Mists of Avalon Scarf

Mists of Avalon Scarf

Gauge: Not Important

Materials:
Size J Hook
1 skein Worsted Weight yarn, I used Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn

Stitches Used: ch, sc, dc, puff stitch

SPECIAL STITCH: PUFF STITCH:

Wrap the yarn over your hook. Insert the hook through the same stitch or space. Wrap the yarn over the hook and pull through. There will be 5 loops on the hook.

Chain 204.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd chain from hook and in each chain across. Ch 1, turn
Row 2: Sc in every stitch, ch 1, turn.
Row 3: Sc in every stitch, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), turn.
Rows 4 & 5: Dc in BACK LOOP ONLY of each sc in previous row, ch 2, turn.
Row 6: puff stitch, dc across.
Rows 7 & 8: Dc in BACK LOOP ONLY of each sc in previous row, ch 1

Repeat rows 1-8 for pattern repeat until run out of yarn.

Designed by Paulissa Kipp
Copyright 2009
A copy of the pattern may be printed for personal use; this pattern may not be distributed on any other websites without the express written permission of the designer. The pattern may be linked to. You may sell the items made from the pattern; you may not sell the pattern as your own.

Have A Little Faith In Me

I have been finding my will and dedication with my education tested lately, and have had to really step back and look at the big picture. I am having a great deal of trouble with a professor whose attitude is that "working people shouldn't be taking an online class" and has forgotten that the demographics of the college is 93% non-traditional students. I did remind her of that. She has made it clear that she intends to do nothing to help so I am elevating some issues to the dean because I believe them to be that serious.

The concept of faith entered into my mind, unbidden (or so it seemed, though I'm sure that is not a coincidence) and then I came across this:

All stories copyright 2009 Bob Perks
Today's message:

"What is Faith?"
By Bob Perks

Someone asked me the other day about my faith.
I rambled on for a moment and seemed to have
appeased their curiosity. Still, it made me
think about it more when I got home and this
is what I wish I had told them instead:

To see more than what is obvious.
To believe more than what is seen.
To trust when all is lost and darkness
fills your days.

To try again when failure is your partner
To give when nothing's left to give.
To stand when falling is expected.

To go on when odds are against you.
To plan when others think you foolish.
To smile when heart break dims your spirit.

To rise above the doubters and nay sayers.
To keep on when others fall behind.
To end each day in praise instead of sorrow.

That is faith.

"I believe in you!"
Bob

I encourage you to share my stories but
I do ask that you keep my name and contact
information with my work.

If you would like to receive Bob's Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com
and submit your email address.

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

"I Wish You enough!"
© 2001 Bob Perks

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."

Bob Perks, P.O. Box 1702, Shavertown, PA 18708-1702, USA

Thoughts on Change, Education and Life in General

Good morning friends,

Well, the inauguration is over and a new era in our country's history is beginning. As I was watching the first African-American president take the oath, I was so moved that tears began falling. Yes, I am a sap but I was thinking "If ever there was a doubt that in AMERICA a person can come from any background, race, religion, etc and become something great, there is the proof." How incredibly inspiring that is. Whether you voted for him or not, that is one thing you should take from it. I hope that this man does great things.

Well, midterms are over and I survived but not without several moments of "give me the icepick so I can drive it through my forehead" and "I don't care anymore. It is good enough." I don't know when I've been so frustrated with a class as I have been with this Word for the Law Office class. I prefer doing my algebra to the WORD class and that's saying alot.

I went thrift store shopping a couple of weeks ago and found the piece in the picture above. What beautiful work and it was in the Goodwill! I had to rescue it~~~I don't yet know how to do filet work but I so admire it. Isn't it a beautiful iris?

I'm working on a scarf right now of my own design and if I realllllyyyyy like the end result, I will post the pattern here. Keep looking for updates.

Well, I have to get moving. What will you do today that will bring you closer to God and give you peace?

Happy Inauguration Day

Good morning friends,

Well today is inauguration day. A time for hope, and yes, change, and most definitely a historic moment on so many different levels. Whether you voted for President Obama or not, you can be proud that in America, EVERYONE has the opportunity to become something great.

Well, midterms are over except for waiting for the grades. I did my best and that's what counts and I hope the grades reflect that. I'm ready for this quarter to be done.

I began my new job duties yesterday and so far, it is very interesting. It is pretty complex so I'm learning the process step by step so that I can move through on my own going forward.

I met with my mentor Friday who gave me a gift card for a congrats on your promotion/Christmas gift/thanks for being my friend gift. I was able to get the wonderful stuff above. I can't wait to work with the Lion Brand wool prints yarn. I think it is going to become a ruffled neck warmer for ME!!!!

Good Beginning to 2009

Good morning from the frozen Midwest!!!!

I haven't done an update here in a few days so here goes. It is -16 degrees outside and not fit for man or beast. I am sooooooo ready for spring!!! It appears that we're supposed to have a warm-up next week.

The picture above reflects where I would really rather be; by the ocean just relaxing and taking it all in. This quarter of school has been pretty trying and I'm finding myself barely treading water trying to keep up. From here on out or at least until the math classes are done (3 more quarters) I will only be taking my math class. I am too slow getting through it to try 2 classes. I get the right answer but takes me a while lol!!!

I began my serious weight loss effort on Christmas Day and have now lost 7 lbs through measuring my portions, watching calories (tracking in sparkpeople), aerobics and strength training. I can feel myself getting stronger and actually look forward to doing the workout first thing in the morning - who would have thunk it????

Tomorrow is David's lodge installation so we're having breakfast out. I think I may just opt for eggs and toast, but we'll see. At any rate, I will do a longer than usual video to burn more calories.

Next weekend is the Cathedral Floral Festival. St. Cecelia's church does a festival involving music - harp, vibraphone, etc, flowers and artist interpretations of the floral designs throughout. Very beautiful!!! In fact, the main photo on the blog is from the festival.

Still Alive and Kicking!!!!

Hi everyone,

I'm still alive and kicking!!! Sometimes just barely it seems.

We had a snowstorm yesterday afternoon about rush hour that made driving treacherous at best. Amazing how 2 inches of snow combined with lots of wind can create so many problems! It was near blizzard conditions. There was a 27 car pileup on the outskirts of town and it was very slow going on the interstate. Our usual half hour commute was closer to 1-1/2 hours. The rest of the week is just supposed to be cold but it doesn't look as though we will get hit with more snow until early next week.

Midterms are kicking my butt right now and are about 1/2 over; I now understand fully why college kids become lushes at times. I have gotten so frustrated with the assessment for the Word class that I poured a glass of wine (or two) and basically said, "You know what??? I don't care anymore. I have done it and redone four times now. I'm done." For all the fighting with it, I received 2-94 percents, a 96%, and a 100%.

I haven't had time to crochet in a little over a week and that is feeding into my disgusted mood as well.

It will all be OK; inhale deeply and exhale and when worst comes to worst, play "Wooly Bully" and dance like a crazy woman!

God's Calling, Will You Answer?

I often think that people and opportunities are presented at the right times in our lives to help us learn and I can think of many, many people who have crossed my path who have helped me to become who and what I am today. Lately I have felt a draw to sit and read the scriptures more and asked the pastor to suggest readings. He suggested I begin with Mark (you thought he'd say Genesis, didn't you? I did.)

So when God calls us, how will we answer??

All stories copyright 2008 Bob Perks
Today's message:

"Reverse 911"
by Bob Perks

I heard this term the other day while listening to
the news. They were talking about a wild fire
and the need to evacuate an entire community.

They used, "Reverse 911."

That means they called all the homes in that
particular area to warn them of impending danger.

Now, I've heard that term before, but never paid
much attention to it. In fact, I never really
understood what they meant.

But, like all things in life, "when the student
is ready, the teacher will appear."

It happens when you read a book and place it
on the shelf. Years later you are drawn to it,
read it again and suddenly you see things in it
you never saw before. It changes your life.

Why didn't it the first time?

You weren't ready.

So, it is with "reverse 911."

I have been going through some very difficult
times recently. Like most of you, finances,
health and work related stress has been piling
up on me.

Just this week I found out my new car has a major
oil leak and of course the warranty just ran out.

For the first time ever, my main computer crashed.

My repair man called me and said, I have good news
and bad news."

"Tell me the bad news," I said.

"Your computer is dead."

"what's the good news?" I asked.

"You can go shopping. I love to shop," he said.

I do, too when I have the money.

Major car repairs, a computer crash, increased health
concerns...I won't ask, "What else can happen?"
because now I am in the "Poor me!" mode.

You know what that means. If I get a hang nail,
if I stub my toe, if I spill my coffee, I will
see it all as "poor me."

Not any more. I see it as "reverse 911."

Instead of me crying to God "poor me! I need help!",

God has been contacting me telling me "You need help!

Impending danger!"

"911, this is God...get a plan...change your life...
be prepared...eat better, live better!"

Our prayers are often calls for help.

Reverse 911 is God telling me I need help.

Faith is knowing God will show me how to help myself.

"I believe in you!"
Bob

I encourage you to share my stories but
I do ask that you keep my name and contact
information with my work.

If you would like to receive Bob's Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com
and submit your email address.

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

"I Wish You enough!"
© 2001 Bob Perks

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."

Bob Perks, P.O. Box 1702, Shavertown, PA 18708-1702, USA

I Have Two New Jobs!!

The bench sits outside the Florence Mill and it is my understanding that the wording is American Sign Language for "Art."

At any rate, no lounging around on park benches any time soon for me.

I got my performance review today and I got a raise, a new title and ownership of an entire segment of our dept. As you know, I am currently a point of interest specialist which means that I research entertainment venues, attractions, shopping centers, retail, banks, etc for GPS and online search engines. Well, as of late I've been working on mass closings, which requires tons of research before I can say with certainty that a location is closed. It must meet several criteria - not in the database or the company's website, the phone # is disconnected, the record is in a file that is specifically for deleted records, etc. Well, because I have been so thorough with that project, I am now in charge of India Database Operations and Special Calling Projects! I get a nice office to boot. I'm so excited!!!! The other job is that I was called tonight by the church council president and told that I have been nominated for a seat on the endowment committee. The committee chooses our outreach programs, etc for the church. It would give me the opportunity to help guide the development of programs that serve the community we are located in. It is a three year commitment and I think I will gain a lot of valuable skills in the process.

New Year, New Challenges

Good morning,

It's been a few days since I've updated here so let's see: What have I been up to?

As you can see, I've been working on making scarves. I joined the 12 scarves of 2009 Challenge on Crochetville and hope that it will help me not have to to rush like a crazy woman to crochet gifts for Christmas 2009, birthdays, etc. Oh, and I'm learning to KNIT!!! Yep, I'm taking the plunge!!! I've started attending meetking of the NE Knit and Crochet Guild so I figure I have help close at hand if I get stuck and I've been wanting to try it. So I joined a knit along and the first project is a shawl. Wish me luck!!!

Work is going well and is keeping me busy!!!! I found out yesterday that I will be taking over a large project and I'm excited because it will give me ownership of a large part of what my group does. Next week we move to 4xs larger desks-yay!!!!! Then I can take my digital picture frame into work - I'll be loading it up this weekend.

Tomorrow I meet with an advisor to find out more information about whether taking mediation training would constitute a conflict of interest in the eyes of the Bar Association. Legal Assistants can't dispense legal advice (that whole practicing without a license thing comes into play) so I need to check on this. I also want to see what the new Bachelor's pre-law program entails.

I've been busy working on getting this weight off and since Christmas 2008, have lost 3.8 lbs! I'm pretty happy with that. My goal is to lose at least 5 lbs per month, which would put me at goal by Christmas 2009! We'll see!!

Slip Sliding Away

I think Zinger has the right idea - just chill out and enjoy being home!

I had a potluck today for the Secret Christian Friends group. Each person is paired with a prayer partner, so you pray for your partner daily, and send a card or small thing once a month and then in January we have a nice potluck and gift exchange.

Not much going on today though I do have to get motivated and DO MY HOMEWORK!!! I'm just not feeling like today but will get some done anyway!!! Then I'm going to sit down and work on an afghan I need to get finished and start a shawl.

I finished this scarf this morning. It was the gift for my Secret Christian Friend.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Good morning friends,

Happy New Year!!!!! We had a fairly quiet evening - we went to a Mexican restaurant with friends and then saw the movie "The Spirit" which ranks right up there as the stupidest movie I've ever seen. Certainly don't pay theatre prices for it and if you buy it, don't pay full discount bin prices either. It's a movie that tries to do too much - it tries cartooon, comic book and live action all in the same movie, the story doesn't flow and the dialogue is lame-o. But everyone is entitled to pick a dud. Nonetheless, we had a great time.

Today will be spent taking the tree down and putting stuff away, watching the Rose Bowl parade and getting my workout marching with the bands, doing homework, crocheting, and chilling out.

I will be making chili in the crockpot and perhaps a loaf of homemade bread in the breadmaker.

Since it is New Year's Day I leave you with these thoughts:

All stories copyright 2008 Bob Perks
Today's message:
"What will you take?"
By Bob Perks

"Time, faith and the love of my family and friends," he said.
How wonderful. Somehow, from the moment we met, I knew
we would connect.

His response was perfect. His answer was mine.

It is that time of year when we reflect back on
accomplishments and failures. It is a wrapping up and
an unfolding all in one.

The sentimental fool that I am keeps me deep in thought
filling my days with mood swings easily compared to
riding a roller coaster.

Oddly, I love those ups and yes, even the downs. The happy
thoughts remind me that life is good. The sad thoughts
remind me that life is fragile.

In the end I hope for more happy than sad, but still
come out on top when the ball officially drops on
New Years Eve, if I can at least find balance.

You may think this strange, too, when I say some of my
best years turned out to be the years when I struggled,
lost, failed and retreated into the darkness of that
final night of the old year.

Job loss, car repossession, debt, divorce, a failed business,
cancer in my family, death of loved ones, depression, all
made life nearly unbearable.

Still, the light of the new day, the new year, always seemed
to be brighter than any other.

It was in falling down that I learned how to climb.
It was in losing that I learned how to win.
It was in struggling that I found strength.
It was in darkness that I learned to see again.

So, why was this man's response to me so perfect?

This man had just lost his business. This man was
struggling with finances, self image, and hope.

He was standing on the edge of a dismal past and
desperately trying to see the possibilities in his
future.

Instead of dismissing everything as failure he
chose to acknowledge the most important parts.

I asked him, "If you could take something with you
into the new year, what would it be?"

"Time, faith, the love of my family and friends," he said.
"If I have time I can begin again. I can build again. I
can start over. If I have faith, I know I cannot fail.
If I have the love of my family and friends, I have purpose."

If I don't have the chance to say this to you
before the new year begins, my prayer for each of you
is time, faith and love in 2009.
"I believe in you!"
Bob


"I believe in you!"
Bob
I encourage you to share my stories but I do ask that you
keep my name and contact information with my work.
If you would like to receive Bob's Inspirational
stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com
and submit your email address.
*****************
"I Wish You enough!"
© 2001 Bob Perks
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear
much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye."

Bob Perks, P.O. Box 1702, Shavertown, PA 18708-1702, USA



"We enter this world with only love and
build a life upon it. Why then would we fear the new year?
Be grateful. Love all. Have mercy. Forgive."
~Bob Perks