Potatoes to lace 

-Knots in history-

                Bridget leaned forward and carefully studied the tiny stitches. She ran her finger along the thread of tiny knots she had just crochet. Finally she shook her head with a disappointed sigh. “Must be perfect.” She mumbled under her breath and began to pull the stitches out again. She dropped her crochet hook into her lap and tucked a red curl behind her ear.

                She looked up suddenly at the sound of her mother’s quick footsteps as she walked the pathway to the house. Bridget straightened up and looked to the door from her place beside the fireplace.

                “Bridget!” Her mother called. Her thick Irish accent mingled with anger and annoyance. Bridget turned and tucked the crochet lace she had been working on into her sewing basket just as the door opened and her mother stepped inside. The handkerchief on her red hair was near falling off and her skirt was a mess of dust and wrinkles. “I know, I know Mother.” Bridget said, still tucking the lace away carefully, her eyes showing  evidence of the annoyance she felt at being interrupted from her crocheting.

                “Oh Bridget.” Her mother breathed exhausted, wiping her hand across her forehead. “You know we need your help. Your sixteen now and I still hav’ to remind you to get your chores done before you sew.” Bridget let out a sigh. “I’m not sewing, I’m crocheting.” She replied, her accent an exact echo of her mother’s.

                Her mother waved her off. “Darling, we must work. Harder than we ever have. The famine is so bad, your father and I’ve got  nowhere else to turn. Our whole year’s wages were staked on that potato crop and now… God help us.” She turned to the kitchen. She closed her tired eyes for a moment and said a silent but desperate prayer.

Bridget stood and gathered up her sewing basket. Her whole heart ached for her poor mother. Her face colored with shame that she had disobeyed.  The famine had taken everything short of their very faith and love. And even that had been tested. For families all across the country. This was all they had left.

                Bridget stiffened her shoulders. Determined to be strong for her mother, she walked to the kitchen and stood in the doorway. “Mother….I’m sorry.” She spoke softly. Her mother stood at the kitchen sink, her head bowed. As Bridget stepped closer she noticed the sound of her mother’s soft crying. Her own tears threatening to escape, she sat the basket down and gently lifted a white lace shawl she had made. She unfolded it and placed it around her mother’s shoulders. 

                “Mother, I know I should be helpin’ you and father. I know that. But I only take up my thread and my crochet hook to stitch a minute or so. Only hours later do I realize how long it’s been.”  Her eyes lit with an idea. “Why don’t you try it mother? I’ve learned how to crochet this lace only recently. I’ve even come up with this flower pattern myself! Oh Mother it will surly take your mind off things.”

                Her mother looked down at the meticulously laced shawl around her shoulders. “Flowers.” she smiled. “They are beautiful.” Her eyes seemed dreamy as she studied the lace.  Shaking her head she straightened up and wiped her eyes. “No, there is not much time to sit around here, let alone crochet.” She turned and lifted the shawl. “No mother. You keep it. I was going to give it to you anyways.” Bridget offered a smile.

                Her mother nodded and walked towards the door. She lifted a basket and reached for the door. “You be sure the children get to their chores just as soon as they get home while I bring some supper to your father.” And with that she was off.

                Bridget watched her pat her handkerchief on her hair down as she walked down the pathway, then she lifted her sewing basket and carried it to her room. She shoved it under her bed and determined never to so much as look at it till this famine was over and her family’s money troubles were behind them. She said a quick prayer before getting to work on her chores.

                Later that afternoon, Bridget watched the sun set as she washed the dishes. “William, mind your little sisters!” She was calling as the front door burst open and her mother and father came inside. Her mother practically tripped over her long brown skirt as he rushed into the kitchen. “Oh Bridget! Praise the Lord!” she cried, taking Bridget into a hug.

                “Mother?”  Bridget found herself catching her mother’s contagious smile. “What is it Mother?” she asked, drying her hands quickly on her skirt.

                “How much more lace do you hav’ finished?” her mother asked quickly, her eyes lit with excitement.  “I…I…What? My lace?” Bridget stammered in surprise. Her mother placed her hands on Bridget’s shoulders. “As I passed through town, a woman asked about my lace shawl…” Bridget looked down, noticing her mother’s shawl was missing. Her mother continued to smile joyfully, “She bought it! And she wants more! She’s never seen such flowers! Three others asked about it too! Oh Bridget! The Lord has blessed! The Lord has blessed!”

                Bridget laughed though tears as she pulled her mother into a hug, her family gathered round. “The Lord has blessed!”

               

While Bridget and her family are fictional characters, the events couldn’t be more real. The potato famine in Ireland in the mid 18^th century was far spread. It is a fact that many girls sold their crochet work to supply an income for their families. Irish crochet lace gained in popularity, though it was meticulous and takes more time than ordinary crocheting. It was common for people to come up with their own new pattern such as a leaf or a flower or type of fruit. It even became a common practice to hide all traces of your crochet work when someone came to visit to be sure your new pattern was kept secret within the family! Today handmade Irish crochet from the time of the great famine is both valuable and rare. And there are even some pieces on exhibit in museums!

                As we learn from Bridget, and many other families of the time of the famine, God provides a way. Always.  When the potato crop failed and all hope seemed lost. Many, many poor and middle class families were saved from starvation. If fact, some could say that the people were saved by their ability to crochet lace. But ultimately it is God who saved the people. When we see no way out and we’re caught between a rock and a hard place, God will always come through. And He can use whatever He chooses to rescue us. There are a number of cases of this very thing in the Bible, and thought out  all history. The best part is, He’s still stepping  in and making a way for  our lives today! Perhaps the blessing you’ve been praying for is right under your nose right now!

Winter in Heaven

        

                Ahhhhhh, the season of cold, snow, and a hot coffee when you’ve had enough of both. In some places in the country, winter means snow to shovel, while in other parts of the county, kids may be rushing to their windows each morning hoping it finally snowed last night like the weatherman said it would.
                Snow or no snow, winter is so much more. There are those who enjoy the cozy spot by the fireplace, (with their craft projects of course.) Give them a cup of coffee or hot coco and a nice warm blanket and they are perfectly content to watch the snow fall outside their windows.  There are those who will still jump up and rush for their jackets and mittens when they see the snow outside- even if it’s the twenty-fifth snow of the season!  And then there are those who will shrug off the cold cloudy days with a,“If it were hot you’d be complaining too!”
                Then there are some who absolutely cannot stand it if that weatherman says one more time,  “There’s a good chance of a few more inches of overnight snow in our area!” Yes, you know who you are. Those of you whose only warmth in this cold season, is your thoughts of hot summer days in the sun. Those people who long and yearn for the frosty days to just melt away, and pray God spring comes soon. Those who can’t wait to leave behind the thoughts of catching colds, and snow delays, and can’t wait till the trees in the park have leaves again! Especially near mid-winter, it’s like a tug of war between those who are pulling us out into the cold calling “Let’s go play in the snow!”, and those groaning, “I’m not joking this time. If the temperature dips one more time, I’m  going to go on a vacation in the tropics!”
                Yes we’ll all admit that winter is tough for some. Have you ever heard the saying that it may be winter in a person’s life? It may just be referring to that feeling of going through a time where life seems to have you frozen in a hard or difficult situation. It’s like you’re walking through a forest of bare trees, and your locked outside in the cold. Times when all you want is to move on to something new and leave all you’re dealing with behind you, and to rest from trudging through snowdrift after snowdrift of disappointment.
                There may be times like this in any person’s life. Christians may even go through times when they feel they have been put into a “winter” in their life.
                But there may be a deeper sense of the phrase “winter in my life.” Perhaps we can use this to describe the state of someone who has not come to the “Son” and found the joy of accepting Christ into their lives yet. It would seem to be a winter in the life of a person in that state. Someone whose winter is never ending. The  frostbite of sin has chilled them, while their being blown about by the winds of this world. They may have tried again and again to find warmth from so many places, which have only taken what warm coat they had. It’s like they’re wandering, wandering, searching, searching for something, for a light in the dark days, a hope beyond this cold barren time. An escape from the weight of guilt and shame hanging over them like a mountain avalanche, treating to cover them at any moment.
                Perhaps you’ve experienced  such a winter. Had it been spring, or summer, perhaps you could have fared just fine on your own. But not now  that winter has come. Not when you were locked out in the cold. Not when all you wanted to do was crawl under the covers and wait for spring.
                It’s a good thing winter does not last forever. Even Antarctica sees spring sometimes!  And it’s even better for those souls who are experiencing a spiritual winter in their lives. For those of us who have come out of that winter, into the sun and warmth of God’s grace and forgiveness, we know that there is certain hope for those that still are trudging through winter's dark nights.  We know from experience that sometimes the heart can grow colder than even the weather outside. But we have hope. We live in a spiritual “summer” where the  “Son” is always there to give us light, hope, and comfort. The cold blizzard winds don’t frighten us anymore!
                What’s better, we have what we need to rescue those around us from their “winters of the heart.”  God has placed us in places where we can come alongside those struggling through the drifts, and offer them the hope of an eternal life. We have the opportunity to share the warming cup of God's truth to these wintered souls. We can wrap them around with the toasty blanket of God’s gospel of love. And to share with them the secret to the way out of their winter.
                When we find ourselves in situations like these, we have only to point the way and say,  “Look to the cross! Look to the Son upon the cross! See the sunshine of hope and grace! Now run to the place where the flowers grow on Calvary's hill, and where  the “Son” not only warms you, but walks with you! Leave this winter behind and come walk into the spring! Smell the fresh flowers of God’s mercy and bask your worn soul in His everlasting light!”
                We can rejoice in all God’s seasons. We can be just as happy in winter as in spring, summer, and fall! Those that enjoy winter, along with those that would rather it be over, can rejoice together that God has set this time to teach us. We can all take great delight in the fact that God has created a place in our hearts were we can escape the cold winters of our lives, and join Him in the glorious springtime!  So the next time you find yourself being dragged outside to make a snow angel, or have to listen to the complaints of  someone whose got the wintertime "blues", or even find yourself praying God would use you to help and pull someone from their “winter in their soul”,  just take a moment and remember, no matter who you are, the weather is always just right in heaven!
                                                                       
   - The sisters behind Heaven’s Design Yarnworks.

Welcome to the Heaven's Design Yarnworks Blog!

Hello and greetings from the both of us! We're so glad you found us! We are two sisters who love everything Yarn. What can you do with a ball of yarn you say? Well, while most people immediately think. "Leave it to Grandma",  in our eyes, that simple ball of yarn can become anything!!! We've been knitting and crocheting since as long as we can remember. In our sight, a ball of yarn is just the beginning of a great project. (In other words, it won't be just a ball of yarn for long.) You knitters and crocheters out there know what we're talking about! 
Besides, our lives start out simple enough. Okay, maybe not exactly as a ball of spun wool or cotton, but hey, we can all admit that sometimes life seems to be moving along "stitch by stitch", if you know what we mean. That's the real reason we just started Heaven's Design Yarnworks. To share with you a simple, but powerful truth we learned along the way. Not just to sell some of our unique one of a kind handmade knit and crochet products. (Alright, some is a bit of an understatement here.)  But to remind people that their lives are truly a great work of art in progress! That day by day as they journey through life, the ups the downs, that everything is coming together to form a true masterpiece! Sort of like a ball of yarn being knit into a gift, unique and special. And that's the truth!
 If you've ever watched an artist, a carpenter, a baker, (alright, alright, or your grandma at her sewing.) You probably witnessed raw materials being transformed. At the beginning it doesn't seem to be much. But when the last knots are tied, the last brush stroke made, that  last minuet in the oven, oh what a difference! (Maybe it wouldn't be a stretch here to add, as the wide eyed kid exclaims, "How did you do that!") 
 We, and many others who make handmade items  know that some things are a real process. Just like real life,  it takes time. There are times of excitement,  like picking cool color combinations and patterns, and yes there are times of sorting out the knots and such. Well, we hope to give you a new perspective on handmade items. Our hope is that the next time you look at a hand knit blanket, hat, sock, or anything, that it will remind you that you are still in the making! The greatest artist of them all is still hard at work in your life each and every moment of every day! He's making you into something unique, unmatched, and un-flawed! You are Heaven's Design!
We would like to invite you to step back for a moment, and just take a look at the "bigger picture". There is only one you! (Yep. promise:) Just as each handmade item is unique, You are unmatched and special. Your Maker knows exactly what He's doing, and take it from us, if you haven't already noticed, often the most beautiful things are often made by hand with love. Your life also is  full of color, texture, complexity's, and love. So let us remind you again, you are Heaven's best Design!
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts and feel free to comment! Blessings!

You can find out more about us and our products by following the links below:

Etsy:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HeavensDesign?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=heavens+design+yarnworks

Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/heavensdesign/

Twitter:
 https://twitter.com/heavensdesign2

Google+:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/117556827732822509420/117556827732822509420/posts