Do you mostly knit for yourself, or do most of your handknits end up being for someone else? I find that I mostly knit for myself these days. I’m not sure why. I decided pretty early on that if I was going to do gift knitting, it was going to go to someone who’d really appreciate the time and effort that went into it. (Like another knitter, or someone else who works with their hands.) The exception is knitting for babies. I haven’t had any babies to knit for, but when I do, it will be just for the fun of making those tiny cute outfits/socks/hats/whatever and it’s totally fine that the baby won’t know the difference between that and the storebought ones! Babies are the exception. (Now I just need to wait for some babies to appear in my life. Well, not in MY life, per se, but you know what I mean.)
Miss Violet emailed me yesterday to let me know about a special new concept in dyeing that she has come up with, and it started me thinking about knitting for others. She calls this line of hers “Intention Yarn” and here is what she had to say about it:
“As prayer-shawl knitters will tell you, there is a certain power in knitting something with meditative intention. There’s a whole school of thought that says that the love you’re feeling when you’re knitting something for someone can be felt when the recipient uses the item.
Lime & Violet’s Intention Yarns takes this concept one step further, attempting to start the process from the very dyeing of the yarn to be used in the project of your choice.
Intention Yarns are dyed using the same process as most hand-dyed or hand-painted yarns, with colors that are selected for a relevance and conveyance of the yarn’s purpose. During the last step, however, just before the skeins are steamed and the dye set, we write the word or phrase on the skein, like you see in the “love” photo.
The final knitted object doesn’t show much sign of the original word, but while knitting with these yarns, every so often, you come across a very small “spot” of the word, which serves as a mental reminder to refocus your attentions back on your wishes and prayers for the project. It’s very subtle, but effective as a reminder to keep your attention and intention on the recipient or focus of the project.”
We are so happy to be getting Miss Violet’s first batch of Intention Yarns here at The Loopy Ewe. (And in the future, you will only find them here and on her website.) This first batch will include 15 different colorways. They are: Peace, Balance, Love, Clarity, Strength, Connection, Healing, Patience, Joy, Faith, Hope (shown at the top of the page), Fertility, Perserverence, Courage, and Creative Inspiration (shown here).
She also says, “The colors will remain constant (but handpainted, expect a few variances between skeins and dye lots), with one exception: Creative Inspiration is different every time, an explosion of colors on a white base, to simulate the creative process.”
Watch for this yarn to arrive and go up on the website in about 2 weeks. We think it’s a very special idea and we know you’ll like it for knitting beautiful things for those you love.
Now we have some prizes to give away! Y’all outdid yourselves in the comments section from last Friday – woohoo! We have loved every comment that you left and we’re going to go back to them whenever we have a bad day! (Not that we have many bad days. But I’m a little concerned that several of you mentioned we ought to avoid “The Terrible Twos” stage. We hope to do just that.) For this contest, we had over 1600 comments, so we’re giving away prizes to 16 different people! Each prize package includes one skein of Wollmeise, one skein of yarn from another one of our awesome indie dyers, one Loopy Red Canvas Sock Bag, one sock pattern, and one Loopy Ewe pin for your knitting bag. We hope you love it! The packages are going out to these 16 randomly drawn people: Julie-Ann in Jamaica, Theo in OR, Teri in VA, Kirstie in Canada, Debbie in WA, Cathy in VA, Erin in MN, Nancy in IA, Liz in IL, Adina in OR, Heather in OH, Janet in CA, Karin in NC, Michelle in IL, Tammy in CA, and Sheryl in VA. All of the winners have been sent an email, so if you’re wondering if it’s YOU, check your in-box!
So – do you knit more for yourself or more for others? We’re curious!
Sheri thisnewyarnmightjustinspiremetoknitforothersmoreoften
Am I first! Others, you know that since I emailed you about a friend this week. My daughter and Mom get a lot of stuff too. I have kept some stuff for me, but for me its about keeping my hands busy, but I need to like what I am making
I knit almost exclusively for others. Actually, I’ve never knitted anything for myself. I did however just buy some gorgeous roving from your store with the intention of a scarf and shrug for myself. I’m always busy with custom diapering woolies for other mamas and when I’m not working on those, I’m knitting diapering woolies for my beautiful little girl. I LOVE the idea of the inspired yarns and will definately be on the look-out!
Hi Sheri, In answer to your question, I knit probably more for others, with the exception of socks. I knit for my grandson Ethan and his mom. I agree, only for those who know and appreciate the time involved. On another note, congratulations to all of the winners for the anniversary contest. Have a great weekend Sheri, and to the elves also. Hugs
Oh I love the Intention yarn! As a general rule I tend to crochet/knit(just learning to knit) more for others, but I am slowly starting to add more and more projects for myself. Now if I can just get them done!
I knit mostly for myself. I have used sewing to make money over the years and got to where it felt like work and not like fun. When I went back to work full time, I started knitting socks a year later and with a few exceptions, they are just for me. Sometimes I feel a little selfish, because it would be so much easier to justify my Loopy purchases if they were all for gifts 🙂 , but it is something that makes me relax and feel really happy. I don’t have a lot of spare time either, so I can’t gift knit and get very far with it. I so still love to crochet baby blankets and capes as very special gifts for dear friends.
I knit for myself and others. I have finished more projects for others, and have more WIP’s for me, at a given time. I do have projects for myself, but they usually get bumped for others. Have a great weekend.
I knit mainly for myself–tho my husband really likes the socks I knit for him.
I ‘m not sure the things I’ve gifted have been appreciated, so I’m getting pickier as to who receives the hand made items.
I knit more for others.
I knit mostly for others. I do the occassional socks for myself, but I’ve mostly knit for my fiance, mom and stepdad. Currently all of the knitting I have on needles (or will have on the needles until Christmas time) will be for others. Scarves, socks, hats, shawls, etc.
So much to do and so little time!
Definitely more for others. Most of my knitting is gift knitting. People ask about knitted stuff I have if I made it and it’s almost always a “no” …
Both, depends on the project. I tend to knit more for myself, but do gift quite a lot as well. I’ve only made one sweater on request, but several gift socks. I love the idea of this yarn as I always try to be focused in the moment when knitting. It just seems to flow better and I get a better finished project when I enjoy the process as opposed to just trying to get done!
I knit mostly for myself though lately I’ve been knitting xmas gifts for people. I’m going to have ot get some of the “Hope” intention yarn cause hoo-boy I’m gonna need some hope with hubby deploying. By the time it gets to me, I might have my que down enough to actually knit for myself this summer!
I knit mainly for myself. I am selfish like that! But, I have a new baby girl to knit for now! Hmmm..her name is Hope and my name is Faith. I think we may need to pick up some of the intentions yarn!
I knit both-
🙂
I’m pretty balanced there.
The new yarn idea is amazing- can’t wait to try it!
I knit mainly for myself. But I planning on knitting a couple of pairs of socks for co-workers for Christmas and a scarf for my sister-in-law. I also cross stitch, which is mostly gifts except the larger project.
Have a great weekend.
I’m a mostly selfish knitter, although I really don’t have many other people to knit for. My mother is also a knitter, and we’re pretty much at the same skill level, so we don’t do too much knitting for each other. I did knit a shawl for my mother earlier this summer because she hates knitting with laceweight. My father is too warm for most knitted items, and my little sister is incredibly fickle. Usually, my sister will pretend that she hates wool (says it’s too scratchy), and yet we’ll discover that she swiped one of my mother’s wool boucle scarves (and that stuff was pretty scratchy!). On rare occasion she’ll request something, but I think she really favors the items she’s snagged from us. If I had some more suitable recipients for handknitted items, I probably would knit more for other people…there’s only so many knitted socks a wardrobe can handle!
I knit for others more than myself, if left to my own devices. I like making things for others, and sharing what I make.
My husband thinks I should reap more of what he thinks are the benefits of my work, and make more things for me. (He doesn’t get that the making is the benefit, not the keeping, and that’s okay.) So I usually have at least one thing on the needles for me, and two or three for other people. *grin* It’s a compromise I can live with.
I knit mostly for others. Until recently I had never made anything for myself. I love to knit for others and think of them as I create. I think of how it will be used and cared for. My nieces and nephews have tv watching rituals with the afghans and pillows I have made for them and they say that they can’t imagine a winter without my hats and mittens.
Mostly me… but seeing Miss Violet’s idea about your thoughts when you knit has me thinking. All those times I have cursed my way through a pair of socks I was making someone else… did I transfer that vibe to make them unpleasant? Explains alot about my mom! (kidding!!)
I knit for others about 2.5 hours per day and 7 hours on Sunday. The 2.5 hours per day is set aside for either prayer shawls or Linus blankets and occasionally a preemie hat. The Sunday time is for knitted gifts–baby gifts, Christmas, birthday gifts. Gifts are generally not large items such as adult sweaters or socks. If they are large items, the recipient is usually very special and able to appreciate. I try to make easy care items for others.
Since one can only wear so many pairs of socks, I am beginning to give consideration to making them for others but my selfish side just can’t seem to part with the yummy goodness of handdyed/painted yarns. I’ve made some sweaters for others but lately they’ve been for me.
What an incredible concept. Can’t wait to see the yarn, and some will have to come to my house…
I knit for others more than myself. I’ve been known to “lie” on my blog and announce a project is for me, so that I can get feedback from the (ignorant) recipient. I’ve also gifted items I did knit for myself, when it’s obvious that someone (my mother inlaw, often) else loves it.
I go in waves. Right now it seems to be all about me. This yarn concept is wonderful – I’m looking forward to seeing more!
It’s split, right now I’m working on a cardigan for me, next up is a toy for my sister’s new baby. I’ve given away 15 pairs of socks in the last couple of years and almost everyone was delighted (one notable exception won’t be getting any more socks). One pair went to a friend with size 11 feet, and they were the first pair of socks to ever fit her properly and she was so grateful, I might have to knit her another pair!
Love the idea of the Intention yarn!
When I first started knitting socks I knit a lot for other people. Then I knit for myself since I appreciated them more. Now I have so many that I’m back to knitting more for others. There have been exceptions with baby and grandchildren gifts. I am starting now on Christmas presents – 4 pairs of socks, dishcloths & dish towels for 3 friends, and sweaters for the 4 grands.
I have knit 12 prayer shawls and I like the intention beginning with the dyeing process.
Congratulations to all the winners!!!
I love the idea of the new L&V yarn – can’t wait to see it all.
As for knitting for others, from my own stash, that comes in waves (actually, just about to start something for Mom in the next few weeks). But, yes, I do knit for others.
I’m a Team Leader for New York Cares and we’ve just had a new project put on the boards that I sought out. We will be meeting a few times a month to knit up scarves, blankets, hats and mittens for the homeless here in NYC. For more information, visit http://www.thepurlfoundation.org. We start with them on the 17th of this month and will continue from there. Feel free to pass my email on to anyone in NYC that’s interested.
L&V new line looks fantastic!
Ultimately, other end up with my knitted things. I’ll start something for myself, and then someone’s birthday or an unexpected surgery will come up (or something of the sort) and I’ll end up gifting whatever I’m working on or just finishing. Or sometimes people will comment on a scarf or fingerless gloves that I’m wearing and I’ll just give it to them… the fun is in the actual knitting anyway, right? I can always make another one!
Congrats to all of the winners!! I’m so jealous :p
Now mostly myself or as you said only others who would appreciate the effort. I have made exceptions for quick projects for nieces. Usually I use yarns that the moms can machine wash and then don’t worry that they will ruin a woolly masterpiece.
I once saw a genuine Irish hand-knit my friend had brought back from Ireland for a grandchild, thrown in a smooshy heap, limp after many un-wise machine washings. It was a sad, sad thing! (Moment of silence!) I hadn’t even been the one who spent the money or did the work, but I wanted to cry!
Mostly for me, though I knit gifts for my family too.
I tend to knit entirely for others. I have a large family: lots of sisters and just one brother and I’m the only one who knits so handknit items are in huge demand. My brother has already asked that I start making baby blankets because he wants lots of kids and wants to be sure I can keep up with all my future nieces and nephews!
I’m thinking that next year though might be a year when I knit mostly for myself – there are so many patterns that I’ve been earmarking that never get the time!
I love the new Intentions Yarn – love, love, love it. I’m going to have a hard time now buying one of each!
I almost always knit for others. I have never had any one not appreciate what
I have given them. Whether they wear it or not, I don’t know. I know that there
are certain people I make socks for every year for the holidays and they put
their order in when they get their presents for the color that they want for the
next year. I do make socks for myself, but that’s all. Right now I would just
like to get some socks finished that I am making for the holidays. I always start
in January. I have too many socks on my needles now. I don’t seem to finish
a pair before I start another pair. I get bored. I love the concept of the new yarn
that you have coming in. I knit for people I know and strangers that have been
good to me. It’s my way of paying it forward.
My knitting is probably half and half…half for me and half for others. I have a few WIP’s that I’m really trying to finish before I start anything new, but it’s hard to stay focused when there is always new stuff coming out.
I guess I should stay off the Internet and not read blogs, etc. Although, for the record, I ordered Noro from Sheri last week after seeing her chevron scarf pictured in her blog and I’m about 2/3’s of the way finished!
I mostly knit for myself. It’s always so easy to find me to see if things fit! Also, I don’t have to worry about what they will like for colors, or fibers, or patterns, I am free to pick what I like. Knitting is how I relax, and knitting for others might make it stressful. There are certain exceptions for immediate family though.
I knit mostly for myself. I knit mostly socks and shawls. I don’t knot too many people that would give a lace shawl the care it needs. I do give away a lot of socks to mostly relatives–who thankfully have feet very close in size to mine. And then there are my kids. They get a lot of socks too.
I mostly knit for myself. I find that I don’t have as much time to knit as I’d like and trying to meet a deadline for a birthday, holiday, etc. just doesn’t work for me most of the time.
Miss V’s new line is very inspiring. Look forward to seeing it.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend! I’ll be busy working this weekend, but hope to have a few breaks to knit – time will tell! Just laying down and watching mindless television might win out though, lol. : )
Mostly I knit just to knit. I’m definitely more of a process knitter. I knit things that seem to me as if they’d be a fun and interesting knit (not even so much that I’d like the finished object). Most things I give away… either by intention or because someone says, “ooo, that’s pretty” and I say, “here you go!” 🙂
I knit for myself and others. Most of my handknits are for me but I do a lot of gift knitting around the holidays for immediate family (who appreciate the time and effort that goes into handknit gifts). My favorite person to knit for is my mom because she is the one who taught me and I love making things for her.
Congrats to the lucky winners. What a great prize.
That is such a neat idea for the fibers and yarn. I look forward to seeing those.
As far as knitting, I knit a lot for my family, but I am selfish with my socks. They tend to get bigger items like sweaters, but I have a hard time parting with that lovely sock yarn. I do knit socks for charities and chemo caps and the like. That is very enjoyable.
I hope you are enjoying some of this wonderful weather we are having today. It was terrible at the beginning of the week, but absolutely beautiful today.
I knit for ME, but not in the way you are thinking exactly. I knit because I enjoy it and because of the sense of calm and relaxation (even when its being bad…) I get when I pick up the needles. Knitting is also my physical and occupational therapy to keep my fingers moving and to avoid losing anymore muscle in them. The actual Items are done for family and also for me. My Mom, Grandma and Son get most of my finished objects because they appreciate them so much.
I’m about 60/40, with myself getting most things. I’ve seen a few items go unappreciated, so I am careful with who gets things. I am all excited right now because a knitting friend got pregnant, which means I can finally give away a very special baby item I have been holding off for the right recipient for years!
As for the new L&V yarn: good for them! I should have thought of that myself! I am often focused on the recipient, and think intent means a lot. I also just finished working on a prayer shawl for our church’s minister, who is going on sabbatical. We had seven knitters and as many colors of Noro Kureyon, so he can (sorta…it all blends) see that different hands went into it. I do intend to get some of the new yarn, as I want a Peace shawl for ME, and a couple of comfort ones for friends.
I crochet and knit for myself and for others. I create for myself a lot during the year, but give gifts of knitted or crocheted stuff at the holidays to some extent.
When I took up knitting again, I had only one or two scarves and one warm hat. Well, I take public transportation, so I was often COLD in the winter. (Yes, it’s Georgia. But when you spend time standing on a breezy outdoor platform or sitting on cold metal benches…It’s really really cold.) So most of my knitting has been in the form of scarves and hats, or else cases and pouches for my gadgets or dance gear. Instead of buying it, I’m making it. It fulfills a need and satisfies my desire to create useful objects that are beautiful.
Wish more of my husband’s family really appreciated the handmade, though…Like Sheri, I won’t give my creations to someone who would rather have store bought and can’t understand WHY I would bother to make it myself!
I knit more for myself for ALL the same reasons you do!
🙂
THAT is a genius idea!
I think I’m about half and half. In the winter, I’m cold… and selfish. In the summer, I tend to knit gifts for others more. At the moment I have 4 gifts at some point in progress… hoping all to go out by the end of the month. Then I’ll probably be selfish again for a bit. 😉
What an interesting idea for the yarn dyeing being done with inspirational intentions dyed right in! I’ll pass this along to my knitting group.
I love to knit for other people, but have to admit that I will only knit for those that I know understand the effort and time I have put into the object. At present I am knitting Hemlock Ring blanket for my BF and when that’s done I will casting on another for my stepdad.
I let the yarn speak to me. I know my friends really well, and when I buy yarn and it comes and I open the package…I wait, if I feel super instant love for it and I can’t part with it – its mine. Sometimes, though, I open it and I sigh…I just know Jennifer is going to love that green. Or, my Mum will have such fun knitting with this…blammo, of to the giftie pile it goes. I knit for those who appreciate it; I knit for myself because I love myself, too and I share my stash with those who knit, like my Mum. I love Mum. Yarn always equals love.
I have just finished an “others” phase of my knitting. My box is on its way to Christmas-at-Sea for the fall distribution (4 scarves, 4 watch caps, 1 vest).
I’ve cast on the Striped Modular Vest from the fall Creative Knitting, so my Olympic knitting is for me. I tend to alternate projects, with my car knitting often being charity knitting.
I BUY yarn for myself, but I KNIT yarn more for others. And I’m always looking for the perfect pattern or yarn for a gift for someone…a friend having her first baby, another who is allergic to wool, a third who would appreciate the name of a yarn, etc. (I have a friend who was a “West Wing” fan who’s getting socks made out of the “Josh and Donna” colorway, for example.)
But ain’t nobody getting my skein of Swiss Mountain Cashmere but me. I loves it too much. 😉
I mostly knit for myself, maybe 20% for others. Some socks and the odd sweater for DH and the kids. I absolutely loathe deadline knitting, that sucks all the fun out of the knitting for me and it becomes a chore.
The Intentions yarn sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately I need some healing yarn for Mum 🙁
LOVE the concept of the Intentions yarn! I knit mostly for others: relatives, friends and various charities. Am currently making prayer shawls for the Wrapped in Care program at MN Children’s Hospital so the Intentions yarn will by well used.
Except for the few preemie blankets and lap throws I do every year (usually crocheted), most of what I do is for myself. I am a very slow knitter, so I am reluctant to plan knitted Christmas/birthday gifts. I did, however, knit a lacey scarf for my step-mother for this Christmas. I started it in February just to be sure that I would have it done! Also, I purchased some sock yarn from you specifically with my sister in mind, so I will be doing some socks for her at some point in the future.
I am also a cross stitcher. Some of those projects are for others, but again I plan far into the future.