It’s only been within the last 12 months that I have truly begun to make meaningful friendships with Christian women locally, in real life. It has truly revolutionized my life. We have a need for friendships, women we can hug (sorry bloggers) and call or text when life gets sticky. You need that friend that will bring food, pick up your kids or hang out in your living room with your kids so you can have your first shower in 3 days. The problem is, in many places, especially larger cities with large churches, this isn’t always easy to find. We attend a large church & have morning Bible studies, so I frequently have to leave early to pick up my half-day kindergarteners.

For me, the change came when a group of divinely inspired ladies started a Bunco group. Sometimes we as women need an excuse, a reason, and more importantly a starting objective or common goal to give us reason to create friendships. I think TerryAnn understands this well. Rather than a traditional Bible study group, she proposes a knit or crochet (or both) group which also studies the Bible. Much like Bunco was for my group, needlework is the starting place for the Bible study. The accompanying discussion, prayer and sharing of life is what will weave bonds for life.

Now on to the knitty gritty of what you’ll find in the PDF Knit and Crochet Bible Study. For the purchase price of $27, you gain reprint rights for each member of your group. If you’ve priced study books lately, you’ll find this a real steal. Some studies are book and workbook combinations, with each member needing to purchase their own. I love that TerryAnn provides this at a reasonable price, especially considering how much work she’s put into it. With 6 members, it’s less than $5 each. Yet it’s also feasible for a single person (group leader or small church) to afford. The PDF file is a whopping 40 pages total. There are 10 lessons total, perfect for a weekly summer Bible study.

My favorite things about this study:

• Each lesson begins with scriptures printed at the top of the page in 4 different translations.
• While lesson focuses on Proverbs 31, study includes cross-references to other scriptures.
• Each lesson is 1-2 pages long, with a few questions at the end to facilitate discussions.
• It’s not homework intensive, which could exclude new members joining mid-study.
• You could choose to assign work a week in advance, or choose to hand out sheets each week as members arrive. While more time for meditation could enhance the group, if that’s intimidating for your members, it’s not necessary.
• Lesson is on one page, with questions on a separate page. This makes it easy to print and disperse as needed to fit the needs of your group.
• Uses PDF format which is easy to read for any user with free Adobe Reader download. Or, if you are like me, go paperless with Dropbox and an iPhone!
• Written by a woman, mother & crafter for women. TerryAnn addresses many of the mental and emotional issues such as inadequacy that women face in a very honest manner.
• Study begins by setting the tone and “rules” for the study. Many studies don’t address this and assume members all understand issues like gossip and keeping confidences within a group.

My only critical comment about this study is that at the time of my review (I received a preview copy) there was only one crochet pattern included. But, on the website there is a post entitled Where to find FREE Patterns. I’m sure this is because a blog post is much easier to update with new information than a PDF file.

Update: Terry confirmed that the final purchase copy does contain additional knit/crochet patterns!

I recently polled my Twitter followers about what are the best projects for beginner knit or crocheters. Two resounding answers came back: baby items and dishcloths. If you were beginning a study group, either of these would make fantastic projects that could in turn be donated to charities. Baby items can be donated to hospitals, crisis pregnancy centers, Newborns in Need or many other great organizations. Dishcloths could be sent to organizations that help families rebuild their household after flood, fire or homelessness or if your church has a kitchen, just gift them to that ministry.

If you are looking for that perfect summer study that is full of value, but not overwhelming with homework, you should check out Knit and Crochet Bible Study, Book 2: The Proverbs 31 Woman . You’ll notice on that page that there is a previous knit/crochet study available as well, or you can buy both at a significant discount.

I received a complimentary previem PDF copy of this study to read and review from TerryAnn Porter of Knit & Crochet Bible Study. These are my personal opinions, no other compensation was received for this post.
For more information please see my Disclosure Policy.

The pattern is called The Empty Tomb and you can find it at Made By Lindy. Can you believe she designed this pattern when she was only 16 years old?! You can see what other colors and yarns have been used on this project at Ravelry. She has several other nice spring cloth patterns if you are interested in a non-Christian themed pattern. The Bloom and Daisy patterns would be great for this time of year.

It knits up quickly and if you cast on today, I’m sure you can have it finished by Sunday. It’s a perfect hostess gift if you are celebrating in someone else’s home. A great reminder for the real reason for all those marshmallow chicks and chocolate eggs. Have a fantastic weekend!

I was seaming this beauty together on Christmas Eve. Yes, I am the queen of procrastination. I finished all the details and wrapped it somewhere after 11 p.m., resulting in a single, terrible lighting, iPhone photo. I was too caught up in the family festivities the next day to snag it back for a better, natural light photo. This just doesn’t do it justice:

It is the Little Luxury Kimono pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. It was a really quick knit and in my opinion a great first project if you are thinking about making garments or sweaters. It went quickly, was basic and gave me some practice on how a garment is put together. The down side is that if you are used to quick projects, like I am, it gets a bit boring at the end. Once you are finished knitting, you need to block, seam, maybe add some edging details, etc. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I liked learning and practicing some of these news skills. The pattern includes 5 pieces (back, front left, front right, and 2 sleeves) and the individual pieces knit up easily. This is a great evening, television project with the stockinette stitch pattern used. Easy decreases shape for the neck, so if you know knit, purl & decreases, any beginner can knit this project!

The yarn I used was Vanna’s Choice Baby in the Sweet Pea colorway. This was my second project using the Vanna’s Choice line from Lion Brand Yarn. My first project was the Luigi Hat. It took about 2 skeins to complete the project, with enough yarn left over to be comfortable (errors, details, edging, extras, etc.) I chose the green color because it is one of my sister’s favorite colors and it’s gender neutral. We are still waiting to find out if B.O.B. is a girl or boy. The Vanna’s Choice yarn is really soft and easy on your hands as you are knitting. It is one of the softest acrylic yarns I’ve tried. It is a worsted weight (weight class #4) which means it knits up pretty quickly. I believe this project was knit on size 7 or 8 needles. My only complaint about the Vanna’s Choice Baby is that the strands tend to separate a tad more easily than some other acrylics. Not too bad, but I’m just being completely honest here. The softness and the rich, almost jewel tone colors (compared to other baby yarns), and the fact you are likely using larger needles totally compensate for this issue. I loved the yarn so much on the next sale I grabbed one of each of the Vanna’s Choice Baby colors to play with and use in other projects. They are soft, yet vibrant, a nice change of pace from many chain store yarn brands.

It remains to be seen how well the kimono will survive in the wash and dry process necessary for newborns, but with $5 in yarn and only a few evenings worth of labor involved, it was a good trial into this sort of project. Sure, I wish I could make these for every new baby in my life, but I really don’t like seaming and blocking, at least not yet. Maybe once my children learn to feed themselves more often, or Mr. T builds that feeding trough for them, I’ll have more time and won’t mind the tedious parts as much. So for now, because of my life situation, not the pattern itself, this will remain and “family only and maybe not even them” project.

A quick note for all my fellow knitting and crocheting iPhone/iPod users: Lion Brand Yarn recently released (FINALLY!) an iPhone app that makes it much easier to cruise their listing of patterns while mobile. It’s an early version, has a few quirks, but it is so much better than having to use Safari to navigate the LBY website! It’s a free download too, pick it up here.

This episode covers the following topics:
* how to use stitch markers
* the stockinette portion of our pattern
* twisted stitches
* combined knitting
* slipped stitch edging
* how to bind off
* how to make a single crochet edging
* finishing, weaving in ends

all of this and my addiction to Dr. Pepper. Watch it now:

Here’s the pattern we’ll be working on. It’s the “first half”. The supply list and knitting instructions. I’m a bit behind due to my hubby’s illness, so I haven’t finished up all the pages with the charts yet. That will follow, I promise!

Here are the show notes with the links I posted in the chat room during the show, and a few extras to give you an idea what the supplies look like.

It’s not too late to join us. If you get your supplies ready and begin to cast on, you can ask questions here on the blog or over at MomTV on the discussion board. All questions will be answered during the live show next week.

Better yet, get a Stickam account, bring your yarn and needles and join me live via webcam. It’s a lot of fun, I promise!

The topic for the first week will be all about how to shop for your supplies for our project. We’ll be making these monogrammed knit cloths:

They can be used as dishcloths, washcloths, hot pads, you could even make several and frame them for wall decor. As we work through the weeks, we’ll show you other ways to use them as well, for example, stitching 2 together to make a small pillow for a child or for travel. There are lots of great possibilities.

Get ready for the show by hopping over to MomTV and create yourself an account so you can join our live chat room by text. Better yet, visit Stickam, create an account, and you can join us live with your own webcam. This feature will be awesome as we start knitting if you run into questions or just want to show your progress.

I look forward to chatting with you tomorrow night about yarn, needles and how to get started knitting!

I have the solution for you. Beginning next WEDNESDAY evening at 9 p.m. EST time (Check a time zone clock here for your local time.) Join me at MomTV for my new web show, Handmade Holidays: Learn to Knit. In 6 weeks I’ll teach you the basics about knitting, give you a project that is attainable, and give you a taste of the joys of knitting. For more info, check out this preview video:

I’m really excited about the MomTV format. It’s not just a regular tv/web show or chat room, if you choose, you can use your own webcam and join in on the fun, ask questions, or show your progress. If you are shy, you can still ask questions in the live (text) chat room. I hope you’ll join me for our first lesson which will be all about needles, yarn and how to shop for your supplies.

For every Lands’ End FeelGood sweater purchased, the company will donate a cone of their signature FeelGood yarn to One Heart Foundation’s Warming Families, a nationwide knitting charity. How cool is that? The sweaters are absolutely gorgeous too. From rumors I’ve read around the blogosphere from those who saw the sweaters at Blog Her or have received one to review, they are apparently the softest sweaters ever. The price is reasonable too, the striped style is even on sale today. I personally like the solid sweaters, especially the Winter Violet and Aztec Gold colors.

Another reason I’m blogging about this today is that Land’s End is taking it a step further. Not only are they donating a cone of their signature FeelGood yarn for every sweater purchased, but they are donating a cone for every blog post written about the campaign (through today). One cone of FeelGood yarn is enough to make 28 hats to be donated to homeless individuals in communities across the country! Can you believe that? I kind of wish they’d send me the cone of yarn and I’d knit them myself. Truth is, I have no idea how long it would take me to knit 28 hats! It might be spring by the time I finished.

What is so special about today? Tonight is the big Land’s End FeelGood Twitter Party hosted by Land’s End and Knitty Gritty’s Vickie Howell. Seriously cool! The party goes from 7 to 9 p.m. CST, please use the #landsend hashtag. The party will feature more than 20 fun giveaways ranging from the FeelGood sweater and Vickie Howell’s books to Lands’ End gift cards and FeelGood yarn.

How do you attend a Twitter party? First, you sign up for a Twitter account. Do it now… that way you’ll be ready when the party time arrives. Next, follow Amanda from Land’s End (@LEprAmanda) and Vickie (@vickiehowell). Third, I suggest using a site like TweetGrid to keep up with the party conversation. If that’s a bit much, just stick to the regular Twitter site and refresh your page often so you don’t miss the questions and giveaways the hosts have for you. Don’t forget to add the hashtag (#landsend) to every tweet you make during the party time so that your tweets count for games and prizes.

I’ve attended several Twitter parties, and while they are usually wild, crazy and fast paced; they are always fun and I learn lots and make new friends. Sadly, I have other “real life” plans tonight, so I won’t be there.

Want another way to participate? You can grab Vickie Howell’s free hat pattern at the Land’s End website, and knit up a hat or two yourself. For information on how to get involved with your local chapter of Warming Families, check out this page. Be patient with their website, I’m sure they are getting a lot of traffic, things are taking a while to load, they are a non-profit charity. If there isn’t a local volunteer in your area, please read the info about the organization and consider sharing your organizational skills with them.

Don’t know how to knit, but want to learn now? Check out this video featuring Vickie Howell: LandsEndvideo

Or better yet *insert shameless plug here* join ME next Wednesday evening (Sept 23rd) at 9 p.m. EST on MomTV for the debut of my new web show Handmade Holidays. More details on the show in the coming days!

So make some time tonight for the Twitter party, check out Warming Families charity, or purchase a Land’s End FeelGood sweater. All are great ways to help out others in this fabulous campaign!

Another bonus of Swaptree is their software will automatically generate the postage for you to print from your home computer – SCORE! All I had to do was dig around my house to find some old bubble wrap envelopes or brown paper envelopes, shipping tape, scissors and I was ready to go. If you choose to use the Swaptree shipping system, they will charge you $2-4 for shipping (depending on item type & weight). They calculate charges a month at a time and bill your credit card on the 7th day of each month. You do have the choice to send ship you item on your own. I personally find the convenience of it well worth the small price difference. Who wants to drag four children into the post office every few days? Swaptree also recommends reusing packing materials whenever possible, how very green of them! Lazy me is not going to complain one bit… lol

The system for listing your items couldn’t be easier, simply key in the UPC or ISBN code and it does the rest. You select the condition of the item, and there is an optional field for fine details. I should note that users are happier and will leave positive feedback if you leave as many details about the condition as you can.

You can then initiate trades with a couple of short clicks, the other user(s) then have 48 hours to respond. This is kind of an important thing to know, it’s best for people who check their e-mail at the very least daily. If you’re not that person, Swaptree is probably not for you. They do allow you to put your account on hold for a period of time, say for vacations or travel.

Swaptree does allow you to reject trades initiated by other users. It gives you a line about it negatively affecting your account if you reject too many, but don’t let the stern wording discourage you. I’ve rejected several trades and have a positive user rating. I suspect you’d have to reject quite a few with little to no reason to have your account suspended. It does allow you to state your reason for rejecting the trade, and says that all rejected trades are reviewed. I rejected one that wanted me to send a “high value” Wii game for a paperback novel in the first week of trading, haven’t received another similar request since.

To date, my family has traded several Wii games, books and DVDs. If your a mom, it’s fantastic for when you children grow tired of a DVD or video game and want a new one.  For crafters, it’s a great way to trade that book you bought for a single pattern for a new one you are interested in! We’ve participated in 18 trades in the last month receiving items like Tinker Bell, Brain Age 2, Wii Music, Mario Party 8, The Creative Family, 2-at-a-Time Socks and more! According to Swaptree we’ve saved $141 and decreased our carbon footprint by 71 pounds!

If you have a stack of DVDs you haven’t watched in years, craft books you wish you hadn’t purchased on impulse, or video games that are collecting dust, check out Swaptree.com!

No really, I mean again. Make sure you log in so that you can access all the free patterns.
In case you aren’t signed up for their newsletter, a few days ago Lion Brand Yarn released this statement:

In these tough economic times, we know that every dollar counts.

So in order to help you make the most with your yarn crafts, we have made all of the patterns that Lion Brand owns FREE.

That’s over 2,700 patterns including amazing items like the Tree of Life Afghan, the Cable Luxe Tunic, the Argyle Crochet Afghan, and so many more!

We hope you enjoy these patterns and that you get even more enjoyment out of your yarncrafts!

Now, it’s not all the patterns, but it is quite a few. This Heirloom Baby Blanket was featured in the recent catalog with a pattern price of $3.95. Now it’s listed as free. So try some searches, it’s a great time to start thinking about holiday gifts!

Don’t know how to knit yet? Stay posted, more information is coming in the next few weeks about my online class with MomTV where I’ll teach you how to knit. It’s interactive via chat and webcam (if you choose) so it’s a great way to learn!