Selfish is defined as lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure. When you add that adjective in front of knitter it sounds horrible doesn’t it? Well call me what you want, I enjoy knitting for me.
If you follow me on Facebook you know I do 10 questions on Saturday (usually) and folks often say they don’t knit for themselves. I don’t remember where I saw that term, but I was like welp “Hi My name is Gaye Selfish Knitter Glasspie” LOL!
When I first fell in love with knitting I had an Etsy shop. I sold one of a kind items and that didn’t last long. I was never one for the gift knitting either. There are a handful of people that are worthy of my making. I say worthy because it’s not cheap to knit. If you think I used my good indie dyed yarn for you to throw it in the washing machine and then come crying to me. No ma’am Pam! This is not that! If I am selfish because of that mindset, let me go design t-shirt and hat to match, because NOPE!!
Nothing is more heartbreaking than giving someone something you made and they don’t appreciate the gesture. Or they request something, pick out the color, the yarn and you are still waiting for them to wear it. Yea, NOPE! Just call me Selfish Sally because I appreciate the time and money that goes into making. I wear my items over and over again. If that makes me a bad person..well just call me the orange bad person. Hahahahahahaa 🙂
What say you? Do you think it’s a bad thing to knit for yourself? Let’s Talk
Have a fabulous day On Purpose
GG
I’ve knit so much for others – it behooved me one day to knit something for myself. I knit the Lady Eleanor scarf. It was in my favorite colors from Noro Kuyreon, Got many compliments and requests to make one for others.
One lady said why so much? I said I knit with love. After that I only knit baby blankets. That last sweater you made – I want to do one for my self. So you GG you are not selfish.
they have no clue about the cost and feel like we charge too much. That is why I stopped selling.
No, not selfish! I finally relented and knit my husband a cardigan last year – he picked the pattern and yarn – and he’s worn it one time! It’s “too warm”, I’m like it’s wool, I told you it would be warm and itchy! Luckily, it was a very easy pattern! I do like to knit baby stuff, though, so I have to give it away, as I am not a baby nor do I have kids!
thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡 and responding
Knitting for me is FREEDOM! I don’t feel that it has to be as perfect if it’s for me, and if I don’t like it, I can frog and try something different. Also, no one is as appreciative of my knitting as I am.
That’s the part fr me, they don’t appreciate the work that goes into making
I do knit things for myself. it’s never occurred to me that that is selfish. But I am primarily a process knitter, so want to knit more items than I could ever use myself. Maybe foisting the surplus on my nearest and dearest is itself a form of selfishness. I am not going to fret about it.
That’s right do you!! thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡
I’ve never heard the term process knitter, but that describes me too. I don’t mind knitting a sweater and frogging and starting over to try a different pattern. I just love working with yarn, and I live in Texas so I don’t get to wear all my sweaters and shawls for very long.
Ahhh the heat will definitely impact the making. Thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡
I do both and don’t really pay attention. If someone is deserving and I find the right yarn and pattern, they’re getting a gift. Only the select few though (hubby, daughter, mums and besties). But of course I love knitting for myself!!! I appreciate what I make and know how much work and money went into a seemingly simple shawl or sock! I never feel guilty about prioritizing a knit for me lol.
What’s worse than gifting something and they never wear it because it’s “itchy”!?!
Yes thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡
Not selfish… sensible!
I only knit for myself, my husband, and an occasional other knitter. My husband keeps telling me he wants a cardigan, but I don’t think he’ll wear it so I’m “still looking for just the right pattern.”
It’s fun to read your blog, Gaye!
Lol
GG thank you for this post. I have made two scarves for myself. That’s it all the rest for others. Lately it’s a sweater for my husband. I find it hard to make things for me. It is definitely feels like an issue of self worth and judgement. A struggle I’ve had for some time.
I dont think is selfish, three is a lot of time invested and the person wearing it should elucidate it! I knitted my husband a cotton sweater. He picked out the yarn, and wanted a flax sweater. Whit a smaller neck opening, then an even smaller neck opening, a bigger neck opening because it had to go over his head, then not just a garter panel but why not garter all over? It has been too wide, too short and now it is too long. I have started over 50 times and now it is lying in the noughty corner. He will never wear it.I swore I would only knit things for my self and t things that I could try on myself. So now I am doing a size XS for the daughter of a friend 🤦🏼 🤷🏼 she better love it!
I started my knitting career with things for my sister’s (then) small children and scarves and such for family members and friends. My gifts are usually underappreciated and I only knit for a special few knit worthy friends. My goal was always to be a sweater knitter, and once I became confident with my skills I became a 99% selfish knitter. And I don’t care. I stopped buying sweaters almost five years ago. I’ve discovered I am much more of a process knitter than I thought I was and the journey is at least 50% of the fun. And all the prizes go to me!
Where is it written that “One must knit for others”. BS. It is a personal choice to spend your time, talent and money the way that you want to and knitting for whom you want to. If you don’t want to knit for anyone else, good. If you choose to gift a creation to someone else then they are very special to you. I only knit for those that I want to. So, you are NOT SELFISH.
LOL I completely agree. I too call BS!!thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡
Hope this helped. I have been following you for a while and I think that you are far and away a giving person, someone that I would be happy to call friend.
Selfish Knitting is Self-Care Knitting 🧶❤️
Amen friend
My mail today was Field Guide 15 from Modern Daily Knitting, featuring the designer Jeanette Sloan. Her designs for this book are beautiful. At the back to of the book there is a question and answer section. In a one of her answers she says she would like to do more personal knitting. I love that phrase…personal knitting. That is what we do when we knit for ourselves! There is nothing selfish about it. What we knit for others is exactly that… for others. When we knit for us, it’s personal. Thanks for a great blog post.
I love her and thanks for reminding me to order a copy of that field guide.
I mad r my daughter a hat, cowl and mitts set out of cormo yarn. Why? Because I love her and she asked. I made my grandchildren many things. I found my daughters set in the trash one day. With several other items I had made. I did not say a word. But I took them out of the trash and brought them home.
I am now mostly a selfish knitter. I still make some things for my daughter in law… she wears and use the things I make until they are worn out.
And my grandson, her son, who treasures grandmas work.