Control Issues is a versatile free 6 inch pattern where you can make either center, a steering wheel or closed sunflower type, and either edging either lacey towards the center or towards the outside, and includes a devotion on the control issues in our lives. Use any sort of color combination you choose.
Tested and Edited by Carmen Carpenter, Bekah Doughty, and Kelly Youngblood
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft
Hook: H/8 -5.0mm (for other WW use a G/6 4mm)
Abbreviations:
sp or sps- space or spaces
st or sts- stitch or stitches
sl st- slip stitch
ch-chain
beg- beginning
sc-single crochet
dc-double crochet
tr-treble crochet
lp or lps-loop or loops
hk-hook
Special stitches:
Dc3tog—( Yo, insert hook in next st, yo, pull loop through st, yo, pull through 2 loops) 3 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops on the hook, ch 1 to lock st.
Dc4tog—( Yo, insert hook in next st, yo, pull loop through st, yo, pull through 2 loops) 4 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops on the hook, ch 1 to lock st.
Begin J
Ch 4, sl st as ring or use a magic loop.
Rnd 1- Ch 1, 8 sc in the ring, sl st to beg sc. (8 sc)
For the Steering Wheel Center-
Rnd 2- Ch 3 (as beginning dc), ch 2,* dc in next st, ch 2,* repeat from * to * 6 more times, sl st to top of beg ch-3. (8 dc, 8 ch-2 sps)
Rnd 3- Ch 1, 4 sc in each ch-2 sp around the circle, sl st to beg sc. (32 sc)
For the Solid Sunflower Center-
Rnd 2- Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around circle, sl st to top of beg ch-3. (16 dc)
Rnd 3- Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around circle, sl st to beg sc. (32 sc)
Continue for All Options-
Rnd 4- Ch 2, dc3tog, ch 4, *dc4tog, ch 4,* repeat from * to * 6 more times, sl st to top of the first dc3tog. (8 dc4tog, 8 ch-4 sps)
Rnd 5- Ch 1, 6 sc in each ch-4 sp around the circle, sl st to beg sc. (48 sc)
For the Lace closer to the center-
Rnd 6- Ch 4, *sk st, sc in next st, ch 3,* repeat from * to * around the circle, sl st to first ch of beg ch-4. (24 ch-3 sps)
Rnd 7- Ch 1, 3 sc in each ch-3 sp around the circle, sl st to beg sc. (72 sc)
Rnd 8- Ch 4 (counts as tr), *dc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 5 sts, hdc in next 3 sts, dc in next 2 sts, tr in next st, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next st,** tr in next st,* repeat from * to * 3 more times ending at ** the final time, sl st to top of beg ch-4. (24 tr, 4 ch-2 sps, 16 dc, 24 hdc, 20 sc)
For the Lace closer to the outside-
Rnd 6- Ch 4 (counts as tr),* dc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next st, tr in next st, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next st,** tr in next st,* repeat from * to * another 3 times ending at ** the final time, sl st first ch of beg ch-4. (24 tr, 4 ch-2 sps, 8 dc, 16 hdc, 12 sc)
Rnd 7- Ch 1, sc in same st, (ch 3, sk 1 st, sc in next st) 6 times, *ch 3, sc in corner ch-2 sp, ch 3, sc in first st,** (ch 3, sk 1 st, sc in next st) 7 times,* repeat from * to * 2 more times ending at ** the final time, ch 3, sl st to beg sc. (36 ch-3 sps)
Rnd 8- Ch 1, 3 sc in each of the next 7 ch-3 sps, *ch 2, 3 sc in each of the next 9 ch-3 sps,* repeat from * to *2 more times, ch 2, 3 sc in each of the next 2 ch-3 sps, sl st to beg sc. (108 sc, 4 ch-2 sps)
© Copyright July 2012 by Cynthia Boylan, all rights reserved. This pattern, in whole or part, may not be reproduced – mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying -- without the written permission of Cynthia Boylan. Projects made from this pattern may be gifted, swapped or sold. If you use this pattern to sell items on the internet, kindly credit Cynthia Boylan as the designer.
Control Issues
You feel like you need to be in control of every part of your life- or maybe you can give over MOST of your life to God, but there is still a part that you need to hold on to, need to control.
From the beginning- God was in control of creation. One of my favorite verses in creation is this.. Genesis 1:14 “And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning- the fourth day." To me- this puts a picture in my head. He SET the stars- putting them each in their own specific spot. It makes me think of setting a picture in just the right spot. How we hang it and then walk a few steps back and look at it, wondering if it is in the best place and then tweaking a corner here or there to make sure that it hangs straight. It also states that God saw that it was good. How many times do I do something to just finish the task, not caring if it is good or not- just wanting to check it off of my list. With each and every day of creation, God made sure it was good- He had to make everything last the test of time. Everything that we make wears out or rots, or is thrown away in our disposable society. Nothing that He makes is thrown away. Nothing that He makes is junk- everything is good.
In the book of Job- he has suffered some severe trials in his life. His friends and wife are giving him counsel, trying to reason out his sufferings and offer solutions. I love the Lord’s response- all of chapters 38-41. Job 38:12-13 “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn it’s place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?” God shows His power and His knowledge of His creation because He made it that way. Job 39:13-18 “The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them. She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense. Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.” He knows and cares about it all from calling the morning into being to the characteristics of one of the many birds that He created- to the very number of hairs on our heads! Luke 12:7 “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Most of us don’t even have a clue how many hairs are on our heads(there are a few exceptions)- but God knows about each and every one. He knows us intimately- more intimately than we know ourselves. In Job 40:9-14 “ Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like His? Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor, and clothe yourself in honor and majesty. Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low, look at every proud man and humble him, crush the wicked where they stand. Bury them all in the dust together; shroud their faces in the grave. Then I Myself will admit to you that your own right hand can save you.” We ourselves can do none of those things- in our own power, so how is it that we think that we can save ourselves by trying to control a situation?
In Luke 22:42 Jesus gives control to the Father over His life and purpose, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” He has given Himself to the purpose the Father had for Him- aren’t you glad that He became an example of giving God control and died for our sins? Jesus knew that He could trust His Father and that He only had His people’s best interests in mind- because of the unity between the Father and Son.
But HOW do we give up control? I know many times that we think that we give Him control and lay something on the altar- only to pick it back up again. I think that the answer lays in the word TRUST. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Trust may be hard in the world that we live in, however if anyone is worthy of our trust- it would be the One who fashioned every part of our being. Knowing and remembering that He is worthy of trust- He knows the most intimate details about us and of all His creation- knowing more of any situation than we do ourselves will make it easier to trust in Him. Continue to pray and give it to Him every time that the situation enters your mind. Seek the Lord about fasting and dig into His Word about trust.
Psalm 107:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”
