Boot Toppers - Easy as 1,2,3

I had seen an idea for making boot toppers recently and thought that it was brilliant. You get the look of having super warm socks poking out of your boots without worrying about your feet sweating. I had some really fun neutral scrap yarn that had bits of metallic gold and the texture looked homespun. I thought this would be perfect for boot toppers because they would go with anything. I started looking for patterns on ravelry.com but didn't find anything that I was satisfied with so I decided to make my own.

Here's how it turned out. Let me know what you think.

The Pattern: 

1. With small circular needles or Double Points, Cast on 44 stitches with US size 6 needles (or size needed to obtain gauge). 
2. Work in two by two rib until piece is desired length. 
3. Bind off extremely loosely and weave in ends. 

Repeat steps 1-3 for the other leg. After they are both finished wear with style and confidence!

You can adjust this pattern any way you want. Number of stitches can vary for different calf sizes or you can play with the pattern and do other things besides a basic rib. I would recommend having some type of rib at the top and bottom though and playing around in the middle. Good luck and if you make your own version I would love to see it! You can email any pictures to adams.m49@gmail.com

Fish and Chips

My parents have come to visit me this weekend and we have the weekend quite filled up! Today when they got here we went out for lunch at a great local towney sandwich shop and then went to the new Irish Pub for dinner. I had been wanting to try fish and chips for quite some and and they were great! Since my parents have had authentic fish and chips in Ireland, they are able to compare to the real stuff and the southwest Virginia version was up to par. Also, I had been craving some good ol' MD Boardwalk Fries with Old Bay and vinegar and had given up on the fact that I'd be able to find them here. However, our chunky potato wedge "chips" had a bottle of vinegar just waiting to be sprinkled on them. There was no Old Bay but the vinegar was more than satisfactory for now. I am so glad that I am able to appreciate these simple pleasures.

After dinner, we walked around campus for a bit so that we didn't feel like complete fatties and then went to 180, InterVarsity's large group meeting. It was a great night for them to come and visit and they really enjoyed it. It was great for them to see some of the things that God is doing through this ministry and meet some of the people that I have come to love dearly.

I am looking forward to spending tomorrow and Sunday with them as well. We will be doing a service project with some other families tomorrow morning, the Spring Game in the afternoon, and the 1st annual SERVE family banquet in the evening. Tomorrow's a big day!

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

my hope comes from him. 

Truly he is my rock and my salvation; 

he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. 

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, you people; 

pour out your hearts to him, 

for God is our refuge. 

-Psalm 62:5-8

Forever Curious

"Don't only practice your art, 

But force your way into its secrets, 

For it and knowledge

Can raise men to the divine."

-Ludwig Van Beethoven

This is a quote that I can across recently and has really stuck with me. As most good quotes do, this one got me thinking about myself. For many years I have not considered myself to have “an art” or anything that I have obtained mastery over. I felt like everything I ever did was mediocre. School. Piano. Lacrosse. Hunting. Reading. Blogging. Fashion. Cooking. You name it, I can probably do it half-way. While it is nice that I am a well-rounded person, it is discouraging to not have one task that I can truly feel ownership of.

This has all been changing this year as I have been realizing the possibility that for the first time in my life I do have an art. Call it old-fashioned or something that grandmothers are supposed to do but I love knitting! I have been knitting since I was 12 years old and have tried to push my skills a little bit further with each project I have made. Knitting is my art. It makes me feel alive, creative, and purposeful. When applied to knitting, this quote spurs me on to constantly learn new things and push my self out of my comfort zone. Without this philosophy, I never would have learned many of the techniques I know today.

As much as I feel this quote applies to arts such as knitting, drawing, painting, and sculpting I believe its definition of art can be taken a step further. What if we use this quote as a catalyst to never be content with our role in the world and humanity? If we were to apply this to our jobs, academics, leadership roles, and other community interactions I believe that it could take us a thousand miles. For example, I don’t ever want to be content with the way I am serving my community. I always want to be seeking out rising needs and holes that need to be filled. Just because I have found my “niche” to serve does not mean that I should view the community service vacancy in my life as fulfilled.

I want to encourage you all to constantly be looking for new ways to force yourself into the secrets of life. If you are forever willing to be curious and constantly learn then your life will become richer than ever imaginable.

-Kenz