counting my blessings

i work for a theatrical costumes shop. i spend my days stitching, as well as serving as the resident milliner. some days are more challenging than others. sometimes there's a particularly fussy alteration that i don't want to touch with a 10 foot pole, but the work must be done. and i suppose no one loves their job all the time. heck, i'm sure there are plenty of people who don't love their jobs at all! so even in my more cranky moments, i remember how fortunate i am.

i was pondering this recently because i had some free time, and what did i choose to do with it? i made a lap quilt. and crocheted some baby hats. and brushed up on some crochet embellishing technique. 

and that's how it always seems to go.

my co-workers find themselves doing similar things. what did you do this weekend? oh, i found a great new pattern for a skirt/softie/quilt. in our spare time, we make baby gifts. we make sock monkeys. we make new pillow covers for the sofa. we show up on monday with new crafting magazines and knitting books. so even when there's downtime, we keep making. and it's not limited to fabric and fiber based objects, we all cook and bake and even make preserves and pickles. we have long conversations about recipes and seasoning and infusing vodka with delightful flavors. but that's another story...

ultimately, i realized that i'm in the incredibly fortunate position of doing for a living what i love to do in my spare time. my boyfriend is the happy recipient of blocked straw and felt hats, handknit socks and fingerless gloves. my friends can always expect a custom made just for them handmade gift for the holidays or their birthdays. i used to say it was a way of being able to be generous even though i often don't have a lot to spend on gifts, but that's not really the reason. it's more about this uncontrollable compulsion to make. followed by the compulsion to share.

i'm incredibly fortunate. i'm also incredibly grateful to be around people of similar mind who encourage and feed the desire to constantly learn more. i suspect most crafty people have had that uncomfortable conversation with someone who is a non-maker where they look at you like you're weird or insane for spending hours and hours knitting a pair of socks. or like you're some sort of medieval alchemist because you put some tea in a bottle of vodka, mixed it with sugar water and created sweet tea cordial. i suppose i shouldn't be too exasperated. after all, we live in a world where the 'how it's made' aspect of our everyday objects is unfathomably difficult to comprehend to many people. and the idea of spending lots of time making something seems pointless when you can just go buy a 6 pack of socks from target. but as all crafty folks know, that's not the point.

the joy is in the process. and for me, it's also in the sense of wonder that comes with tapping into a techniques that goes back generations. it's almost like it's in my DNA. and it just feels good.

so on my crankiest days, when the subway wasn't running well and i have a rack full of alterations to tackle, i'll try to remember: i like this work. i use my hands and i solve problems. and when i'm done, i can step back and say, 'well, that looks lovely'. and i can take pride in what i do.

and then, i can spend my lunch break making a sock monkey.