Lyn Briggs Designs

In the lead up to this year’s Summer of Stitching with the Bakery Bears podcast, Kay recalled the 2025 Summer of Stitching. The theme was Pooh Bear, and the projects were a blanket called Hundred Acre Wood, a large project bag, and a slow-stitching tag to embellish the bag. I did start the blanket, but life was hectic and I didn’t finish it or start the other projects.

When Kay showed the finished blanket on her podcast, I was inspired to take my own blanket out from its hiding place.

Scrap Yarn …

The blanket consists of 2” mitred squares knit in 4ply sock yarns. Each square uses approx. 3 grams of yarn making it a perfect scrap project. Last year I knit ten squares before putting it away but after considering the small pieces of sock yarn in my stash, I’ve decided to knit the blanket after all.

However, it’s going to be a long, long, long-term project which I think will be perfect to work on when I want to knit but not on my current project. Sometimes it’s good to have a break and work on something small.

I’m determined not to put any pressure on myself to get it finished. I just want to enjoy the making. I’m confident that I will eventually have a finished blanket to enjoy..

Project Bag…

Not only am I going to work on the blanket, but I’m planning to make a tote bag to store the blanket in progress. I will use Kay’s bag as inspiration but will put my own ‘spin’ on it.

In the meantime, I’m using a project bag made in the 2023 Summer of Stitching (I think that’s right) when the theme was the Beach, and we cross-stitched a design that was then featured on the project bag.

I’ve put some of my small 4ply yarn scraps in the bag (some were left-over from my 2025 Advent Cowl) to knit into squares and I’m looking forward to seeing how it progresses.

Restored …

In one of her books, Lisa Bevere said that the Bible character she most identified with was the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well (John 4:1–42). In the same way that Jesus spoke into that woman’s life He also spoke into Lisa’. She challenged readers to consider which character they could identify with. For me, it is the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25-34).

The TV show The Chosen, portrays so well the woman’s anguish, isolation, and shame caused, not by anything that she had done, but because of her condition that deemed her unclean.  She wasted money seeking healing from doctors and was rejected by her family, culture, and religion. She was an outsider living in fear and shame, with no way of changing her position until that day, when in desperation she reached out and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. 

I may not have had a physical ailment, but like the woman, I was full of shame and fear. Ashamed because I never felt good enough, and afraid that if people knew who I really was they would reject me. I tried to keep ‘under the radar’ and worked hard to be ‘perfect’ so I wouldn’t be noticed, but inevitably, I failed and the shame and fear would overwhelm me. I too was desperate for change.

As Jesus walked through a crowd, with everyone jostling to see Him, the woman crawled on the ground so no one would see her and reached out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment believing that one touch would heal her. It did; but she got more than she asked for because Jesus felt her touch, stopped and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” (Mark 5:30) No one answered so He asked again, “Who touched me?”  In fear, the woman told Him her story and Jesus said to her: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” (Mark 5:34)

At that moment, Jesus restored her not only physically but in every way. She was transformed from a woman rejected by her family and culture to a daughter of the King.

That’s what happened to me. When I reached out in faith to Jesus, He set me free from the shame and fear that bound me and welcomed me into His family.  I no longer have to try to be ‘good enough’ because by His death and resurrection, He exchanged my unrighteousness with His righteousness.  Shame has no power over me because He bore it on the cross and I don’t have to live in fear because “…perfect love casts out fear.” (1John 4:18)

Now, when I read the story of that woman, I give thanks for what Jesus has done for both of us.

Until next time

Lyn