What’s the Point?

size=”3″ face=”Times New Roman”>For those of you who don’t
know, I live with a Muggle who has a very Dursley-ish attitude towards
magic (read Harry Potter) and toward everything that is not deeply rooted
in practical reality. I guess you could say that opposites attact!!

size=”3″ face=”Times New Roman”>In any case, my beloved Muggle
has often asked me what the point of crafting was. I guess he keeps
asking because he just won’t accept my reasoning. To him, construction/renovation
is perfectly OK (he owns a construction/renovation company). After all,
you start with an old kitchen, strip everything and rebuild so that
in the end, you have a brand new kitchen. You start with an unfinished
basement, and once you’re done, there’s a floor, rooms, maybe a
bathroom, etc. And no matter how many times I tell him that there are
useless renovations (repainting the house in new colors every year,
stripping a perfectly functional bathroom just because, etc.), he still
thinks that most renovations are useful, whereas crafts is just something
that takes space, makes you waste your money and is completely useless.
If you want a sweater, you should just go to the store and buy one.
Same goes for whatever else you might think of crafting.

size=”3″ face=”Times New Roman”>So, what IS the point of crafting
really?! Well first of all, for me, crafting is a means of relaxing.
It’s almost meditation, because while I’m concentrating on my knitting
stitches or my next scrapbooking layout, I forget about my job, the
bills I have to pay, people that have annoyed me, etc. Then again, some
might say that other hobbies, such as reading, produce the same effect,
and I couldn’t agree more. However, crafting also allows you a creative
outlet, a way to express your individuality to the fullest. There’s
no boss hovering behind your shoulder to tell you that technically,
a witch’s hat should be colored black. If you want it red with yellow
dots, it’s perfectly OK!

size=”3″ face=”Times New Roman”>And then, let’s face it¦
There are things you simply can’t buy in a store! I dare anyone who’s
a book Ravenclaw to find a blue and bronze scarf out there. You might
find one, but you’re probably gonna search for a long time! And if
you want a Molly sweater like the ones Dragonsinger makes, well you’re
gonna have to pay someone¦ to craft one (or to be lucky enough to
have a friend as wonderful as said Dragonsinger give you one). Crafting
is very useful when whatever you want to have simply isn’t available
in regular stores.

size=”3″ face=”Times New Roman”>But beyond the fact that everything
is so unique, there’s the fact that every piece you give or receive
is imbued with love. When you craft things for someone else, you’re
always thinking of the person for whom you are crafting while you’re
working on every single detail, wondering if they’d prefer things
this way or that way, etc. And as for receiving, well¦ If your mom
gives you a pair of socks that aren’t the right color, you might drop
them in a Goodwill bin at first chance without glancing back. But when
you receive a Lumos lap blanket from hp5freak or the cutest little dragon
from As_Weasley_as_I_wannabe, not to mention Quietish’s lovely raddish
earrings and wee owl, you admire them, run your finger over each and
every minute detail, marveling how everything looks so awesome, and
you treasure what you’ve been given.

size=”3″ face=”Times New Roman”>So in short, while I love my
dear Muggle to the core, this is just something we’ve both agreed
to disagree on. I love crafting, and he just has to live with it while
he renovates the house!

Crafty Witch Josée