Looming Lady Blog
Recently, I’ve been seeking the Lord. I need him. Isn’t that when we look for him? I was seeking some answers. This is some of the results of my quest. It came through my imagination, which he instilled in me. A story which brought me a smile. I share it for anyone who need's it. But it needs to be blogged in two parts because of it's length. Here is part 1.
Psalms 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He was there before I arrived. Surrounded by lambs and other animals, he looked comfortable perched on a big boulder. Though his presence shocked me he was not surprised to see me. He smiled, and patted a space on the rock beside him. I blinked, in shock. Not surprising, since just a split second ago I had been on the tiny patio of my home, sobbing and praying for the Lord’s peace and guidance. Not joy. I was mourning. Another of those events had occurred. People had been hurt, and some had died. The selfish grief that I was expressing had a base of reality. But much of it was for me. Alone, broke most of the time, struggling in a world I did not feel as though I belonged. So I prayed. My gaze went upward, to heaven, where God would hear me. No stars presented themselves under the city lights. The moon was almost full. Clouds drifted across it, almost completely covering it. Twin beams of light flashed downward, lifting me up. I had time to blink three times. The lights consolidated and brightened so that I had to raise my hand over my face and shut my eyes. When I opened them, I was here, in the daylight, by a stream, with the smell of wild honeysuckle wafting by. Birds twittered and the flow of the stream was calming. It was the Lord who drew my attention, however. First, I noticed his eyes. Brown, sweet, happy eyes they were. When I looked into them, they glowed. The joy that emanated from them overcame me and I could not resist it. I also could not stand it for long. My own green eyes dropped. The overpowering sensation of delight only decreased to a bearable level. I could not help the chuckles that burst from my throat. While avoiding his eyes for a moment I observed his sun tanned face, his brown hair flowing to just below his shoulders, the traditional garb that I always imagined the savior to wear. Shepherd’s ware, a blue robe and sandals. I noted the scars on his ankles and winced, looking away. Ugly, evil scars. The laughter froze. My eyes are drawn back to his own, which carry none of the sorrow I would imagine for someone who had gone through what he had. I had noticed nothing of my surroundings yet. Everything else is dim beside him and his beautiful eyes. They satisfied my every want. Peace. Comfort. Relief. Courage. And joy. But for a mere mortal, it was too much. Suddenly, I could not breathe. I could not stand. I wanted to fall on my knees and worship him. But a part of me wanted to run to him and fling myself like a child on a parent, or on an older sibling. He nodded. Did he want me? Really? Still he smiled and reached out for me. A rose bush bloomed beside him on his rock. It was a wild variety, and it bloomed profusely. I noticed there were no thorns. Secretly, I peeked back at the Lord. He cocked his head, still smiling. I bit my lip. Alarms screamed in my mind. This was not real. I was dreaming. The Good Shepherd was not standing just three feet away, with his arms outstretched. Not me. I didn’t deserve it. Nothing real could give me my wants, though he truly had just a moment ago. Psalm 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. I am a foolish sheep, like so many people. I turned and ran from my Lord, and the wondrous delight he brought my spirit. My awkward feet bounced off soft ground covered in green grass. My usually sore left knee throbbed every time I raised it. Sheep can be very dumb, and I had been bewildered to the point of stupidity. So I ran away, wiping tears off my face as I chugged along. The poor shell of a body that I don’t maintain well couldn’t go far, or fast. Soon, I was going into a wooded area. I slowed to a walk. The trees waved a bit in the wind. Was there going to be a storm? No birds sang. No animals chattered. A thorn bush grabbed me and I had to fight for release. In the end I was badly scratched. Now I could see there were plenty more of the thorns. Rustling noises caught me by surprise. Who or what was behind me? Fear clutched me and choked me. I fled, tripping over branches, stumbling on rocks and uneven earth. Again I could not traverse far. Winded and weary, I bent at the waist and gasped for air while clinging to a tree limb. A heavy drop of rain landed on my face. I was not crying now. But I wanted to. With a deep breath I kept my feet moving forward. The grey clouds above me opened. The downpour was powerful, and the wind splashed the rain into my shelter but I managed to stay mostly dry under a massive, old willow tree. A family of squirrels joined me in this place. They were not afraid, though they didn’t come near. I stayed still and quiet. When the storm was over they left single file. The last baby wagged his tail and bolted to play with its siblings. I stayed still. They had not been afraid. I was. Had I just run away from the Lord himself? A cry drew me out. What was that sound? Was it a child? Or an animal? I had been seated by the trunk of the tree. Standing was painful because my limbs had stiffened. Branches still waved in the wind. Was the storm really over? I limped out of my shelter and stretched. It felt good. But the knee still hurt. The limp remained. My eyes sought out the source of the sound I had heard. The forest remained still. A clean scent rose from the ground. The rain had cleaned the world as it should. But I felt grubby. My clothes were wrinkled and sweat stained. My hair drooped from dampness. I pressed forward. Thank goodness I could not go fast. The edge of the bank came up quickly, without notice. I almost fell down into the river. Instead, I fell back, almost falling down before catching myself on a tree. It would have been a ten foot drop. There was a very slim, rocky beach. The river ran fast and furious. Had the storm filled it so quickly? Waves crashed over stones and branches lodged along the way. Gasps overtook my poor overloaded lungs and I fought for air. Would my heart come out of my body? It felt like it could, pounding heavily.
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The differences between loom knit dogs and cats? Ears, eyes, tail, and snout. I showed you Honey, a cat model for my current work in progress last week. This week I worked on Mac. But this model is actually too small. Mac is a chocolate lab, which is a big breed. This model looks more like my Chihuahua Schipperke mix, Katie. Here's how to make a doggie on a 12 peg loom. You will need a small amount of yarn plus a length to make the collar, a cotton ball, loom hook, yarn needle, and fabric paint for the eyes. Double e-wrap all the pegs. Knit off 1st round, flat stitch knit around. 2 rounds done. Purl around. This makes your base. Knit 7 rounds in the flat knit stitch (laying your yarn above the loop on the peg and lifting the loop off over the yarn.). For round 8, knit 2, knit 2, turn, knit 2, turn, knit 2, lift last two loops off their pegs, place round 8 loops on the pegs, place the top loops back on. knit off the bottom loops. Knit 8 stitches. Knit 3 more rounds in flat knit stitch. Round 12. Knit 1 stitch, turn, knit last 2 stitches 6 times. knit two stitches off. This is ear 1. Attach your yarn, knit next 4 stitches off. Knit 2 stitches, turn, knit last 2 stitches 6 times, knit off. This is ear 2. Attach your yarn again, knit off last 4 stitches. Turn your piece inside out. Sew top of head closed. Weave in all threads. Be sure to use one thread to round the snout. Turn piece back out. Smooth piece. stuff lightly with a cotton ball. Pull bottom closed. Weave in bottom thread. Cast on 1 peg, knit 6 Stitches, knit off. Sew tail to back of body. You can crochet around the base to make it tidier, if you wish. Tie collar below snout. Use fabric paint to make eyes. Meet Honey, one of the cats in my next book. Honey is sweet, which accounts for her name. Her inspiration was a little gray kitty named Pearl, who was born in my home, a good daughter and big sister. Pearl was a peacemaker, a loving creature. Even at the age of 17 she was her mama's darling - her biological mother's darling. Well, Honey is a sweetheart, too. I made this loomed knit cat while on break from my writing. Honey’s human, Roxy, is going through hard times. Honey helps her feel better. But there’s more trouble looming. A loom knitting break got me away from the story. She was made on a 12 peg loom with a double strand of cotton thread. Want to make one? Grab a 12 peg loom, 2 balls of cotton thread, a loom hook, yarn needle, eyes, a small bell, and a piece of thread about 5 inches long. This is not a big project, you can make one ball off the main ball by wrapping thread around your hand (loosely) about 50 times and then cutting the thread. Note that stuffing is not required. An inner tube fills her up and holds her up nicely. Make your bottom by double e-wrapping all pegs. Knit off all bottom loops. Knit round 2. Purl round 3. Knit 11 rounds in flat stitch. (laying your thread over the e-wrap and lifting the bottom loop over the top). Round 12: Knit 3 stitches, turn, skip 3rd peg, knit 2nd stitch, flat knit 3rd stitch, turn, skip 1st peg, knit 2nd stitch, knit off 1st stitch, flat stitch knit 3rd stitch, knit off 2nd stitch, knit 4th stitch, knit off 3rd stitch, Knit 5th and 6th stitches, turn, skip 6th peg, knit 5th stitch, flat stitch 4th peg, turn, skip 4 peg, knit 5th stitch, knit off 4th stitch, knit 6th stitch, knit off 5th stitch, knit 7th stitch, knit off 6th stitch, knit 8th and 9th stitches, turn, skip 9th peg, knit 8th stitch, flat knit 7th stitch, turn, skip 7th peg, knit 8th stitch, knit off 7th stitch, flat knit 9th stitch, knit off 8th stitch, knit 10th stitch, knit off 9th stitch, knit 11th and 12th stitches, turn, skip peg 12, knit 11th stitch, flat knit 10th stitch, turn, skip 10th peg, knit 11th stitch, knit off 10th stitch, knit 12th stitch, knit off 11th stitch, cast off. You’ve knitted 4 sets of triangles which will compose the ears. Smooth your fabric into shape. Set it aside. With a double strand again, e-wrap all pegs and flat knit 11 rounds. Knit off. This is the interior of your cat. You may add a little stuffing, but you really don’t need it. Smooth the tube and turn the cat body inside out. Sew the top of the tube to the cat head round 11. Turn the piece right side out. Smooth out the bottom, use the beginning tail to draw the bottom round closed. To make the tail, cast onto 10 pegs with 2 strands and knit 2 rows. Knit off. Sew the 1st and final row closed. Sew to base at back of the cat. Use a 5 in thread to tie around the cat’s 8th and 9th round. Attach a bell if you like. Now you have a small, keychain size cat. No additional stuffing is necessary. If you plan you give it to an adult, eyes can be glued on. You can also use fabric paint if giving it to a child. Add a little catnip inside the tube or a little squeaker toy and give it to a pet. This is less than 3 inches high and an inch wide. My newest book continues the saga of Kate, who is not homeless anymore. She has rescued 3 cats and 2 dogs. Since the holiday season (Christmas) is coming up she wants to make some gifts for them, for their buddies, and for the local animal shelter. She accepts a job assignment to generate some income. Then she has a bad fall and ends up in the hospital. Worse, her little dog Coco gets lost. Will Kate and her pets be together for the holidays? Will she get to give her gifts away? Find out, and enjoy 10 simple patterns for small animals. The formerly homeless looming lady is returning with some cat and dog projects. The Looming Pet Lady has a small disaster and ends up with a broken leg. But it's the holidays and Kate has a seasonal job. She also has 3 cats and two small dogs. It's time to break out the loom and make some gifts for pets and their people!
In this book will be patterns for collars, leashes, frisbies, balls, footballs, treat bags, bowl mats, cat necklaces, cat pillows, and more. Watch for it this week, probably this coming weekend. It'll be on Amazon as an e-book and paperback. For my future loom knitting books I have created a simple template for writing patterns. It’s free on my website as a pdf download.
I thought I’d show an example of pattern writing by writing up some simple hearts I’ve been making for the Peyton Project. Bullying has been a big issue over the last few years. I like the idea of making a simple heart, adding a message, and leaving it for a stranger to find. I enjoy wondering who find’s the heart’s that I leave. Here’s a pattern for my hearts. Check out the Peyton Project, make a few hearts, and enjoy my template! http://www.thepeytonheartproject.org/ The download for the template is on my Tips page: http://myyarncraftsplus.weebly.com/tips-and-suggestions-for-crafting.html . Size: One size fits all. About 2 ½ inches across and 2 inches tall. Tools: 12 peg loom, hook, yarn needle. Gauge: Doesn’t matter on this project. Keep your stitches smooth and even by smoothing them as you make them. Supplies: 2 strands of sports yarn. Color: your choice. Abbreviations and explanations: WY Working yarn K: Knit P Purl FS Flat Stitch Pattern: Cast on with a long tail. Double e-wrap all the pegs, knit off bottom loops. Turn. Flat stitch across. Turn. Flat stitch across. Do not turn. Flat knit around. Cut a long tail. Pull the tail through each stitch and pick off the stitches. Pull the circle closed. With the ending tail over seam the center hole closed. With the yarn needle, weave each of the tails to the top of the heart. Use the yarn needle to pull one tail through the center hole so it tightens the top closed – revealing more of the heart shape. Then tie the top of the tails into a figure 8 so you can attach your message. The Ship in A Cloud is free for this weekend (04/14/17 - 04/16/17). There are many homeless animals on the planet Earth that need love and care. The little planet of Mxbury lost a whole bunch of animals in an earthquake. Farmer Clare, from Mxbury, travels to Earth to get some animals and bring them home. Read the story. In my first post I forgot to include the link. Here it is. On Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/Ship-Cloud-Pamela-Murrey-ebook/dp/B00CVITB6S/ref=la_B004WGWXMG_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492181615&sr=1-11 What can you do for all those unloved animals on this planet? Make a few toys? Donate a bag of kitten chow to the local animal shelter? Volunteer? It doesn't have to be overwhelming or depressing. Do what you can and be proud of it. Annie is loved...
I made a crochet galaxy last week. Guess I was thinking of Clare traveling from Mxbury. But he wouldn’t find the planets so close together! I used the first foam circle I could think of and it turned out to be too small. So I looked around and found a piece of cardboard instead. Much better. Now there’s room for my rainbow, cloud, moons, and black hole! I’ll add them next.
I’m not an adventurous person by nature. But I think it would be fun to float around in space, looking at stars, planets, moons, and all the beauties of space. While I was writing “The Ship in A Cloud” I had fun imagining being alone on a spaceship hurtling through space. I just finished a small rewrite of “The Ship in A Cloud”. I added a map of Mxbury and a glossary of the people and places of the story. It still tells the story of Clare, a farmer from the world of Mxbury, looking for animals to replenish his planet. Then I crocheted our galaxy. Maybe the best part of this project? After I have fun with it I will disconnect it, toss the pieces in a baggie with catnip and come out a winner for my felines! They are stuffed with catnip! Clare would approve…
Megan Mcdonald is asked by her nephew Ian for a crochet chess set. They want to play chess in her garden with it when he visits. After Ian is run down by a gang of boys Megan works on the crochet project as a sign of confidence in his recovery. She is already dealing with an early retirement. After 34 years at the same company she is ready to retire. But she is also afraid. Now she must be there for Ian and her sister, Anne. Meanwhile, a jewel thief is trying to fence his goods and the gang that left Ian in a ditch bleeding wants to finish the job. Can Ian and Ann survive the efforts of the gangsters to kill them? Can Megan complete her crochet chess set? Why would her first few pieces be stolen from her car? She might make a cuter set yet, to fit the setting of her garden. You, too can make two sets of chess with crochet. The patterns are in my new book. Enjoy the mystery and then make your game! This book is the first of a series. I hope you enjoy it. |
AuthorI am an office worker by day but a writer and crafter in my free time. My books can be found on Amazon in print or on Kindle. Archives
October 2022
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