Lisa Bogart - Knit with Love: Stories to Warm a Knitters Heart

Beginnings

Cast on : the process of putting stitches on the needle to begin your work.

Knitting cant feed the hungry, fight crime, or stop global warming. But a hand-knit sweater warms a cold child. A cozy scarf eases a homeless night. A tiny hat comforts a preemie head. A lovely prayer shawl wraps a worried patient in peace. Knitting quietly eases some of the hurts in the world. God needs eager knitters to supply these comforts.

Proverbs 31:13 describes a woman eager to work with her hands. To be eager is to have a keen desire or impatient longing. This describes me with my keen desire to have yarn in hand and needles in motion. Did God put the impatient longing in my hands? Can I use this skill for him? I wonder...

Knitting brings joy to my world. I get excited about new projects that spark my creativity. When knitting in a group, I enjoy the friendship of others. I bring comfort with items made for charity. Time alone while knitting gives me space to think and pray. The rhythm of yarn moving over needles reduces my stress and helps me relax. It turns out I am not the only one enjoying these knitting pleasures. Many others have stories to tell about woolen wonders in their world, and you will find some of their stories in this book.

Knitting is a gift to rejoice in. Just knit in public, and youll see how many people are amazed by your skill. It looks quite magical to the mystified. You are likely to hear the comment, I could never do that! Pause just a moment to realize how special your talent is. What a gift to have the patience, creativity, and love to knit. Many benefits and pleasures are connected to the craft.

While not a particularly difficult skill to acquire, knitting does take some finesse to do well. Its a talent to cultivate. We all possess a variety of talents, and each one can be used to the glory of God, even doing the laundry! (Read and youll see what I mean.) These gifts from God are ours to enjoy. The skills weve been given are the perfect set for doing what he has in mind for us: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the L ord , plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jer. 29:11 NIV). A variety of talents will be needed over your lifetime.

In these pages, youll find all kinds of knitting stories and information. Friendships, charity knitting, benefits, tips, and how-tosits all here. There are tales to inspire and encourage you, as well as a few just to make you smile. The one thing all this has in common is joy. Knitting brings blessings to both sides of the needles, the creator and the receiver.

Do you have a keen desire to discover how to use your talents, to figure out what God wants from you? I wanted to use my talents in big ways for God. I looked for important places to contribute. I tried to find the right committee, organization, or charity. I didnt find a good match.

Then I looked at what filled my life already. I discovered my strengths in simple yet vital tasks. Smiling, cooking, raising my son. Running my home, volunteering at school, attending a Bible study. Knitting. These are small talents by worldly standards, yet when used with the purpose of giving glory to God, they matter the most. What we think is insignificant has a lasting impact.

Is your world filled with needs you may overlook while searching for the next big contribution you can make? Do you wonder how to use the talents you have? Maybe its time to find new meaning and opportunities in something youre already eager to do.