A Handmade Gift

So many of the gifts Matt and I have received are special, adorable, and incredibly generous.  We are truly honored to be so well loved and could possibly never be able to show our appreciation to all of those who have dug into their pockets and taken time out of their busy day to search for a special gift to help in our journey as first time parents.  It would be nearly impossible to thank everyone for their thoughtfulness, but I couldn't pass up the chance to highlight a particular item. 

BEHOLD!  This is not just a hat.  Said hat is the first hat knitted by a librarian friend of mine who found the pattern from a Harry Potter knitting book.  Yes, librarians are nerdy, but we all think we're cool.  As a fellow knitter I can tell you that this gift is special.  Not just because it came from a good friend, who is a librarian, but because I knit and have yet to create anything for my own offspring.

Have you ever hand made an item for someone?  As a knitter, let me tell you, it can be the world's biggest pain.  By the time you finish, one typically goes through a series of feeling and emotions.  A person first feels elation at creating an amazing item, which is promptly waved in the air and shown to everyone the creator knows within a 20 foot radius and maybe even a few strangers.  After this, a wave of relief passes through the creator.  The long, long process comes to an end.  This is frequently recognized by rewarding oneself with a decadent treat, such as a beverage or chocolate.  During or after consumption begins another stage wherein the creator begins to complain about the time spent working on the item.  Sure, it is time, but that timeline started when a person begins searching for the perfect pattern, hopping from one store to another, looking at five shades of the same color with varying amounts of wool or mohair and the non-crafter you brought with you is typically unhelpful since they are unable to see the different qualities of each yarn that would make it a good candidate for the carefully selected pattern.  We will return to the complaining stage where the creator promises to never forge another gift from their hands.  Except we do.  We both enjoy and dread times when someone passes an item to us to repair or a request a particular item for a gift giving event.  I do find knitting fun, but just as with any project or event, there is a piece that fits the puzzle perfectly and it MUST be found, because when you create an item, a piece of you, a piece of your soul, is placed into that item.  Dare I say, it is a Horcrux?