Just Keep Knitting: a journey of healing through forgiveness, faith, and fibre
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I wouldn't blame you for looking at that title and thinking to yourself, "hey, one of
these things is not like the others!" Each chapter of the book tells part of my story: the death of my infant daughter, the challenges my husband and I faced as we wrestled with the personality changes wrought by the unseen brain tumor , his diagnosis, illness and death, and then the unbelievable chaos that followed his passing. The book includes my reflections on the ways in which I have found forgiveness both for myself and for others, on the faith that has seen me through the journey, and, yes, on the fibre that has helped with my healing. Knitting is a very grounding and comforting craft, as the many people who pick up their needles in times of stress will attest. I have designed projects to accompany each part of the story: projects that are easy to customize, so they can serve as an inspiration to your own healing work. Even if you don't knit, I hope that the projects in the book will inspire you to use your own creative outlet to help work your way out of the difficult places in life. |
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Great! How do I get a copy?Order your copy right here! The books have, at long last, arrived from the printer and we are ready to start shipping copies out! Can you feel the excitement? I am just amazed at how cool it is to have boxes of books with my name on the cover, my story and my designs inside, all here, ready to be sent out to readers and knitters around the world.Shipping and taxes are included in the price: just select the appropriate destination and complete your purchase on the PayPal site. If you want multiple copies, you'll have a chance to update the total quantity later in the process. |
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| If you'd like your copy signed, just leave a note in the 'notes to seller' box on the checkout page ... I'd be honoured. | ||
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Preordered books will be in the mail by Friday, February 17, and other orders should be in the mail
within two days of receiving your order.
After that it's up to Canada Post: most likely
books will arrive at Canadian destinations within a week, in the US within 2 weeks, and overseas within 3, but that's just a
ballpark. If you think it's been too long, send a note and we'll see what we can do to track it down. |
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How about instant delivery to your eBook reader or your computer?The book is already availabale in electronic format, so if you have a Kobo, Kindle, iPad or other eBook reader you are in luck! Get your copy now for just $8.99 from Smashwords, or, check your favourite online bookstore: thus far, the distribution process has made it as far as Kobo, Chapters, and the iTunes Bookstore and other retailers should be catching up soon! | ||
Why does Just Keep Knitting belong on your bookshelf?This is a book with lots to offer: in addition to a compelling story and thought-provoking meditations that are accessible to a broad range of faith traditions, there are also seven easily customized knitting patterns. Among the projects are a big comfy wrap with pockets to ward off the chills of grief, a diamond lace scarf to wear for strength and courage in difficult situations, and a soft pillow to call to mind a sense of home and safety. All of the knitting projects are accessible to knitters with a little bit of experience, and are flexible so that knitters can personalize their projects and use the materials that suit them best. To see more pictures and get details of the projects, check out the book's page on Ravelry.Of course, Just Keep Knitting is far more than a pattern book. You can read an excerpt from the Faith section of Chapter 2: Change in the blog post titled Prayers from a Healing Heart. You can also download the first 20% of the book as a free sample: just click here. |
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How did this book come to be, anyway?If you follow the blog, you may have read Listen, posted in March of 2011. That was the beginning of my writing journey: I discovered that by telling the story of what had happened in my life, not just in my journal but posted out in the wide world where other people could read it, I felt better.A lot better. Not long afterwards, the outline for an entire book appeared in my head more or less out of the blue: all the chapters, the content, the shape of the tale. I know an important message when I hear one … so, I started writing. I've been dealing with delayed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder since the early months of 2011. The anxiety, sleeplessness, and ongoing chest pains are the legacy of the chaos that took over my life when my first husband's brain tumour took hold and turned him into a stranger with a familiar face. During and after his illness I had so much on my plate that I just kept on pushing through life: oh, I acknowledged that things were difficult and I did what I could to deal with the pain and loss and grief, but there wasn't a lot of room in my life for that kind of work. I had a child to raise, bills to pay, a life to rebuild. The old troubles were tucked away in the hopes that time would heal the wounds without any further input from me. Well, time alone didn't do it, in the past several months I have done a lot of work facing the old hurts and finding my way along the difficult road to forgiveness and healing. This book is the result of that work. It is my hope that the story of my past, combined with the reflections on forgiveness, faith and fibre (knitting is indeed a healing art) will shine a light of hope so that perhaps, someday, there might be just enough light for someone else to find a way out of the dark. Just Keep Knitting is scheduled for release on February 14, 2012 - if you'd like to be notified of the official book release, just send us a note by email. Until the books come out … just keep knitting! Blessings and peace, Lonna |
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