Gift Knitting …for Knitters?
Not sure whether others have experienced similar. But for me, there have been many instances in the past, where I’ve had conversations like this:
Knitter Friend: Hey, I still haven’t decided what to get you for Christmas/ your birthday…
Me: Oh gosh you don’t need to get me anything!
Knitter Friend: …After all, it’s not like I can knit for you, Haha! Since you can knit anything you want yourself.
Me: {nodding in sad silence}
Meanwhile, I am secretly wanting to jump up and down, wave my hands in the air madly and shout… Oh My God Yes, Please Knit Me Something, if you have the time of course, I Would Absolutely Love that!
The first time I finally managed to hint at this out loud was met with excited astonishment and lots of follow-up questions. So I thought it might be of interest to state the very valid reasons why I, despite being a knitter myself, love to receive handknits from other knitters.
1.As a designer, I actually seldom have time to knit things for myself. I knit pattern samples that are made to suit the models who will be wearing them in photos, which does not always translate to the items being right for me. And when not knitting samples, I get so many requests from family and close friends that it pretty much occupies most of my remaining knitting time. Even though most knitters are not designers, you might be surprised how many are kept so busy with knitting for their children/ other loved ones/ various charity initiatives, that they haven’t time to actually knit for themselves. In this scenario, the fellow-knitter in your life might indeed appreciate being the recipient of gift knitting!
2.Like most knitters, there are certain things I love to wear but do not actually enjoy knitting: for example, shawls and scarfs. I also absolutely love hand-knitted homewares (blankets, cushion covers, dish cloths, various bags and containers, and so on) - but have no enthusiasm for knitting such items myself. So for friends who actually enjoy knitting any of the above, there is definitely an opportunity to make me stuff I would not have otherwise made, but would absolutely appreciate. I am sure this also applies to other knitters.
3.Sometimes a friend can knit with me in mind better than I can! Like many knitters, I can get so distracted by the interestingness of a design, so taken by the tactile characteristics of a yarn, or so enchanted by the magic of a hand-dyed colourway... that I lose sight of whether the final result will actually suit me. When someone else is knitting, it can actually be easier to keep this objective in mind.
4. As a knitter, I know firsthand how much work and thought goes into a handknit. I am therefore a very appreciative gift-knit recipient! Being a knitter also means that I know how to launder and maintain handknits, so there is no danger of accidental ruin. So for those makers who think in terms of ‘knit-worthiness,’ fellow-knitters certainly fulfil the criteria!
5. Finally, there is the sentimental factor. When all is said and done, YES of course I can knit my own stuff. But honestly that is a bit of a red herring. Because I am also perfectly capable of buying my own flowers, books, candles, bottles of wine, and chocolates - yet friends still buy me these things as gifts and I love it. And the item, because it was gifted by a friend rather than purchased myself, attains a special status it would not otherwise have had. The very same principle applies to knitting.
Of course none of this is meant to suggest that all knitters would like to receive items knitted by others. Only that they might. And so if gift-knitting is something you enjoy, you should not discount fellow knitters as potential recipients.
Some of my favourite and most frequently worn handknits, were in fact made by others. It does not detract from my own capability as a knitter. And it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside and out.
