After getting out several of my unfinished projects, I had to decide which one to work on first.

The mom in me wanted to finish the rug for my oldest son.

The newly minted half-centenarian in me wanted to finish the Go-go granny dress.

The former math teacher in me wanted to get to work on the permutations afghan.

The good swapper in me wanted me to get right on the African flower hexagon motifs that I am in arrears and owe to other swappers so that I would not become what is known as a “bad swapper.”

To that end, I began by weaving in any loose ends on the motifs I had begun and then completed any remaining rounds.

By the time it was late afternoon, I had accumulated these:

I can’t identify exactly what it is that brings me such equanimity when I work on hexagons, but the power of the hexagon is not something new. Last spring, a classmate from high school went to Tunisia on a vacation. While she was there, she snapped this photo:

This was just weeks after my first encounter with the African flower hexagon, and at the time I was struck by the fact that the siren call of the hexagon spans so many centuries, continents, and cultures.

As for my current work, in addition to the unfinished projects I showcased yesterday, I need to prepare to teach other members of the crochet guild to which I belong how to make the African flower hexagon and share with them some ideas for what can be made with the hexagons as well as strategies for joining them.

And for the opportunity to share the sublime, I am grateful.