Life Lately, Current WIPs and Lessons Learned || Channel Chat 160

Hello Crafties!

Welcome back to the blog! It feels so good to be here after a short break. Life has been busy with family visits, craft projects, and even a few furry surprises. In this week's Channel Chat, I get into a personal update on my current knitting projects, some exciting personal news, and a couple of lessons the Lord opened my eyes to recently. Whether you're here for the crafting or the stories, I appreciate you all's tuning in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkeSNRWm9AU

Current Craft Projects: Sweaters and Yarn Adventures

Lately, I've been juggling a few active projects.

The Coffee Lover's Sweater hit a small snag. I was ready for a color change in the pattern as I've made it through the first part of the yoke. The yarn I planned to use, a special find from the Midwest fiber festival, accidentally went through the washing machine. Thankfully, my community helped me choose a replacement! The Freida Khalo colorway won the vote. I’m grateful we shared the same creative vision because sometimes, your girl can't make a decision to save her life! I'll be ordering some things this month so maybe in the next Channel Chat, I'll be able to show off my mini haul.

The Morning Glory Sweater is coming along well. This is a brioche-heavy pattern with 41 rows per repeat. I'm currently on my fifth repetition!! It's a two-color project constructed in panels, similar to my Watching Me sweater. It'll have that similar hi-low look. I'm still deciding on the final neckline, but I'm excited to surprise everyone with it soon enough.

I also have some honorable mentions in the works:

🧶The Scorpio: A cranberry-burgundy crochet project that's about 70% complete. It's been sitting on my mannequin, waiting for me to pick it back up.

🧶The Joseph Sweater: A simple design I plan to start and finish this year. The yarn is ready in a basket, patiently waiting.

A Very Welcome Studio Distraction

For the last two months, my studio has had some tiny, fuzzy visitors. I am now the happy keeper of two kittens! This was such a development 😭🙌🏽. At first, I didn't think I could keep them for my grandmother's safety but to my surprise, she wanted to give things a go with them. I'm so over the moon because caring for these little beans has been a much needed serotonin boost!

They're now about ten weeks old. They love to run around, climb (my legs) , and nap. You can learn a little more about their early days here in Channel Chat 157 but Yuki, my boy (gray), is so sweet and calm. He immediately purrs when I'm near 🥺. Pixis, my girl, is more spirited and harder to please but don't worry, she does actually like me. They have a cat tree in the hallway and are becoming part of the studio's vibe. I share lots of pictures on my social media channels and on Twitter/X.

Can you tell I'm obsessed with them?

Personal Milestones and Silver Linings

Thank the Lord, that's not the only good news life's brought my way!

In 2022, I had a fall that broke my front tooth. It has been a long, slow process to restore it. I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The work to get a permanent crown is moving forward quickly. I am very thankful to be closing this chapter soon. I can't begin to describe to you guys how it feels to seemingly get my life back.

Post Extrusion

So last Sunday, after a long day seeing my brother off, my car battery died the very next morning. The day before, I had felt a strong intuition to save a specific $100 bill instead of spending it and I obeyed. After all, it's something that I'd normally do because I like to go thrift books around the end of the month. 😅 So I figured it was my brain telling me to plan ahead! Nope! That was that still, small voice of God because by Monday morning I needed a tow and the cost was $100. That exact money covered the tow. Listening to that "still, small voice" made a stressful situation so much more manageable.

Key Takeaways: Listening and Letting Go

Sometimes, we face problems or deep desires. Our first instinct is to jump in and fix things ourselves.But there is great power in learning to be still, and listen for God's direction. In the vlog, I referenced 1 Kings 19:11-13 where Elijah was seeking the voice of God in the wilderness. Elijah didn't find what he was seeking in the showy things that God did to display his power but, in the quiet off a cave. That experience with my car took me to a bigger life lesson. I think that my takeaway here was that the voice of the Lord seeks to guide us in those quiet moments, where our attention could go in any one direction but we choose to be obedient to that intuition He gives us.

The other lesson I picked up on was based off Exodus 14:14 where God's people were fleeing from Pharaoh. That scripture reads:

'The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.' Exodus 14:14

I felt this with the kittens. I wanted to keep them but saw logical reasons why I couldn't. I ultimately gave that desire over in prayer. Shortly after, the situation changed, and I was able to keep them. It was a small "battle" where I chose not to fight. The result was a blessing I hadn't dared to expect.

The core idea is this: Pay attention to your intuition, it's a gift from God. Whether it's a practical nudge to save money or a quiet hope for something good, it's worth listening to. Not every struggle requires your force. Sometimes, the best action is to hold your peace and see the Lord wants to act on your life.

✨ Moving Forward with Gratitude ✨

It feels like many good things are finally coming together! From sweater progress and new kittens to personal healing and learned lessons, it's a season of harvest it seems.

I'm also looking forward to creating more content. I plan to share deeper dives into my pattern designs in the future. Really, it's a nod to an old series I started back in 2021 and I think it'll be fun to explore with you all! I want to connect the human story behind the crafts and hopefully revitalize my community around the person rather than constant output. As I get to producing these episodes, I'll pepper them in between regular Channel Chats. So make sure to subscribe or follow my video channels so you don't miss out on new content from me!

Thank you for being part of this community and until next time,

Happy Making! 💖