Christmas Projects Continued...

So you might have noticed that my blogging dropped off to near non-existence. I have been so busy preparing for Christmas that I couldn't even tell you about it... The biggest project of the month was a crocheted blanket I made for my sister. I took me all of 3 if not 4 weeks to complete it. My husband helped me by untangling the many threads hanging off the back as I worked the rows back and forth, and he kept my mind busy by reading to me the entire time. We went through 4 novels before I finished the project, and even at that, there was still a little more to do.

So let me tell you about this project. This was an afghan for my little sister who loves horses and owns more than you can count on your fingers. I have two children who also absolutely adore horses as well so it was fun to see this project come together. I started at the bottom of the afghan and worked in the feet first, working my way up to the ears of a black and grey horse. It's not quite big enough to cover a bed, but it is perfect for curling up in front of the TV on a chilly winter evening.

Here is a picture of the first half of the blanket. You can kind of see the web of threads coming off the top of the design and if you look close you will even see the book my husband was reading to me just  before I stopped to take a break and of course a picture.

The kids checked my progress frequently as I continued to work on the project.

Now, here is a photo of the completed project! Wow! It felt good to be done in time - I didn't finish it until the day before it had to be!

I love to crochet! I love how the design comes together so quickly (I'm comparing it to knitting which I love the look of but never mastered). I had so much fun, despite the deadline, putting this afghan together. It has been too long since I took on a project like this one. I am so thankful I learned to crochet and that through it I can bring joy to the faces of others.

As I made this blanket I couldn't help but think of how we are so much like an afghan. Each thread on each row reminds me of the experiences we have, our reactions to them, and the character we develop as a result. As we seek to become the best we can be a beautiful picture develops, but it takes a lot of time, patience, work and an implicit trust in God to finally come to see that lovely end result. It is hard to look into our own futures and see what lies there and that is why it is so important to place ourselves into the hands of God allowing him to weave our lives into the beautiful designs only He can create. There is such joy in being able to place confidence and trust in God - with Him, NOTHING is impossible!!!