The tangled lives and tangled yarn of crocheting

Several months ago a friend from church began teaching me to crochet. Several men and women get together on Sunday evenings at church to crochet and catch up with each other. The gatherings remind me of old fashioned quilting bees. Of course, we are crocheting instead of quilting, and everyone is working on their own projects instead of one big project. But we encourage each other and admire each other's work, and the more experienced of the group help the inexperienced get past any snags they may have hit.

It also gives everyone a chance to catch up on what's been going in on in our lives. That gives us the opportunity to encourage each other through life's challenges, too.

I spent the first couple of months working on simple dish rags until I could really get the hang of crocheting. A few weeks ago I started this blanket/afghan. I've really enjoyed working on it. And if I'm sitting in front of an open window, I can cover my legs with the part that I've already finished while continuing to work on the unfinished portion!

This blanket will be a gift to myself. No matter when I finish it, I will not use it until we are in our own house. It will be a house warming gift to myself, I guess. This blanket has come to represent the new life I am working on.

Like my yarn, my life often becomes tangled almost beyond recognition. It takes patience, dedication, and the support of family, friends, and my Jesus to untangle the knots and continue on.

I'm actually going to miss working on this blanket whenever I actually finish it!