Make Something and Give It Away

I am no speed knitter. Knitting these stuffed animal toys takes me a couple weeks. It can also be hard to find the time to do it but I look forward to the moments where I can knit these critters up. It is a labor of love. I think about the children who will get these toys and it gives me motivation.

But I admit that when I finish I think to myself, "What if I kept it?" I put so much work into it I become afraid to give it away and a part of me thinks that the person I give it to won't appreciate all that work. But I remember that the point of making for me is to give. There is joy in the making and there is tremendous joy in the giving. I started knitting for the same reason why I cook, bake, write, sew, paint, craft--I want to share it with others.

I'm trying to wake up each morning asking myself, "What can I give? What can I make for others?"

Today's answer was a little stuffed bird, so I'm off to try my hands at that.

Happy Making, y'all!

Note: The animals shown here come from the book Itty-Bitty Toys by Susan B. Anderson and I've learned to make stuffed animals from two Craftsy classes: The (Not So) Itty-Bitty Giraffe and Amigurumi: Woodland Animals