I knit for those who appreciate it. My husband and I have this couple that we are friends with who love the fact that I knit. I made them hats and scarves last year, and when the weather first started to get chilly, they had their hats on. I was so stoked. We were out at a bar and someone asked them where they got their hats; it felt good. They are getting really nice hat and scarf sets this year in “good” yarn.
I will never knit anything for my husband. He gets that I love to knit and thinks it’s cool, but he has already told me that he wouldn’t wear anything I would make him. At first I was offended, then I realized he was doing me a favor by not wasting my time. He just doesn’t wear hats and scarves and the few sweaters he owns rarely get work because “sweaters are too hot”. He was given a crochet scarf for his birthday last year from one of his scouting cohorts, and it’s still folded with the rest of his scout stuff. He’ll just never wear it even though he thought it was awesome that someone would make something for him.
One thought I had, while reading this big thread, was about familys, and ILs and how complicated the relationships can be.
First ILs, I know many mentioned their MILs, and MissMolly her DIL - In-law relationships alone can be difficult. Add in handmade items, and it just seems it could be very easy to get lost in translation. I often assume that if I gush to my husband about something his mother made for the children, that he is passing that along (especially as the gifts aren’t for ME, they are for OUR children, and it is HIS MOM!).
Then there is the immediate family. The sisters you know are careless. The history between mother and son that make a “wrong” scarf dredge up all the past history of hurt between them.
For who I won’t knit for? So far no one, but we’ll have to see. My mother did terribly hurt my feelings already - when I was describing how my baby will immediately yank off the hat I knit for him, and toss it on the ground, laughing as I pick it up, brush it off, and put it back on his head only to start all over again, she said “well of course he won’t wear it! I’m sure it’s terribly scratchy. Why don’t you let me go buy him a REAL hat?!” I think I had smoking coming out of my ears. She had even SEEN the hat, yet alone touched it, how dare she!! Yet, when I told of her of the fingerless gloves I was giving to MIL, and the wrap for step-mom, and the dishclothes for everyone…she was suddenly very obviously jealous that her only item on the list was a dish cloth. I asked what she’d like “oh, anything you make dear!” ~sigh~ So I have a bamboo shrug OTN. We’ll see.
I have typed the pattern in Word on my computer. If anyone would like a copy of it to make for their favourite little girl, just PM me the e-mail address and I will send it to you. Thanks!
The.Knitter, you gave the baby back? I would have kept the dress and the baby.
Ungrateful people do not deserve such loveliness. None of my family or friends do “crafty” things, so I rarely give them knitted things unless I ask first.
Made my MIL a hat since she lost all her hair to chemo. Mailed it around the 15th of October, should have arrived by now. But no one in the house has let me know that it has arrived. I do not expect anything from her since she is on lots of pain medicine and is not expected to last to the new year, but something telling me that it has arrived would be nice.
If my daughter was little (she’s 14) I would have loved to be given that dress. I used to love dressing her up. My dh would buy these beautiful Mexican dresses and I would always be sad when she grew out of them. I haven’t tried knitting clothing yet except for slippers but it will be a New Years Resolution for 2008.
I have been on a knitting frenzy the last few days getting Christmas gifts done - nothing fancy but I am really hoping the receivers will appreciate them.
I have a question: Would you willingly knit a scarf for someone you KNOW (my dh), who wants one but would NEVER wear it? We live in Southwest Florida.
thanks The.Knitter… i’ll PM you my e-mail addy…
to give you ladies an idea of something appreciated: my 7 year old went off to school in tears this morning… why? because he couldn’t find the mittens that I’d made him (he had them last night, I’d washed them for him… they’re a bit small but he insists on wearing them!) and his older brother (the 9 yo) wouldn’t help him look for them. I told him that if i didn’t find them today (i think theyr’e up in the disaster zone that is their bedroom) then i’d make him a new pair.
On another appreciative note (I found this out the other day)…I had knit a bunch of dishcloths about 6 months ago and had a stack of them just sitting in my kitchen. Good friends of ours were over and I gave some to my friend. When her 6 yo dd saw them, she wanted one too. I had one in varigated pastel colors, so she picked that one. I never gave it another thought, but my friend told me the other day that her dd sleeps with that dishcloth on her pillow every night! 
I did make this same girl a felted purse for her birthday last month, and she carries it everywhere.
This is for Becky…Does you husband not understand the cost of yarn?
It should not matter to him if it is hand made as long as it makes you happy.
Example…he is a golfer, you hate golf…Would you throw away his clubs?
I can attest to the thoughtfullness of Cando… I still carry her thank you gift of her lavender sachet every day. She is awesome!
Mommy dearest, I would defintely knit something for my DH even in a warm weather state. I live in Southern California and I am making a sweater for my DH in cotton right now. There is a really nice scarf pattern on knitty.com called Henry which is meant to be done in a fingering or sock-weight yarn so it shouldn’t be too heavy and may be nice for going out in the evening.
Happy knitting,
V.
I can think of some people that I know really well that I KNOW wouldn’t appreciate it. It’s mostly people who have no appreciation for anything hand made and in some cases wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything that didn’t have a designer label. I won’t waste time knitting for them!
nothing much to add but im taking notes! lol
There’s just something special about knitted things! 
Is she old enough to learn to knit? 
Oh my goodness, what stories! Heart wrenching, in both directions.
I’m all for making small knits as gifts. Good way to test the waters the first time, at least! In my opinion, people should be effusive over anything handmade, however small. If they’re not possitively effusive, they definitely get ruled out for future hand knits!
The gifts that have been most satisfying for me as small gift knits, are delicate Christmas ornaments (stars, tiny mittens, lots of ideas here), and custom-sized camera cozies. Cozies are a lot of fun for making up fair isle patterns, practicing cables, etc, so I always enjoy those. But retrospectively, I think the best part for me is that when I see my friends/family at holidays, I often get to see these gifts in use! Nothing beats that, for sure.
I guess the answer is to live and learn. Always ask before planning a big knitted gift, just in case the person wants the opportunity to tell you they would prefer not to receive something of this nature as a gift for themselves or their family.
There are a couple of people I would [B]never[/B] knit for again, but I don’t regret having knitted for them in the first place. The knitted items were gifts of love. I gave them freely, with no strings. However, my feelings got hurt by the lack of outward appreciation. It takes away some of the joy. 'Nuff said.
Hi
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Susan
After I knit or give any hand-made gift I tell the person. If you don’t like or don’t think you will ever use it, please pass it on to someone who you think will really love it.
I risk being considered rude by some, but at least I can hope that the gift won’t just be callously thrown away if it’s unappreciated.
You’re right, of course, but I had to admit I got a chuckle (OK, kind of an evil one) last Christmas when I’d knitted lapghans for my SILs and nieces that were married. One step-niece has kids that were probably 6 and 4 last year (can you tell these are the ones we never see?), and although they got presents of their own, when she opened the box with the lapghan the oldest one grabbled it and said “oh, a blanket!!! And it’s so soft!!!” and ran away with it. So, even though she didn’t seem to appreciate it, I’m betting the kids put it to good use.
And yes, that was another gift I never even got a “thank you” for…
She just turned 7 and loves to sit next to me and help “sew” things with my yarn. :knitting: I help her hold the needles and she wraps the yarn around for the stitches. I should dig up a pair of needles for her and see how she does on her own.