The other day I was feeling somewhat ‘meh‘ and decided I needed to do something that would brighten my mood. I was not in the mood to sew, and still didn’t have the desire to sit down and knit or crochet, so was working on some organizing tasks.

During my organizing, I noticed 2 small Octopi that I had crocheted about a year ago and got an idea. It wasn’t my original idea, as I’ve seen things similar to this online and around at craft shows, but it was an idea that intrigued me. The next day after attending one of our local Fiber group meets, I swung by a ‘dollar‘ store and picked up a small container as well as some mixed color green glass “stones” which are found in floral arranging departments.

I was absolutely giddy at how cute it turned out (featured photo above) and took it to my office the next day to sit among my US Navy memorabilia, which includes a couple much larger octopi that I crocheted back when I was on that kick.

The amount of joy I got from putting together and then displaying that silly, little decoration was seriously out of proportion to the things we USUALLY take into account when seeking joy.

Taking into consideration the span of its tentacles, that pink octopus was about the diameter of a silver dollar (I had made it and a couple others last year and then moved on to other crafting projects) and the green glass “stones” and the plastic container cost $1.25 each. The results? – a simple, yet delightful, pleasure.

Several years ago I was on an octopus-crocheting craze. I’m not sure why, but suspect I was partially intrigued by their curly “legs” (tentacles) and how cute they were. I ended up making a number of them for family and for myself.

My youngest granddaughter ended up with the GIANT one in the photo, just above. I say “giant” because it DWARFS my other Octopus creations with a head larger than a basketball. It remains a fixture among her toys as she is a big fan of The Little Mermaid, who herself has an abundance of sea creatures as her friends. I sometimes find it challenging to shop for her on birthdays and other occasions, so I often make something themed to accompany her interests. I made this guy out of thick, Bernat blanket yarn and a Q hook.

He is the LARGEST (to date,…!) of my crocheted octopus friends. He’s ALSO one that I’m very proud of! As it was in progress I was unsure as to whether it would come together as I had imagined, but it did!

Prior to the GIANT pink one, I had made a number of others, sized from the tiny one in the small container with the green stones – up to ones that are a little less than half the size of the pink giant.

Pictured below are 2 of those mid-sized ones that went to my daughter (she named hers “Jimi Hendrix” – guess which one that was!!??!) and the red, black and gray one to another grandchild. Most of the others I made are smaller and some are even keychain sized.

As someone who loves the ocean, spent time as a Sailor in the US Navy, and enjoys the fiber arts, I know I will continue to find joy in creating sea creatures and similar forms in yarn. In fact, on my list of upcoming projects are something my daughter-in-law recently sent me in photos from their vacation: crocheted shells to hold the remote for the TV!

In the aftermath of finding joy, I sometimes get a feeling of “now what am I going to do with this?” Giving to others is ONE answer, and creating a delightful decoration – for myself or for others – is another.

Ancient wise folk knew and understood (2 different things) that JOY comes from the simplest things in life. In today’s retail-frenzied culture, we often have to remind ourselves of that wisdom.

The truest forms of joy do not come from BIG, EXPENSIVE things. It most often shows up in the faces of those we love, but it also sneaks into our lives in the form of silly little projects that capture our fancy for a moment. I call that “joy finding” – and have come to appreciate it as a gift when it happens.

Happy joy-finding to all!

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