Giving Knitted Gifts

For many knitters, knitting is an opportunity not only to enjoy a favorite pastime, but also a way to show love. It's easy to breeze into a store, pick up an item, pay for it and present it to someone; it's much harder to make something, stitch by stitch. Knitting for others takes time and commitment and for anyone who values their time as precious, giving knitted gifts is the ultimate in selflessness.

To avoid the heartache of not having your handknits well received, it's best to keep a few things in mind when knitting for friends and family.

Who are you knitting for? Is it someone you know well and intimately? The closer you are to the gift recipient, the more likely you'll want them to love what you've made for them. But are they the type who appreciates hand made items? A lot of knitters have stories to tell of devoting hours and hours to a project, only to have the recipient barely acknowledge it or not acknowledge it at all! Sometimes, non-knitters have no idea what goes into the creation of a sweater or a hat or an afghan-it's not just yarn, it's hours, days, or weeks of your life, so of course it stings when someone isn't grateful. If you're not sure how someone will react to your gift of love and time, it's best to give them something small: coordinating dishcloths wrapped in matching ribbon, a soft pouch or sachets, a small bag. If you spend a huge amount of time knitting a Fair Isle sweater on size 3 mm needles and then the recipient doesn't appreciate it, chances are your thoughts will be bordering on murderous. Better to save your efforts for those who are certain to love what you do.

Simple is sometimes better when it comes to gift-giving. If you know the party is receptive to your handiwork, what do you knit them? Sometimes, we knitters can be tempted to make what we want rather than what the person we're knitting for will want; we just can't resist a particular pattern or we have some yarn on hand that we want to use. Stop. Think. What does your mother really want? A scarf? A cardigan? What colors suit the person you're knitting for? What's their style? If they never wear hats, don't knit them a hat! If they're allergic to wool, heed that. Knit them something in cotton or acrylic instead.

No article about giving knitted gifts would be complete without covering holiday knitting. There's no quicker way to stress yourself out during the holidays than trying to cram six months worth of knitting into two weeks. If you're the type to knit Christmas gifts, you need to plan well in advance. Starting in January is not a bad idea. First, who are you going to knit gifts for? What are you going to knit for each person? Do you already have the yarn in your stash or will you need to buy some? Make a list and start knitting early. You'll undoubtedly have some other events crop up, whether already known about (birthdays) or not (babies). A complicated cable and moss-stitch afghan can be a wonderful present, but if you lead a busy life, that may be the only gift you get to make, so plan accordingly.

Knitting for others is a beautiful gesture; it's selfless, loving, and indulges you as well as the recipient. With a little foresight and honesty, you can make sure all your gifts deserve the accolades you've knit into each stitch.