I just got email from Jessica, a listener of The Creative Mom Podcast. She wrote to tell me that she was listening to the radio and heard a DJ reporting on a segment from ABC News about the top 5 worst Christmas gifts to give … and NUMBER 2 was a HANDMADE SWEATER.
Jessica was surprised, and I am, too. After all, the handknit sweaters worn by Harry Potter and Ron Weasely and made by Mrs. Weasely are so cute and many, many, many of those have been made by knitters over the last few years. And I fully intend for my boys to have them, when they're a tad older...we'll say able to read the book on their own, which may indicate they're not growing quite so quickly.
That a homemade sweater is #2 on the list of worst gifts is only so-so funny. And, in jotting down notes about this for this week's episode of the podcast, I was feeling very tongue in cheek about it. After all, honestly, a handknit sweater is a huge investment in time. If you're going to knit for someone… going smaller is easier on you, and if it ends up being underappreciated, you won't feel so bad. Plus, "fit" isn't such a daunting issue when it's a hat, or a scarf, or socks, or a shawl, or mittens.
But then I tracked down the segment at ABC. It's a video segment, and it even includes this line, "The best gifts are often bought – not knit."
That really got me. And, it spurred me out here right now to post... and I wonder how many blogs this news bit ends up on this week.
I am surprised to hear that. Frankly, I thought we had gotten past all the nonsense about knitting being old-ladyish and matronly and something your great aunt does (the one who always has lipstick on her teeth).
It's a weird stereotype to perpetuate and I think that making a hand knit gift a bad one just goes with that negative perception.
Michelle is the only adult I knit for regularly. I made each of my sisters a pair of socks for Christmas last year and frankly, I think they want more. We know the truth, Amy.
Hope you, M, and the boys had a great Thanksgiving.
It makes you wonder if the writer has been the recipient of many badly knit items that didn't fit or were a horrible color. Let's face it, just because it is hand made doesn't make it good. It only makes it sweet. Fortunately I don't think knitters will be deterred. I wonder if he/she feels that way about all home made gifts? I suspect cookies are okay.