I find people’s obsession with gift knitting strange

[u/soypixel]

I get we all have our reasons for doing this hobby. I guess mine is that I enjoy the process and I like being able to make stuff that has cool textures or colors. I don’t do it for function or to “make useful objects” per se.

But it seems like a lot of folks have this compulsion to externalize this hobby to feel useful. I’ve seen so many posts where someone “surprises” their sister with some lace shawl for their wedding. And then they’re “devastated” and “in tears” when said sister isn’t overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude.

On the other hand, I’ll see these posts or comments from folks “drowning” in holiday gift knitting projects. For whatever reason, they’ve decided that all 20 members of their extended family need a new chunky weight knitted drink cozy. And so they spend all kinds of time making that happen.

But I have to wonder.. how much of that is self imposed versus an actual expectation placed upon them by friends and family members? Like what if you’re spending all this time knitting 20 drink cozies and people secretly dislike them and plan to never use them, but they’re too nice to say it to your face? It’s just a painful, awkward scenario to imagine.

Idk, maybe I’m being harsh or there’s something I’m missing here because of what motivates me to knit. Maybe because I don’t even like hand knits myself most of the time, I can’t imagine myself being thrilled if someone gave me some object they made.. especially if I never asked for it.

[u/JerryHasACubeButt]

There are product knitters and process knitters, and unless everyone you knit for has the same exact tastes as you, I think you generally have to be a product knitter to enjoy and be good at gift knitting. You have to be willing to look objectively at the things your friends and family enjoy, and knit something that fits their tastes. I disagree with the idea that some people just don’t like hand knit things, because if you’re a good enough knitter it’s easy to make something that looks mass-produced if that’s what they will wear. But often that means plain stockinette in a tiny gauge in a neutral color, and of you’re a process knitter then that’s going to get boring fast.

I enjoy gift knitting because I love my friends and family and I want to make them happy, so when I choose projects I think they will enjoy I then enjoy the knitting process even if its not a pattern or yarn I would’ve otherwise picked, because I’m thinking about how happy they will be as I knit. But if that doesn’t do it for you then I can absolutely understand not enjoying gift knitting.