Healing List 7/7/11

Please send Reiki, prayers, or simply positive and healing thoughts to this list.

To include yourself or others on the list, simply post the names in the comments.

*****

Byron in Ft. Wayne

Gina in Indy

Caylee Marie Anthony

Hunter the cocker spaniel diagnosed with detatched retina

Gavi

The Monument Fire Pets and the efforts of volunteers to reunite pets and parents

Chris P. in Indiana, recovering from Spinal surgery 

Serena Weicht, Dorothy Heard, and family

Lauren Spierer, family, and all those searching for her

special note for the horses and dogs being used in the search

Tom, Joyce, Doris, Alverita, Chuy, Rose, and Bob and all those affected by the southern Arizona wildfires

 US "Darkhorse" 3rd Battalion 5th Marines and their families. They are fighting it out in Afghanistan and have lost 9 Marines in 4 days. 

Crochet-a-Long

Over the last month I have been teaching myself to crochet. You may have noticed...lol.

For a long time I had wanted to knit, and never really “got it”. I struggled with it, and was not very good or quick, and so didn't enjoy it. Someone told me that knit and crochet is kind of like algebra and geometry, people usually only understand one of the other. With that in mind, I went to the store and bought a cheap pack of plastic crochet hooks and some yarn, then came home and dove into how-to videos on YouTube on crochet.

As I am want to do, I dove in with both feet and have become obsessed. I spent every free moment in the past month with a hook in my hand. I crochet while dogs are drying. I crochet while taking a break from housework. I took a project to not one but two cookouts and crocheted while I sat outside and visited. I have even started a Stitch'n Bitch group that will begin meeting on the 18^th!

The first week I made hats and the tarot bag I posted here, and then I made an afghan for myself. The afghan proved to me that I had found the thing for me in crochet, because I went off pattern and it turned out great.

When I craft, it's kind of like when I cook. Instructions and recipes are more 'guidelines', and I usually take the general idea and shoot off sideways with it. I know for sure I have never made two pots of chili that were the same, and my craft projects tend to run that way. For the afghan I started with a pattern, expanded it a little, and added a ruffle from another pattern, which I also use in the pattern below.

Mojo and one of the new kittens, Walter have test-napped it and it's a winner.

So, why is this posted on Metaphysical Thursday? Glad you asked. I have started making Christmas/Yule gift, and one of the things that several ladies in my family will be getting are Prayer Shawls (shhh, don't tell them)

I stumbled across this when I was searching the webternets for patterns. The idea is to concentrate prayer, blessings, and healing thoughts for the recipient before, during, and after the construction of the shawl.

I love this idea, and on the site for the Prayer Shawl Ministry there are Goddess prayers represented. So I started my first Prayer Shawl immediately after finishing the afghan, and after about 3 hours of looking at patterns on that site and many others, I just decided to wing it. I think it is pretty good so far, for a beginner, so if you would like to Crochet-a-long, here is the pattern, such as it is. And don't worry about blowing the surprise for my sister, she is WAY to Christian to come on her little sister's witchy blog! 

Here is a preview of how the pattern is turning out, I will post a photo of the finished product when it's done.

I have a couple of pics in the pattern to clarify for beginners the stitching in the space as opposed to the stitch because that threw me off in the hat pattern I used for the girls hats at first. The hat was becoming like a shower puff because I misunderstood and I had to take apart an hours work. I hope to help others avoid it, there was much profanity involved!

So to begin, say a prayer to bless your work. You can make your own or there are many at the Shawl Ministry site. Then concentrate on prayer,healing, and positive energy for the recipient as you crochet, When it's done, bless it and give it to it's intended owner. It's a great, loving gift for someone battling illness or loss, or just to send love out to someone as a gift.

Valerie's Prayer Shawl

#4 Worsted yarn, Red Heart Sonoma Stripe or other self-striping yarn

US K/10.5 hook

SC=single crochet

DC=double crochet

TC=treble crochet

Chain 50, loosely (if using foundation stitch, count as the first row)

Rows 1-3 SC fifty, chain 1, turn

Rows 4-6 DC in 1^st stitch, chain one, skip stitch to end of row, chain 1, turn

Row 7 SC in the top of the DC in the last row

 and in the SPACE between each DC 

to end of row, chain 1, turn

Rows 8-9 SC to end of row, chain 1, turn

repeat Rows 4-9 until shawl reaches 'hug' size, fingertips to fingertips with your arms outstretched. It looks like mine will be around 132 rows.

Finishing

Do not turn, SC in same stitch to turn the corner and SC down the side the number of rows the shawl ended with, SC again in the last stitch to turn the corner and SC down this side 50. Repeat down the remaining 2 sides.

If you prefer fringe, stop here and add fringe to the ends. Val's shawl has a ruffle along 3 sides.

If adding a ruffle do not turn, chain 4 then TC into same stitch as the chain 4.

Continue 2 TC in each stitch down the short side, then 4 TC in the corner stitch. Continue around the long side and back up the opposite short side.

Chain 4 and turn.

Work 1 TC chain 1 into each stitch all the way back around, and do TC, chain 1 TC, chain 1 in each of the 4 at the corners

Tie off, weave in ends.

I would love to hear from anyone who gives it a try, and to see what yours looks like!

Happy Hooking!

H.W.

Wordless Wednesday

Healing List for 6/23/11

Please send Reiki, prayers, or simply positive and healing thoughts to this list.

To include yourself or others on the list, simply post the names in the comments.

*****
Hunter the cocker spaniel diagnosed with detatched retina

Gavi

The Monument Fire Pets and the efforts of volunteers to reunite pets and parents

Chris P. in Indiana, recovering from Spinal surgery 

Serena Weicht, Dorothy Heard, and family

Lauren Spierer, family, and all those searching for her

special note for the horses and dogs being used in the search

Tom, Joyce, Doris, Alverita, Chuy, Rose, and Bob and all those affected by the southern Arizona wildfires

 US "Darkhorse" 3rd Battalion 5th Marines and their families. They are fighting it out in Afghanistan and have lost 9 Marines in 4 days. 

Camp Chesterfield turns 125!

This past weekend was the 125th Opening Day of Camp Chesterfield Spiritualist Center of Light. There were activities all weekend, but I only got to attend the All Message service on Sunday afternoon, due to scheduling and the price of gas! However, Sunday after making the Hubs his favorite Sunday brunch (french toast and maple sausage) I headed over to Chesterfield and rolled on to the grounds of the Camp to a light drizzle.

That did not keep me from taking a short walk around the grounds. It is truly a deeply peaceful and spiritual place. 

I walked down the stone path to the Garden of Prayer grotto, which although it is a shrine to Jesus Christ, I have always been drawn to.

then on to the Trail of Religion, which has busts of gods and icons from several pantheons, including Buddhism, Tao, and Greek.

and then through the grounds at large...

to the Mary shrine, which again I love. I consider her a Mother God, as those in the Spiritualist Camp do.

then back to the Chapel

Then I went in for the service, and was gifted a Healing stone from Rev. Wahna  Irvine featuring "Grandmother Spider" who is weaving a healing web around me!

After the service, which always amazes me, and I wish I could get over there more often, I went over to the Labyrinth, which is a new addition to the Camp, but I have walked it everytime I have gone since they installed it, and that meditation only compounded the message of healing I received from Rev. Wahna.

I am so glad I could participate in the Opening Weekend of Camp Chesterfield this historic year, and maybe this year I will actually sign up for the classes I have been talking about for years!

H.W.

Crochet Tally 6/21/11

So this week I made the Hubs a "Jayne Cobb" hat, but in camo at his request.

That was stolen by the Bug for a little bit.

And I made the girls matching Summer Beanies

I am now working on an afghan for myself, because my comforter has a rip that is growing every night.

This will be a Twin size afghan, even though we have a King size bed. The Hubs and I gave up trying to share blankets long ago, and we each have our own blankie that we cover with a Duvet when we make the bed. I have no idea how long this will take, I will keep you updated!

H.W.

Crock-Pot Pulled Pork

Here is our recipe for easy, Pulled Pork Barbecue in the crock pot. It's not very exact, but I tend to be a "that looks about right" kind of cook! Crock pots are very forgiving, anyway...

One pork roast

1/2-1 cup orange juice

(amount depends on the size of the roast) 

2 big pinches of salt

4 big pinches black pepper

1/2-1 cup barbecue sauce

(again, depends on size of roast)

Place roast in crock pot, pour juice over then salt and pepper

cook on low heat 6-8 hrs

pull meat apart with forks, pour in sauce and serve

I made this Saturday because we had a BIG honey-do day, and dinner tends to sneak up on me when we get busy. I served it on home-baked bread I made and fried red-skin potatoes. Yum! This leaves enough for 3 big, hungry adults plus leftovers with a medium sized roast.
H.W.