As God Intended

"Give Your Facebook Page A New Facelift"

2012-01-23T06:14:00.001-05:00

Featured in the song “Let’s Go” with fellow Christian group, Group 1 Crew, Toby Mac delivers this line. I’ve pondered this line off and on ever since I first heard it last year.

I recently read an article in which people were asked to air their pet peeves about things their “friends” do on Facebook. Some of them made you shake your head, but some of them were so minor it made me wonder. How can people really be that critical of their so-called-Facebook-Friends?

The truth is- Humans need to share, to be acknowledged by fellow humans. That’s just how God designed us. And the sad truth of that is there are a lot of people out there who feel neglected and lonely, even if they do know God personally.

Facebook was designed to be a social network, where people can easily come together and share their lives with each other. Then why is it that one person would show disdain if another shares mundane details in their lives, boring and seemingly pointless pictures, posts from a game they enjoy but the other did not? We cannot all be movie stars on a daily basis! Do people really believe it would be nothing but one Grand Adventure after another, and therefore that’s all that is appropriate for gracing your Timeline? Well, if so, then I guess I’ll have to delete my account. I’m just a plain old, BORING stay-at-home mom. No red carpet trips in the foreseeable future for this FB user…(although I can confess to having gone to high school with a TV star, and having sat next to her in band class!)

God gave us two commands that we sometimes find hard to carry out- "Love others as yourself" and to show His Love to others through our daily actions.

Guess how that ties in? That's right, tolerance towards the "pet peeves" of Facebook. Just because Facebook is a virtual reality doesn't mean it should be treated any differently than your daily "real life." I am certainly not going to "de-friend" my husband (who incidentally HATES everything about Facebook) because he goes on for 20 minutes at a time about little details of his day at work. But it only takes one click to toss a Facebook connection because you felt they had too much drama in their online life. I know of a friend who spends a great majority of her status updates complaining about how things are with her young children. One shared friend confessed she had de-friended her because they couldn’t take the negativity. If I took all her statements at face value, I would probably feel the same. I struggle with similar feelings of frustration and lack of fulfillment, and it can drag me back down to have to share in that…until I see her private comments on a messaging board off Facebook that reveal she’s seeing her doctor for Post Partum Depression.

I think of how many people, myself included, turn to social networking like Facebook, as a means to connect with others. And it squeezes my heart to think of all the people who would turn their backs on someone simply reaching out for a little love, oftentimes simply because it’s a little messy, inconvenient or boring to be involved in their lives. Why is it more difficult to simply ignore the annoying, and pray for them instead?

Today’s grace was simple- God has given us a greater ability to reach out and touch the lives of people who really need to see his love than ever before. We need to start by using it in simple ways- like giving our Facebook page a new facelift, and our usage of it a renewed application of love.

*I realize this may be a sore point for some, just realize this is meant in a generalized view. It certainly won't encompass all the problems I've seen which can include tough subjects like attacks from others because of your faith, or privacy concerns due to the nature of sharing guidelines within Facbook's framework.

*I should in all sense of fairness post that I 'stole' the "amazing" picture I used today from Facebook. I don't know the original source other than one of my friends posted it to her photos.*

Quick note to announce...

2012-01-22T22:13:00.001-05:00

...the giveaway winner of the Chevron Head Band-it pattern from ToastyCrow!

Thanks to those of you who participated! I appreciate it. Jenny's pattern looks great when it's all done.

Wanna see mine???

Ok, enough teasing. I used Random.org to pull my winner from the 8 entries and it was:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2012-01-23 03:01:21 UTC

SO- #4 was Andrea. I'll be emailing you the pattern tonight. Enjoy! :)

Pattern Giveaway- Featuring Toasty Crow!

2012-01-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

I love giveaways- don't you?

My friend, Jenny, runs the fun shop, ToastyCrow. She's just re-opened after her much needed Christmas break and has added a great crochet pattern for sale. I was lucky enough to be chosen as a pattern tester before hand, and because I love this pattern, decided to give one away so someone else can enjoy it too!

The Chevron Headband-It will come with Adult and Child sizes, and can be made with up to 4 colors.

If you'd like to enter to win, it's pretty easy to do. All you need to do is leave your name and email address and you'll be entered! If you don't crochet, but know someone who can, feel free to enter them instead!
I'll be using random.org to choose my winner.

Deadline is 5pm EST, on Sunday, January 22nd. Good luck!

If you'd like to connect to her for updates on her shop, you can find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Jenster76 .

Hindsight is 20/20

2012-01-16T14:17:00.001-05:00

This Monday came on like a Sunday, mainly because I was down with a monster headache ALL day yesterday. So, I wasn't thinking about blogging this morning- until I saw Ruth post on Facebook about it. Ooops- I'm a little behind today!

A friend from church left a simple comment on my status update today that got me to thinking about a major incident in my past. Which brought the old adage "Hindsight is 20/20" to mind. That's when I realized what I was going to post about today- grace can be found in learning from the past.

It reminds me that when we look back at past incidents that have taken place in our lives, we can either grow or not from each potential lesson that God gives us. And not only at the time it occurs. When we look back after the fact, we can see each lesson in a different light, from a changed perspective, and still learn from what happened.

I had a very difficult time in my life- already Christian, barely 21. In the midst of the darkest part of it, I called out to God, and received no answer. So, I made the wrong decision, and caused myself and my family a lot of pain. It took me just over 10 years to realize what I needed to do to heal from that incident, and exactly what God was trying to show me.

Now, I can apply that lesson learned to so many areas of my life- how to help others deal with similar problems, to stop and pray but realize that God won't answer immediately all the time, to know that my feelings cannot be the barometer of the situation, to count the blessings I have everyday, but most of all to see that God is willing to forgive me for holding a grudge against him for even a decade. Because that is grace at its finest...that no matter how dumb to God's love we are at times, He's patiently loving and forgiving us all the while.

This post is part of Grace Laced Mondays.

January's Cause

2012-01-11T11:27:00.000-05:00

I recently decided I wanted to pick a charity or cause to highlight each month, and use some of my time and efforts for a good cause. I'm starting a little late, but I have a great cause in mind!

Back when I was pregnant with my daughter in 2007, I joined an online messaging board of other moms who were also due in February 2008. That's how I met Rachael, who is the indirect inspiration behind this month's choice. Like me, Rachael runs a shop on Etsy called The Doo Dad Emporium. When I decided I wanted to highlight Autism for this month's cause/charity, I sent Rachael and email to ask her to pass on some info about her life, the journey with Daniel's diagnosis, and why she got into crafting.

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Tell me a little about his Diagnosis.

Daniel has been informally diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. I say "informally" because no one wants to give an "official" diagnosis- the neurologist puts it on the school district, and the school district puts up a massive fight. The only thing we know without a doubt is that he is on the Autism Spectrum. The school district (who should be offering him early intervention testing and services) has fought us every step of the way. When they finally agreed to allow us an independent evaluation at the district's expense, they started fighting about the amount they'd pay for it, which literally makes it impossible. Luckily, he's a super-smart little guy (albeit with some gnarly behavior issues) and he receives weekly visits from an Occupation Therapist in our home for FREE through the California-Hawaii Elks Major Project. That has been a great help, and we are finally seeing some improvements with him.

What's a day in your life like?

My life is daily chaos. Every little thing is a struggle. From sun-up to sundown, from meals, to dressing, to interactions with other family members. I cannot leave the house without chaos, a fight, him screaming, crying, and having meltdowns. Simple things that the average person takes for granted are nightmares for our family: a family dinner at a restaurant, going out to a movie, an amusement park, a library, the grocery store, etc. All elicit images of horror in our minds. We know that our child WILL (without a doubt) cause a ruckus in these public venues. He WILL (without a doubt) have a meltdown over the color of his dinner, or the lights in the store, or the tag in his shirt, or the sound only he can hear with his bionic ears, or the temperature, or his socks (you get the idea). We are all-too familiar with the stares from strangers, the snide comments and "helpful advice" from family- things like "that child needs a spanking!" as if we can beat the Autism out of him. Our family has abandoned this child, as if he is a leper. They attribute his behavior to "bad parenting." Our older children miss out on our attention, and their own achievements often take a back burner to the current freak-out. We've missed choir performances, outings, sporting events, etc because we cannot take Daniel, and no one is willing to babysit him. We do not take vacations anymore, and only have "date night" once or twice a year (which has been cut short each time because of problems at home with Daniel). Just to give you an example-- I have had to stop typing this no less than THIRTY TIMES (NOT an exaggeration!) to stop fights, meltdowns, etc.

It's an unrealistically difficult life. But I do it because God gave this child to me for a reason, and I know that I must do the best job I can with him, for one day, I will have to answer to Him. What will I say when he asks me how I raised this little miracle of His?

All the bad things aside, I cannot imagine my life without this very unique little boy. He is playful, charming, articulate, loving, and kind (sometimes, lol). When you get to know him, you see a little being inside that has the potential for greatness. His mind is amazing. He never stops moving, but neither does his brain. He can memorize an entire movie, countless songs, etc. He knows shapes that I didn't learn til high school (just the other day, he was cutting paper with his OT and shouted "Look! A parallelogram! Oh! Now it's a Trapezoid!" lol).

What made you get into crafting?

I've been crafting since I was a teenager. I've always had a fascination with creating things and have tried many different art forms. Three years of Ceramics in High School, and another year in college-- I was hooked. I'd love to be able to do more with that particular medium. In fact, I recently started teaching myself different methods with the polymer clay. Aside from Ceramics, I've taught myself every other "art" that I've been interested in: paper crafting, scrapbooking, jewelry making, quilting, and most recently: loom knitting. Each craft I've learned has been for the sheer enjoyment of it. Only recently have I ventured into crafting for money. It will never make me rich, but it allows me to continue my hobby and helps keep my sanity.

When did you decide to open your shop and what's your aim for it?

I've toyed with the idea of opening an online shop for about a year now. It mainly came from the compliments and such that I received from friends and family when they saw my crafts. Until this point, any item I made was either for my personal use, or (more often than not) to give as gifts. When people online saw these silly hats I was loom knitting, they went nuts for them. Suddenly, everyone wanted one. I couldn't make them fast enough. That was the final catalyst that pushed me to try out etsy. My goal with the shop is to provide myself a creative outlet-- to de-stress if you will, while at the same time contributing to the household income a bit.

I was always a working woman- working long hours in EMS. But ever since Daniel came along, I've been stuck in the house 24/7/365. I had to quit school and give up the idea of working outside the home for any time in the foreseeable future. It has been stressful, to say the least. Not only on our finances ($24,000 in student loans with no degree to show for it), but on my psyche as well. I NEED to do this. Being a stay-at-home-mom is hard, but its insanely hard with an Autistic child. If I don't give my mind a break from it, I will go bonkers. And, since my husband travels a lot for work, I rarely even get a moment to myself. Daniel is up early, never naps, and goes to bed late.

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Rachael makes her home in Southern California, where there is an organization called TACA (Talk About Curing Autism now). I'll be donating 10% of sales from my shop in the month of January to them in honor of Daniel!

I was proud to be one of the first customers in her new Etsy store, when I picked up this Autism awareness keychain. :)

Home Renovations- Episode 1

2012-01-10T16:38:00.001-05:00

I've had several requests from friends and family for an update on how the renovations are going. I don't have a lot of time to talk about it in detail, so I figured pictures would do a much better job of it!

After finding out we had fleas in the carpet, which happened to cover about 80% of the house, we tore out the stuff upstairs and are down to subfloor in the living room and 3 upstairs bedrooms. We recently purchased hardwood flooring for those rooms and will start installing it in a couple of weeks.

The house has been extremely disorganized lately, mostly because we decided to paint the wee beastie's room first, and so we had to move most of the stuff out, and move her into the guest bedroom (which is really small).

I kind of snapped one day because I couldn't handle it anymore (if you didn't see my previous post- it goes into my obsession with my things to do list and how I can't handle disorganization). I finally determined I would get in under control. I started in the Living Room (shown to the left) mostly because her bed was in there, standing up on its side and blocking the rest of the carpet that needed tearing out. I should've known better because I pulled something in my back and paid for it for two days, but it's clean now!

(Well, it was before she pulled the puzzles out again.)

Since the previous tenants were some not-so-careful renters, we will have to do some work on the trim and baseboards...and fix the entire structure of the doorway, and maybe even get new hinges on most of the bedrooms. Don't ask.

Her room got completely stripped in order to paint so we could do it right. Mike Holmes would be proud.

We put the first coat on and it looks great, it just needs one more to cover the weird peach color on the walls. After which, we will be adding some vinyl wall decals to make a garden theme. It's going to be really cute.

And while I'm thinking about it, I don't care how "Low VOC, Low Odor" Olympic Premium bills itself, their ONE paint certainly can't fit that bill. Not only does it stink, but it certainly didn't save us from a second coat. Thanks boys, we're going with Valspar Ultra Premium next time.

The best part was this moment....I'm so glad I caught it.

Our bedroom is worse than a red-headed stepchild (no offense if you are one). We neglect that thing like crazy. But, we decided on the paint color, so I just need to get in there and clean and prep the walls.
Just (please!) ignore the fact that bins are our side tables, and our bed has no frame.

Yes, we are painting the walls brown. Hubs likes dark colors only, so I agreed if he would let me accent the room in white to break up the cave dweller feel he's going for. We'll be adding some crown molding around the ceiling and I'm planning on building a wall hanging jewelry organization system that will probably use some of the leftover trimwork that's getting torn out due to rough-housing by the formers.

We have a tiled counter top in the kitchen...

And I've discovered matching the paint to this thing sucks.

We tried to go with green but I'm thinking we don't like any of these shades. So, we may try grey next.

The first one is the wall next to the sliding glass doors to the deck.

The second one is the other wall with direct light, the floating wall in the Kitchen.

The third wall is the wall that gets no direct sunlight, so you can see why the paint is an issue. The colors change depending on time of day.

We aren't doing much downstairs right now because we want the upstairs taken care of first.

I am trying a paint sample in the craft room and downstairs bathroom. A bright sunny yellow that should make me happy! These pictures show the bathroom.

Now, here's the family room. I'm pondering painting the top half emerald green and covering the bottom half in beadboard.

What do you think?

(THE END)

Birds and the Things to Do list

2012-01-09T06:21:00.009-05:00

Today is the first Monday of Gracelaced Mondays. She recently invited her friends and anyone else interested in blogging to join her on Mondays in blogging about finding grace in your daily lives. Not only will it help us keep the eyes of our hearts open to God's work in our lives but it will keep us accountable to our blogs while meeting up with others and getting the opportunity to be encouraged and edified by their postings.

Shortly before I headed to bed last night, I found myself wondering just what I'd write about today. I thought I'd write about Matthew 25, and the Parable of the Talents. So, I grabbed hubby's NIV Study Bible and sat down to read through the passage for ideas.

But it wasn't striking a chord with me, so I prayed, "Ok, God. How do I NEED to find grace in MY life?" He didn't hesitate to answer.

It's in the passage about the birds.

I smiled, because I recently bought the earrings in the picture from a local Etsy seller, TeaandLaundry, because those birds reminded me of the same passage. Apparently, I had already realized I needed this passage to stay close to my heart.

Matthew 6:25-34 is a passage highlighting words from Jesus in which he explains to us how God wishes us to treat worrying. He tells us not to give it the importance we do. He provides the illustration that if God can provide for the birds, who cannot "store up in barns," how much more will he provide the things we need in our lives because we are so meaningful to Him? Best of all, he gently reminds us that worrying cannot "add even an hour" to our lives (and modern science tells us that worrying will probably steal more than a few hours from it!)

Since moving into this house we are attempting to make into our first home, I find myself a slave to my Things to Do list. I'm slightly obsessed with my Things to Do list, and lately it's been a source of serious frustration and feelings of personal failure. When God pointed this passage out last night, I knew this is what he was prodding me on. It's easy for me to allow this to cloud my priorities and judgement, and as a stay at home mom, it robs my daughter of precious time that should be spent with her. It leads me to ignore my husband in some of the few hours he is home during the week.

Grace in this moment wasn't easy, but it was wonderful. I know worry is an area of weakness in my faith, and it was so good to be reminded that God forgives me when I fall, but that His grace is the strength I need to continue on in faith. It is that grace that keeps the moment from being a failure, and makes it a moment of learning and growth. Instead of feeling guilty for ignoring my daughter and shoving her aside so I can achieve one more line on The List, and being ashamed because I didn't put my husband and daughter first, I can remember to pray for God to remind me how important they are, and how un-important that List is and do what's right next time.

Freshening Up the Home (and the family)

2012-01-06T21:02:00.000-05:00

I've been drawn to the passage of Proverbs 31:10-31 over the past year, because I've been feeling guilty that I haven't been putting any effort into trying to grow and strive to being a more godly wife and mother. Since she, like Ruth, is one of the best models written of in detail in the Bible, I repeatedly read it over and consider all I have to do to get even a little close to what she represents.

The point that sticks out the most to me personally is how well she appears to run her household and also ensure her family's happiness and contentment in doing so. I'm a big fan of organization, and I'm always striving to find new ways to make our stuff live in our home without looking like an immense amount of clutter. Lately though, it seems as if it's crossed that line and just become objects to find a place for.

And I feel like a failure of a mom and wife because it's out of control and I let it get that way. The cleaning is not being done, the common tasks are behind and the renovations are creeping along at like a 10% pace...and I can't seem to find the energy or motivation to attend to all of it, or any of it.

Until today. I recalled the words to my husband last night that involved me saying I couldn't understand how we had so much living space and not enough room for it (our home is 2000 sq ft!) and he basically said he wanted to get rid of stuff again. I realized he was right. It isn't making us happy, so what's the point of having it?

I finally have the motivation I was looking for to get on the way to starting to live the life of a Proverbs 31 woman, and I made the prioritization of starting to organize and de-clutter, beginning to pare down our possessions as Jesus calls us to do in multiple places inside the New Testament. It's a small step, but the journey to becoming a better, more godly woman is a long one, and it's full of small steps.

Making the home easier to live in is a great place to start!

Statement of Faith

2012-01-05T02:23:00.001-05:00

As I'm in the middle of trying to decide just how I want to decorate my new craft room, I decided to make a couple of prints that contained some of my favorite Bible Verses. I think they turned out pretty good and once they are printed off and framed will make great accents to the walls.

This a great reminder that Jesus called us to LIVE out our new found faith in our daily lives.

I'm not the least bit stingy so if you like this and want a copy, give me your email, and I can forward you a copy in jpeg format. I might even make this in other colors, so if you have some suggestions, feel free to let me know by leaving me a comment.

Thanks!

Abundantly blessed

2012-01-02T18:39:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it is already January, much less the year 2012! Time sure does fly when you're busy and not paying attention.

When the First rolled around, I found myself thinking about all the things that I had to be thankful for. I know, wrong holiday. But when most people are trying to settle on a resolution they may or may not be able to stick to, I knew that God had been SO good to us, and wanted to make sure I didn't forget it.

Hubby and I took turns talking about those things to be thankful about and some of the other important things that happened to us. Some brought sadness, like the death of multiple family members and divorces, some discussed weathering stressful situations like wondering if my husband would keep his contracted job (he did) and whether it would involve a painful pay cut (it did, but not too bad). But many more were good moments, like knowing he stayed employed, and even better- we were able to buy our first home despite his pay being cut.

It was a great reminder that God never promises us that we will have a good life, a blessed life full of beautiful things, or even an easy life, when we accept him into our hearts. He only promises us what we NEED, and what he deems is best for us.

I don't make resolutions any longer because most of the time, I'm much too lazy to keep them. Or, as I've discovered from past failures, I just don't desire them enough to make them stick. But, I have a slight change of plans for that now. With my reflections of the past year, I decided to take this passage below to heart and do something about it. God gives us talents to use for Him. He also blesses us with much more than we deserve in order to see how we'll use it as stewards for Him.

I think it's about time I lived it out, rather than just "preached" it.

Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)

¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰ And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(Above passage courtesy of BibleGateway )

All In Fun!

2011-12-31T09:34:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered a really funny website full of photos featuring Ryan Gosling, and they sport slogans catering to the "handmade" crowd that tends to sell on Etsy. Since I am one of that particular community, I found myself laughing until I cried. In fact, a few of my Etsy friends and I have started pinning craft humor ever since finding THIS.

I decided to make a couple of humorous ones just because.
Because I'm a huge fan of the BBC mini-series North & South, and Richard Armitage is one of my favorite actors, I had to put this one up. (It won't make sense if you haven't seen the movie.)

Then there's my own effort to the Ryan Gosling Handmade movement...

Hope you enjoyed it!

Renovations under way!

2011-12-11T22:45:00.002-05:00

If you have stopped by the blog any time in the last year, then you'll notice some changes.
I deleted a whole lot of completely pointless posts, and kept only my two free patterns.
I decided a few days ago that I either needed to drop the blog altogether, or I needed it to have some kind of point that would enrich the lives of others. Too much stuff out in cyberspace these days is a waste of time, or just plain isn't the kind of stuff we should be looking at.
So, I decided to take a stab at the enriching thing.

I still haven't decided exactly what topics will be covered because I have a wide variety of interests, but it will always be clean.
If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to let me know. You can reach me at: asgodintended@gmail.com.

Thanks, and hope to see you continue to hang around!

Pattern- Reusable Laced Coffee Sleeve

2010-03-21T15:49:00.010-04:00

Reusable Laced Coffee Sleeve

Items needed:

1 skein of worsted weight, natural fiber yarn (cotton or wool would be ideal)

5.0 mm crochet hook

Ribbon or a crochet chain for lacing

Chain 28.

Row 1- Single Crochet (SC) in second chain from hook, and in each stitch to end. Turn.

Row 2 and 3- Chain three, then Double Crochet (DC) from second stitch to end. Turn.

Row 4- Chain one, then SC in each stitch including the first one, to all but last stitch. In last stitch, half double crochet (HDC) once.

Rows 5 and 6- Chain 3, then DC in second stitch and each stitch to end, turn.

Row 7- Repeat Row 4.

Rows 8, 9, 10- repeat DC rows.

Finishing- For a simpler look, you can leave the finishing off, and simply weave a length of ribbon, or a chained crochet strip, alternating through the DC rows, like a shoelace.
For a more feminine detail: chain four, skip a stitch and slip stitch through the next stitch. For example, in the first stitch, you would chain four, skip the second stitch, and slip stitch in the third stitch. Repeat this all the way around the sleeve, then fasten off and weave in ends.

Optional Crochet lacing- make a foundation chain of 105-110 stitches. Fasten off and weave in ends. Weave up through sides of sleeve starting at the bottom of the sleeve and tie a bow at the top.

This pattern and it's images are posted here for PERSONAL use only. Please do not sell anything you've made using this pattern. You can copy/reprint or link, but please make sure that you list this site and my name as the designer. Copyright Noelle Nastari 2010.

Feel free to email me any comments, corrections or suggestions at asgodintended@gmail.com. Thanks!

My first pattern!

2010-01-30T20:09:00.012-05:00

*Edit as of 11/12/2010: The hook size was previously posted as 6.5mm. It should read 5.5mm. Please forgive the typo!*

I had bought a really neat reusable felted coffee sleeve from my friend Sarah's Etsy shop. But it seems I have misplaced it...

So, I just made my own and here it is!

Tensy Coffee Sleeve

Items needed:

I ball Lily Sugar N’Cream Cotton yarn

Size 5.5mm crochet hook

*I did not gauge this, but see “Tip” at bottom of pattern.*

1. Chain 25, slip stitch together through the first stitch. Be careful not to twist the loop when bringing it together.

2. Chain one, then sc in each stitch around. Slip stitch together in the chain one.

3. Chain one, then *sc in next 10 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch, repeat * to end. Slip stitch together through chain one.

4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 two more times. You should have 6 rows total.

5. Repeat step 2 six times. You should have 12 rows now.

6. Finish the sleeve by slip stitching all the way around the top edge, to keep the edge from rolling outward.

Tip: This is made using a 100% cotton yarn, so there will be some shrinkage if you dry it after washing. I saved a cup from my local Starbucks, washed it out, and used it to test each line of my crochet as I made it. Once I start washing it, I will keep the cup to re-stretch the sleeve once it’s done drying. Also, since cotton has some “give” in it, I recommend pulling your stitches tight as you work, so that the end project doesn’t come out too loose.

Feel free to email me at asgodintended@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, or (hopefully not!) corrections I need to make. This was my first written pattern attempt, so hopefully it’s easy enough to follow and execute as intended. Thanks!

Noelle