Pocket Prayer Cloth (Heart) - Prayer Shawl Ministry

Pocket Prayer Cloth - Heart (Crochet Pattern)

designed by Sadie Sunshine Chapter - Crochet for Cancer

Skill Level:  Intermediate

Materials Needed:
     **  Soft worsted weight yarn - pastel solid color
     **  Size F crochet hook

Abbreviations:
CH = chain
SC = single crochet
DC = double crochet
PC = popcorn stitch
SL ST = slip stitch
YO = yarn over
SK = skip a stitch

Finished size approximately 5" x 7" or smaller depending on yarn used.

POPCORN STITCH -
Make 3 DC in the same stitch.  Take the hook out of the loop of the last DC and insert the hook in the top of first DC.  Hook the loop you just dropped and draw it through the stitch.  Pull tight and then CH 1.  Push the popcorn stitch to the front as you go to the next SC.

CH 18 loosely.

ROW 1 - Starting in the second chain from the hook, SC in each chain (17 SC total).  CH 1, Turn.

ROW 2 - SC in each stitch across (17 SC total).  CH 1. Turn.

ROW 3 - SC 8, PC 1, SC 8. CH 1. Turn.

ROW 4 - SC in each stitch across (17 SC total). CH 1. Turn.

ROW 5 - SC 7, PC 1, SC 1, PC 1, SC 7, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 6 - Repeat Row 4

ROW 7 - SC 6, PC 1, SC 3, PC 1, SC 6, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 8 - Repeat Row 4

ROW 9 - SC 5, PC 1, SC 5, PC 1, SC 5, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 10 - Repeat Row 4

ROW 11 - SC 4, PC 1, SC 7, PC 1, SC 4, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 12 - Repeat Row 4

ROW 13 - SC 3, PC 1, SC 9, PC 1, SC 3, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 14 - Repeat Row 4

ROW 15 - SC 2, PC 1, SC 11, PC 1, SC 2, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 16 - Repeat Row 4

ROW 17 - SC 1, PC 1, SC 13, PC 1, SC 1, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 18 - Repeat Row 4

ROW 19 - SC 1, PC 1, SC 6, PC 1, SC 6, PC 1, SC 1, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 20 - Repeat Row 4

ROW 21 - SC 2, PC 1, SC 3, PC 1, SC 3, PC 1, SC 3, PC 1, SC 2, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 22 - Repeat Row 4

ROW 23 - SC 4, PC 1, SC 7, PC 1, SC 4, CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 24- Repeat Row 4

ROW 25 - SC in each SC across (17 SC)

BORDER - CH 2, SC in each row, SC 3 in the corner, SC in each sitch across the bottom, SC 3 in the corner, SC in each row  up the side, SC 3 in the corner, SC in each stitch across the top, SL ST in the beginning SC at the corner and finish off.



You are free to use this for any charity purpose or gifts, however, we would very much appreciate donations to Sadie Sunshine Chapter of Crochet for Cancer, mailed to Sadie Sunshine Chapter, c/o Memories Past and Present, 324 N. Elm Street, Henderson, KY  42420


You can find more information on our ministry at

www.facebook.com/sadiesunshinechapter

Thank you and God Bless You!    

Healing and Faith - Growing Deep Roots

I watered and tended my violets this morning (I have around 40 or so), and noticed how they are strong and thriving. Many times over the past year+ I have mentioned I guess my violets would die because I just lost interest in them and didn't water them until they were hanging over the edge of the pots. 

You see, I have been through a lot and have not been what I would call normal for quite a while.  I had a tragic loss of my baby grandaughter to cancer which sent our family reeling and trying to once again find our firm footing.  Only just recently did I start to get back to semi-normal and watered and tended them weekly as they require. 

Even through all that time of suffering, apparently they were growing stronger roots so that they could come back better than ever, because they are blooming and standing tall again today. Through faith and calling on strength that only God can give, we can go through periods of stress or illness in our lives and come out blooming with life in our bodies again.  Through nourishing my mind with God's word and promises, I found that I was growing deeper roots so that I could come back to life and start to see the joy in living again and let my light shine again.

Thank you, God, for each new day and all the opportunities to live. Grief has taken its toll on my heart, but it has made me see the world and people through new eyes.

Prayer Shawl Ministry - Pocket Prayer Cloth

Pocket Prayer Cloth (Crochet Pattern)

designed by Sadie Sunshine Chapter - Crochet for Cancer

Skill Level:  Intermediate

Materials Needed:
     **  Soft worsted weight yarn - pastel solid color
     **  Size F crochet hook

Abbreviations:
CH = chain
SC = single crochet
DC = double crochet
PC = popcorn stitch
SL ST = slip stitch
YO = yarn over
SK = skip a stitch

Finished size approximately 5" x 7" or smaller depending on yarn used.

POPCORN STITCH -
Make 3 DC in the same stitch.  Take the hook out of the loop of the last DC and insert the hook in the top of first DC.  Hook the loop you just dropped and draw it through the stitch.  Pull tight and then CH 1.  Push the popcorn stitch to the front as you go to the next SC.

CH 18 loosely.

ROW 1 - Starting in the second chain from the hook, SC in each chain (17 SC total).  CH 1, Turn.

ROW 2 - SC in each stitch across (17 SC total).  CH 1. Turn.

ROW 3 - SC 8, PC 1, SC 8. CH 1. Turn.

ROW 4 - SC in each stitch across (17 SC total). CH 1. Turn.

ROWS 5 - 14 - Repeat rows 3 and 4 (5 times)

ROW 15 - SC 2, PC 1, SC 1, PC 1, SC 1, PC 1, SC 1, PC 1, SC1, PC 1, SC 1, PC 1,
SC 1, PC 1,  SC 2. CH 1.  Turn.

ROW 16 - SC in each stitch (17 SC total). CH 1. Turn.

ROW 17-22 - Repeat rows 3 and 4 (3 times)

ROW 23 - SC in each stitch (17 SC total)

BORDER - CH 2, SC in each row, SC 3 in the corner, SC in each sitch across the bottom, SC 3 in the corner, SC in each row  up the side, SC 3 in the corner, SC in each stitch across the top, SL ST in the beginning SC at the corner and finish off.

This is a copy of the card we place with each prayer cloth:

.

You are free to use this for any charity purpose or gifts, however, we would very much appreciate donations of finished prayer cloths to Sadie Sunshine Chapter of Crochet for Cancer, mailed to Sadie Sunshine Chapter, PO Box 1624, Henderson, KY  42419


You can find more information on our ministry at

www.facebook.com/sadiesunshinechapter

Thank you and God Bless You!    

Even A Gentle Wind Can Change Things!

My little grandson and I looking for the "big boats" down by the river -
precious times together -
a gentle touch always makes things better!

 I don't really believe in predicting the future and horoscopes, but I will admit that I read mine each morning in the Gleaner, our local newspaper, mainly because I look for inspiring words wherever I can find them!  This morning's message gave me pause and something important to think about.

"Over time, even the gentlest of winds will change the mountainous landscape, penetrate rocks and influence the way the trees grow.  You're like that gentle wind now, subtly changing those around you."

I remember when I was a teenager and dating, my Mother was always concerned because I always seemed to pick boys who needed to be changed - they were always troubled in some way or another and needed help.  I always have been able to see the value in a person, beneath whatever is on the outside, I guess.  She always told me that people don't change and that it was not good for me to be trying to change people into something more acceptable - she was only trying to protect me from disappointment.  Of course, I always disagreed with this, as I know that people are capable of changing.....what I didn't realize till later in life is that they have to WANT to change before they will change.

Throughout my life I have been impatient with people who just seem to always mess up and not do the good things that I see right in front of their face that they should do!  But through all of this life I have lived, I see that change takes time, and my impatience was not a good thing.  So.....every morning I get up and one of the things I pray for is patience.....to give things TIME to work out and people TIME to see the light and find a better way for themselves.

Reading to my precious grandchildren - children watch everything you do and say!

I have come to realize that even the small things that I do and say can inspire someone to think differently about their life and develop a more positive outlook for the future.  I can't just pick them up and move them from here to there and them say "Oh, I get it!".  It is a very gradual influence and done with gentle words, hugs, and love.

Not that I'm perfect in my attitude, but I have also found that change in myself and the way that I think and the things that I devote my life to has been gradual.  If I search each morning for positive thoughts and motivation and start my day out with a grateful attitude, gradually this will become just what I do and I won't have to try so hard.

My boy with his smiley face in the sand!  Smiley faces are a good thing!

How does this tie in with "What's Old Is New Again!" - well, that's easy.  We can become "new" at any age and at any moment in our lives!  I have found that as I age I become more aware of God working in my life.  I was trained to take charge of my life and make things happen - to seek education, better jobs, more money, success - and became frustrated when I saw others succeed above me no matter how hard I tried.  What I didn't know that all along God was working through me to bring me to this place where I am today.  I don't like all the things that have happened that have brought me pain and sadness and caused me to come to this realization, but I know now that God has been with me all along, guiding my way so that by going through my trials and tribulations and successes and failures, He has taught me how to live my life and reach out to help others in a gentle way, and I give thanks to Him for that!

Playing piano with my grandson "helping" me - he watches my hands and plays soft when I play soft, and loud when I play loud!

Be the gentle wind in someone's life today - change is gradual - love each other and gently inspire one word and one act of kindness at a time - and be thankful for those that God puts in your life!

******************************************************************

My antique/gift/yarn shop is a place where people can come and share their lives with me.  It has amazed me all the people I have met from all over this country and the thoughts and dreams they share with me while they are here shopping.  www.facebook.com/memoriespastandpresent
www.facebook.com/memoriesyarncafe

I have also started a Crochet for Cancer chapter in Kentucky in memory of my sweet grandaughter, Sadie Caroline, who we lost to Acute Myeloid Leukemia in December 2012, at the age of 17 months.  Please join us at www.facebook.com/sadiesunshinechapter

A Ball of Yarn - What Can It Become?

I had a lady purchase yarn the other day and I asked her what she was going to make out of it. She said she didn't know yet. Another lady tells me she just buys it and let's the yarn tell her what it is going to be. 

Here we go....I've decided our lives are like a ball of yarn. We can make whatever we want to out of it with a little dreaming, planning, creativity and a lot of hard work. We can be whatever our heart desires if we just seek God's will and have courage and faith to move forward. Or we can just be a ball of yarn content to sit there on the shelf! I'm busy making something out of my ball of yarn! Every day is a gift...don't waste even one!

Right now I am making baby chemo hats out of yarn in memory of my sweet grandbaby, Sadie Caroline, pictured above.  She was a precious, beautiful, happy, healthy 16 month old baby when cancer struck in the worst of places - her little brain.  We lost her last Christmas and have started a charity in her memory to supply chemo hats to other children and adults who are undergoing cancer treatment - if you are interested in making something very worthwhile out of a ball of yarn - check out our facebook page and join us! You just might change your life in the process!     www.facebook.com/sadiesunshinechapter

Sadie Sunshine Chapter of Crochet for Cancer, c/o Memories Past and Present, 324 N. Elm Street, Henderson, KY  42420

Old Things and the Stories They Could Tell

I've been inspired this morning by two things:  One is a picture by our new pastor (also fabulous photographer) of an old well used door with cracked and peeling paint and door knob probably turned a million or more times, and the other is a song written by Amy Grant called "Better Not to Know".

In life we have so many experiences, some good, some bad, some happy, some sad - many ups and downs as we move along.  I have often thought when I receive an antique piece of furniture in the store, about the stories it could tell about the families who had owned it and had it sitting in their home as "life" was happening around it.  When the item was purchased, it was gleaming and new and selected perfectly for the specific spot it would be placed.  Life was good and plans were being made for the future in the life of this family.  Each day came and went and this special piece of furniture was right there taking it all in - I'm pretty sure it would witness some special family times of celebration and some sad family times of loss and pain.

Think about it - how awful it would be if we knew the future and all that would happen around us.  It would most likely spoil the joy of this day.  It is for sure better not to know so that we can go innocently into the day expecting the best and knowing that whatever comes along that there is a constant there - our faith that sustains us no matter what comes along.  Everything that we do and dream is worth the effort - whether it ends up being what our heart desires or not in the long run - it is the doing and the  living and the believing - that is what is important.

Faced with the possibility of losing a loved one, our job, our health, our home or anything else that we hold dear and that provides us with stability and security, that solid rock sitting there in the corner that we can know for sure will be there through all our ups and downs can provide us with the strength to carry on.  For sure, it is better not to know what the future brings us.  It is far better to believe that we can survive and move forward no matter what comes along.  There is joy in each day that God gives us!  Oh!  The stories those antique doors and furniture could tell us of those who moved in and out and around them.  Stories of survival and strength and happiness and joy and sadness and loss.  Life - that's what they would tell us all about!

Every day is a gift from God - cherish this one and find the joy that is always there if we will only seek it.  Old things, and the stories they could tell!

Just Like Antiques, People Can Become New Again

Life deals us with a lot of challenges which cause us to take detours and make changes in our lives.  Last Fall, my detour happened.  I was in the middle of planning my annual Victorian Christmas Open House at my antique store, Memories Past and Present.  I had mailed all the invitations, baked all the cookies, purchased all the cider, had a dozen Christmas trees decorated to perfection, selected the items for door prizes, and on and on.  I was anticipating a crowd as usual and having a lot of fun.  Then it happened.......the phone rang and it was my daughter, Amber, on the line.....my little grandaughter, Sadie, was ill and had been taken to the emergency room.  Everything came to a screeching halt and that's where the detour occurred.  My life forever changed in the blink of an eye.

I immediately cancelled everything and took off to see how I could help out and to look after my little grandson while everyone else was at the hospital watching over our little one.  Practically by the time I got there, they released her from the hospital saying that they thought it was meningitis and that she had a miracle recovery.  We had the most wonderful weekend - we played, and laughed, and read books - and thought everything was OK.  But as it turned out, everything was not OK and I would live to treasure this one very special weekend for the rest of my life.

By Wednesday, Sadie was back in the hospital and by Friday we knew the diagnosis, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a very rare and aggressive cancer which presented itself in her spinal fluid and brain - this was not a good thing and would take months to treat and a bone marrow transplant to have any hope of saving our baby.

We spent the next 6 weeks hovering over our baby and praying that she would survive.  Things quickly went from bad to worse, and on December 21, 2012, we lost our beautiful Sadie Caroline.  None of us could imagine that this could happen....even breathing was difficult as we had to say good-bye.

During this time our faith has been strong, and we know that Sadie is perfect again and playing with the other children up in heaven.  But here on earth, we are left with trying to cope with the loss.  After losing Sadie, I spent a lot of time on the internet looking around at various things to do with my business as I had just about decided to add a yarn shop in with my antique business.  In researching this, I happened upon a web site and .......there it was, something I could do in Sadie's memory that would hopefully help me to move forward in a positive way.

I have come to believe that when you have troubles, they become less of a burden if you focus outside of yourself, and focus on others.  Having been through this with Sadie, and experiencing all the outreach of our friends and family, it has made me more aware of the needs of others and the fact that EVERYONE is carrying some kind of troubles and burden with them.  If we give love and caring to others, it diminishes our own pain.

In keeping with the need to give to others, I have initiated a group which will be knitting and crocheting chemo hats for babies, children and adults who are undergoing treatment for cancer.  Our little Sadie loved to wear hats that her Great Grandmother knitted for her, so it was fitting that this be my new purpose in life.

I found out about the Crochet for Cancer charity which was started by a daughter and her Mother when she was undergoing cancer treatment as a way to give and pass the time during chemo treatments.  Their web site is www.crochetforcancer.com and has resources for those wishing to make hats for this purpose.  There are several chapters around the USA and Canada, and I decided to form a chapter here in Kentucky called the Sadie Sunshine Chapter in memory of our sweet Sadie and her always sunshine smile.  Details can be found on our facebook page www.facebook.com/sadiesunshinechapter  .

I do believe that this has made me new again, although my heart is broken and I have dings, cracks, and chips that weren't there before, like a well used antique, I still have a lot to offer and with a little sprucing up and repairs and a lot of love, I can have a new, useful life.  Although I would have much preferred to be able to be Sadie's Mammaw and love and nurture her all my life, and I won't ever be the same and I may not be used for the same purpose, but I can still be useful and even perhaps in a new way.

The old saying that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, has a real meaning for me now.  My purpose is to reach out to others, listen, learn, care, give, hug, pray, encourage and do whatever I can to make others more able to cope with their problems.  I still have problems, but my focus will remain outward.  Won't you join me and start thinking about people around you and their needs and wants and dreams and problems, and help me to spread some Sadie sunshine and see what we can do to make this world a better, more caring place in which to live.