To knit or not to knit

I wanted to put the pictures after the text, but it inserted them and I can't seem to edit their location. C'est la Vie.

This is the turtle I knitted for a baby gift. The mom said she loved it.
I knitted the above sweater for myself. Love it, get compliments on it whenever I wear it. Below is the doll I knitted for another baby gift. I haven't had the nerve to send it yet.

I love knitting. I've never been sure, however, that when I give the things I've knitted away as gifts that anyone really likes getting them. Usually they thank me, and seem to like the item, and I've seen most of them use it. There's one notable exception, but she never liked anything I ever gave her so I wasn't really surprised, and we're no longer friends. (Not for that reason.)

But then I see an article on msn.com, about the 10 worst Christmas gifts. One was a hand-knitted sweater.

Now, sweaters aren't the only thing I knit. I have given away tons of mittens, scarves, hats, dishcloths, shawls, and have begun knitting stuffed animals. But after seeing that article, I'm hesitant. I'd been thinking of these things as special because I made them especially for the person, but maybe they see them as silly. I also saw handmade gifts as a way to avoid the intense commercialism and spending frenzy Christmas has turned into. But maybe I'm just a joke, and I should give in and conform.

This year I've knitted one pair of mittens for a Christmas present, several dishcloths, a stuffed turtle for a baby gift, and a doll and her dress for another. I'm working on another pair of mittens, and some heavy-duty leg warmers for my husband - pajama bottoms, really - because his legs are always cold in winter. When I finish that, I might just knit a sweater for myself. This is a slow year, knitting-wise.


Quote of the day:

Before plastics, only rich people could afford to have poor taste.
Donald Featherstone, creator of the pink flamingo lawn ornament

The first entry: August 24, 2007

My two favorite things in the world are cats and books, not necessarily in that order. I've been trying to get a book published for decades - not the same one, a lot of different ones. Either I've had wretched luck, or I'm a real slow learner, or I'm just a crappy writer. Pick one. At any rate, I'll keep trying. What else am I going to do? If I just let all these people and stories sit in my brain I'll go nuts.

Currently I'm struggling through the first draft of a romantic suspense novel, called Against Her Will. It's going fairly well. I have a finished fantasy, called For the Seven Kingdoms (though I really don't like the title). I'm running through my writing group. I've finished several novels, but as soon as I get them done I'm convinced they're no good. I think I've just gotten too many rejection letters. Now I can't bring myself to send them out.

I tend to read several books at once. I just finished First Warning by Anne McCaffery and Elizabeth Scarborough. Before that, Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, and Red Lily by Nora Roberts. Right now I'm reading Wyrd Sisters by my favorite author, Terry Pratchet - that book lives in my purse. On the dining room table is Affaire Royale by Nora Roberts.

Quote for the day:

A writer is like a bean plant – he has his little day, and then gets stringy.
E.B. White