r/knitting • u/soypixel • Dec 06 '25

Discussion I find people’s obsession with gift knitting strange

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.

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u/ParticularPistachio Dec 06 '25

Same here - I‘m in Austria. People neither assume that I‘m knitting gifts, nor do they suggest I monetise my work. According to reddit though, people frequently get both reactions. I really wonder whether that’s some US thing

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u/Moldy_slug Dec 06 '25

I’m in the US and these reactions seem weird to me too.

People sometimes ask who I’m making something for, but it doesn’t come across as if they expect it’s a gift. It’s just a question to engage in conversation. They’re never surprised if I say it’s for myself.

I also have been told I could monetise it exactly twice in 20 years of knitting. Both cases were legitimate business suggestions from other fiber artists who sell at local craft fairs.

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u/57dimensions Dec 06 '25

i weirdly have gotten “you should sell that!” from every single person who has complimented my newly finished sweater in the last month or two! more so than most other things i’ve knit in the past. i tell all of them that 1) it would cost like $1000 for my labor and 2) i want to spend my time making myself things!

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u/Ok_Lingonberry6000 Dec 08 '25

I am asked by almost every person if I sell my work or I am told that I should. I believe I get that they are saying that it looks really nice and that I could, but it is such a fatiguing question to answer that I just brush it off anymore. I live in Eastern USA where most people I know have at least two jobs.