cordeliaknits

I'm back from my candidating weekend, and it's official! I'll be beginning my ministry with the First Congregational Church of Santa Cruz at the end of August!
Housing is still up in the air, which is making me a bit stressed right now, but hopefully I will find the right (charming, cozy with a nice kitchen) place very soon.
Since getting back on Monday, I've been making art, cooking and watching dvd's, just relaxing after a very full long weekend. Tonight I am teaching a class at the store, which should be fun, and though I didn't take many pictures in Santa Cruz (too busy!), I may have one or two to share once I get unpacked!

Linen Stitch Scarf

KOIGU!!!

I finished this gorgeous scarf yesterday!  It's a sample for the store, done in three colors of Koigu KPPPM sock yarn.  I'm teaching a class on july 7 on this scarf, and we will be focusing on how to choose your colors for the effect you want.  Because of the variegation in the yarn and the slip stitch pattern, you can choose colors that might not appear to "go" together, and it will be beautiful, so I will be talking about my color strategy and helping people pick out their own combinations.

 

When I chose the three colors I used for this scarf, Cynthia (our shop owner) walked away in disgust!  But she and everyone else was amazed at how beautifully they knit up together.  Just by working on it between busy times at the store, I have sold a lot of Koigu and patterns for this scarf, so now that it is done, I'm sure we will sell a lot more.  Even though I don't like to make the same thing twice, I'm already thinking about colors for my next one of these!

None of the pictures do it justice, of course.  This is a Churchmouse Yarns pattern, and if you can't make it into Blazing Needles, you can order it from them Here.  I strongly recommend knitting this scarf--it's beautiful, fun and addictive to knit.  Even though it's knit lengthwise, which makes each row really long, it went fairly quickly, and I was a bit sad to finish it, because it was so much fun to work on.

Knitting etc.

One of the fun things about my job at the yarn store is that I will be teaching classes!  This is one of the classes I'll be teaching this month, the Koigu Beaded Beret.  It's a beret made with just one skein of Koigu sock yarn (of which we got a HUGE shipment in yesterday--dozens of colorways!), and some fun, simple beading around the widest part of the hat.

I knit most of this one on planes last weekend, so even though I had the wrong size needles, my gauge was tight enough that the hat came out perfectly!  I think I will knit one more before the class, with the correct needles just in case.

And look!  Here is the beautiful Cynthia, who owns Blazing Needles, in front of our new yard art--a yarn ball with needles and knitting.  And get this...there is a propane tank attached to it, so fire comes out at the point where the needles meet the knitting!  It's even cooler than we imagined it would be!

OK, this weekend is Pride here, and we have a full agenda, including a big BBQ tomorrow after the parade.  Which means I better start cleaning.  Happy Pride, and Happy Knitting!

WOO HOO!!!

Lots of excitement has been happening around here lately, hence the spotty blogging, but now I can share some really wonderful news with you!

After two years of searching since graduating from Seminary, I have a Call!!! 

I have been gone the past two weekends doing in-person interviews and neutral pulpits for two wonderful churches, and they both offered me a Call, which was amazing, after two years of seemingly endless rejection letters from churches who rarely even bothered to do a phone interview.  It felt great to be loved and wanted by multiple search committees!  (I even had to turn down a third invitation to fly out and interview, because I didn't want to have three balls in the air)

In the end, just as my pastor Pat had told me, I knew in my heart when I got the call from the church I really want (and where I do believe I'm Called to be, after much prayer and discernment).

So, that means I will be ordained soon! (hopefully sometime in September)  The ordination will happen at my home church in Berkeley, where I've been a member and In Care for several years.

I will travel again at the end of June to my new church, where I will have a "candidating weekend" and meet the whole church, at the end of which they will vote on whether or not they want me.  Since the search committee has already picked me, this will hopefully be more of a formality, but though rare, it is possible that they could vote no.  I don't think that will happen, but just in case, I need to keep the name of the church and location on the down low until it's all official.  

Yay!!  I can't express how excited I am to have finally found my church!

AND...the other exciting news is that I have a summer job at my lys!  I'll be working at the store as well as teaching classes, so if you're in the area, come on over to Blazing Needles and see me before I move away!

the missing England pictures

Clay and Cedar, some of the most wonderful dogs I've ever met, lounging in Nancy and Jenn's back garden, on the ONLY sunny day we had in England.  So glad it coincided with our relaxing Sunday in Yorkshire!

Much gardening was done by Nancy and Jenn, and Liz helped too!  I chatted with them while they worked, of course!

 

We had a lovely Sunday dinner together--roast chicken, broccoli, and fresh salad straight from the garden!  Their first harvest of the season.  It was delicious, and we had this lovely homemade panna cotta for dessert!  I don't think the dogs got any panna cotta, though!

 

Two of my most favorite people in the world.  I wish wish wish we lived in the same town.  As it is, we must settle for seeing each other once a year or so, and having a wonderful time talking and eating and hugging when we do.