Christmas Poem 2011

 

 

Peace on Earth

There’s a face missing at the old table tonight.

There’s a smile missing from ‘round the tree.

There’s a spot in my heart that is empty right now

Due to life’s mortality.

At this time of the year I can dwell on the fact

That I’m missing a loved one who’s dear.

I can weep, wail or curse (making everything worse),

And I’ll find no Christmas cheer.

Or instead I can ponder the story again

Of the angels the night of Christ’s birth

Who sang praises to God and who promised to men

Peace to all who dwelt on earth.

Oh, the peace that I need in my heart at this time

Is the peace that can heal my own heart.

And this peace he has given to all who will ask,

For our Savior did his part.

He has opened the doors of the grave and of hell.

He has let all the captives go free.

Through his great sacrifice all my loved ones and I

Can enjoy eternity.

So this Christmas, ev’n though a dear loved one is gone,

I will focus on what is to be

And the gifts that our Father and Savior have given.

There is peace and joy for me.

 

Each year since we've been married, my husband and I have created a Christmas poem. Often the events of that year influenced the poem. Though this poem was written after the death of my mother on December 7th, we decided to use it this year since we are not the only ones who have found peace through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

May you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

Handles for Square-mesh Net Bags

Last week I showed you some of the new rectangular, square-mesh, net bags I was working on.  Now to show you a couple of the new handles I designed for those bags.  Rather than use a 1/2" mesh stick for the entire handle I used a much wider mesh for most of the handle.  I used wrapped loops to get the bigger meshes.  Only at the ends do I go back to the smaller mesh stick.  The smaller meshes make it easier to tie the two handle sections together.






This handle, from the small gift bag, uses half the number of square meshes across the width of the rectangle.















This handle, from the medium size net bag, begins with two knots in each of the square meshes along the width.  The third row of the handle decreases the number of loops.   An overhand knot sits on top of the fuller section of the handle.











 Here is a closeup of the lower part of the handle.












I was hoping to finish the large shopping-bag size, but I finished the last video (Creating Wrapped Loops) for the Square-Mesh Netting class instead.  Now I just need to finish the transcripts and patterns and that class will be ready.

Rectangular Net Bag - Square-mesh Style

Last week's Rectangular Net Bag (made with square-mesh netting) was just an experiment to see it I could do it.  This week I have worked on two different bags - a medium size one, and a small one.  I think they turned out much better than the first one.





























The small size is perfect as a baby-shower gift bag.  It's big enough to hold the bibs I make and to hold bibs, toys, or whatever the new mother wants to put in it.















The medium one is a bit bigger.  I needed a bag to take my books back to the library, I only had a few, so I piled them in and it worked great going there.  The only problem was that while there I checked out more than a few books and some of those over-sized, so it did not hold everything on the way home.

I kind of like the look of the square meshes on the bottom of the bag.










This week I've also finished the videos devoted to making a rectangle of square-mesh netting.  I was all excited, thinking the class was almost ready.  Then, in the process of making the bags, I created a couple of different handles, one for each bag.  As I made the first one I realized that there was one, maybe two, more videos I needed to make for the Square-mesh Netting class.  I've listed it on the syllabus page for the Square-mesh Netting class.

Square-mesh Netting

The class for Square-mesh netting is progressing.  This week I was able to get the video taping done.  Next week I hope to have the videos finished.  I realized that for this class I have only small and large projects.  Nothing in the middle, and nothing that would be quick to make and  practical in an everyday sort of way.

So Thursday I asked family and friends gathered around our Thanksgiving table for some suggestions.  Scarfs and dishcloths were suggested, and I may come up with some, but late last night I picked up some left-over yarn and this morning I finished . . .



. . . a rectangular square-mesh net bag.

The handles are diamond mesh, but the body of the bag is square-mesh.

Now, before you say anything, I know it's small, so tiny in fact that I could barely squeeze in the two apples and and orange.  But now I know I can make one, I just have to figure out the proper number of squares for the width and the length.

Differences in Netting Methods

There are several methods used to tie the netting knot.  Lately I've been referring to two of them as the lace-maker's method and the net-maker's method.

Most of the time when I think of the differences between the two methods, I think of how they are tied.  There are also differences in how the knots look after they are tied.  This week I learned another way they are different.






I received an e-mail asking me if there was a way to create the Carrots Increase Stitch using the net-maker's method so that it looked like it does in the photo.









I was not sure, so I made a sample of this stitch using each method and I discovered a difference.  Can you see the difference?  The red sample was made using the lace-maker's method and the blue one made using the net-maker's method.

 Look closely where the increases are made.  In the red sample the 3 knots net into the loop follow the curve of the loop, while in the blue sample the 3 knots climb up the loop.  The knots in the red sample are tied around the single strand of cord forming the loop.  The knots in the blue sample are tied over both strands that form the loop.  Since the knots in the blue sample are tied around the loop, the loop actually gets smaller.

So, when it comes to the question in the email, my answer is that it is not possible to get the same look to the Carrots Increase Stitch using the net-maker's method as you would get if you used the lace-maker's method.  If you want the same look as the first photo in this post, you would have to tie the knots using the lace-maker's method.

Now I'll be the first to acknowledge that I don't know everything about netting, especially when it comes to the net-maker's method.  I received personalized, one-on-one teaching from my grandmother when I learned the lace-maker's method, but I learned the net-maker's method from a book.

So my question, to those of you who are more proficient and experienced in netting using the net-maker's method, is:  "Do you agree with me?"   If you do not, please tell or show us how to get the same look.

New Netting Class and Mistborn Cloak are both finished

It's done.  After 11 months of working on it, Netting, More or Less is now available.  This netting class shows how to increase and decrease while netting.  It includes patterns for headbands, dishcloths, bags, and a snood (hairnet).  To register for the class, click here.  This class is ongoing, so when you can begin the class as soon as you register for it.  (Contact me if you have problems.)  I have also structured the class so that there is also no ending time.  You can go back and review how to do something whenever you need to.


I've already started working on the next class:  Square Mesh Netting.  By checking the syllabus for Square Mesh Netting, you can see that currently there are six more videos to make and all the PDF patterns and transcriptions.  I hope it will not take as long to pull together as the last one did.

Several weeks ago I mentioned that I was making a Mistborn Cloak as a Halloween costume for my son.  I did finish it before Halloween.  However, due to the snowstorm and downed power lines that arrived days before Halloween, he was not able to wear it for Halloween.

During the week when school was  not held, I managed to get some photos.

It came complete with a pouch for coins and a belt / sash with places to store his "metals" vials.

Winter Fairyland or Natural Disaster

It looked like a winter fairyland Sunday morning when I got up.  The storm arrived before I took down my garden trellises.  Everything was blanketed in 9-12 inches of white.


There were only a couple of problems with this winter wonderland.  When I looked out an upstairs window Saturday night, I noticed something that had not been in our backyard earlier in the day.

Yes, a tree had fallen under the weight of the snow on its leaves.  It knocked over the basketball standard and came within inches of the back porch awning.   We were fortunate that it fell the way it did.  It could have landed on the house.

By Sunday morning portions of a second tree had joined the first.

By afternoon the trees were without snow and we were without power.










We were without power from Sunday morning until Friday morning.  However, there are those worse off.  My daughter, who lives within a couple of miles from us (in the same town), lost power for a whole week - Saturday afternoon (October 29) to Saturday afternoon (November 5).




It's impossible to go through something like this without learning something.  Here are a few of the things I learned:

• have enough coolers to hold the contents of the freezer component of the refrigerator.
• pans of snow (changed twice a day) will keep a refrigerator cold enough that the food in it will not spoil.
• having a thermometer for the house, freezer, and refrigerator gives peace of mind.
• the basement kept slightly warmer than the upper part of the house overnight.
• just having people sitting in a room for a while (playing games) raised the temperature of that room.
• sitting in the sun on an enclosed porch while the sun is pouring in through all the windows can get you warmer than staying inside the house.
• layering clothing works.
• sleeping bags work to keep children warm at night.
• even a small charcoal grill will cook food and heat up water if you have nothing better.
• fix meals before the sun goes down and it gets cold.
• I need to find some "emergency food supplies" that are suited to no-power, no-heat, individual-portion situations that are nutritious, affordable, and will store for more than a couple of years.
• I was just as busy as usual, but on different projects (a quilt, a moebius scarf, a rectangular scarf, a net shawl instead of websites and netting classes*).

I know my list would be different if the season and the disaster were different.  And, speaking of disasters, I wonder what is coming next.  So far during 2011, my area of the country has experienced an ice storm, a tornado, micro-bursts, an earthquake, a hurricane, and now heavy snow storm.  Any suggestions what I should prepare for next?  My oldest daughter suggested fire.

*Speaking of netting classes - Netting, More or Less is completed as far as the videos and transcripts go.  I just need to have time on the computer to get the classroom up and connected to PayPal (something I was planning to do this past week).