Why Angel Foot and Our Team

Angel Foot was born out of need, a need to create, a need for a reason to create, a need to fill a need in our community. My team and I had just finished knitting and crocheting 110 baby hats for a nation wide project called Click For Babies. Click For Babies supplied mothers of newborns with a cute handmade purple hat, information on a phenomena called the "purple cry"and literature on Shaken Baby Syndrome. We had so much fun making these hats that we started actively looking for our next project and though we found many worthy causes they were so far away from our own community and with so much need right here we decided to start Angel Foot. Here we are in our infancy looking for people like us. People that care about people and care about community, people that want to help. We hope this somehow sparks something in you and you will want to join us in this mission. Even if you're not crafty, but still want to help I am sure we can find something for you to do.

Now, why Angel Foot. When I was a little girl my mom called me Angel Foot and not just me, but all babies it was a term of endearment she held close. She believed in angels and believed they walked the earth, she believed that to serve people was important and if you were so blessed you may end up serving an angel someday. Sadly my mothers lack of confidence kept her from putting herself out in the community very much, She served in her church teaching Sunday school and that made her happy and she loved her neighbors, she belonged to several Bible studies and was quite close to the women she studied with. It was my dad that spent time out with people. He was very gregarious and everyone who knew him loved him. If he caught a fish, he ate half and gave half away, if his crab pot was full he cooked them and gave half away, if someone was alone on the holidays he fed them. My dad found good in everyone and if he couldn't find something good to say or do he said nothing. I hope that Angel Foot honors them and I hope it honors our community.

           
 My name is Kim, my husband calls me Kimberly as do a couple of close friends, but most people call me Kim. I am a mom of four beautiful daughters and blissfully, a grandmother of eleven. How that happened still blows me away. I am an avid knitter, maybe too avid if you ask my husband, but I love the feel of yarn and needles what else can I say. I try and live by loving my neighbors and not just those that live next door. I am a little like my mom in that I am not very good in big groups. I just seem to get a bit uncomfortable in those situations, but I love small group and one on one conversations. I love knowing someones story, what circumstance brought them to where they are now. I don't know if that makes me nosy, but I like to know people on that level.  My mom always quoted the Bible and every morning was started with a devotional reading and whatever verse went with that reading. I wish I had paid more attention. It was really important to her, but I guess I didn't see the cool factor then, but I get it now. It was important to her that her family know and love the Lord. When she was at Hospice dying her pastor asked her if she needed anything and she told him that knowing all her children knew Christ was all she needed she was happy. Quite a testament to belief. I kind of got off subject sorry. She told me these two things often; Mark 12: 30-31 Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (31) The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. And Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
You don't have to be affiliated with a church to join Angel Foot. Not all of our team attends church on a regular basis. What Angel Foot wants to accomplish is to show love through the work of our hands and our hearts. I believe that every girl and woman wants to look and feel pretty, but maybe circumstance has taken that ability away from her, so if putting on a hat or scarf made by one of our members makes her feel pretty then we have accomplished our goal. If a mommy wraps her baby in a blanket made by us and she is happy that her baby is warm we have given her love. If a man is cold and he feels warmth from an Angel Foot hat we have shown love without judgment.
I hope you will join us to show our community that there are good people who want to show them love and acceptance. What an amazing gift to someone who feels alone and on the outside.   

Enough about me lets talk about Jessica next...

Jessica always has something in her hands, babies, yarn, paper, or something from her kitchen. She is an Origami master and has taught her daughters how to fold paper like no other, she loves being in the kitchen, but it was her girls that brought crochet to her. Iris, her oldest and Lily, her middle daughter bought her a book on crochet when she was pregnant with Hazel so she could teach herself to make a blanket for the new baby. That was all it took pretty soon Jazzie was making hats, blankets, purses, sweaters, dolls, you name it she was making it. 
Jessica is the one you want to call when you are in need. She is the first one to ask if someone needs dinner made for them or how she can help, so when Click For Babies came up Jess was happy to start crocheting. I think she had two hats made before I had even decided what hat I wanted to knit. When we were done with that project and looking for others Jess was right there looking for someone to help out. When I brought up the idea of Angel Foot she was on board right away. As her mom, I rely on her for so much, as a team member I know that Jess will do whatever she can to help anyone in need. When I asked Jess why she wanted to be a part of Angel Foot she said because there is so much need in our community and she wants to help. All of Jazzies daughters are very creative too and I know that they will be a part of Angel Foot as soon as they can. Jess is married to her high school sweetheart Brian. We feel really blessed that Brian is part of our family. He and Jess together are two people that go above and beyond to help anyone. Jess is a great addition to Angel Foot I am so happy to share this with her. 

And now Collette; Collette is a dear friend that I know I can count on for whatever may come my way. She was sweet enough to write her own bio, but I will add that she is a great mama to her awesome kids and she is married to Les, who is also a great helper of people. Les is a deacon in their church and he is there to help anyone. They are special friends and I am so blessed to get to share this journey with them both.

Growing up I watched my mom and two aunts sew. My mom was always working on a crochet project in the evenings. I started crocheting at age eight and sewing by the time I was ten. As an adult I started paper crafting and just this year I learned how to knit. I love getting together with other crafter's and sharing skills and learning new things, so when the idea of Angel Foot came about I couldn't think of a more satisfying way to do what I enjoy and at the same time I get to help others.

Being blessed with abilities and knowing the growing need for items we can make puts us in the position to not only provide these items, but to pray for the recipient's as well. I think of the passage in Matthew 25:35-40 where Jesus is questioned of when He was provided for and His reply was "I tell you in truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

When I am making an item for Angel Foot, I pray for the health, physical and spiritual well being for each brother or sister that will receive this item. I may never meet this person but the words on my heart are similar to the words in Hebrews 13:1 & 2 Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Collette

So this is Angel Foot Handmade, who we are, what we are trying to provide and why we are working to provide it. I hope this inspires you to join us. We need you all to make this work. May you be blessed over and over again,

Kim

Basic Socks

I thought just for fun I would post a basic sock pattern. This is a pattern I wrote by combining my favorite patterns and then "tweeking" them to make one pattern that worked for me. I use this pattern to teach sock making. It's easy and almost always provides a good outcome. 

Happy knitting.

BASIC SOCKS

You Will Need

100g of sock weight yarn

1 set (4-5) size #2 or #3 double pointed needles ( I prefer bamboo for making socks )

small crochet hook for picking up stitches (Optional)

Stitch marker

Darning needle

On three size 2 or 3 needles loosely cast on 60 stitches. Arrange 20 stitches on each needle. Join being careful not to twist stitches. (I cast on onto two needles held together making a bigger cast on edge so it has a bit more stretch. I also cast on one extra stitch for joining.) Place marker for beginning of round. Work in knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for 4-6 inches. Optional: you can also work in stockinette (knit every round) for desired length of one or more inches however ribbing makes a more stretchy cuff.

Heel

Divide stitches as follows: 1st Needle 30 stitches for heel 2nd and 3rd Needles 15 stitches each. Working on 1st needle only and heel stitches always slip first stitch knitwise when knitting, knit one row, turn, slip one purlwise, purl one, repeat sl 1, p 1 to the end of row. Repeat these two rows until heel measures two-three inches.

To Turn Heel  (Short Rows)

Begin turning heel on wrong side as follows:

• sl1, p16, p2 together (p2tog), p 1, turn
• sl1,  k5, slip slip knit (ssk), k1, turn
• sl1, p6, p2tog, p1, turn
• sl1, k 7, ssk, k1, turn

Continue in this fashion (p8, k9, p10, k11, etc.) until there are 18 stitches on needle

Gusset

With right side of garment on outside and working to the left, pick up stitches on side of heel (1st). Knit stitches from the 2nd and 3rd needle onto one needle (2nd). Pick up stitches on the other side of heel and an extra 9 stitches from 1st needle (3rd).

• 1st Needle:  a. Knit to within 3 stitches of end k2tog, k1
• 2nd Needle: b. Knit
• 3rd Needle:  c. K1, sl1, k1, Pass slipped stitch over (psso), knit to end
•                    d. Next round knit all needles plain.

Repeat a,b,c,d until there are 15 stitches on 1st needle, 30 stitches on 2nd needle and 15 stitches on 3rd needle. Then knit plain until foot measures 7 inches from back of heel (average size), or apx. 2 inches less than desired length.

Shaping Toe

• 1st Needle: Knit to within 3 stitches of end k2tog, k1
• 2nd Needle: k1, sl1, k1, psso, knit to within 3 stitches of end k2tog, k1
• 3rd Needle: k1, sl1, k1,  psso, knit to end

Decrease every other row until there are 6 stitches on 1st , 12 stitches on 2nd and 6 stitches on 3rd needles. Move stitches from 3rd needle to 1st needle. Break yarn leaving a 12 inch tail, thread onto darning needle.

Kitchener Stitch

With wrong sides together hold needles parallel to each other with tail coming from the back needle thread purlwise into front needle, then knitwise into back needle. Now pull thread knitwise into front needle at the same time pull thread from needle, thread purlwise into front needle, then purlwise into back needle while pulling stitch from needle. Next thread knitwise through back needle, knitwise through front needle remove stitch, Continue, remembering k in back, knit in front remove stitch, purl in front, purl in back remove stitch k, k, p, p. When all stitches have been removed from needle secure on inside of toe and weave in ends.  

Terms

k- knit

p- purl

sl- slip stitch from left needle to right without working

k2tog- knit two stitches together knitwise

p2tog- purl 2 stitches together purlwise

psso- pass slipped stitch over

ssk- slip, slip, knit slip stitches from left needle to right knitwise, then back to left needle purlwise, then knit both stitches together in the back loop.