Mission Mandala: Complete!

Last year it was Granny Triangle Madness and this year it was Mandala Mania courtesy of Lucy at Attic 24.  Just like last year I was only too happy to participate in this bit of hooky happiness. This year darling Lucy threw her fans a bit of a curve ball. She gave us a deadline of early June. I panicked.  I am still new to crochet, and I am very slow at it. I am also taking a College Algebra course this summer, add in taking care of the Bumper and I had some serious doubts as to my ability to finish this little project on time.  Nevertheless, drum roll please, I did it I finished my Mandala.

My mandala is far from perfect, in fact it is little lopsided. About with two rounds  left to go I suddenly realized I was using US terms and the pattern is written in UK terms. ARIGHT! I contemplated ripping everything out and starting over, but it had taken me three weeks to complete ten rounds. Then I stopped and looked at the emerging wheel and I decided  I liked the way it looked and I had had fun making it, so I went ahead finished using the correct terms. In the grand scheme of things it only matters that this is the best I have to offer and I enjoyed creating the mandala.

The question begs to be asked: Why bother? Well I bother not because it is for charity, or a noble cause, although that would be nice, but because sometimes amidst all the hatred and violence in the world it is good to put something in the world that is solely for the purpose of adding beauty. The world needs beauty. The human soul years for it. In Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian spirituality the Mandala form is a way to connect with the divine center and reach outward. I like that. When I make something with my hands I do it with love so I am sending love and beauty out into the world and what is more divine than love and beauty? By participating in Lucy's Yarn-dale, even though I will probably never visit the Yorkshire Dales in far away England, I feel connected to other crafters. We have all sent her our separate items and by doings so we have all become connected. Lucy may not ever meet every one the people who participate, but she holds a piece of us in her hands. How cool is that? Pretty nifty if you ask me.

Kim