Hello all, and I hope that you are having a wonderful week! It's a week of novenas on my end, and I have to say that I am enjoying it so, so much. I finished up Our Lady Undoer of Knots on Sunday, and I think I already have the answers to the questions I was praying about (not necessarily the ones I was hoping for in all cases, but answers are answers, yes?). I also started St. Monica on Tuesday. I had forgotten that her feast is in late August, and I absolutely love this one! I pray for conversions of heart back to faith, and it always gives me so much solace. Coming up in the early part of autumn, we have the archangels (Sept. 29th), St. Jerome (patron saint of librarians, Sept. 30th), St. Therese (Oct. 1st), and guardian angels (October 2nd). It's a wealth of riches! I think I'm going to start updating and publishing the novenas tab on the blog again, with what novena I'm currently praying and the link to the relevant prayers. Look for that to start again in September if you'd like to follow along. :-)
Speaking of prayer, both of my kids are slated to go back to school full time in early September. Since they go to Catholic schools, the lower numbers of enrolled kids means that they can accommodate the health mandates more easily. My kids really miss their school environments, and so I'm happy it worked out this way, although I'm worried about how it will go and if it will last. All we can do at this point is pray for the best! My teaching this semester will be mostly, if not all, online, which I'm a little sad about, but we'll get there.
To distract myself, I've been crafting, as per my pandemic usual. ;-) The mystery gnome that I was knitting is no longer a mystery, so meet the new member of the family!
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| Pattern is Nice to Gnome You |
He is currently frolicking with our house plants, and I'm just so pleased with how he came out! This is my first gnome, and apparently there is a whole gnome crafting universe out there, WHO KNEW?! I am totally into this now. This designer specializes in knitted gnomes. Did you ever? And her next gnome MKAL (mystery knit-along) will take place during Advent.
😱
I literally cannot wait! I'm so excited for this!
I also finished the red cotton top that I was knitting for my mother-in-law:
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| Pattern is Kelda Tee |
I kinda wanted to keep it :-0, but I managed to resist. But not before purchasing yarn to make one for myself in another colorway. ;-)
I'm also hard at work on my Advent doily:
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| Pattern is Wispweave Oval |
This one is just SO PRETTY. The pattern is definitely a bit challenging for a beginning doily crocheter like myself, but so far the progress is good, albeit slow. I just love the different textures that this design is forming! I'm thinking I can use it for under our Advent wreath. The border is going to be silver. 😍
Do you have any novena plans coming up this fall? What is your September looking like? I know it doesn't look like it usually does for any of us! I'd love to hear from you in the comments!
What a lovely top you made. The Gnome is adorable. You did a great job on both projects. The doily is gorgeous. We have the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Novena coming up in September. Still doing the Rosary every day and a Litany with EwTN. Have a blessed week.
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Hi ladies! Thank you so much! Ooo, I haven't heard of this novena, I'll look it up. I used to pray with the EWTN rosaries all the time when I was in graduate school, they give me such a happy feeling. Such a great idea!
DeleteAww, the gnome came out so adorable! I'd never heard of MKALs before. What an intriguing idea. I'd love to try that sometime. And the red top came out beautifully for sure. I'd be tempted to keep it, too. Glad you're going to do another one just for yourself :-)
ReplyDeleteSeptember means the beginning of my daughter's freshman year at college ... completely off campus as of five days ago. She had been so excited to move into her dorm, boxes had been packed and ready to ship, and then Drexel decided to call it all off. I'm glad your kids will be going back to school as safely as possible. Praying that it all goes well and that they stay healthy.
Looking forward to your novena updates in September. It would be a good thing for me to pray along with you. I'll certainly have the time since my job search has been a complete bust so far :-(
Hi Dianne! Yes, MKALS and MCALS are my jam, I just love having something like that to look forward to! oh gosh, your daughter, I'm glad that she's as as settled as she can be, and hopefully will have a good experience this fall! This whole nightmare just continues on and on, doesn't it? I can't believe how much I took everyday, mundane things for granted! I long for just a normal life and routine again.
DeleteYes, I'm looking forward to fall novenas too, I think this will really perk us up. I'm so sorry about your job search, we will add that to the intention list!
Thank you for that <3 I had planned to have a job lined up by the time I moved to this area in early June, but COVID messed that up completely. Library assistant jobs are few and far between here. I just keep checking the job sites every day and keep praying.
DeleteThat's so challenging Dianne, I'm so sorry that you're going through this. This is such a difficult time in so many ways, and the financial worries are definitely high up on the list! We will keep praying for you! The feast of St. Jerome is coming up (September 30th) and he is the patron saint of librarians, we should ask for his intercession!
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