To Channel a Purse

My Grand mother taught me to crochet when I was in highschool. It was an amazing afternoon. The Saturday after Thanksgiving I went and made fruitcakes with her to hand out to family for Christmas. During the cook times... she got out a hook and some yarn and taught me something that she loved. I was a knitter my mom had taught me at an early age.. and it is said that people can do one or the other well, typically not both. My first attempt at crochet was a dish cloth and true to typical first time crochet I made a triangle because I forgot to chain when turning. My mother kept it even though I have since given her much better cloths to use. I suppose now that I have children of my own I understand. I have sitting on my shelf over my sink a couple of pieces of decorated packing peanuts.... and I will keep them until they dissolve because of who they were made by and how proud that little lady was to hand it to me. 

My granny passed in September of 2014. It was ... a blow to me. She was 90... I knew it was coming. We all did. But that didn't change the fact that I had somehow convinced myself that she would live forever. and I would have been glad to have it that way. Since she passed my fingers have itched to pick up crochet. I have some nerve issues in my hands... they come and go. Some days I can crochet for hours... some days I can't hold a pen very well. Last Fall those issues hit a pinnacle of suckiness and I could not crochet like I wanted. By spring I was back to mostly normal and able to knit and crochet again THANK GOD... because any one who knows me... knows that is my way of keeping sane. 

Our church is having an Auction and as my arms and hands have been pretty good lately... I decided that I would crochet some potholders. But what happened was drastically different than I had expected. I sat down to make potholders and started to hear a little  voice in my head telling me that I should do this and this to change the pattern. The next thing I realized is that... this was no longer a pot holder... it was instead a purse, and as I was listening and following the instructions that were being given to me it was unfolding PERFECTLY... not ONE error. You must understand... as much as I love to crochet I still end up with meandering edges and weird shaped stitches. I WANT to be good at it... but... well I certainly am not as good as I would LIKE TO be... until recently. As I follow these whispered instructions I am turning out purses that are perfect without needing to rip it out. The other thing that happened was that... as I was crocheting this purse... a name was given to me... and I knew with no hesitation that the purse was intended to GO TO THAT PERSON. I wanted to rebel... because I was making these things for the church auction... which... I eventually DID do... but I was filled with the certainty that THIS purse was intended for a specific person... with a specific purpose. I mailed the first one to a friend... who wrote back that I had MADE HER DAY... and that getting something like that was EXACTLY what she needed that day as she had just lost a friend. I finished that first purse and sat down to make a potholder. DAMMIT JIM.... I was donating a POTHOLDER. It happened again. This purse was a different pattern... and once again it was "whispered" in my ear and as I followed the instructions that were given a PERFECT purse unfolded. And as that purse unfolded the individual who I was supposed to send the purse to was told to me. INTERESTING this time... it was not a name or a picture of a face like it was the time before... this time it was " Her birthday is next week" And I KNEW... I just KNEW who that was. I finished that purse and then I picked out another yarn and started what I KNEW this time was going to be a purse.... and yet again it was a DIFFERENT PATTERN and Once again it was PERFECTLY executed. This time... I heard... a tsk sound before my name that I knew with out a doubt and " Melissa... your mom is going to love this one." OH Granny... you must be missing crochet is all I can say... because you are working my hands in a CRAZY way. I am mid-crochet on a 4th purse... and this one... is yet again different... and I have no doubt will be PERFECT... and this one is for " the vegetable girl" A person who I knew immediately by the description... and so... as soon as it is finished it will be mailed to said " vegetable girl." 

For the record... I remember the patterns that I have been given... and I have made... purses for the church auction rather than potholders. When I told people at church about the experience one of the ladies said " We all know about Chanel purses... but this is the first CHANNELED purse." And you know what... that may be the case... as a medium and a Spiritualist I know that this is an expression of God... and I am so very grateful for this inspiration in my life. Pictured... are photos of the purses that I have donated for auction at church.... it is a facebook auction... if you are interested in having a channeled purse... go on over to the facebook page for Spiritualist Chapel in the Woods... there is time... the auction will start in September.