I want to walk you through the process of creating a hat. Most of them start similarly, but you will see quickly where being a little creative can get you a LOT of options. Today's hat was Darth Vader in a size 3-5 years. I am making another one for big brother in the next size up (6-10 years) tomorrow. Lots of Vader this week!
Most of my hats start just like this:

Just a ball of yarn, a hook, and an idea. Usually I have a picture to go from. In this case it was something I saw while browsing Etsy. A friend had asked for hats for her boys and they are Star Wars fanatics. Since then I have had a couple of orders for more.
All of my hats start off looking something like this:

This is where I make adjustments for the size of hat it will be, and do any basic patterning that is on the body of the hat itself. Darth Vader is pretty basic to start and doesn't use any fancy stitches on the body of the hat or any other colors (obviously.)

This is the basic hat base for Vader. After I completed the base "beanie" section of the hat I just went back and forth across the back 2/3's of the hat, decreasing slightly so that it would flare back and down from the temples. Once that was finished I edged the whole thing in a single crochet to neaten the edges and give the hat a bit more structure.

This is how the mask starts. I found a nifty new stitch to use with this, called the Chainless Foundation Row. There are some great tutorials on YouTube, so have a look if you are curious. The chainless foundation gives a lot more stretch to the first row (which in this case goes directly over the nose, so it shouldn't be tight.)

Vader's Mouthpiece is what gives the whole hat its great look when it is done. I have found that almost anything can be broken down into basic shapes and for this it was circles and a rectangle on a trapezoid base. The original Darth Vader was all black, but when I tried that, it just didn't show up enough. Another friend of mine had just made a Darth Vader Cake (check out her Facebook Page!). She had used gray and white for the "shiny" parts of his mask and it looked fabulous. I used the same technique with a nice dark gray that I had on hand and it was perfect. The vertical lines were merely the ends of what I used to sew on the circles run up and down the mask a few times. The finished piece is what makes this hat almost as good as the real thing.

Darth Vader has a ridge down the top of his helmet, so I added that using the same chainless foundation as for the mask. It will allow the most stretch for the longest lasting wear.

The real trick to this hat is attaching the mask. I know as a kid I wasn't super comfortable with things over my face all of the time. And parents pay good money to give their kids my awesome hats. So I try to always make my hats as comfortable as possible. That means removable masks whenever possible. The buttons on the inside of the hat make this possible (note that the hat is inside out in the above picture).

And there you have it! A finished Darth Vader Hat. Below is a picture of the first one I did, modeled by my daughter. I am determined to get a mannequin head at some point to put these on!

I love making all of these hats! If you have any questions or comments be sure to leave a comment!
I recently updated my website as well, so check out www.blankets4blessings.weebly.com as well. All items for sale will be listed on my facebook page www.facebook.com/Blankets4Blessings from now on. Keeping track of three places to post new hats was getting to be too big a job for little old me. I figure you all would rather get the hats you ordered rather than just see pictures! Have a blessed day!

One of my most popular designs in the Winter 2012/2013 season has been the Mickey and Minnie Beanies. I have done MANY of them throughout the last couple of years. At first I had just done a single circle for each ear. They were adorable!

But they were a little floppy, and a hair see through. Anyone who knows me personally will tell you that I am pretty easy going, but with myself and the work I do for others I am a perfectionist. So I set out to do it better!
I tried using two strands of yard together, but they still didn't stay up as well as I would have liked. And then I had a Eureka moment. A pattern for a different hat I had been working on said that I needed to make TWO of the same shape and stitch them together, forming a thicker, more stiff accessory. I tried the Mickey and Minnie Ears again, this time layering two circles together and crocheting the edges, almost all the way around. Not only did this give me a stiffer and more solid ear, it gave me a flat surface to sew to the hat AND the ear was more concave, like a real Mickey Ear would be.

I love it when my creative problem solving (and help from other experienced crafters) helps make my hats that much better!

In 2011 I decided I needed to DO something with my life. Not just for myself, but for others. I needed some kind of creative outlet. Something that I could do around the many things that Motherhood to two amazing children entails. Something that wouldn't just be good for me, but for someone else. I had been crocheting for a while. Well for years. I had done afghans for loved ones, scarves for friends, and even attempted a couple of purses. I thought that MAYBE someday I would do a craft fair or two. I realized then and there that this was a creative outlet that I would enjoy and that I could potentially sell. This satisfied part of what my heart was crying out for. Blankets. Baby Blankets. A friend of mine was working at a teen mothers home here in town. These girls were kicked out of their homes because of their decision to keep their babies. They needed someone to believe in them. They needed someone to say that they had made the right decision. I could help. I could give them blankets that were handmade, with all of the love that I could pack into them. So I started. There were ten or so girls in the home at the time. I hadn't crocheted in a year or more, and that was slowing me down. I was relearning a lot of things. But I made one blanket. Then two. Then three. Then my friend moved away and I lost contact with the people running the home. I will be the first to admit that I have issues with making phone calls. If it were up to me I would never cold call anyone, ever. So I didn't. And I am sad to say I never sent one blanket to that teen shelter. After the stories I had been told about the girls bad attitudes and entitled views I realized that my gifts, talents, love and prayers would be lost on them. Maybe it isn't noble of me to say that because they wouldn't appreciate the gift I refused to give it. Truly that isn't the point. BUT I realized that so many more babies could benefit if the right people got ahold of my idea. Babies are a blessing from God. Being a mother of two precious children myself I know how dear they are. I couldn't imagine my life without them. I am so blessed to be a mother. I can only imagine what it is like to have your child become sick. So sick it threatens their life. I can't imagine what it is like to not be able to feed or clothe my children. To be faced with a cold winter and no place to call home for my precious babies. But I could pray for those in that situation. And I could make blankets for those huge blessings wrapped in tiny bodies. And so I decided not to give up on Blankets 4 Blessings. Those first three blankets are not sitting in my basement awaiting owners. They have been sent to babies in three different states. One here in my very own town, and two far away. But those blankets full of love, and my prayers for healing and wholeness are wrapped around three very special babies. And I am thankful. Thankful that I could do that. That I could help these babies and their parents know that God LOVES them. THEM. That He cares for their child and their situation. And that He is the one that will wrap them in love. And now, Blankets 4 Blessings is a growing, thriving business. So far in 2013 I have given away a hat, two prayer shawls for women battling cancer (yes, they are Blessings too!), and I am working on a blanket for a little girl recently diagnosed with Leukemia. I have lots of orders coming in. Blankets, hats, even some kitchen items. I work daily on these items. They give me a sense of purpose. Of being useful. I love being useful. This week an auction opens benefiting a little boy who's mother is a friend. He is deaf and almost blind and he needs equipment that insurance won't cover. His 6 month NICU stay dried up everything they had, but he still needs more. An online mom's group that I am in heard of his need. Mom wasn't asking for anything. We all knew that. But get 350 women together with a common goal and watch the organization start to happen! Within MINUTES an auction had been organized, and several direct sales fundraisers had been started. There is even a Wepay site that had almost 30% of the money needed raised in a matter of days. It is a blessing to me to be part of this group. I have never met Eagan's mother. I have never seen anything more than pictures of sweet little Eagan, but he is my blessing. This group of women, some Christian, some not, some high income, some low, some nearby and some far away, rallied behind him. And Blankets 4 Blessings, MY business gets to play a role in his life. THIS is why I started to do this. This is the kind of help I want to be. This is what I want to do. And so I am! If you would like to donate to Eagan's equipment needs check out https://www.wepay.com/donations/1422105433 There is a Scenty fundraiser here https://christymitchell.scentsy.us/Scentsy/Buy?partyId=136325851 Also a Pampered Chef Fundraiser https://www.facebook.com/events/128999497272472/?ref=2 And Oragami Owl here http://www.facebook.com/events/290071834454167/ For the Auction check out the album below. (I have some items in there!) http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.213251145487288.71466.151296605016076&type=1

I had been struggling for several months to find something worthwhile that would help me to grow, be a creative outlet, and overall give me something to do. School cost too much, writing couldn't be done with two kiddos needing my attention every five seconds, and I really didn't want to go back to work.

So I thought and thought and thought and came up with this:

Blankets 4 Blankets

Blankets 4 Blessings. What a concept. My good friend Kelly works for Gerard House part time, and God had laid it on my heart to get involved somehow. One day it hit me: crochet baby blankets for the babies. Gerard House is a teen mom's shelter. They take in pregnant girls and help them through the pregnancy phase of motherhood and help get them on their feet when the baby is born. These babies didn't ask to be born, but their moms chose to maintain their pregnancy, and chose to love them when they are born. But these babies need prayer. So many bad things can happen, in pregnancies, in a teen mom's life, and in many other ways. Crocheting these blankets will give me something to do and something to pray for.

My next thought, as I started to get excited about this was: gosh this could get expensive. And it really could. Not at first, but in the long run there is definite potential to be very hard on the pocket book.

Then I thought, since I am crocheting baby blankets, why not crochet other stuff, like big afghans, bags, placemats, dishcloths, shower puffs, etc and SELL them? That would give me money to buy stuff for baby blankets. So Blankets 4 Blessings was born.

Come to facebook and like our page www.facebook.com/Blankets4Blessings and check out our online store at www.blankets4blessings.weebly.com.

Hey All,

I know my readership isn't large, but I think this particular story bears repeating (and lots of prayer for this amazing Mom).

Check out Laura's blog: http://babyelliesmommie.blogspot.com/

Laura is a stronger woman than I. Her story gives me nightmares about something accidental happening to one of my kids.

Pass this on. Let's encourage this courageous mother when she needs us most!

Kristen

My pastor spoke on the “gift” of relationship that God gave us with the birth of Christ recently. I know all this, I thought as he was speaking, but then the Holy Spirit corrected me. Do you? He asked. Do you really know what the birth of Christ signified for relationship with the Father?
Pastor Mark talked about Mary. Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) Before Jesus was old enough to talk Mary pondered the relationship. She knew that relationship was part of the deal. When she and her cousin Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist) were pregnant John lept in his mother’s womb when he felt the presence of his cousin Jesus. That was relationship.
Jesus came as our Savior, and yes that is very important, but it wasn’t his only role. The very title of Savior implies relationship. By being our Savior that means that we have a relationship with him, one where he holds us up, and saves us from our sin. This is central to the Christian faith. What can be more relational than God sending His Savior to earth so that He can have US with Him in heaven?
The Bible never says this specifically, but God is a God of relationships and His greatest desire is to have good relationship with us. We miss this concept of God’s relational-ness when we think of him as God, as Savior, and as Lord. But all of these titles imply relationship.
When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them to pray he started off with a radical concept by calling God “Father” and not just HIS father, but OUR father. Up until that time no one had dared to assume that kind of relationship with God. God was a God of judgment, rules, and regulations. He was not an “Abba” in their way of thinking. That is why it is so important for us to realize that yes, God is judge, and needs us to live according to his ways, but he is our Father.
If a child were to fall down and get hurt, or dirty, or frustrated, sad, etc would an earthly father tell them to stop crying, clean themselves up, and then come to him? NO! An earthly father scoops his child up, cuts, bruises, dirt, tears, and all and loves that child. He calms the tears, wipes away the dirt, bandages the cuts, and kisses the bruises.
So many people (Christian and non-Christian alike) feel that in order to approach God they must be put together, clean, and free of hurt. The God of judgment and rules is going to want to see a polished and clean person stand before them. But that is just not the case. God is relational. He is Abba. He is Daddy. He wants his kids to come to him downtrodden, dirty, and bruised. He wants them to have the freedom to approach the throne in tears with a broken heart. He wants US to come to him when our lives fall apart, and we don’t know which way to go. He wants to be the one to make us clean again. He wants to love us, dry our tears, brush us off, pick us up, and He doesn’t just send us on our way, He holds our hand and walks with us as we go.
As the Body of Christ, our job isn’t to tell people they need to get right with God. Our job is not to help them get their lives straightened out. Our job is to invite them in, and show them the way to the Father. To show them the One who loves them right where they are, and passionately desires relationship with them. God will clean them. God will dry the tears. God will fix the broken places. Our job is to be “Jesus with skin.” Jesus didn’t spend all of his time going to church. He didn’t surround himself only with the people in the church. Jesus didn’t spend his time telling people to get their act together. Jesus spent his time with people. Dirty people. Broken people. Hurting people. He went to them and he loved them. He hugged them. He held people as they cried. He touched people in the broken places. He reached into the darkness and helped people into the light. He wasn’t scared by the dark things surrounding people. Death and sickness didn’t make him shy away. When we see these things in people’s lives we must go to them and show them what Jesus showed them – the way to approach the Throne of God, in as many pieces as their lives were in, as broken as their hearts were. He brought them to the Father and showed them what the love of God was all about.
This is the way I believe Jesus would have us live. He didn’t tell his disciples to go to church. He told them to go to every nation and show them the Father. THIS is the relationship God wants with us. He wants us to be relational ambassadors, showing people that the God who loves them doesn’t want to love them from afar. He wants to be active in their lives. He wants to walk with them in the dark places. He wants to dry the tears of the brokenhearted. He wants to be with us wherever we go. That is the relationship we can have with him, and it all started with a baby boy, wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger all those years ago.

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