The Process

Right now I am sitting in my room (well, the room my parents have so graciously let me take over while I wait to move…and wait and wait and wait) surrounded by cuddly baby hats, measuring tape, pins and paper for marking sizes and categories, and of course a pile of skeins waiting to be paired up with their color partner and made into something that is hopefully going to bless someone else and aide in the upcoming photo shoot. These are the signs of the beginning of something, and I find it to be extraordinarily exciting.

I have a dream, albeit a little fuzzy yet, of selling the things I make only to turn the profit into making more things that can be used to bring life and hope to someone else. I’m not yet there, but this process of figuring out the exact sizes everything needs to be, and the right placement of buttons, and the most efficient method of making interchangeable bows and flowers  are all part of the process that will get me there – wherever there may be.

Growing up I always had an exact picture of what I wanted to be and where I wanted to go. That picture may have changed from time to time, but when I did have a picture, it was pretty specific. But, as I’ve watched God change the course of my life time and time again from where I thought we were going, and as He has taken me down paths more or less opaque than crystal clear, I’ve found that there is beauty in the process. For the first time, I find myself starting to jump in head first, because I feel God leading, but I don’t have an exact idea of where this is going to go. I have some thoughts, some inspiration, but I’m simply following, expectant of the wonderful outcome I cannot yet see. Honestly, it’s quite freeing, making my hats now and wrestling with my gauge, knowing that someday this is going to be something.

Perhaps this is a little cheesy, but the more I look at the process my hats and future 

business/ministry are, the more they remind me how much we are each a process, too. Every day we are being made into something beautiful, even though we may not see the end result. The longer I live and walk with God, the more He shows me that the process is exquisitely wonderful and part of His bigger plan.

Yarn waiting to be used. I have a few skeins.......

So, here’s to the process and the measuring and re-thinking and everything else that comes with it. ^_^

Hats for Salvation Army and Photoshoot - Update 1

Happy March everyone!!! Can you believe we are already three months into the new year?

It has been a couple weeks since I last posted,  so I figured it was time for an update. The days have been filled with mopping floors (I'm a part time janitor, ya know), executing matron-of-honor duties, skyping with my hubby, and of course knitting away while I patiently (or not so much) wait to jump on a plane so I can be with him again.

Hat for my sister. Actually designed
it most on my own. 

Tyson Hat  for Salvation Army. 

Back of the Tyson Hat. 

While waiting is hard, it does allow for a lot of time to create. So far, I have finished two hats for the Salvation Army, with a third had in progress. Only 7 1/2 to to reach my goal before leaving! I also finished a hat for my sister and am almost finished with a sweater for my best friend's up-coming wedding. 

Simple Slouch hat for Salvation Army.

In other news, I am so excited to announce that I am partnering with a photographer friend, Kristina, at Love Letters Photography to capture some gorgeous shots of the baby hats I have been crocheting on some even more adorable babies. This is exciting for me as a growing knitter because it is the first step in launching the ministry side of my craft. I have a long way to go before Rai Of Hope Ministries is a fully functioning shop that both sells and donates the things I get to create out of yarn. But, this is an exciting step. I can't wait to share the images that come out of this and see where this all leads. 

Look!! My hats are in an official picture!! ^_^

I hope March has started off well for you and those around you. March always seems to be a busy month, with mid-terms and spring break, and everything. Don't forget to take time to do the things you love, with the ones you love. 

A Sneak Peek at the sweater that I am working on. Almost done!!

Until next time!

*All patterns used with permission from She Makes Hats. 

February: Hats for the Salvation Army.

Well, February is sufficiently begun, so I think it is about time to announce the project for this month!

Last month I donated hats for the homeless community in Phoenix. Since this is going to be my last project before leaving the country, I decided to focus on those in my local community by donating hats to the Salvation Army of Sierra Vista. Their goal is to reach those in need in their communities by meeting both physical and spiritual needs. The hats I donate will be distributed to those who need them most.

The yarn ready to be knit and sent to love on some heads!

Since I am getting a late start this month (and am hopefully leaving for Italy next month!!) I will be extending this project through to the middle of March. My goal is to have 10 hats knit and ready for delivery by then.

I am going to continue using the Sandoval Hat used in last months project along with some new hats that I will share as I use them.

This month I will also be working on some other side projects:  a hat for my sister, a pair of socks for a friend, baby hats for future sale, etc. Expect pictures of the yarn chaos along the way!!

Here's to hoping your February has been full of love and life. Let's make the rest of the month meaningful whether we are making hats for those in need or just loving on the friends and family around us.

Come Alive 2014 - A New Vision

Well, it is 2014. And not only is it a new year already, but is actually the end of the first month of the new year. Needless to say, I am a little behind in launching the new vision I have for my blog this year.

So, without further ado, let the launch begin!

Previously, I tried to write about things that I enjoy, my experiences as I embark on new adventures every day, the things in life that make up my story, etc. But, as much as I have to say about those things (just ask my husband ^_^) they didn’t inspire me to write the way I thought they would. So, I decided I needed a new inspiration for this blog, something to share with you that I get excited about sharing consistently.

A while back I listened to a sermon about what it means to serve the world and communities around us. The pastor expressed that the world can be a dark place that faces hardship and heartbreak, encounters evil and death. The world needs new life and hope. When thinking about serving and getting involved he encouraged us by saying, “Don’t ask what the world needs of you; ask what makes you come alive, because the world needs you to come alive.”

My own story has its own share of betrayal and heartbreak. I know what it feels like to be hopeless and afraid. But, my story also has hope. Specific moments that brought me back to life.  Perhaps another time I will share more on that. For now, I want to talk about what I am doing to continue spreading hope and joy.

A couple years ago, (in a moment of moping because I had left my then fiancé at home in order to finish school) I decided I wanted to learn how to knit and crochet. My mom has always been the creative and craft type, and, it seems, I got her genes. I soon learned that I love creating with my hands, a ball of yarn, and a needle (or two). Even better than creating is the joy that comes with knitting a friend a scarf, or crocheting a newborn a hat to make their entrance into the world warm and filled with love.

Recently, I discovered that there is a whole presence of online yarn crafters who create for charity. Specifically, I have been extremely inspired by She Makes Hats. This woman shares her creativity and love by giving a hat to charity for every hat she sells. She even has a goal of giving away 10,000 hats in lifetime.  That’s a lot of hats and a lot heads housed with warmth. As I’ve grown in my skill I have also grown in my desire to do something more meaningful with my own craft. Last month I joined her in a Knit-Along in which we made hats to donate to a shelter that supplies hats to the homeless community in Phoenix (close to home for me). This was my first time knitting for charity, and I have to say that I loved every minute of it and I don’t think there is ever any going back from this point. Admittedly, I sometimes have an “I can save the world” complex. This is both impossible and improbable. But, I can help bring beauty and hope to the lives of those around me by giving away something that makes me come alive. That is what knitting for others is to me; it is giving away a piece of the hope and joy that fills my life in the hopes that it will fill someone else’s too, whether they are brand new to the world or an old-timer.  

I had so much fun knitting with a purpose and specific charity in mind that I continued to knit for the shelter in Phoenix through January. This year, I plan to carry on in this direction while I continue to discover where my passions and skills lie in charity knitting and just knitting for others. While I grow and learn, I am going to join She Makes Hats in her knit- along called Hat|Give|Repeat 2014. My version of this, of course, will look different since we lead different lives, but I’m excited to watch her goals unfold as I develop my own.

My awesome family modeling my hats. I'll be working on photographing my work over the next year! ^_^

Nailed it. ^_^

Also, exactly how I envisioned this hat on my niece.

Beautiful Mom.

Brother, the enthusiastic participant. 

If Santa wore a Sandoval Hat....

So, after all of that, what does 2014 look like for RaiOfHope here at Further Up and Further In? Well, right now my goal is this: each month I will have a charity, group, organization, persons, etc. in mind to knit for. I will present my goal at the beginning of each month and the type of knitting or pattern I will be using. I will give an update mid-way through the month, and share my tallies at the end before sending the results off to their new homes. And perhaps, I will even get to share some of my life in between. 

I am really looking forward to watching how this year unfolds. Thank you for reading and sharing in this adventure with me. I am so grateful for the ability to create and share with others. Whether your goals are in the realm of crafting for others or something else, may I just say Happy 2014!!

Stay tuned for an update on my February goals in the next few days!

*Hat Pictured is the Sandoval Hat. Pattern used with permission.