Handcrafted gifts for a baby explosion

Seems like everyone I know is pregnant. I have made several baby blankets, now I am tired of making those and have switched to stuffed animals.

Of course along with the gifts comes attending baby showers.

That means, playing the games, drinking that punch (sherbet, pineapple juice and sprite), nuts, mints and cake. After we are all sugar overloaded then it's on to the gifts.

It is amazing the response from giving a handcrafted gift.

1) Opens it up and looks, looks again, is this handmade????

2) Did YOU make this for ME? (OK now I'm the one that knits at work breaks, lunches and tries to slip it in on every occasion that I am idle)

3) Everyone else in the room turns looks, who made that? Points.

4) Then I have a variety of people approach me afterwards.

    a) the beginning knitters, (6th grade was the youngest), this group wants to know pattern, yarn, asks me knitting questions.

    B) the "I wouldn't have the time or patience to do that" but would like to.

    c) there is often one of these, "Well I guess it was cheaper to make it"

    d) and of course the knitter group, grandmothers with gnarled hands, who can't knit anymore or haven't, women that use to knit but are busy with children, jobs etc.., or current knitters that realize that it is the love of doing the knitting that keeps us at it.

Life often gets in the way, we put projects aside, I have put knitting on hold for years before, but always come back to it.

Not matter if we are handcrafting scrapbooks, beading, fiber, yarn or whatever else your heart desires, keep at it. In this time that we live in, where anything we can imagine is available at a superstore, handcrafted items are appreciated, maybe even more than we can imagine.