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3 Gift Knitting Ground Rules

Gift knitting season is upon us, and with it sometimes comes a lot of stress for knitters. These are the three rules I set for myself to make sure gift knitting is a more relaxed experience.

Gift Knitting Rule Number One: I don’t owe anybody a hand knit gift.

You can live your values without piling more stress onto your plate during this already chaotic time of year. You do not have to knit gifts for everybody. You can knit gifts for some people and not others, or you can even decide this is the year you won’t be knitting gifts at all.

Gift Knitting Rule Number Two: Once a gift is given, it’s no longer mine to control.

Different people have different needs, so that even the most lovingly given gift might be a burden for the recipient.

If I give a handknit gift to somebody, I have to relinquish any expectation for what happens to the gift afterward.

Gift Knitting Rule Number Three: When I make a handknit gift, I make it for the recipient, not for myself.

This can be particularly tricky for knitters, who often have strong preferences for certain colors or fibers or styles. If the art of giving a good gift means paying attention to somebody and finding something they would like, then the art of knitting a good gift also requires paying attention to somebody and making something that they would like.

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