now we've got love gifts that will lead to even more love gifts in 2011!" I couldn't agree more! Stay tuned for photos of that yarny goodness!

Dedication Day

2010-12-06T16:43:00.010-06:00

“Some people do a certain thing, and the way in which they do it hallows that thing forever afterwards. It may be the most commonplace thing, but after we have seen them do it, it becomes different. When the Lord does a thing through us, He always transfigures it.” -- Oswald Chambers

On Saturday, December, a group of hard-working Crafty Angels gathered at Edgebrook Covenant Church to set up all the yarny goodness the Angels had created over 2010 to be dedicated and blessed. Over the course of the afternoon, they transformed an empty chapel into a room full of love gifts ready to be purchased at our fundraiser:

Angels Doris Ahlsted, Phyllis Snodgrass and Jeannine Patt hard at work!

Early on Sunday morning, Angel Kathy Waldsmith joined Angel Sandy Rice and me in setting up goodies to get people in the mood to shop during our fundraiser during coffee hour after our worship service:

Angel Kathy "womanning" the groaning board of coffee hour!

I so wish you all could have been at church during worship -- you would have heard my little homily praising you to the heavens, and Pastor Greg praying over all of your love gifts! Since you probably weren't able to be there, click here to read all about it in our December newsletter!

I am so sorry that there are no photos of the fundraiser in progress! SO MANY people came and we were SO BUSY answering questions about you and making sales that I wasn't able to take pictures! it was like being in the center of a whirlwind!

Please know that many members of our congregation and their friends purchased a portion of your yarny goodness as Christmas gifts (or gifts for themselves!), and we raised an AWESOME total of $3,058! $100 of the total came from the raffle of the gorgeous afghan designed by Angel Birgit Yacoub and crocheted by Angel Linda Faubel. That $100 will be donated to A Just Harvest, to help purchase food on a night when Edgebrook Covenant volunteers are serving there. The rest of the funds will be used to buy yarn for you to use and to cover our costs for shipping your yarny goodness around the world.

Thank you, Angels, for being the wonderful women you are, for all your hardwork throughout 2011, and for your hearts for the people we serve. May God bless each and every one of you most richly!

Saved

2010-11-30T14:48:00.005-06:00

"Christ does not save all those who say to him: Lord, Lord. But he saves all those who out of a pure heart give a piece of bread to a starving [person], without thinking about Him in the least little bit." -- Simone Weil

I thought of Simone Weil's quote up top quite frequently over the past week, as I've been busy preparing for the blessing of all of the Crafty Angels' yarny goodness this coming Sunday and getting ready for our fundraiser on that day. And I thought about the quote again as I opened boxes and envelopes that arrived with even MORE yarny goodness.

My guess is that the Crafty Angels fall into the latter category listed by Weil -- they make, and then give, their yarny goodness out of a pure heart to someone in need, without thinking about whether or not doing so will improve their "standing" at church or in heaven some day. They see someone in need, and react with love and kindness -- plain and simple. But that sort of kindness and love is what is honored by God, and Christ has made that very clear in the New Testament. You Angels will be blessed because of your love and kindness, whatever your faith, or whatever your beliefs. How wonderful is that?

So, want to see what came in this week? I know you do! First up, we received a package from Angel Margie Chan from Chicago -- and look at what she sent:

Beautiful spa cloths! Perfect for the spa bags that will go to the maternity ward at Swedish Covenant Hospital and Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters. In her letter, she apologized for not being able to contribute as much this year as in the past. Her mother became disabled from a stroke in early January, and Margie is now her primary caretaker - as well as caring for her own home and working. Margie -- don't worry about ANYTHING! For this season of your life, you are doing what you most need to be doing: caring for your Mom. I am thrilled to receive whatever yarny goodness you may make in whatever spare time you may have -- but put your Mom first. I know what that is like, as my sister and I cared for my Dad in his illnesses. We can wait till later!

We also received a box of wonderful handiwork from Angel Carol Stephen in Forest Park, IL. Carol makes the best baby things for the babies we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital -- just take a peek:

"Yeah, you knew this was coming as soon as you saw the bibs, didn't you, Angels? I surely did, but I'll humor Mom so long as I get my treat!"

And our fearless Supervisor Cowboy did indeed get an extra kitty treat for posing so nicely - don't you think he looks cute? Irritated to be sure, but cute! And there was more:

An absolutely gorgeous afghan for one of our "grandpas" served by Cornerstone Community Outreach's Friendly Towers. In her letter, Carol said that she liked that the yarn was soft and lightweight, and that it could be used year-round. I am certain that it will be loved, Carol!

And we received a box all the way from Australia from Angel Hazel Lindsay of Armitage's Army. She's been busy!

I just love that beautiful baby sweater -- it will certainly be treasured by the new mother whose baby was born at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

These hats and scarves are perfect for the families we serve at the North Park Friendship Center -- and I think the young girls will particularly like the fuzzy scarves, although I think Cowboy looks quite festive in the red one!

So thank you, Margie, Carol, and Hazel, for creating and giving out of the goodness of your heart to those in need. May you be as richly blessed this festive season as you have been a blessing to others!

Setting the World on Fire

2010-11-27T14:18:00.009-06:00

"If you are what you should be, then you will set the world on fire." -- St. Catherine of Siena

I've always believed (well, at least since we learned about it in Sunday School as kids) that God has something for each of us to do here on earth to help his people, and that we can achieve great things if we can determine what that "thing" is for each of us and just do it. Well, on Saturday, November 20, a whole gaggle of Angels showed just what can happen once you find that "thing" and just do it. You can make a MOUNTAIN of yarny goodness (no fooling -- it filled TEN giant laundry baskets and two shopping bags!) to keep people warm this winter. Angels just kept coming in through my front door, and I actually lost count of how many showed up. Not only did they bring yarny goodness, but they also stayed to make spa bags.

First things first - the fruits of the Angels' labors: I took DOZENS of photos and finally decided just to show a selection, for fear of crashing our servers! But there are many photos here, so grab a cup of coffee or tea, and put your feet up! They are presented without comment -- so you can marvel yourself at the Angels' creativity without my blathering:

WOW! Isn't all this yarny goodness just something else?!?!? Included in the "mountain" were contributions from Loops of Love, a group which makes chemo hats - and whose contributions will be going to Halos of Hope, and the Knit 1 Purl 2 knitting group from Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Downers Grove, IL. I was totally blown away by not only the volume of production, but the creativity of the Angels, which never ceases to amaze me. Talk about setting the world on fire! These women certainly are doing just that!

Nearly everyone stayed around to put together spa bags, see?

We had a blast! It was like an old fashioned quilting bee -- everyone pitched in and worked like crazy! Remember that goal I set, with Angel Penny Sawczak's help, of 1000 spa bags? Well, the Angels certainly did make at least 1000 spa cloths this year. However, we ran out of "innards" after putting together a little over 750 spa bags. So after our fundraiser, I will use some of the funds we raise to order some "innards" and we'll work to get them finished by mid-January. The ones we DID finish will be blessed and then 600 will go to Swedish Covenant Hospital's maternity ward and 150 will go to the women in Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters. Amazing!!! I think I was walking a foot off the ground! My sister Cin and her friend Paula arrived from Maryland on Sunday for my Dad's memorial service, and they were totally STAGGERED by the volume of love the Angels brought on Saturday. Their mouths literally gaped!

All in all, it was a GREAT Saturday! Yesterday I spent over five hours washing that bonanza, and getting everything ready to be transported to church in preparation for set up for the blessing and fundraiser on December 5. And......I discovered some sad news. I started pulling the hats and scarvces for the men we serve at A Just Harvest's community kitchen and found to my great dismay that we had not crafted enough hats and scarves for them. Our goal had been 200 hat and scarf sets in color-appropriate yarn, and I was able to only pull together approximately 100 -- no matter how hard I tried. Since A Just Harvest says that if you are going to bring a gift, you need to be able to bring one for everyone who will be served that night (to prevent possible disagreements among those being served), we will not be able to provide hats and scarves for the men this year.

I was really heartbroken when I discovered this, because the hats and scarves we gave out last year meant so much to those homeless men. But, it was a wake up call -- I'll need to work harder to keep you all informed as to where we are on track with how many we need. And we'll need to focus our knitting and crocheting a bit more. The hats and scarves you DID create will instead be distributed at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters and at the North Park Friendship Center.

But there was some good news, too. Several of you made toys this year, and for the first time, we'll be able to provide soft handmade toys for the infants and toddlers served by Parenting ProGRESS, along with hat and scarf sets for their moms. I'm very happy about that!

All nearly 40 giant bins of yarny goodness will be transported to church tomorrow, and I'll be working all week on setting up for the fundraiser. If you are free on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 10:30 AM, you can help us finish setting up. We'll meet at my house at 6357 N. Leoti Ave. in Chicago at 10:30 AM to start. If you can help, please shoot me an email and let me know, so that I can plan food for lunch.

The dedication of the fruits of the Angels' labors will be achieved during worship on Sunday, Dec. 5, starting at 10 AM. Our fundraiser will be held during coffee hour at 11:30 AM, and then again after our annual Chancel Choir Christmas Concert, which starts at 7 PM. The concert is free and is always wonderful - if you'd like to enjoy a bit of Christmas spirit, please come join us!

And, the Angels are only BEGINNING to set the world on fire with this year's yarny goodness. Just wait to see what happens when it gets DELIVERED after Dec. 5! Then the fireworks will REALLY start! I can't wait to see it!

Revealing Love

2010-11-17T19:07:00.007-06:00

"Even if we can't do the things we once did, we can still do things to help Jesus reveal His love for mankind." -- Father Edward Salmon, S.J.

Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to attend the annual Women's Fall Silent Retreat at the Cenacle here in Chicago. The retreat leader was Father Edward Salmon, a Jesuit priest - and one of my favorite retreat leaders. He's always a great speaker, and this retreat was no exception. I couldn't help but think about the theme of one of his sessions at the retreat today as I surveyed the boxes that had piled up in my dining room over the past two days. Father Salmon had been talking about how God needs each of us to help Jesus in His work -- which is revealing God's love for all. That sort of rocked my world a bit, because I had never looked at it quite that way before: each of us were needed by God to reveal His love to the rest of the world. Hmmmmm.....that idea puts a different spin on it, doesn't it? Rather than us doing things to help others perhaps out of obligation or "penance," God needs us to help Him do the work. And it can't get done properly if we don't help.

As I opened those boxes, I couldn't help but think about the love revealed inside of them -- both the love of the Angels who had made all the yarny goodness, and God's love for all, worked by those Angel hands. Sort of took my breath away, you know?

So let's look at some of those love gifts! First up is Angel Phyllis Snodgrass from Chicago. She makes the best scarves:

Won't these look just great on the children we serve at the North Park Friendship Center?

Angel Hazel Lindsay from Australia sent the first of several boxes winging their long way to Chicago:

Onesies for the babies we serve at Parenting ProGRESS! And check out those lovely "gift boxes" -- Hazel has a soft spot for the seniors we serve at Friendly Towers, and always includes some special gifts for them. These lovely boxes contain equally lovely embroidered handkerchiefs for our grandmas there!

Several new Angels sent in yarny goodness, too. Cami Whited from Holcomb, KS sent some of the loveliest baby hats:

Our fearless supervisor Cowboy was most intrigued by them -- and posed when I popped one on his little noggin. Here's a closer look:

These hats will be just wonderful for the babies we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital -- both boys and girls!

New Angel Karen Egolf from Wheeling, IL sent us lots of warm hats and scarves for all ages, just look!

The brown hat and scarf and the navy scarf will be going to the homeless me we serve at A Just Harvest's community kitchen, and will keep the recipient nice and warm this winter. The baby hats will go to Swedish Covenant Hospital, and the other hats and scarves will be distributed at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters.

And new Angel Terri Klein has been VERY busy since she retired at the end of the past school year. She began collecting yarn for her "retirement hat project" and just look what she's done so far:

That is an entire dining room table full of hats for Cornerstone's homeless shelters and the Friendship Center! WOW! There are several adorable children's hats, and the rest are for adults and teens. My favorites are the turquoise and white ones -- the way the yarn worked up makes it look like Terri knitted in puffy white clouds on a turquoise blue sky! In her note, she said she always thought about the future hat wearers as she was knitting, and that she hopes this human touch reaches out to let the wearers know others do care about the challenges they are facing. Given the love glowing from these stitches, Terri, I think you achieved that!!

Just look at all these photos of revealed love! Can you feel that warmth over the internet? It certainly brightened up my day today -- and Cowboy basked in it! Thank you, Phyllis, Hazel, Cami, Karen and Terri for helping God do his job, the job of revealing how much he loves the people we serve. He, and we, couldn't do it without you -- you are the most critical component in all of our work. None of it happens without each and every one of our Angels -- what blessings each of you are!!

Measure of Love

2010-11-14T19:20:00.007-06:00

"The measure of love is to love without measure." -- St. Augustine

I thought of this quote from St. Augustine as I contemplated the nine boxes stacked up in my dining room this afternoon -- all of which had come in this past week. I am just continually amazed at the amount of love packed into all those boxes of yarny goodness that show up at church! This week was especially great, because we have some new Angels! So let's get the parade of love gifts started -- there are a LOT of photos, so grab a cup or coffee or tea, put your feet up, and be prepared to be inspired!

First up is Angel Anita Hohenstein from Chicago. She's been recovering from back surgery, but that hasn't stopped her crafty fingers:

In the center are spa cloths, then to the right are scarves, across the top is a stole, to the left is a GORGEOUS hat and scarf set, and on top of the spa cloths is a beautiful decorative scarf. Aren't they just gorgeous? The hat, scarves, and stole will be perfect for the women we serve at the North Park Friendship Center. Thank you, Anita, for using your recovery time to make such wonderful love gifts!

Two of our new Angels are Janeece Lewis, from Adel, GA and her granddaughter. Just look at what they sent us:

Spa cloths in all sorts of interesting patterns and colors -- I really liked the ones with the knitted-in designs.

And just look at these spa accessories -- what look like mittens are bath mitts, under them are soap bags holding wonderful bars of soap, and on the right are BACK SCRUBBERS! I LOVE them! How very cool -- and how pampered the new moms at Swedish Covenant Hospital and the homeless women at Cornerstone Community Outreach's shelters will feel. Janeece said in her note that she saw the great work all of you are doing, and she and her granddaughter wanted to help. And help they did, indeed! Thank you so much for your outpouring of love!

I was just tickled to receive a box from Teen Services at the Schaumburg Township District Library in Schaumburg, IL. Look what was inside:

Warm stripey scarves for our teens, and GREAT scarves for men and boys. I don't know who made them -- whether the creators were librarians or teens -- but they are WONDERFUL! Thank you so much!

Angel Shirley Miller in Phoenix, AZ has been busy crafting love, too:

Just look at these hats for all ages, the spa cloths, and the matching hat and scarf sets! Perfect! The hats and scarves will be going to all the folks of all ages we serve at Cornerstone's shelters. Thank you, Shirley, for having such a big heart!

Angel Marya Preston from Wheaton, IL has even gotten her friends at work busy spreading love -- just look at what three of them made for us:

Our fearless supervisor Cowboy found them quite "snoozeable" (he stretched out and turned his back to the camera for a quick catnap!)-- and now I know for sure that we will probably EXCEED our goal of 1000 spa bags this year! WHOO HOO!! Thank you, Marya's friends - you are AWESOME!

Angel Debbie Anderson from Auburn, IL has been loving, too:

Just look at these fantastic afghans for our grandmas and grandpas at Friendly Towers -- and the wonderful, extra warm hats and scarves for the men we serve at the North Park Friendship Center! Thank you, Debbie, for sharing so much of your time to make these lovelies! They, and you, are wonderful!

And Angel Linda Faubel from Ladd, IL has been experimenting! Check this out:

She decided to try something different with the spa bag "innards." She purchased big bottles of shower and bath gel to fill smaller bottles, which she got from an online source specialitybottle.com. In her letter, she said she didn't know if it saved money, but she certainly had fun filling the bottle and creating special labels for them! I think they are GREAT!

She also sent these:

Lots of warm hats and scarves for the men we serve at A Just Harvest's community kitchen.

Warm hats and scarves for the teen moms we serve at Parenting ProGRESS and hats for their babies and toddlers!

And more great spa cloths! Thank you, Linda, for spending so much time, talent, and treasure on your love gifts. They are so wonderfully made - just like YOU!

Yes, indeed, my dining room glowed with all the love in this yarny goodness when I had everything unpacked. My husband Frank said he was going to have to find tiny sunglasses for Cowboy to wear for fear the glow would hurt his eyes! Cowboy just purred -- he knows love when he feels it, especially extravagant love like this.

Each of the creators here showed love without measure for people they will never even meet, and I think that is pretty darn spectacular, just like each of them!! I get shivers thinking about how that love will change the lives, and hearts, of the recipients. I can't wait to distribute these love gifts! What a blessing they will be, and what a blessing you are!

Administering Grace

2010-11-14T11:56:00.006-06:00

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." -- 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Hey, Angels!!! It's me, George!! Been awhile, huh? Chris came out to Wadsworth to see my mom, Angel Helen Watson, and pick up all the yarny goodness Mom has been working on for awhile so that it could be delivered to our family members in time for Christmas. When Chris got here, I told her that I was going to write the blog post about all of this -- and that old Cowboy could pose for the photos, but I WAS IN CHARGE! She said that was fine, because the Angels really like MY posts, so here goes:

The other cats and I were sort of unhappy when Mom said Chris was coming to get the two big boxes of yarny goodness -- Mom had stashed them under the big window in the living room and we all (all SEVEN of us) were using them as perches. The boxes were GREAT for watching all the critters out in the yard getting ready for winter. But Mom said that we needed to share, so that our family members could be nice and warm this coming winter. We cats had a big confab, and decided it was OK to give the boxes away -- after all, that means that Mom will be sitting on the couch more with her knitting, and we can snuggle in next to her and stay warm.

Chris brought Frank with her, and we were all happy to see him. I made sure I rubbed up against him really good so that old Cowboy would know that his Dad had come to visit me -- HA HA HA!! The other cats rubbed Chris over really good, too. AND, we all made extra sure we rubbed the boxes REALLY GOOD, just to bug that old Cowboy!

Mom's been really busy -- want to see what she made? Check these out!

Really nice, warm shawls for our grandmas and aunties at Friendly Towers -- old Cowboy seems to approve!

Warm scarves and something called "cowls" -- I really don't know what they are, but Mom said that the teenagers at Cornerstone Community Outreach's shelters will really like them because they are "hip." And they will keep them warm.

Mom made lots of hats, too -- and Chris can make sets out of some of them and some scarves.

Dig these baby blankets and sweater sets for our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital. The other cats and I really liked playing with the bows on these sweaters before Mom stashed them away!

Mom keeps complaining about something called "stash" that keeps "growing" (but I don't know how yarn can grow!) -- so she decided to use some of it up making sweaters for the kids served by the North Park Friendship Center. I think they turned out great -- they were nice and warm to snooze on when Mom was working on them!

Chris said that if I was going to write the blog post, I had to say something "theological" about the Bible verse she put up top. Well, I'm a cat, not a pastor, so I don't know what I should say. I asked the other cats, and we thought and thought -- then we decided that Mom knitting all this yarny goodness was like when she took in each of us.

We were all strays, and Mom let us come live with her when we didn't have a home. So we were homeless like each of the folks at Cornerstone's shelters -- and we know what THAT was like! We were cold and hungry all the time -- and scared, too. We never knew where we were going to sleep, because there are lots of critters around Wadsworth that are bigger than we were, and it wasn't safe to sleep outside. We grabbed food where we could find it, sometimes out of garbage cans. Each of us heard through the cat grapevine that this nice lady named Helen would share her food with hungry cats and not hurt us - so, one by one, we came to her house and meowed, loudly. She would feed us, and gradually, we weren't scared of her anymore. Then she let us come inside where it was warm. WOW!!! What a difference! She made us so happy!

You know, Mom has a real gift of taking care of stray kitties -- just like her gift of knitting. She likes to share that, too. Chris says that is "administering grace" -- I don't know what THAT means, but I do know that Mom makes kitties, and people, happy and loved. Could that be grace?

Our November Newsletter

2010-11-01T15:54:00.004-05:00

Click HERE to view our November, 2010 newsletter -- you know you want to!!

No Waiting

2010-11-01T11:41:00.009-05:00

"Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations." -- Jean Paul Richter

Over the past week and a half, I've gotten big boxes of yarny goodness, which shows that Angels certainly are not waiting for extraordinary circumstances to do good! And the goodies are indeed extraordinary!

First up is Angel Carol O'Neill -- all the way from Honolulu! She took to heart my request for hats and scarves for all the men we serve at A Just Harvest's community kitchen:

That's eight hat and scarf sets, plus some extra hats. Thank you, Carol! These will certainly keep our men warm on the nights they stay on the streets this winter. And check this out:

One of Carol's friends made this floofy scarf! Can't you just see one of the teens we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters wearing this during the cold Chicago winter? It warms my heart! Thank you, Carol, for caring for the least of these -- and please let your friend know that we LOVE her scarf!

The Happy Charity Klickers from Loogeetee, IN have also been very busy doing good. Their leader, Dianna Overall, sent me two big boxes this past week -- and they were stuffed to the gills with yarny goodness!

Just look at all these wonderfully warm hats and scarves for men, women, teens, and children! WOW! Our fearless Supervisor Cowboy was very impressed -- and so will the recipients! These warm woolies will go to the folks we serve at A Just Harvest and the North Park Friendship Center. Many people will be nice and warm this winter, thanks to the Klickers! And there was more:

Baby and toddler blankets, of which the baby blankets will go to the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital, and the toddler blanket will go to a lucky toddler at Parenting ProGress. Wonderful!

Thank you, Klickers -- and especially Dianna -- for your dedication to doing good all the time. You are so generous with your time and talents -- what a blessing you all are to so many!

Doing good in ordinary situations is so important right now, given the tough economic times so many people and families are dealing with. Each month I learn from my contacts at the places we serve how quickly the number of people they are serving is growing. There will be so many, many people in need this Christmas season, and I am so glad that all of you Angels are so dedicated to making yarny goodness for them.

As we move into our 10th year, I have been thinking about what things would be like if all of you hadn't been making such lovely yarny goodness for so many people. Just think of the vast numbers of people who would not have felt the caring touch of your love, the lives that wouldn't have been changed, the babies who would have gone home to cold apartments without a blanket, the African and Afghan women and children who would not have known that someone on the other side of the world cared about them. Those thoughts chilled me to the bone, and so I said a prayer for each of you, thanking God for your compassion, kindness, and willingness to serve those you've never even met. You all truly ARE angels!!

Best Portion

2010-10-16T11:56:00.010-05:00

"The best portion of a good man's (or woman's!) life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love." -- William Wordsworth

I thought of this quote when, during a luncheon after the funeral for Angel Peggy Kingsley's husband Ralph nearly two weeks ago, the talk turned to rememberances of Ralph. Ralph, a former Chicago police officer, had suffered from dementia for a long time, and we started talking about all the things Ralph did for others at church. He was, indeed, a good man, and each of us had stories of those little acts of kindness and love -- what a testimony to the best portion of his life!

And many "best portions" flowed in to church over the past two weeks from Angels new and old. I have to apologize for taking so long to get this post up: thanks to a very bad case of stomach flu, an infected foot, unexpected foot surgery and side effects from antibiotics, I have been out of commission far longer than I intended. So if you were wondering if I had received your yarny goodness, the answer is YES -- and here it is!

We have several new Angels! First up is Jen Banko from Cicero, IL. Jen very generously shared her yarn stash with us:
And do you see those skeins of Heart and Sole in the middle? That is my FAVORITE sock yarn, and will be perfect for socks for kids and teens that Afghans for Afghans needs in its latest project! And that lovely merino next to it will make a great hat for them, too! Thank you, Jen, for sharing the love!!

Next up is Shirley Miller from Phoenix, AZ. In her lovely letter, she said: "I send these with my prayers for all the people you serve. May their hearts know joy and hope." Amen! And I think that what you made, Shirely, will do just that:
Wonderful, warm hats for our friends at the North Park Friendship Center.
Spa cloths for Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters!

And a beautiful blanket made by Shirley's aunt -- don't you think it will be perfect for one of the "grandmas" we serve at Cornerstone's Friendly Towers? Thank you, Shirley, for sharing the best portion of your life with those we serve!

And "newish" Angel Slyvia Frey from Rock Falls, IL sent us a package of yarny goodness that she and her friends made. Just look!
Isn't this just the cutest outfit for a little girl?? It will be great for one of the older baby girls served by Parenting Progress.

Lovely mittens, hats, and scarves for all ages at Cornerstone's homeless shelters! How wonderful! Thank you, Sylvia and friends, for caring about all the folks in need that you will never even get a chance to meet. Each of you are a true blessing to so many!

New Angel Maomi Avendano from Chicago sent a box just full of "little acts of kindness":

Don't you think that a pre-teen girl in one of Cornerstone's homeless shelters will just LOVE getting this blanket for Christmas?

These warm hats are perfect -- and several are wool, so they will be going to Afghans for Afghans' latest project for teen boys in Afghanistan. Thank you, Naomi, for your "little acts of love" that you sent us -- they will touch many deserving people - around the world!

Angel Marya Preston from Wheaton, IL sent us a BIG box of yarny goodness -- and she has been BUSY:

Nearly an entire dining room table full of spa cloths! I KNOW we will exceed our goal of 1000 spa bags this Christmas. WHOO HOO!

Just look at these beautiful baby blankets for the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital! They will definitely be treasured by the new moms who receive them for their babies. I just love the thought of newborns going home snuggled up in these wonderful blankets!
Marya also sent us some great yarn from her stash -- great colors for the men we serve, and the fun yarn would make great hats and scarves for the teen moms we serve at Parenting Progress. Thank you, Marya, for taking time out of your very busy schedule to make love gifts for those we serve. You will help brighten lives well after the Christmas season!

All I can say is "WOW!" I am overcome by all the love knitted and crocheted in this yarny goodness. Just think of how many people's lives will be touched, and changed, by them -- it gives me goose bumps! Jen, Shirley, Sylvia and her friends, Naomi, and Marya all are developing the best portion of their lives -- and by sharing it with those in need, are blessing so many people. Each of you are a true Angel!!

Doing

2010-10-11T09:04:00.008-05:00

"Living is doing." -- Clara Barton

If doing is indeed living, as Clara Barton (one of my childhood heroes) wrote, the Crafty Angels present at our recent gathering on September 25 are definitely REALLY living! They brought MOUNDS of yarny goodness -- so much that I couldn't fit it all in here, I was afraid that I would crash the servers hosting our blog. So what you will see is a selection of their love gifts for those we serve. But first, take a peek at who was there:
From left to right: Sandy Rice, Jeannine Patt, and Peggy Kingsley, all from Chicago; and Carol Flowers, from Barrington.
Again, from left to right: Penny Sawczak, Debbie Kreusch, Kanani Caauwe, and Doris Ahlstedt, all from Chicago.

Now, grab a cup of coffee or tea, put your feet up, and marvel at this yarny goodness show!

WOW! These Angels have been "doing" for The Red Scarf Project, Afghans for Afghans, A Just Harvest's community kitchen, Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters and programs, Swedish Covenant Hospital's maternity ward, Christmas at Sea, Parenting Progress, and the North Park Friendship Center. That's a whole lotta living going on!

And can your believe the creativity, craftswomanship, and diversity of the yarny goodness? That's something that always takes my breath away: each Angel not only knits and crochets so much love into her love gifts, but each item is so creative and wonderfully made! And in the nearly 10 years that the Crafty Angels have been around, never once have two Angels made exactly the same item the same way. Never! I just love the diversity.

So, Sandy, Jeannine, Peggy, Carol, Penny, Debbie, Kanani, and Doris -- THANK YOU for being your wonderful caring, giving, doing, living selves! You are touching so many, many lives with your love gifts and you each a a wonder to behold!

Kindness

2010-09-20T14:52:00.004-05:00

"She openeth her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness." -- Proverbs 31:25, NKJV

This past Saturday a group of friends from church and I went to see Bible teacher Beth Moore in an all-day session here in Chicago. The event was simulcast via satellite and across the internet, and over 125,000 people in 11 countries at nearly 600 churches and venues took part in the day. I've used Beth's video-based Bible studies for years in the women's group I facilitate for church, but had never had the opportunity to see her live. It was very exciting!

She based the study for the day on that Proverbs verse up top, and over the course of the day, focused on eight different aspects of kindness. Four aspects of kindness she talked about particularly struck me, because they reminded me so much of each of you:
1 - "Kindness is not an action, it is a disposition."
2 - "Kindness looks pain in the face."
3 - "Kindness craves an outlet."
4 - "Kindness leaves a legacy."

In #1, Beth looked at kindness as an adjective in the original Greek - it would be pronounced "chrestos." That term means "profitable, fit, good for any use...of persons useful for others." That's you, Angels!! You are a "profit" for others because you make yourselves useful for them -- you make them warm yarny goodness.

In #2, she reflected on the fact that true kindness doesn't turn away when people are in pain -- it "looks pain in the face" and is ready to be compassionate, caring, and helpful for people in distress. Again, that's you, Angels! Your compassion knows no bounds -- you continually acknowledge people's pain and find ways to alleviate it.

In #3, Beth said that you cannot hold kindness in if you let it abide in you as a disposition. Kindness craves an outlet, like a cup overflowing with water. I cannot count how many of you Angels have told me that once you started thinking about, and caring for, the folks we serve, you couldn't stop knitting and crocheting. Once again, she described all of you!

And finally in #4, she reminded me that kindness makes permanent changes in our world because it leaves permanent "fingerprints" on people's hearts and lives. That is the legacy kind people leave behind -- and the impact of that kind of legacy is far great than any endowment or financial gift somewhere, because changed people beget more changed people and situations. It's a legacy that will ripple through generations and throughout all time. And that, Angels, is YOUR legacy, and your power.

Just think of the thousands of people in the last nearly ten years whose hearts you have left your fingerprints on, the changes in their lives you have wrought, and the effect those changes will have on their children and families for generations to come. Can you feel that? I know it's kind of mind-bending, but it hit me like a ton of bricks when I was sitting there in the audience. YOUR LEGACY AS ANGELS IS TREMENDOUSLY POWERFUL -- YOU CREATE CHANGE FOR GOOD WITH EVERY STITCH, GOOD THAT WILL CONTINUE ON FOREVER.

Can I just say here how much I love each and every one of you? I don't think I tell you that enough, but it is very, very true. Each of you is such an inspiration for me -- and an encouragement. You do indeed embody Proverbs 31:25 -- "the law of kindness is on your tongue." I am in awe of you. And I continue to be overwhelmed each time a new package arrives at church.

Two such packages have arrived since my last post. One from Angel Cathy Falkenstein in Loomis, CA and one from Angel Talyn Klemmetson in Twin Falls, ID. Inside those packages were some beautiful love gifts! Take a peek at what Cathy sent us first:

Spa cloths for the women we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters and at Swedish Covenant Hospital. I do believe we might just make my goal of 800 spa cloths this year!!
And look at these precious baby hats for the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital! So soft and lovely!

Talyn was in the spa cloth-making mood, too:
And a scarf-making mood:
Wonderful warm scarves for the folks we serve at the North Park Friendship Center! The stitchwork on these babies is just awesome!

Thank you, Cathy and Talyn, for living out "the law of kindness" through all the work you put into these love gifts for the folks we serve. I hope you have a wonderfully warm feeling about the fingerprints they will leave on the hearts of their recipients!!! What a legacy!

About the photo up top: I guess you could say that our fearless Supervisor Cowboy DID NOT "openeth his mouth with wisdom" nor did he have the "law of kindness on his tongue!" He was quite unhappy with the quality of treats I offered him as a bribe to pose for the camera with the yarny goodness, as you can tell from the photos! I guess it's time to hit the pet store to find some new treats for him!!!

Triple Truth

2010-09-15T14:15:00.011-05:00

"Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity." -- Buddha

A bumper crop of yarny goodness arrived within the last week -- from three different Angels. As I opened the bags and boxes the love gifts came in, I thought of Buddha's quote up top -- I was thinking in "threes!" While you may see just some lovely knitting and crocheting in these photos, I saw the renewal of humanity, but more about that at the end.

First up is Angel Heather Groh from Chicago -- just look!
Lovely spa cloths for our spa bags for women served by Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters and Swedish Covenant Hospital's maternity ward. Glorious!
And check these scarves out: the one on the left will be going to The Red Scarf Project -- I think one of the college guys will really like it! And I can just envision the bright red one around the neck of one of the children served by Cornerstone's shelters. Thank you, Heather -- for taking time out of your very busy schedule to serve those in need. You are truly a blessing!

We have a new Angel! Her name is Shirley Miller and she is from Phoenix, AZ. In her letter enclosed inside her box, she said "Please find enclosed some items I have knitted for your wonderful work. I am a newly retired woman and a new knitter. I hope you can put these to good use...I send these items along with my prayers for your continued success in working with so many different agencies to help those less fortunate or just down on their luck these days. Doesn't that apply to all of us at one time or another in our lives?" Shirley, you hit the nail right on the head: yes, it DOES apply to all of us at one time or another. We're not so different from one another -- we Angels and the folks we serve. Bad times can happen to anyone. Some of us are just a bit luckier than others. Take a peek at what she sent us!
Beautiful baby hats for the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

And spa cloths! Look carefully at the top two pink ones: the one on the left has an angel knitted in, and I think the one on the right has a caterpillar knitted in. I love them -- and I think the recipients will, too! Thank you, Phyllis, for sharing your retirement time with those in need. I would never have guessed that you were a beginning knitter -- your handiwork is superb! You are truly an Angel!

Angel Alexis Leuth from Winter Springs, FL has also been very busy. She sent in our first shipment of hats for Halos of Hope! These will be tremendously appreciated by women undergoing chemo.
And there was LOTS more:
Baby hats in all styles and colors.
And just look at this abundance of hats and scarves in all sizes and colors -- just perfect for the teen moms served by Parenting Progress, the North Park Friendship Center, and all of our friends served by Cornerstone's many programs! AWESOME!

Many of you will remember that Alexis is also the Queen of Bargain Shopping, and she did it again for us. In her hunting, she found socks for toddlers and young children, some warm fuzzy blankets for men and babies, and women's slippers. These love gifts will be most appreciated by the folks we serve come Christmas time -- especially the socks. The people I work with at Cornerstone tell me that underwear and socks in all sizes is always in short supply, because donors would have to purchase those rather than donate something out of their own closets and drawers. It's much easier to just go through your closet and donate used clothing. It takes a special effort to go buy new undies for folks -- so Alexis, thank you for shopping for those we serve! And thank you for making so many wonderful things for those we serve -- and for being such an encouragement to me!

Now back to Buddha and the quote up top: you Angels are definitely living a life of service and compassion and have generous hearts -- as exemplified by the boxes and bags of yarny goodness that show up on my doorstep and at church. And whether you know it or not, or believe it or not, you ARE renewing humanity with each and every one of those love gifts. I so wish you could be there with me to see the faces of the people who receive your gifts, and the volunteers who distribute those gifts. In their faces, I can see the renewal, and HOPE, you have put in their hearts -- when everything in their lives seems so HOPELESS -- by your finely crafted yarny goodness. Each and every one of you are most certainly changing your world, and the people in it, one stitch at a time. God bless each and every one of you!

Touching

2010-09-04T15:03:00.011-05:00

"It is no wonder that just the touch of another human being at a dark time can be enough to save the day." -- Frederick Buechner in Beyond Words

I thought of Buechner's quote up top today as I photographed the yarny goodness that had come in from three Angels this week. I've been thinking quite a bit these past couple of weeks about the people we serve, after learning that the number of folks coming to our soup kitchen, food pantry, and homeless shelters shot up dramatically in August. Some had never been to such a place before, some had come in the past but had gotten shakily to their feet again, and some were on harder times than they had been before.

There were discussions as to why this was happening -- it's unusual in the summer, when more hourly or day labor jobs are available in lawn care, construction, and food service. The conclusion was that what we are seeing is the result of the continuing down turn in the economy, and that the dark time will be around for many of the people we serve for some time to come.

Dark times can knock on anyone's door, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. It may not be because of economics, the darkness may be relationship- or health-driven. But I saw recently on two separate occasions just how powerful that touch can be in turning the tide on darkness. And that power is just what I saw in the boxes and bags that came in from our Angels.

Angel Lisa from Lake Forest dropped by a bag of "spa bag innards" from her friend Darcy, as well as these:
She kept apologizing for such a meager stash of yarny goodness, but I know that her life is very full right now. These will touch women in Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters -- and that is very powerful. No gift of love is EVER too small to be powerful.

Angel Julie Scigalski from Chicago brought over some wonderful yarny goodness -- just look:
More wonderful spa cloths for our ladies! And the blue one was a test swatch (what a GREAT idea!!) for this:
A lovely afghan just perfect for one of our senior women at Friendly Towers - I just love the colors Julie chose. It will touch a life by keeping one of our "grandmas" toasty all winter long.
She also dropped off a scarf for one of the men served by A Just Harvest, to match a hat she made earlier. The scarf was made by the lovely ladies at the K1P2 knitting group. I love the border -- interesting, but "manly!" The number of people coming to A Just Harvest for dinner in August is up nearly 30% -- we'll need to increase the number of hats and scarves we need to hand out on December 4. Talk about the human touch!

Angel Hazel Lindsay from Australia posted a box of love before she left to go to Scotland to help care for her aunt who is quite ill. Some beautiful things were in there:
More lovely spa cloths!
Don't you think Hazel makes the most exquisite matinee jackets? Just look at the detailing in each of them. There are several patterns she regularly uses, and I think my most favorite one is the ivory matinee jacket above with the feather and fan patterned lace. These love gifts will be just perfect for the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital. The new moms will LOVE these!
And just look at these sweaters! I think they will be wonderful for the children we serve at Cornerstone's Leland House and Parenting Progress.

My spirits were lifted greatly just by thinking how these love gifts from Lisa, Julie, and Hazel may save the day for someone in darkness. I thank them for that. What a great power all of you Angels have -- you, too, are very likely making something right now which God will use in an amazing way for someone who is in the darkness. I've seen it happen, I've seen the miracle, and I am so very, very thankful that each of you is so willing to become that touch for others!

Footprints

2010-08-23T14:23:00.016-05:00

"A man (or woman!) leaves all kinds of footprints when he walks through life. Some you can see...others are invisible, like the prints he leaves across other people's lives." -- Margaret Lee Runbeck

I thought of Runbeck's quote above as I contemplated 8 boxes of yarny goodness that arrived at church over the past week or so. Even in the extreme heat we've been having across the US this summer, Angels had been very busy preparing footprints to leave across other people's lives. Amazing things were inside those boxes - I can't wait to show you!!

But before I do, just a note: our fearless Supervisor Cowboy was MOST uncooperative during this photo shoot! Maybe it was the heat or the proximity to the full moon (which always effects him negatively), but he absolutely refused to have his photo taken -- even when treats were offered. You'll see a couple of shots of his tail and only one where he posed, but that's the best I could do. He's fine, just cranky. So grab an iced tea or cold soda, put your feet up, and be prepared to be impressed!

First up is Angel Alma Wamsley, one of our founding Angels from Edgebrook Covenant Church. Alma has had a very bad couple of years with signficant health problems and has had to give up her home to live in assisted living, but she still crochets the best hats whenever she is able. Just look what she handed to me at church:

Warm and wonderful hats for our families at Cornerstone Community Outreach. These will leave some nice footprints, don't you think?

We have a new Angel! I received a box full of yarny goodness from Elizabeth Carr from Atlanta, GA -- take a peek at what was inside:

Warm baby hats and baby blankets for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital and some lovely scarves -- including a cool "ripple" or "potato chip" scarf for the young moms served by Parenting Progress. Just wonderful!!

Angel Jacci Canino from Round Lake, IL sent us FOUR big boxes. You might remember that Jacci likes to make toys, and THREE of those boxes were full of toys, including the bears up top for The Mother Bear Project. Just look at the creative footsteps she sent us:

Aren't these toys just the most amazing, creative things you've seen?? The children at Cornerstone's homeless shelters will be thrilled to receive them this Christmas! Her daughter Lisa Marie purchased the little lamb - isn't it adorable? And there was lots more inside those boxes:

Baby hats, booties, and blankets for our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital, scarves and warm slippers for our grandmas at Friendly Towers, and hats for children of all ages served by Cornerstone Community Outreach.
And Jacci made spa cloths to go in our spa bags for women in homeless shelters and at Swedish Covenant Hospital. But there was still more:

Jacci and LisaMarie also purchased these great items for the families we serve -- even MORE wonderful footprints! All I can say is WOW!

Angel Linda Faubel from Ladd, IL sent us two BIG boxes of yarny goodness, just crammed full of footprints:

Hats and scarves for our young moms served by Parenting Progress and a lovely red scarf for Project Red Scarf.

Wonderfully warm hats and scarves for the men we serve at A Just Harvest (formerly the Good News Community Kitchen).

Wonderful baby blankets for the newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Don't you think the circular baby blankets are fantastic? I am just continually amazed at how simply changing the colorway can change the look of a pattern. These three look so different that you'd swear that Linda used a different pattern! There is still MORE:

Precious baby hats for our newborns!

A dining room table-ful of spa cloths for our spa bags - each one different from the next!

The perfect afghan for one of our grandpas living at Friendly Towers.

And a very warm wool sweater for a young boy served by Afghans for Afghanistan. DOUBLE WOW!

I have to tell you that I was quite overcome by all the yarny goodness that I unpacked from those boxes from Alma, Elizabeth, Jacci, and Linda. I just had to sit down for a bit to take in all that love. While I was comprehending and reveling in all that love, I started to think about the people who will feel Alma's, Elizabeth's, Jacci's and Linda's footsteps in their lives in December -- and I pictured their surprise and joy when those footsteps were delivered to them. I just wish Alma, Elizabeth, Jacci, and Linda could be there to see those faces - but I know that they WILL see that joy in heaven one day. And what a day that will be!

Thank you, Alma, Elizabeth, Jacci, and Linda for caring so much for the people we serve, and for spending so much of your time, talent, treasure, and gifts on those in need. You are all, indeed, true Angels!!

Peace

2010-07-23T15:45:00.010-05:00

"If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another." -- 14th Dalai Lama

MUCH peace arrived at church this week for the Crafty Angels -- and I thought of the quote up top as I surveyed it all spread out all over my dining room. I am hoping that the creators of that peace will find much peace themselves. Peace seems to be in short supply here in Chicago right now. We are having record heat, record unemployment, record homelessness, and record hunger. All of that conspires to destroy any peace people in need have inside of themselves, and as a result, we have had a record number of shootings and killings over the past few weeks in our city. In addition, people without peace inside of themselves have brazenly killed three policemen -- all three who were off duty at the time -- another record for Chicago. It is a heartbreaking time, and all I can pray for is peace. So you can see that the peace which arrived at church this past week is especially meaningful to me.

Want to see some of that peace? First up is Angel Cathy Falkenstein from Loomis, CA. She took to heart my request for more spa cloths:

Cathy always chooses the happiest colors! And look at the adorable baby hats she made with the leftovers for our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital -- what a GREAT idea! Thank you, Cathy -- may you have much peace!

Next up is Angel Amy Gawura from Chicago. She also took my request for spa cloths for the women in Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters to heart:

Instead of making hers from Sugar 'n Cream or Peaches 'n Creme yarn, she chose a special kind of chenille. They are great - and I love the dusky colors. They remind me of the sky at sunset on a winter day -- very peaceful!

She also made these adorable teddy bears out of a furry yarn -- perfect for the children in Cornerstone's homeless shelters. They are nice and soft and squishy -- they will be greatly loved!

And she included these lovelies for our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital -- that baby hat is amazing, which you can't see because of my lousy photography skills and because the "talent" refused to pose properly! The hat is all cables, perfectly made, on the top. Gorgeous! Thank you, Amy, for providing so much peace in one shopping bag -- may peace be yours.

We also got a box from Angel Hazel Lindsay in Australia -- that's our fearless spokesmodel Cowboy up top, giving the box, covered with colorful stamps, a good sniff before he let me open it. When he was finished with his inspection, we found much peace inside:

Just look at these wonderful matinee jackets (as they are called in Australia and Great Britain) for our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital! I just LOVE the leaf pattern that Hazel knitted in as a border on the yellow jacket. So pretty!

As you can see, the heat was starting to get to Cowboy! He just sort of melted all over this lovely baby blanket Hazel crocheted. He deemed it ultimately snoozable!

Hazel also included some hats and a scarf for the teen moms we serve at Parenting Progress -- don't you think the teen girls will love these? I do!

I just fell in love with this hat and scarf set Hazel made -- it's a lovely shade of lilac yarn (it looks bluer in this photo) and the yarn has a bit of a sparkle in it. Nothing flashy, just a tiny hint of bling to make it interesting. It is also as light as a cloud. I'm sorry, Hazel! I think I'm going to have to set this aside for ME to buy at our Christmas fundraiser!

And last but not least, Hazel crocheted two gorgeous spa cloths. Thank you, Hazel, for sending so much peace packed in such a peaceful box! I hope you are feeling LOTS of peace right now!

Angel Talyn Klemmetson and her friends have gotten very busy spreading peace around. I was absolutely staggered when I unpacked these:

That is an ENTIRE dining room tablefull of spa cloths! I had to stand on a chair to take a proper picture, and there were so many that I couldn't fit Cowboy on the table at the same time. WOW! I think I'm going to have to revise my plan for spa cloths this year -- instead of 800, I'm going for 1,000!!! Each of these spa clothes are different, too. Just incredible!

Talyn and her friends have also started making scarves for those we serve. The ones with tags are all wool -- so I've set those aside for Afghans for Afghans. The others will go to the folks we serve at the North Park Friendship Center. Thank you, Talyn and friends -- may lots of peace be yours!

Now, don't you feel more peaceful just LOOKING at all this yarny goodness? Can you feel the love knitted and crocheted into each item? Truly, I think all that love raised the temperature of my dining room several degrees! I get excited thinking about all the peace these love gifts will spread later this year, and what a change they will make in how someone in need feels about him- or herself, and their world. May each one of you reading this blog feel God's grace and peace today.

Giving Out

2010-07-20T11:03:00.012-05:00

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." -- Morrie Schwartz

The Crafty Angels got together for fiber, fun, and food on Saturday, July 17 -- and they did a LOT of giving out! I could not believe all the yarny goodness and love that came in my front door and got piled up on my dining room table -- it was truly amazing. The Angels' handiwork just keeps getting better and better. I took so many pictures that I ended up having to only show a selection to you, otherwise it would take you too long to open this blog post and you'd be spending all day looking at the yarny goodness. So what you see here are my favorites - editor's preogrative!

Want to see who was there?

Angels Debbie Kreusch, Angie Lyke, Sandy Rice, and Joann Larson

Angels Joann Larson, Lorie Nienke, Doris Ahlstedt, and Peggy Kingsley

Angel Carol Flowers

Spa cloths rule -- especially when it's too hot to knit or crochet anything else! Just look at these lovelies:

These came all the way from Angel Alexis Leuth in Winter Springs, FL. She said she found it easier to crochet these round beauties instead of square ones. Aren't they great?

Angel Carol Flowers has discovered the joy of crocheting spa cloths on her lunch hour, and our women in homeless shelters will benefit!

Angel Joann Larson experimented with knitting in patterns on her spa cloths - she did a GREAT job!

Lori Nienke's friend from work, Heather Groh, made these - they are also just great! Remember -- we're shooting for 800+ this year, so keep on making them!

Angel Angie Lyke used spa cloths as an opportunity to experiment with knitting -- these are her first knitting efforts. I think she did excellently!

As we talked, we realized that we were focusing on "small" projects, due to the heat. Those projects came in all sorts of flavors:

Carol Flowers made hats and scarves -- another great summer choice!

Joann Larson worked on socks for Afghans for Afghans -- another great summer knitting choice: small and portable. And more hats and scarves for the folks at Cornerstone Community Outreach and A Just Harvest.
Another of Lori Nienke's friends made chemo hats for Swedish Covenant Hospital -- a great summer crocheting and knitting choice.

Debbie Kreusch made more AWESOME toys -- my favorite is the aqua monkey in the back on the left. Debbie make him look like a sock monkey -- and he is made out of LEFTOVER SOCK YARN!! Is that appropriate or what?!?!?! These will be just great for the children served by Parenting Progress.

Doris Ahlstedt stayed inside with the airconditioning on to make these beautiful baby blankets and hats for Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Some "big" things were made, too -- just look!

Debbie Kreusch made some wonderful afghans for our seniors at Friendly Towers -- but she wanted you to note that in the summer, she only makes afghans that can be made in strips, which are then crocheted together. This way, she only gets hot when she is finally finishing off the afghan. I think that is a wonderful piece of advice!

We all just LOVED this afghan that Debbie made -- and she wanted you to know she started it BEFORE it got so hot! The bears are made separately and then appliqued onto the afghan. We decided that this baby blanket should be set aside to be raffled off at our fundraiser at Christmas time -- it would be a wonderful gift for a grandparent to give to a grandchild for Christmas!

Angel Angie Lyke has been trying all sorts of new crochet stitches and projects - she was an inspiration to us all! Check out this prayer shawl she made from scrap yarn - wonderful!
And isn't this baby set for one of our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital just precious? This was one of her first baby sweaters, and we think it turned out excellently!

WOW!!! Can you feel the heat from all this crocheted and knitted love?? I surely could as I carefully packed away all these love gifts after the Angels left. All of you Angels are very, very good at giving love out -- and I hope you can feel all the love coming back your way. You've certainly got mine, and lots more from the people we serve, the folks who run the organizations we serve, and each other. So when you have trouble sleeping some night, just remember that there are more people than you can count, or even know about, who are very thankful for YOU and love YOU! Let that feeling just wash over you and bask in it a bit -- YOU are worth it!

Blessed Influence

2010-07-13T14:31:00.006-05:00

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

On Sunday when I got to church, there was a big box waiting for me from Angel Carol Stephan, who lives in Forest Park, IL. I was excited to peek inside and see what yarny goodness she had created, because her handiwork is just lovely. And I was not disappointed! Just look:

"This afghan matches me perfectly -- I think I look quite handsome on it!"

A wonderful afghan for a man -- Carol chose a wonderful crocheted stitch that doesn't look in the least bit "girly," and the colors are great. I think this "comfort-ghan" will be set aside for a man who suffers a loss in his family or has a serious illness. It will be a great comfort to him.

Carol loves, loves, loves to make beautiful baby things -- and she always makes sets with a blanket, cute little sweater, and a bib (our fearless Supervisor Cowboy is modeling one up top). There were two such sets in the box this time -- both just gorgeous:

"Mom.....what is Princess Cody Grace doing???? I hear a strange noise.... She's disturbing my concentration!"
"She's STILL doing it!! Make her stop it!!"

Aren't these little sweaters just the cutest? I love them! And so will the new moms at Swedish Covenant Hospital who receive them. Oh, yes... Princess Cody was playing with a scrunchy foil ball on the newly bare dining room hardwood floor. She discovered she could play soccer and make goals by running madly from one end of the dining room to the other while batting the ball with her paws. She's quite nimble for her age!

When I opened Angel Carol's box, I thought of George Eliot's (or Mary Anne Evans') quote up top. I have had the wonderful opportunity to see the influence the Angels' handiwork -- your gifts of love -- have had on their recipients, and it is my greatest wish that some day you, too, will be able to see that blessed influence. I think you shall see it in heaven for sure, but I would just love to have you see it this side of the pearly gates.

Your blessed influence is far, far greater than you can ever imagine -- and I hope that keeps you encouraged as you look at your yarn stash and decide what to make next! Carol's love gifts in this big box will have a great influence -- showing love to someone in need who really needs to know that someone out there loves him or her. Thank you, Carol, for spending your valuable time making this gorgeous yarny goodness!!

Profession

2010-07-09T10:58:00.005-05:00

"The world cannot always understand one's profession of faith, but it can understand service." -- Ian Maclaren

During our efforts to collect prayer shawls for Triennial, Cathy Zimmerman from First Covenant Church in Youngstown, OH emailed me and asked if her church's prayer shawl ministry group could make prayer shawls, and take them directly to the Triennial gathering. I said "Yes, but." The "but" was that I really wanted photos of the shawls to share with all of you -- and if possible, a photo of the wonderful women who made the prayer shawls.

Cathy emailed me this week to say that First Covenant's prayer shawl group made at least 25 shawls, which will be taken to Triennial by their pastor's wife. And are these shawls lovely! Here's a peek at a few of them:

These shawls will be treasured by the missionaries who receive them, don't you think? Crocheted and knitted, the handiwork is gorgeous!

Want to meet some of the women who made them? Here they are:

Back row from left to right: Patty Davis, Carol Schmidt, Jane Sandin, and Gloria Pallante. Front row left to right: Linda Gustafson and Mary Jane Gresock. Cathy Zimmerman isn't pictured because she took the photo!

As soon as I looked at these photos, I thought of Maclaren's quote up top. What a wonderful service they are providing at their church -- and through it their profession of their faith is very clear, indeed. Every time I give a prayer shawl to someone in our congregation or a member of their family during a time of bereavement or need, I hear stories of how powerful that expression of service and faith is to the recipient and how much comfort, peace, and solace they received from it. Thank you, women of First Covenant, for expressing your faith through such a powerful service. You all are truly angels!

Degrees

2010-07-05T11:54:00.007-05:00

"He who does not live in some degree for others, hardly lives for himself." -- Montaigne

I hope all of you in the States are having a happy 4th of July holiday! And I hope all our Angels around the world are having an happy Monday! I have LOTS of wonderful yarny goodness to share with all of you today -- BIG boxes came during the week last week. One of my very best friend's father's funeral was last week, and the preparations for that delayed my sharing all this creativity with you. But by waiting, I obtained a priceless photo to show you:

This is Ann Richards, president of Women Ministries of the Central Conference proudly showing all of you that your prayer shawls for Triennial are loaded up and ready to go to denomination headquarters to be shipped on a big truck to Triennial! Whoo hoo! Ann could NOT believe that we got FIFTY prayer shawls from women across the country who definitely are living in large degree for others. She asked to to please let you know how awe-struck everyone is at your handiwork, and to tell you how much the planning committee for Triennial appreciate the time, care, and effort that went into these shawls. She can't wait to give them out at Triennial!

Angel Joyce Dattalo from Oswego, IL also showed how many degrees she was living for others -- just look at this awesomeness!

Beautiful baby blankets for boys! Oh, I was just so happy to see these that I nearly started dancing in my diningroom -- we are terribly short of "boy" blankets for the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Joyce! The new moms who receive these will treasure them, I am certain. And there was more:

Gorgeous light teal afghans for the seniors we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's Friendly Towers. They will be perfect for two of our "Grandmas!" Thank you, Joyce, for caring so much for others! Your beautiful handiwork will be treasured!

The Happy Charity Klickers of Loogootee, IN have also been living for others in BIG degrees -- as evidenced by the BIG box I received from Dianna Overall, who started that group (who herself lives in VERY large degrees for others). I couldn't wait to see what was inside, and I know you can't either:

"As a guy, I approve these hats and scarves!"

Warm hats and scarves for the men we serve at A Just Harvest (formerly Good News Community Kitchen)! I was SO happy to see those because we are at about half-way in our tally to have over 200 hat and scarf sets for these men in need this year. These hats and scarves will be very, very appreciated by the men we serve this winter.

More great hat and scarf sets in all sizes, just perfect for the families we serve at Cornerstone's homeless shelters and the North Park Friendship Center. Wonderful!

More baby blankets for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital - along with some great toddler slippers and a very cute baby hat (our fearless supervisor Cowboy breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when he discovered that I wouldn't make him wear it - he just had to pose with it up top - it was just too hot here today to make him put it on his little noggin). I really liked the pattern of the varigated blanket, so I wanted you to see a close-up.

"Don't you think I look particularly handsome on this afghan???"

Isn't this circular afghan just amazing? Cowboy certainly thought so, because as soon as I laid it out on the table, he stretched right out on it. It will be perfect for one of our "Grandpas" or "Grandmas" at Friendly Towers!

"If Princess Cody Grace the Magnificent could just distract Mom for a minute.... I could grab those tassles and make a dash for upstairs!"

Aren't these hats just amazing? Cowboy was completely fascinated by the tassles on the tops -- I had to take these off the table VERY quickly for fear of him snatching them away to play with ! The hats and scarves will be great for the children we serve at Cornerstone's Leland House, which is transistional housing for moms and their children while the moms get education to get jobs.

And the Klickers haven't forgotten our spa cloths! Remember, we're striving to reach the 800 spa cloth mark this year so that we can make up 800 spa bags for women in Cornerstone's homeless shelters and the new moms at Swedish Covenant Hospital! Spa cloths are perfect summer knitting and crocheting -- they are small and portable, easy to make, don't make you hot by sitting in your lap, and you get to play with fun colors and textures!

And check out what was also in the BIG box from the Klickers:

"I'm not sure what these are, but after all the loud bangs from fireworks in our neighborhood last night, I still a tad tetchy. I'll leave the exploring till later, thank you!"

These will be GREAT for the kids at Leland House! Thank you, Klickers, for living so greatly for others -- you are AWESOME!!!

So much yarny goodness, so much love, so much living for others! That's MY favorite way to celebrate the 4th of July holiday! In his blog post for the holiday, knitter, cartoonist, knitwear designer, teacher and writer Franklin Habit suggested that Americans should take the time to actually read through that document, and he posts it here. I re-read the document and it was especially meaningful after watching the movie "1776" with Frank yesterday (which is his 4th of July tradition). It says that everyone is created equal and deserves the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit happiness -- and all of you Angels are instrumental in making that happen, all over the world. I thank God for each and every one of you!

Greatness

2010-06-22T15:09:00.005-05:00

"Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that." -- Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire

Much greatness arrived at church, in the form of yarny goodness kindness from all over the country. Our fearless spokesmodel, Cowboy, was so excited when I started opening the boxes and bags that he could barely contain himself -- and that wasn't just because he saw the bag of kitty treats he gets to sample after the photo shoot!

First up is a new Angel, Linda Froning, who dropped off some magnificent greatness at church:

Just look at these wonderful toddler hoodies she made -- complete with matching blankies! Her handiwork is very fine, and I just know that the children we serve at Parenting Progress and Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters will just love them. Thank you for your kindness, Linda -- you are truly an Angel!

We also received another shawl for our Triennial project, sent in from Redeemer Covenant Church in Brooklyn Park, MN. It was donated anonomously by someone who is truly great:

The crocheting is just wonderful, and I love the special touch of the pink rose! The missionary who receives this will treasure it indeed! Thank you so much!

A BIG box came all the way from Gilbert, AZ from new Angel Brenda Koerselman. Inside was much greatness -- created by SIXTH GRADERS and some adults at her school. In her note, she said she hoped we would be able to use the yarny goodness, and we certainly can:

These hats and scarves are just PERFECT for the folks we serve at Cornerstone's homeless shelters. I am truly impressed with the knitting and crocheting skills these sixth graders have -- these hats and scarves are wonderfully made. Such kindness to strangers -- thank you, students and adults! And thank YOU, Brenda, for your great kindness and your encouragement of kindness and greatness in others!

An anonymous donor dropped off several bags of yarn and a box of greatness at church -- just look:

Isn't the cabling work on these hats and scarf AMAZING! Now, I know how hard it is to do cabling consistently and well -- and the quality of the cabling in these hats and scarf are spot on. Several of these hats are wool, and will be going to Afghans for Afghans. The others will be going to the North Park Friendship Center and its Mother's Closet. And there was more:

Gorgeous spa cloths to go in the spa bags we put together to be given to women entering Cornerstone's homeless shelters. A truly talented knitter made these, and one who has a heart full of kindness. Thank you so very, very much!

Kindness seems to be in very short supply in today's culture and world, and most people are shocked when they encounter it now -- because no one anticipates that other people will demonstrate kindness. Stories of demonstrated kindness show up in the nightly news and news anchors seemed amazed at its existence. But I am terribly spoiled, and greatly blessed, because I get to experience kindness up close and personal each time I open a bag, box, or envelope of the Angels' yarny goodness. Yes, I'm spoilt for kindness!! How wonderful, and how great, is that! And the recipients of all your yarny goodness will encounter your kindness -- and many, many of them don't even believe kindness exists any more. What changes you all are making in those recipients' lives!

The Measure

2010-06-15T16:54:00.008-05:00

"The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation." -- Corrie ten Boom

I have always liked the quote up top, and it is particularly meaningful when you know that Corrie spent years in a German concentration camp during World War II as a prisoner because she helped many Jewish people escape the Nazis. Having read several of her books, her ability to find grace and peace under such conditions amazes me. I seriously doubt I would be so inclined if I found myself in that situation. So it's the donation, not duration, that matters in our lives. Several women added to their "donation" by sending us packages that arrived last week at church -- want to see what they sent?

First up is Karin Bergstrom, from Redeemer Covenant Church in Minneapolis, MN. She sent in this gorgeous shawl for our "Shawls for Our Sisters" effort for Triennial:

I moved our handsome spokesmodel, Cowboy, so that you could get a better view of the lace edging Karin put on her shawl. I think it is very beautiful, and the lucky recipient will treasure it! Thank you, Karin, for taking time to show love and care to someone you'll never even meet.

Marilyn Lynch from Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City, CA sent in another shawl for Triennial, and did some lovely quilting on it:

Once again, our spokesmodel is blocking your view! Try this:
I'm not sure that this is Marilyn's intent, but the stole, to me, starts at dawn on the left with the sun, and moves to night and stars, with the darker, sparkly fabric on the right. Breathtaking!!!! Thank you so much, Marilyn!

Luetta Milbrandt from Redeemer Covenant Church in Carrollton, TX has been busy crocheting shawls for Triennial:
I really like the colorway of Lionbrand Homespun yarn she chose for the first shawl - and it is wonderfully soft. Isn't it amazing how the color run was just right to make it look like Luetta used different colors of yarn to make a new stripe in each row? The second shawl is so lovely and "girly" with the incredible ruffled edging Luetta used. Her handiwork is so fine, I know it will be treasured, too. Thank you, Luetta, for making worship extra special at Triennial this year!

But that's not all that came into church! Our regular Crafty Angels have been busy, too! Cathy Falkenstein from Loomis, CA added to our collection of spa cloths for women in the homeless shelters we serve:

Cowboy really liked these, Cathy (he checked them out quite carefully)! They are perfect! And remember, (shameless plug here) spa cloths are PERFECT summer knitting and crocheting -- small, portable, and they don't sit in your lap making you hot! Our goal is 800 this year - don't forget that, either! Thank you, Cathy!

And Angel Karen B. from Chicago sent us this beauty:

Karen said it is the first thing she has ever made for charity - she has been VERY generous in donating yarn to the Angels over the years, but this time she had an idea for a pattern for this gorgeous baby blanket (and the cap that Cowboy is wearing in the photo all the way up top) and decided to take the plunge. Karen, I'd say your blanket and cap for a newborn we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital will be a BIG hit with the new mom who receives them -- thank you so much! I hope you will make more as your shoulder heals and physical therapy progresses!

I would say that each of our knitters and crocheters in this post have definitely shown us the measure of their lives -- their donation to those in need shows us their hearts. What beautiful hearts they are, too -- God bless each of you!

Shawls for Our Sisters

2010-06-04T20:35:00.009-05:00

"Don't ask what the world needs and go do that. Instead, ask what God put inside of you that makes you come alive and go do that, because that is what the world needs." -- Henri Nouwen

This past week and a half has brought in a bumper crop of shawls for "Shawls for Our Sisters," our effort to collect prayer shawls to use in the chapel at the Evangelical Covenant Church's Triennial XIII gathering for women from around the world in July. When I was asked to head up this effort, I really didn't know what to expect -- but I knew that God, through the Holy Spirit, would touch the right knitters and crocheters needed to create exactly the right number of prayer shawls that would be needed at this once-every-three-years event.

And that faith was verified by all the boxes and envelopes that arrived at church from all over the country! So far we have collected nearly 50 prayer shawls -- each as unique as the woman, or man, who created them. Just look!
These shawls from First Covenant Church in Omaha, NE were made by: Joanne Boyer (yellow), Dee Pearson (yellow), Ingrid Westoff (purple and light aqua), and Marilyn Hobbs (dark aqua). Just perfect!
Country Evangelical Covenant Church in Compton Hills, IL sent in these lovelies by Beverly Tasche (red) and Bonnie Siems (lavender fuzzy). Gorgeous!
Salem Covenant Church in Oakland, NE sent in this beautiful lilac crocheted triangle shawl by Nancy Hadden. Such yarny goodness!
And Marilee Groth from Salem Covenant Church in Oakland, NE sent in this beautiful striped stole -- she chose the color green for fertility and gold for God's glory. Perfect!
Myrna Randall from Mount Prospect, IL chose a lovely light moss green ribbon yarn for her stole. I just love the effect of this yarn - it has a bit of sheen that you can see in the photo - and the color is perfect!

Country Evangelical Covenant Church sent in a second box of yarny goodness, including shawls by Judy Siwek (lilac), Lai Fulton (striped), and Mindy Gourley (varigated ribbon). So feminine!
Kathryn Hoden from Oakland, NE sent in these two lovely crocheted shawls made from unique cotton yarns -- so nice for warmer climates!
Teresa Krieger from Saranac, MI made this lovely striped triangle shawl from Homespun yarn. I especially like the lovely carved circular shawl pin she included - just the right touch!
Joy Matos sent this beautiful cream crochted shawl from Cambridge, MA. The yarn has a little bit of sheen, which is hard to see in the photo -- and it is just gorgeous!
Redeemer Covenant Church in Brooklyn Park, MN sent in these masterpieces made by Tracey Peterson (navy varigated, aqua striped, green/blue/white) and Ellie Bufford (pastel varigated). Awesome!

A HUGE thank you goes to all the creators of these beautiful prayer shawls -- they will be given to missionaries from around the world who will be attending Triennial, and to special guest speakers, after they are used in the onsite chapel. I just KNOW that they will be treasured, loved, and well-used by these worthy recipients. God has very, very special plans for these shawls - thanks to each and every one of their creators. What great blessings each of you are!

Birthday Party!

2010-05-27T11:10:00.016-05:00

"One cannot be too extreme in dealing with social ills; the extreme thing is generally the true thing." -- Emma Goldman, American writer and lecturer

On Saturday, May 22, the Crafty Angels met for a birthday party -- THEIR birthday party. It was the Angel's 9th birthday -- can you believe it??? Of course there was birthday cake, lots of reminiscing, LOTS of "ooohhhing" and "aaaahhhing," and much laughter (not at yarny goodness, but just good feelings in general). We talked about the past, and kicked around some ideas for the future. Want to see who was there (you know you do!)?

Angel Debbie Kreusch from Chicago.

Angel Carol Flowers from Bolingbrook, IL.

Angel Lisa from Lake Forest, IL.

Angel Angie Lyke from Evanston, IL.

Angel Penny Sawczak from Chicago.

Angel Yunji Kim from Chicago.

One Angel kept avoiding the camera -- Angel Peggy Kingsley from Chicago, and one Angel could only stop by to drop things off -- Angel Julie Scigalski from Chicago. Julie not only dropped her own yarny goodness off, but she also dropped off yarny goodness from the ladies of the Knit 1, Purl 2 knitters. AND we had a BIG box of yarny goodness from Angel Linda Faubel in Ladd, IL. WHEW!!!

There was so much yarny goodness present in my dining room that it fairly GLOWED with love, and we had to clear off the dining room table TWICE so that I could take photos! I've had to make the hard choice to only show a few of each Angel's love gifts because there were just so many - so I chose my favorites. So grab a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of lemonade or sweet tea, and be prepared to "set a spell."

First up was Angel Carol Flowers -- just look at this crocheted loveliness:

Lots of spa cloths for our spa bags -- remember we want to make 1000 this year!

Hats and scarves perfect for the families we serve at the North Park Friendship Center.

A beautiful shawl for the Triennial "Shawls for Our Sisters" effort.

Next in line was Angel Penny Sawczak:

Great scarves for the Red Scarf Project.

Angel Debbie Kreusch was next to show her love gifts, and as usual, she made some WONDERFUL toys:

I think our favorites were the two bears directly above dressed in their Halloween costumes -- the pink bear is dressed as a bunny, and the yellow bear is dressed as a duck! These toys will go to the children at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters. Debbie also made several afghans for our seniors served by Cornerstone, and this one was our favorite:

As usual, Angel Jeannine Patt brough some lovely things with her -- check out the two we liked best:

Wool sweater and matching hat for Afghans for Afghans.

Gorgeous baby blanket for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Angel Yunji Kim is a beginning knitter, but you'd never guess it from the projects she completed:

An awesome baby hat for a Swedish Covenant baby with i-cord ties.

An intarsia scarf - her first intarsia work!

The Knit 1 Purl 2 group has been very busy playing with yarn:

Scarves and hats for the men served by the Good News Community Kitchen (now called A Just Harvest)

Angel Julie Scigalski dropped of this beauty:

A gorgeous shawl for Triennial's "Shaws for Our Sisters."

A warm comfort blanket for a man in need - Julie collaborated with Patti Czajkowski of Tinley Park, IL.

New Angel Elizabeth Synderman learned about the Angels over the internet, and got seven girls (all new Angels!) at her school, the Paideia School in Atlanta, GA to make things for us as part of the Sevice Learning and Civic Involvement program. The goal of the program is to strengthen the community stewardship ethic and deepen students’ learning through volunteerism and civic involvement. Elizabeth sent us a BIG box and we were AMAZED at their work:

Warm hats and scarves for our families at Cornerstone and the Friendship Center.
AWESOME baby hats for our Swedish Covenant Hospital babies!

Just before our birthday party started, Pastor Greg brought over from church a BIG box of goodness from Angel Linda Faubel, and all we could say was WOW!:

A joint collaboration with Angel Birgit Yacoub - Birgit dreamed up the squares, Linda crocheted them and laid out the afghan

Perfect shawls for Triennial's "Shawls for Our Sisters."

The greatest afghan for a tween girl living at Leland House!

Aren't you just overwhelmed by all this yarny goodness?!?!? And this isn't even a THIRD of what the Angels brought to their party! Thank you, each and every Angel and new Angel -- you are amazingly compassionate, caring, loving, and yes, even radical, in your dealing with the social ills of homelessness, poverty, and hunger. I know you hear me say this all the time, but it is absolutely true: you are truly a blessing to so many. I hereby christen each and everyone of you "LOVE WARRIORS," for that is what you are. Your most powerful weapon against social ills is your love and compassion for others -- and you continually amaze, and humble, me by your passion to use it! God bless you all!

Heroines

2010-05-18T11:33:00.008-05:00

"Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop." -- Dorothy Height

I thought of the quote up top when I heard President Obama speaking at Mrs. Height's memorial service on the evening news. Mrs. Height was quite a remarkable woman, one who had a tremendous impact on the lives of so many, and through it all she exemplified the kind of heart that you Crafty Angels have. A heart that cared for those in need, and dedicated her time, talent, and treasure to meet those needs through community service and active non-violence. I was so glad that she was honored with a wonderful memorial service -- she's one of my personal heroines.

Two more of my personal heroines sent in yarny goodness within the past week. First up is Angel Hazel Lindsay, head of Armitage's Army in Australia. Her box was chock full of gorgeousness -- just look!

More of her amazing baby sweaters! Hazel's stitchwork is so incredibly fine -- these sweaters will become beloved heirlooms when the new moms receive them at Swedish Covenant Hospital.

And look at this lovely baby blanket -- this is going to go to a young couple at church as a gift from the Crafty Angels at their upcoming shower for their first baby. What a wonderful gift -- and our fearless Supervisor found it quite comfy, as you can see!

Hazel also packed a little something else for baby:

"You know, as soon as I saw Mom take this out of Angel Hazel's box, I knew I was in trouble...."

But Cowboy, the bib has CATS on it!!! And you look so CUTE! There was still more in the box from Australia:

A great warm hat and scarf set, which will either go to The Red Scarf Project or to the families we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters. Supervisor Cowboy found the scarf quite toasty, as you can see in the photo up top! Thank you, Angel Hazel, for using YOUR time, talents, and treasure to serve those in need. You are a heroine for sure!

Angel Lisa from Lake Forest, IL has also been very busy -- take a peek:
Gorgeous spa cloths made with a new pattern from Angel Carol Flowers from Bolingbrook, IL. Remember, Angels, I'm shooting for 800 spa cloths this year!!!

Lisa also made this amazing stole for our Triennial shawl project -- here's a close up of the stitch she used:
This shawl will be perfect to be used in worship services at Triennial -- and I am sure that the woman missionary who receives it at the end of Triennial will treasure it aways. Lisa's stitchwork is also very fine -- and her crocheting just keeps getting better and better! Lisa, thank you for spending your very, very limited free time making such lovely things for the Angels. You are an Angel heroine!

I spoke with Angel Helen Watson from Wadsworth, IL, and we were talking about how much the Angels' work has grown and developed over the past nine years. We just can't believe how it keeps getting better and better -- and each box that arrives has so much gorgeousness in it that my lousy photography skills just don't do that yarny goodness justice. You Angels are amazing -- and each and every one of you are a heroine!!! I can't wait to see what you make next!

Dedication

2010-04-30T09:28:00.008-05:00

"Dedicate your life to a cause greater than yourself and your life will become a glorious romance and adventure." -- Mack R. Douglas (thanks for the quote, Helen!!)

Angel Helen Watson from Wadsworth, IL has been emailing me that she has been on a socks "kick" -- and has been making some for Afghans for Afghans. I found out that she seriously wasn't kidding when a big box arrived from her right before I left for the Central Conference annual meeting. I opened it last night (finally got caught up with everything else.....) and you will not believe what was inside:

"Mom, Aunt Helen made lots of socks -- but none of them fit ME!!"

Two tablefuls of socks! I counted 23 pairs of regular socks, 14 pairs of tube socks, and one pair of baby socks. The regular socks will be going to A4A and LOTS of toes will be kept warm this coming winter in Afghanistan! The tube socks will be going to the seniors at Friendly Towers.

I am still having trouble comprehending the amount of knitting involved in this bounty -- I mean, I think socks are very, very hard to knit. You have to use itty-bitty toothpick-sized needles and super skinny yarn, you have to pay attention to what you are doing and "turn the heel" and "kitchner stitch" and everything -- and it takes THOUSANDS of stitches to make a sock! And her stitches are perfectly even! Angel Helen, you are flat out AMAZING!!!

But there was even more in that box:

Check out this sweater vest she made for A4A -- a gradeschooler will really appreciate it next winter!

Baby blankets for our babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital -- as you can see, our Supervisor Cowboy thought they were very snoozeable!

Two hoodie sweaters for children served by Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters -- Cowboy really liked the softness of the pink one.

And hats, mitts, slippers, and mittens for the families we serve at the North Park Friendship Center. Angel Helen, you have TRULY dedicated yourself to something larger than yourself -- caring for your "family members" around the world with your needles and yarn. You are an inspiration to us all!! God bless you!

Someone else has dedicated themselves to a cause larger than themselves -- Angel Carol Stephen from Forest Park, IL. One of our expert crocheters, in between baby items, she made us a wonderful comfort afghan for a man. Take a look at this handsome creation:

Frank gave it a guy's thumbs up -- so I am sure that it will be greatly appreciated by the recipient during his time of illness or loss. Thank you, Carol, for picking up your hooks to give someone comfort in their time of need. May your life be a romance!

Were your ears ringing last weekend? You all were the topic of much conversation at the Central Conference annual meeting! Many, many people wanted you to know how awe-struck they were by your creations, your servants' hearts, and your willingness to serve those in need. I found out that lots of people read this blog who aren't knitters and crocheters -- they like the warm, fuzzy feeling they get when they see all the wonderful things you Angels make. One of the pastors told me that he likes to look at the blog on a bad day when the weight of the world starts to get to him -- he finds what you do so encouraging, that there are people out there who really do care about others. So there! Consider yourselves complimented, appreciated, and blessed!!!!

Challenges

2010-04-19T12:23:00.009-05:00

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." -- Helen Keller

There was some challenging, trials, and maybe even a little suffering going on this past Friday evening when I had the opportunity to meet with my niece Katie's Girl Scout troop to talk to them about knitting and crocheting for charity. They had just learned to knit as part of their efforts for a badge, and their leader wanted them to see what their knitting might accomplish for those in need. I was thrilled to be asked to talk to them about all of you!

What a wonderful group of young women! These lovely ladies listened patiently to me blather on about how important it is to take care of those in need and how we can help tremendously by knitting and crocheting things for those folks -- all the stuff you let me go on and on about in this blog. They "ooohhhh-ed and "aaahhh-ed" as we passed around the yarny goodness other Crafty Angels had made -- and listened intently to the stories behind each item.

Then we all got to play with sticks and string and make spa cloths -- and that was where challenges, trials and maybe even a little suffering came in. Learning to manipulate cotton yarn on slippery aluminum and plastic needles, and figuring out "YO" and K2TOG" is not easy! It takes lots of practice and dedication to get the hang of it. Want to see those wonderful girls at work? Just look at that intensity and concentration! These Girl Scouts accepted the challenge and ran with it! I was so impressed with their dedication and willingness to try something new -- and their ability to stick with it when things became challenging. You all ROCK!

We even got a donation -- look what Olivia P. made for us on a circular loom:
A perfect baby hat for the newborns we serve at Swedish Covenant Hospital! Thank you, Olivia, for helping the littlest people we serve! Your baby hat is AWESOME!

My prayer is that the girls will "stick to their knitting" and develop the habit of using their new skill for those in need. My deepest wish is that the girls will develop this as a lifelong habit -- there will always be people who could benefit from the love and care that goes into their creation of something soft and warm. Just imagine how they could change their world!

Someone else set a challenge for herself -- Angel Alexis Leuth from Winter Springs, FL decided not to give up something for Lent this year, but to take something on instead. Her challenge to herself was to make one baby hat each day for the 40 days of Lent. Now that is an aggressive challenge to meet! Just take a look at the results:
I'll bet you counted! Yup, there are more than 40 baby hats here -- just like Angel Birgit Yacoub from Champaign, IL and her "potato chip" baby hats last year, Alexis couldn't make just one a day! Alexis said she really enjoyed working with the happy, spring-like colors -- and on some days, the hats reminded her of Easter eggs! Well, our babies a Swedish Covenant Hospital will certainly enjoy her challenge yarny goodness! And there was more:
Alexis is REALLY good at trolling the sale racks - she picked up these great fleece hats and scarves in spring colors for the kids we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters. They will definitely bring some sunshine into the kids' lives next winter!

Thank you, Alexis, for taking on the challenge of trying something new -- and sticking with it through the trials and suffering. Our littlest recipients truly will appreciate it!

We also got a box of yarn from Angel Mary Szymkowski from Cary, NC with even MORE yarn!
She included lots of navy and ivory yarn (perfect for warm things for the men we serve at the Good News Community Kitchen) AND tucked three big skeins of latte-colored yarn in the bottom of the box. I think those would be great to use to make a comfort afghan for a man. We'll see what the Angels come up with! Thank you, Mary, for sharing your stash with us. The yarn will be put to immediate, and very good, use!

This week is the busiest week in the year for us here at the Central Conference office. We are having our ministerial association meeting Thursday and annual meeting Friday and Saturday at Hope Covenant Church in Indianapolis, IN. I spent a LOT of time Saturday deciding what knitting project to take with me and finally decided on a simple baby blanket for Swedish Covenant Hospital in bright, happy, spring colors. I'm going to get a chance to meet Pastor Tom Miller's wife Laura, who is a passionate knitter, and several of the women from Hope Covenant who also knit and crochet. We're going to compare notes -- and projects -- during social times and meals. I can hardly wait!

AND -- it's a 3 1/2 hour drive from our house to the church, and Frank is driving! You know what that means -- SEVEN HOURS OF UNINTERRUPTED KNITTING TIME! WHOO HOO! I even wound yarn into cakes for a SECOND baby blanket -- just in case I somehow finish one. I do NOT want to waste potential knitting time!

So have YOU taken on any challenges lately? Is your character developing? Pick up your sticks and string and give it a try!

Good for Something

2010-04-12T13:19:00.006-05:00

"Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of too much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something." -- Henry David Thoreau

Frank and I give each other Easter presents every year, instead of Easter baskets (once a kid, always a kid!). This year Frank got me a book I've been wanting to read for awhile now, Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor. Rev. Taylor served as a parish priest for 20 years, and now teaches and writes. Most importantly, she says that because she is not tied down to a particular parish church anymore, she can practice "church" in the world. This is book is a joyful look at practicing disciplines of faith in all sorts of places we usually don't think about - even in line waiting to check out of the grocery store!

The quote you see up top is the opener of Chapter 7 of this book -- "The Practice of Living with Purpose." Her thesis of this chapter is that everyone needs a "vocation" -- something we do in the world that gives us a purpose, helps others, and brings us joy and growth in the process. It's even better if that "vocation" is something we can do with our hands -- when our hands are busy, our minds magically pull us out of ourselves into the moment, and then we can hear our hearts, and God, speak to us.

If we practice our vocation religiously (no pun intended!), that vocation can open us up to all God has to give us, which we in turn can give back to the world. Unfortunately for most of us, this is usually NOT something we get paid for -- but according to Rev. Taylor, those who find their vocation will be richly blessed.

Well, I bet you can guess who I thought of when I read THAT!!! Yup, all of you Crafty Angels, of course. And what a vocation each of you has found in using your hooks and needles for others! I don't know about you, but I certainly find that using my knitting needles pulls me out of myself, calms me down, and clears my head. And what a blessing that alone can be some days!

A new Angel is discovering that truth -- Marilyn Lynch from Redwood City, CA likes to quilt and sew, and she decided to make some shawls for our Triennial project. She sorted through her stash, and just look at the gems she created:

Our fearless Supervisor Cowboy was fascinated with the butterflies embroidered on the magenta shawl, and the spots of glittery patterns on the navy one caught his attention when the light shifted. How lovely these are! Thank you, Marilyn, for using your vocation to make instruments for worship at Triennial -- what blessing these will be to the women who use them in July. Thank you so much!

A second new Angel joined us this week -- Mary Szymkowski from Cary, NC. She read about us over the internet, and wanted to share some of her stash with us. We emailed back and forth, and on this past Friday, SIX boxes arrived at church -- just look what was inside:

Lovely, lovely yarn - and each color is all the same dye lot (sort of a knitter's and crocheter's nirvana!) and there is lots of each color. I'm thinking that there is enough to make some lovely afghans or shawls with Mary's yarn. What a blessing this is -- especially because so much of this is Lionbrand Homespun yarn, which is the hands down favorite of everyone who has received a prayer shawl or comfort afghan from the Crafty Angels (and one such comfort afghan is being presented today to a man suffering from cancer - I'm praying that it gives him both peace and warmth). Thank you so much, Mary, for sharing your stash so generously with us -- it will be put to very good use!

Each of you has built an altar in the world through the use of your needles, hooks, and sewing machines -- and what a blessed vocation you have created! May God bless your richly because of it!

Serving

2010-04-05T13:38:00.009-05:00

"Love something? Serve it." -- Roshni Mitra

Holy Week brough MANY, MANY boxes to church for the Crafty Angels -- which caused quite a stir in the church office! Yarny goodness came from overseas and from all over the country, and our fearless Supervisor Cowboy got MANY, MANY treats for his patient posing with the results of Angels' creativity! He suggests that you grab a cup of tea or coffee -- or sweet tea if you are down South -- and be prepared to be impressed!

As I took photographs of all of the love gifts, I thought about a particular comic from one of my very favorite comic strips, Mutts. I was able to find it for you here:

Doesn't this just capture what the Crafty Angels are all about? You know I've mentioned before that I pray for each of you every day, and the first thing I pray for is compassion, so that you can come to love the all the people we serve. This strip seems to me to epitomize the next step after loving someone or something -- serving it.

And I think that came to my mind, of course, because of Good Friday and Easter, where Jesus showed His love for us and his Father by serving the disciples during the Last Supper and then serving us with his life. I could go into a long theological discussion on what that serving means and does for us, but you probably know the gist already. Suffice it to say that I believe love, without the resulting service, is shallow, hollow and empty. The Angels are not hollow and empty -- and certainly not shallow! And the boxes that piled up in my dining room are evidence of that!

Angel Carol O'Neill from Honolulu has been emailing me about the "never-ending shawl" she was working on -- she decided that she wanted to make a shawl for our Triennial project. I was THRILLED to open a box from her on Good Friday to find this:

The the now ENDED "never-ending shawl"! It is gorgeous, Carol! I love the feather and fan stitch she chose - I think it always makes up in to a lovely shawl. Carol also sent along some yarny goodness from the Honolulu contingent of the Crafty Angels:

Warm hats, scarves, and mittens for the folks we serve at Cornerstone Community Outreach's homeless shelters! These will keep children nice and warm this coming winter. Thank you, Carol and our Hawaiian Angels - Aloha!

We also got envelopes all the way from Edinburgh, Scotland -- one of my most favorite places to visit! Long story, but when I was in corporate America I spent a wonderful week in Edinburgh at one of the company's plants just out side the city, and I fell under the city's spell. Angel Hazel Lindsay from Australia was in Edinburgh for three weeks visiting her Mum and Dad and kept her fingers busy making these lovelies:

And do you want to know the best part? Two of these were made by her 84 year old auntie!! Thank you so much, Hazel and Hazel's auntie -- these will become family heirlooms for the new moms at Swedish Covenant Hospital who receive them!

Three BIG boxes came from Archangel Dianna Overall and the Happy Charity Klickers in Loogootee, IN -- and they were packed full of all sorts of wonderful things. Want to see?

A beautiful shawl for the Triennial project!

Wonderfully warm hats and scarves for the homeless men we serve who eat dinner at the Good News Community Kitchen!

Just look at all these great hats and scarves for the folks we serve at the North Park Friendship Center and Cornerstone!

I first thought the blanked in the top of this photo was a baby blanket -- but it is large enought to be an afghan for one of our seniors at Friendly Towers. The baby blanket looks pink - but it's really white (the result of my poor photography skills).

This bright baby blanket is in response to my request for some brightly colored baby blankets for ome of our Hispanic, African, and Indian babies at Swedish Covenant Hospital - isn't it great! And the same goes for these bright scarves --perfect for the children we serve!

The Klickers just outdid themselves this time, don't you think? Thank you, Dianna and the Klickers, for serving those you love -- what angels you all are!

I was washing Crafty Angel laundry on Holy Saturday and happened to look out the front window, and guess who had pulled up in the driveway and was unloading boxes -- Angel Marya Preston! She really had her hubby working -- and look what she brought us:

So soft baby blankets for our newborns at Swedish Covenant Hospital and.......

spa cloths to go into spa bags for the new moms! Perfect! And there was lots more:

Two BIG boxes chock full of yarn in all colors -- just perfect for the things Angels make! Thank you, Marya, for your generous gift of yarn, AND for giving of your time and talent in giving to the littlest ones we serve - you are a blessing!

We also got a big box from Angel Cathy Falkenstein in Loomis, CA -- and I was so excited to see what was inside:

Bright, colorful, and warm afghans for the kids we serve at Cornerstone's homeless shelters! Can't you just picture them on their bunk beds in the shelter? I am certain that they will guarantee sweet dreams! Thank you, Cathy, for loving, and serving, others -- you ROCK!

I was just overwhelmed by all the love packed inside the boxes that arrived during Holy Week - and continued to think about all of you in church during worship on Easter Sunday morning. As our Praise Team sang of God's wonderous love for us, I thought about how vast the Angels' love is for others they will never even meet and how powerful that love becomes with the service you perform in that love.

Pastor Greg spoke about resurrection, and I thought about how many hearts and souls you all resurrect with your yarny goodness and powerful outreach. Life without love is harsh and cold, and when you are homeless, down on your luck, or oppressed, life can feel dark and grey and not worth living. But the love you Angels share changes all of that -- for the thousands of people you reach every year. So I praised God for your goodness and love, and thanked Him for all of you. May that love come back to you a hundredfold!