Last night, I finished a crafts project I'd been working on diligently for 3 months.  It's a baby blanket for some close friends who have just last week welcomed their beautiful baby girl to the world.  I am floating on air with joy at having finished this, one of the most complex crochet patterns I've ever attempted.  And it has me thinking about the spiritual side of crafting.  On this project alone, I struggled with doubt (will I finish? am I doing this right? is my arthritic thumb going to allow me to do this), focused and was mindful (must not lose count of what row I'm on; must follow the pattern), and now am celebrating both the satisfying feeling of doing something hand-made for a dear friend and the joyous reason for the craft, their sweet and lovely daughter.

Do you ever invest meaning into your hobbies like that? I'd love to hear stories! Meanwhile, here's a picture of the baby blanket I made.