Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Unwanted Knitted Gifts

On the knitting front, I've completed several projects but have not had time to take pictures.  Later this week I'll post about them.

Recently, while visiting my daughter, we were getting ready to leave for a holiday dinner at relatives when she walked into the living room, stood there with a smirk on her face waiting for me to notice how many things she was wearing that I had knitted for her. It pleased me immensely.

However, I’ve knitted for quite a few people never to see the items again. Here’s a few of them.

This shawl took me three months to knit and was only worn by the recipient for the obligatory picture.
This cowl was seen once stuffed in a pocket and the recipient requested this item and even selected the yarn herself.
This cowl was admired, the yarn again selected by the recipient, and never seen again.
This cowl was left on the recipient’s desk and the comment was “What the hell is this?” and never seen again.
This baby sweater sat on the recipient’s desk unopened for three days, a thank you when I asked about it, and never mentioned again. Did it look cute on the baby?, etc.
So, I really enjoy knitting for charity and for people I know really need it and will appreciate it.

So, it got me to thinking. I’ve received gifts that I didn’t particular want or like but never said a word, nor returned them or regifted them such as the following:

How about this expensive silk scarf ($35)?  It's from "Infectious Awearables"
 Each one of us in the office received one for Christmas from a former director of the department. The conversation went like this. What did Dr. X give you?

He gave me ...........
Others said "he gave me hepatitis" or he gave me whatever infectious and dreadful disease one can think of. I never see anyone wearing their scarf.  The print on the scarf shows what the molecules for the disease would look like under a microscope.

Anyone who knows me fairly well knows I am from Maine and that I love lobster but this is going a bit too far.
The lobster plate is a pin and the knife and fork are earrings.  I’ve never worn this either.

Hope you got a chuckle out of this!

15 comments:

  1. I loved this post! Especially the disease scarves! ROTFL!

    I only knit for a very few select people as I have been disappointed more than a few times!

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  2. Oh dear!

    I, too, have made gifts that were not appreciated and probably never worn. I don't knit for those people any more (p.s. they're my parents).

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  3. Oh, good lord, Joansie! What ingrates!!! I would have been over the moon to have received even ONE of those lovely items! This is an interesting topic, though...I have given my vocal coach a few knitted items as Christmas gifts over the years and, yes, I've never seen her wear them, but she always tells me of the times and places she wears them and the compliments she gets. I have to assume she's being honest, right? ;-)

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  4. Goodness!

    Yet more reasons to hate people!

    xo

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  5. I did get a laugh. I'd probably were the knife and fork earrngs just for a lark since I've been known to wear weird ones, including a gun carrying cow. That baby jacket is absolutely adorable. I don't understand people who don't appreciate hand made items, particularly well-made ones. Renate

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  6. What a great, lighthearted post about something we've all experienced and been irritated about, I'm sure. I remember spending weeks on a scarf for my mother, and just as she was opening it, I remember thinking, "Oh yeah, she once told me that wool was scratchy to her." I never saw that scarf again. I've learned to limit who gets my knits as gifts.

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  7. Love this post!! I feel the same. Granted, my knitting no where compares with yours, but what little I do, people have requested items and I've yet to see them used.
    I especially like the lobster pin*@! Aw come on Joansie, lets see you model it!! Great post today!!

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  8. Hi, it's been awhile since I visited and commented, but I had to on this post. It made me laugh. I hate it when you spend time and thought on a handmade gift and then you have to follow up weeks later to ask if they even received it or liked it. It does put me off making things for people. Sometimes they don't even thank you when it's a bought gift too.
    I love that little knitted baby jacket/cardigan. Do you know where I can get a hold of that pattern? We're heading into winter here in downunder-land and my little 12 monthy old would look sweet in something like that.
    I don't know how to set my email address, but it's priorhillatxtradotcodotnz
    Rachel from NZ

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  9. That baby jacket is absolutely adorable! I would have been over the moon to receive such a gift!
    You know, that lobster pin wouldn't look that bad on your knitting bag...

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  10. Things are about 50/50 about half of the things that I knit & give as gifts go unappreciated & unused. The other half are knitted and used.... by me! LOL!

    I tried to leave a comment about your shammrock pin, but I can't find the link to leave a comment.

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  11. Some people treasure the thing so much and are so afraid something might happen to it if they ever actually use it that they simply don't. So take it as a compliment when things disappear, and for people you don't know how they'll react, I personally tend to keep to quick projects. Or I tell myself I do. A shawl is quick, right? (Most such get lace scarves.)

    I love that your daughter totally gets it. And that lobster is a hoot.

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  12. Wow! All those gifts look great and how could someone not appreciate the beautiful lace in that shawl! I know some things I have knitted for people have gotten lost and stuff. It is a little hard to think they may not appreciate them.

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  13. The people you knitted for that do not appreciate the beautiful things you made, have no clue and no class! My son thinks he has to spend lots of money on his family (us,he's not married) but to be honest he works with ceramics and I would be thrilled to have a cup or bowl he's made. To me it's the time and effort that is put into it that makes it so wonderful. By the way, if they don't want that shawl, I'd take it ;P. I hope to see you blogging again soon, tho I understand, I've been working a temp job for the last 3 weeks and with my church callings I'm so busy I want to scream. I knit on my lunch hr to relax. Enjoy your classes and know that you're enabling new sock knitters ;P.

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  14. I hooted out loud at the lobster, knife and fork ensemble!!!

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