For small feet

Super Quick Baby Socks

Yarn: Dark Horse Yarns-Fantasy (50% nylon, 50% acrylic; worsted weight)
Colorway: 15 (Silver Blue)
Needles: US 7 dpns
Stitches: 24

The sock on the left doesn't have holes at the ankle, but I sort of horsed up the toe. I forgot that I knit the first three stitches to put half of them on one needle when preparing for the Kitchener stitch. Instead I slipped stitches until the yarn was at the end. That resulted in more of a vertically stitched toe.

The sock on the right has the toe fixed, but I didn't pick up the stitches quite as well. Thus there is the appearance of holes of a sort at those spots.

These baby socks are otherwise fine. Still, I promise to do better next time.

Finally

Seaman's cap

Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian highland wool; worsted weight)
Colorways: 7617 (gray tweed)
Needles: US 6 and 7 dpns
Stitches: 102

My brother's Christmas 2009 gift is finished and only five and a half months late. Well, better late than never.

I restarted this sucker probably three or four times because I kept twisting the cast on row. After I was well into the brim I realized that I'd horsed up the brim's stitch pattern. (It should be k1, p2. I did k2, p1.) Turns out that the difference looks fine and isn't an egregious mistake.

Like the last hat I knit, this one features my modifications for a better fit. (In short, knit more than the pattern suggests.) As I was well into the decreases I began to worry that I might not have enough yarn. While there's less yarn remaining than I'm used to having with these hats, I didn't cut it close.

What's next? It might be time to knit a hat for me that reverses the colors in the cap linked in the previous paragraph. Whatever I make next, it's a relief to have this project done.

By design

University of Central Arkansas Dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Colorway: Grape
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 40

I did not attend or work at the University of Central Arkansas, but I am friends with some who are connected to the school in those ways. Among the items in the Christmas packages I sent south to Donna and Jenn--or will be sending, in the latter's case--is this dishcloth, which I designed based on the UCA logo.

The slimness of the letters and their close proximity can make them a little difficult to make out, but some blocking--my version: stretching out the dishcloth and setting DVDs atop it overnight--improved the legibility.

Since time was running out to get this knit and mailed before Christmas, this is the first version of the design. I plan on tweaking it a little. The slender left column of the A might as well be equal in size to the right one. It may not be true to the logo, but it should look better and have symmetry. I might consider making the letters wider, but there's the chance that I won't want to fuss with it and will just leave it be.

My initial intention was to design something with the whole logo, including that paddle wheel-looking thing, but I was having enough problems with the A (and patience) that I decided that the letters would be good enough.

For those interested, I will be posting the pattern eventually. I need to make some minor alterations before it goes to publication. E-mail me if you want it now and don't mind getting version 1.0.

Touchdown

Seaman's Cap

Yarn: Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian highland wool; worsted weight)
Colorways: 7824 (orange) and 8555 (black)
Needles: US 6 and 7 dpns
Stitches: 102

It's a Christmas miracle...or just some faster knitting than I expected I had in me. I decided that my dad needed a new hat from me. The one I knit two years ago was a little tight, and I don't think he was wearing it. I decided to make this one with Cascade 220, which I've had pretty good success with in this pattern, and picked Cincinnati Bengals colors for it.

I could have gone two ways with it: orange brim with black crown or black rim with orange crown. Knowing him, I figured he'd prefer the less colorful option of the two, but since I hadn't started it before arriving at my parents' home for Christmas, I asked what he preferred. My instinct was correct, as you can see above. I started yesterday afternoon and had it done this afternoon. Not bad. Plus, sew a Bengals patch onto the brim and it might look like the real deal.

One of the challenges for me in making this hat has been to get it long enough to cover my ears. I've experimented with different yarns and knitting more length than the pattern calls for. This time I think I hit upon the perfect dimensions. For the brim I knit ten rows instead of seven in the k1, p2 pattern after the knit row. Rather than knitting only 7.5 inches to begin decreases, I knit 8 inches. The hat has a snug fit and covers my ears, so it definitely works for me and should for my dad. Hooray!

I still have plenty of yarn left over, so I'll probably do a version with the colors reversed for myself. I don't know that I plan to work on it while I'm here--I'll be returning home before I realize it--but it's good to know that I can whip out one of these in short order. That's also helpful information since one of my brothers requested a hat too. He's currently out of the country and doesn't get back until January, so I can stall a bit more in knitting that hat.

I hope you've had a merry Christmas wherever you may be.

Little gifts

Princess Peach Washcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Rose Pink
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 44

Mario Washcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Red
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 44

The Christmas package reached Arkansas today, so I can now show two recent FOs that have only been referred to in general terms in previous blog entries. (I'll save the third for tomorrow.)

I was stuck in the design process for the other FO included in the package to my friends, so in the meantime I decided to knit a dishcloth/washcloth for each of their kids. After all, what child wouldn't be thrilled to receive their very own dishcloth? Consider one item checked off the letter to Santa.

In all seriousness, though, I know that the kids enjoy the Mario games for Nintendo, so I figured that getting their favorite characters in knitted form might tickle them. I found the patterns and thought it would be quick and easy to make them. (As it turns out, they were quick and easy once I translated the charts into written patterns, although that process produced its share of frustrations because I kept getting turned around or forgetting a row at the start.)

Mario turned out reasonably well, although this FO isn't entirely correct due to my error. (Essentially I don't have any space between the character and the border.) I may have goofed up the M in his hat too--I'll have to doublecheck my translation--but all in all it looks like it should.

I thought I had figured out which way everything needed to be knit by the time I got to Princess Peach, but there were a couple false starts there too. Once I got it down, though, I whipped through it in a single knit night. The stitch definition looks really good and worked very well with the color.

Once again dishcloths prove to be versatile projects for the knitter and, from one friend to another, a small way of wishing a merry Christmas.

The gift that keeps on giving

Other than a couple little things, I was not intending to do any Christmas knitting this year. I don't really have any ideas, and I don't know that the gifts mean much to most of the recipients. Plus, I've slowed down considerably from the insane pace I kept when I first undertook learning this craft.

So I was a little surprised that one of my brothers mentioned needing/wanting a new stocking hat. Granted, he's been the one who has been most vocal in his appreciation for what I've made, so I wasn't taken entirely by surprise. I just wasn't expecting it.

He received one of the first hats I made, so it's probably a little tight on the cast on row. Last year I "re-knit" scarves for him and his wife because they got the first two I made. I was dissatisfied with them once I realized what I was doing, which wasn't until well after they were given them. It makes sense that I should replace that initial hat.

Hey, I have a next project now!

Dishcloth redux

The A.V. Club Hipster Dishrag

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Colors: Wine and Jute
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 40

Two gifts ready to go in the mail and surprise an old friend.

You can see that the capital B in "Club" strains to appear, but there's not much I can do about that. The way the knits and purls sit side by side foils my best intentions, but it is there, even if it's easier to see when aware of its existence.

The first one took a little getting reacquainted to, but by the time I cast on for the second one late this morning, I was in the groove. With the pattern propped up on my knee, I knit as close to nonstop as possible, breaking only when I needed to stretch or get a piece of paper to help underline the row I was working on. Snow softly fell while I listened to the latest Lambchop and Animal Collective albums online and zoned out to this knit.

Not bad for a weekend's work.

Stars upon stars

Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks scarf

Yarn: Misti Alpaca (100% Baby Alpaca Hand Dyed; worsted weight)
Color: EZ20
Needles: US 9s (US 11s for cast on row)
Stitches: 25
Size: 3.5" x 60"

If this scarf turns out to be my last FO of 2008--and it may well be--I'll have ended the year on a high note. This scarf looks pretty magnificent, if I do say so myself. My sister-in-law was very pleased to get it this afternoon.

Try as I might, the photos are making it appear more purple than it is. The base color is more of a deep blue. When I saw the yarn, I knew that it was the right choice for this specific project. The star stitch knit up beautifully.

It's a good thing I made this a skinny scarf--and a little skinnier than I intended. I have some yarn left over from the single skein of the soft, luscious Misti Alpaca but not a lot. I may not have had the patience for this if it were wider. The narrower size is better suited for where the recipient lives anyway.

So yes, it's worth the initial trouble of figuring out how to purl three together. The tips passed on to me were to cast on a couple needle sizes up and knit loosely. Now I've passed them on to you. (Thanks for pointers, by the way. And the recommendation to knit this scarf in the first place.) If you use the right yarn, I guarantee your result will be a stunning FO.

Lessons from a seemingly simple scarf

With some perseverance and focused knitting, I finished the Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks scarf today. I finally fixed the problem from the mistake I made two weeks ago. Repairing a dropped stitch wasn't that big of a deal after all.

Although the only thing I was supposed to be learning on this scarf was how to purl three together, it turned out to be a good educational experience for me in multiple ways. I learned to knit more loosely, which absolutely must be done if you're to have a prayer of sliding the needle into three stitches at a time.

I learned that undoing three stitches purled together isn't as bad as it might seem, although it certainly helps to have variegated yarn that sort of does the heavy lifting for you in helping determine what's what. I also discovered that I am substantially better at undoing knitting than I was a year ago at this time. I made enough goofs on this where I had to tink a few (or more) rows. In the end such situations were not worthy of panicking.

What else? Even if a pattern is four rows and the odd ones are knit, keep track of the blasted rows with a counter or suffer the consequences. Losing track of which row I was on happened far too many times to mention, even after I employed the counter. It doesn't do any good to have one out if you don't change the number after each row.

I'll have more pictures and the details on the scarf tomorrow. I finished it after the sun went down, so I'd like to have the showcase photos with some nice natural light.

Gifts of the past

Christmas has come and nearly gone. I got about what I expected to get, with the one surprise being an old Star Wars cup from my childhood--I was obsessed like any other kid my age--and a mug from Hawaii with my name on it.

When I was little--pre-kindergarten, I think--my dad earned a trip to Hawaii because he sold so much seed in a year. (At least I think that's what the story was.) The mug, with my name in English and Hawaiian, was a souvenir from that trip. It and the Star Wars cup were mom's way of unloading some stuff from their house, but it was nice to get them all the same.

I know I've mentioned it before, but it bears repeating. Since I became a knitter, Christmas means anticipating the giving of gifts more than the receiving of them. Certainly I enjoy getting presents, but there is a little thrill in waiting to see the reactions of friends and family discovering what you've made for them. This year I planned to cut back on what I made, at least in terms of bigger projects, but I ended up making something for almost everyone in my immediate family anyway.

Now, one family trait is being non-committal on practically anything imaginable, meaning that everything is "fine/OK". Determining where on the like/dislike continuum such answers fall can be tricky, although it's probably safe to bet on the middle. (This kind of passive-aggressiveness can be maddening at times, and it makes me wonder if my critic side is a way of compensating for a familial resistance to quantifying likes and dislikes.) My gifts were received happily enough, although most of that came from my mother. My brothers were non-committal as usual.

Then I observed a funny thing. While two of them were outside, I noticed that they were wearing the hats I made them last year. (The scarves from my initial knitting year were not in sight, but they'd be the type to not wear them because they're trying to tough it out.) They've never said anything about the hats, and I didn't know if they'd used them in the past year. Seeing them wearing the hats said a lot, and I know it wasn't for my benefit. Obviously the hats have been useful to them, so I'll take what I saw as a big endorsement.

I hope you've had a fun and enjoyable holiday. I know I've had a good one.

In the nick of time

Indiana dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Jute
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 38

Santa's workshop was able to knit up this dishcloth before The Big Day arrives. It's for a brother who lives in, all of places, Indiana. Imagine that!

It was kind of a crazy day for me. I woke up to what looked like monsoon season. Then I dithered around my apartment all morning waiting for a UPS delivery while fearing that my delayed departure was setting me up for all manner of snow, ice, and other wintry weather on the drive to my parents' home.

I did find one of the few Rax restaurants still in existence, but it seems crass to write about that on Christmas Eve. I'll touch upon it in a future post.

My four-hour drive was uneventful but definitely patience-testing. Snow and ice are all over the place here. As long as I'm not traveling in it, I'm fine with it.

This knit was done in record time. I didn't figure the brother who is receiving it would be paying attention, so I knit it in the open. From start to finish, it took me less than two hours, which I can hardly believe. It isn't difficult or large but still...

Christmas Eve service was moved up to 9 p.m. (Hallelujah!) It always seems akin to an out of body experience to go to these because my mom's church is small, and there's the distinct feeling that I've witnessed the service before. Of course, I have attended this service before. Her message was a repeat, although not to this congregation. (Apparently she delivered the same sermon at a different church six years ago. I thought it sounded awfully familiar.)

I have presents to wrap, the cattle are lowing, and Santa ought to be dropping by any moment. Merry Christmas to you.

Short attention span knitting

Notre Dame dishcloth

Yarn: Lily The Original Sugar'n Cream (100% cotton; worsted weight)
Color: Dark Pine
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 37

I've been struggling of late to follow through on longer knits, but the quick ones have been getting done just fine. I don't recall knitting dishcloths as fast as I have been, but I flew through this Notre Dame dishcloth. It took about three hours to knit up this one repeat from a scarf pattern. I don't expect it'll get any reaction from my brother when he gets it on Christmas day, but I know his grad school stint as one of the Fighting Irish made him a fan.

The pattern for the logo is ingenious. Most dishcloth patterns render their subject in purls, but here stockinette stitch makes up the overlaid N and D. It stands out quite nicely. I'm not sure what I'd think of it in a scarf, but it works really well in this project.

Basic Cup Cozy

Yarn: Plymouth Encore (75% acrylic, 25% wool; worsted weight) and Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian Highland Wool; worsted weight)
Colors: 1233 and 9404
Needles: US 6s
Stitches: 42
Pattern: 2x2 rib

This cup cozy in Christmas colors was another quick knit for spreading the spirit of the season. The 2x2 ribbing has a four-stitch wide rib where I joined in the round because four doesn't evenly divide into 42. I was following the pattern instructions and realized that I needed to adapt it after knitting the first round, but I didn't care and kept on going. It doesn't look bad or anything, but the mistake does irritate my perfectionist tendencies.

The nice thing about not doing a bunch of Christmas knitting is that I have time to make small items like these if I get the itch.

It is revealed

I know that I've been tantalizing you all with talk of a secret project. Now that it has reached its destination, I can reveal what it is.

The dishcloths you see are my best attempt at reproducing The A.V. Club logo. My friend Donna, also a knitter, and her husband write for the site. In a stroke of inspiration, I decided to try to figure out how to convert the logo into knits and purls to send as part of a Christmas gift package. For obvious reasons, I needed to keep this project strictly hush-hush. I didn't want to spoil the surprise.

I'll admit that it was hard to keep quiet about this. That's why it's been a favorite blogging topic of late. I was giddy with anticipation of the reaction the secret project would produce. It was very satisfying to crack the problem of writing the pattern and exhilarating to know that those receiving the FO evidence would have no way of seeing it coming. I inadvertently titled one blog post with two words that have meaning for one of their site's features, but it still would have taken keen powers of observation and prediction to put it together.

I'm going to squeeze a couple more entries out of this designing process. Still to come are pictures of the failed, oversized first knit and the rough draft on graph paper. And of course I'll publish the pattern. Like I said when first writing about this secret project, it is going to have limited appeal and was pretty much unguessable, but I'm happy to know that it was the right thing for the right people. Honestly, that's all that matters.

Check

Mystic River

Pattern: What a Mighty Good Manly Scarf
Yarn: Cascade 220 The Heathers (100% Peruvian Highland merino wool; worsted weight)
Colorway: 2424
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 28
Size: 5 inches wide, 72 inches long

Another Christmas gift can be checked off the nonexistent list. I underestimated how much time it would take me to finish this today, but considering I was cooped up at home for most of it, I had plenty of time to work on it between naps and TV viewing.

I'm crediting the pattern linked above because I followed it, but as far as I can tell, there's nothing particularly unique about this than if you start knitting in moss stitch. My usual method is to give the FO the same name as the pattern, but I couldn't bring myself to call this scarf that name. I've chosen Mystic River because the stitch pattern reminds me a bit of diagonal waves and the color reminds me of the blue-grey tint to the film's cinematography (or maybe the poster).

There's a row or two near the middle where I may have goofed up something. The pattern looks just slightly off to me, but it's only on one side, so maybe it's all in my head. I'm really happy with the scarf's square, rounded cast on end, so I'm disappointed that the sewn bind off end has my usual problem of curving out into a bell-like shape. It's not as extreme as others I've made but still...

I'll admit to getting bored with this on several occasions. Since the pattern is a four row repeat (which is really just doing one row twice and then reversing those stitches for the next two rows), it took more concentration than I expected to keep track of what row I was on. That got annoying. The only reason why I didn't weave in the cast on edge before finishing was so I had something that I could use to keep track of what row I was on. A row counter would have been excessive for this project.

I'll take better pictures tomorrow. I finished the scarf after the sun set. Taking photos in my place at night usually means the colors come out strangely.

I'm not sure what's next, although I'm thinking I ought to get the charity hat knit soon.

Loose ends

Knitted Newborn Hat

Yarn: Dark Horse Yarns Fantasy (50% nylon; 50% acrylic; worsted weight)
Colorways: 31 (Baby Pink) and 33 (Dark Rose)
Needles: US 8 circulars
Stitches: 54

Tonight I wanted to tie up some loose ends. I've needed to fulfill my end of the Pay It Forward exchange with one person. Since she had a baby a week ago (and thus should have better things to do than reading my blog), this seemed like the perfect thing to make. I'm not completely satisfied with what I've done. There is a fairly bad and loose ladder at one of the decreases that I tried to cover up when weaving in the end. Oddly, the place where I've usually had a noticeable ladder on hats--the place where the hat is joined in the round--is better than usual.

A baby hat is not what I originally intended to do, but I've been thwarted a bit on that project. I started it months ago but kept getting tripped up and ripped it out a couple times. I considered using that yarn for this baby hat, but I couldn't find the label and am not sure what the yarn is. I'm guessing I'll have to go back to where I purchased it last winter to identify it. I unearthed many labels, plenty I probably no longer need, but the one I needed to find eluded me.

While I'm botching things up, I pulled the Knit Picks Option cable out of the join when removing this WIP from the needles. Good work! Gorilla Glue will fix it but still...

Of course, the one thing I'm trying to fix, the finished sock in need of frogging, won't cooperate. I was ready to rip it out last night, but I couldn't find the end woven into the toe. It figures that I can't see the end the one time I need for it to poke out and wave at me. After messing around pulling some stitches loose, I pulled out the scissors and cut a strand in half thinking that I could freely unravel the sock. Hardly.

I've been pulling and undoing stitches one by one, but the whole thing isn't coming apart. On the one hand it's good to know that my handiwork won't fall to pieces, but in this case that's what I want it to do. Any tips for how to rip out a completed sock?

The Purple Rose of Cairo

The Purple Rose of Cairo

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden (45% silk, 45% kid mohair, 10% lamb's wool; Aran weight)
Colorway: 241
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 28
Pattern: 1x1 rib (first stitch slipped with yarn in front, last stitch knitted; sewn bind off)
Size: 4" wide, 58" long

I didn't know what to expect when knitting with Noro for the first time. I wasn't sure how the drastic color changes would knit up. I'd read the horror stories regarding the extra "stuff" in the yarn. I was unsure if I'd get satisfactory length out of the two skeins I purchased. All those concerns turned out to be not such a big deal as the result says it all.

I'm thrilled with how this simple scarf turned out. I think I did a good job knitting it, but the colors in the yarn take care of all the heavy lifting to impress. There was no need to do a complicated pattern when a k1, p1 rib rendered the colors quite beautifully. I don't think I'd be so bold to wear something in these colors, but I'm certain my mom will love it. I wasn't entirely sold when I began.

Is Noro worth the trouble and cost when factoring in the complaints of knots, hay, and stick pieces in the yarn? In this instance I'm going to say that it was. I ran into three knots--one in the first skein, two in the second--but did what I probably shouldn't have done and just knit them in as is. One is at the end of the row, and the other two are hidden well enough. The vegetable matter, assuming that's what it is, wasn't much of an issue in the second skein but was all over one section in the first. I have to figure out if there's a way to get it out by soaking the scarf, but even if I can't, I don't think it diminishes the item's appearance.

The tiny pieces of sticks and bark were more annoying but also more easily removed. For yarn this nice and this pricey, I don't know what the deal is. Certainly it gives Noro an even more rustic feel, but I can do without the yarn earning some kind of natural street cred because of it. I don't particularly mind the yarn weight inconsistency that ranges from bulky down to possibly a lace weight at times, although one puffed up section widened the scarf when I was knitting one color.

Since I knit this at a narrow four inches, two skeins was barely enough for a scarf. I would have preferred to get a couple more inches of length out of it, but I came close enough to my target that 58 inches is sufficient. I intentionally knit this more loosely than my other projects, which was easier on my hands and wrists. That may be the most important lesson I learned on this scarf.

So I've finished a Christmas gift in a week. I don't know how many more I'll be making, but I'm pleasantly surprised this one came together so quickly and looks so fantastic.

With a little help from my friends

The coldness of today's weather caught me by surprise. Sure, I knew it was in the teens, and thus not exactly appropriate for shorts and sandals, but leaving work I could feel the chill seeping into my bones.

Before heading out this evening I traded my ISE5 scarf, which I've been wearing, for a bulkier one I knitted myself early last year. The garter stitching has stretched so much that I need to wrap it around twice to keep it from nearly dragging on the ground, although that's a a bonus feature on days like this. (Still, I need another scarf.) I put my hat on and was now prepared to face the cold.

There were a couple other things keeping me warm too. Earlier in the day I got an e-mail from a friend who received one of the many seaman's caps I made for Christmas gifts. He said the hat was great and that he's been using it in the frigid spell that has descended on this area. (Guess I better finish the one I'm knitting for his wife.)

This afternoon I had a friend pop in for an unexpected chat via one of the top 51 things in the world (2007). I'd been going a little nuts at the office because I was feeling like I couldn't stem the tide of all the work that needs to get done in the near future. The chat was a needed diversion and put the workload in perspective.

What I'm getting at is that it was the small gestures that meant a lot. A short note of thanks and a brief conversation to see what's going on were highlights of the day, things that made me stand up a bit taller. It is easy to feel the necessity to look for or supply the grand statement, the big arm-waving call for attention, that the little things go unseen or undelivered.

There's a time and place for the large gestures, but they are anomalies in everyday life. It's the small kindnesses and courtesies that hopefully maintain the steady pulse of day-to-day existence rather than relying on the defibrillating charge from loftier displays of generosity. They're less expensive to give and likely to be more treasured in the long run. I need to remember that as much as anyone when it comes to giving and receiving them. I'm glad today's reminders came the way they did.

No strings attached

While standing in line at the post office to mail some Christmas cards and a package, I got to thinking about how nice it feels to give knitted gifts. (All the better that I was thinking this than how much I'd like to throttle those ahead of me for being unprepared when it was their turn and dragging out the wait even more.) I enjoy being able to give the products of my hard work. I keep the recipients utmost in my mind when deciding on projects, and I hope that what I give is appreciated.

So it is with a lot of mixed emotions that I read a thread on Ravelry that stated to veer into viewing knitted gifts as self-serving behavior. I didn't expect to find knitters, of all people, to call into question the motivation behind knitting something for someone.

I've not had anyone reject these gifts to my face, so I assume that they were welcome, even if they weren't loved. Is it possible my brothers have their scarves in the back of the closets never to see the light of day again? Sure. If they (or anyone else) were unsatisfied with them, I'm none the wiser. I'm not campaigning for sainthood in knitting some of my gifts. I just think that it's nice to do something that showed thought and care went into the gift. It's not about proclaiming, "Wow, look at how much time I devoted to making this for you."

I kind of got the attitude from some commenters that there is something wrong in the giver getting something in the experience, but if that's not "allowed", why would gifts be given in the first place? To be clear, I'm not looking for the gifts to be reciprocated or quid pro quo. Quite the opposite. They're given with no expectation of that. Of the gifts I've already given, I feel like I've already been rewarded in my attempts to brighten the days of others simply by expressing my appreciation and love for them. Is it suddenly untoward to take pleasure in being generous? Am I being really greedy because I was also able to get the benefit of knitting things?

I feel like knitting has made me more generous. I want to make and give things to those important to me. I don't believe this stems from a narcissistic impulse but a genuine desire to display how I feel.

So, is knitting gifts self-serving, or are the naysayers in lockstep with Scrooge?