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Good grief


me-barbie

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I belong to a group on another forum. The group is called "selfish knitters."

I knit socks. I love knitting socks, and I love wearing handknit socks. I use sock yarn that costs anywhere from $10 to $30 for one pair of socks. It takes me at the very least 4 weeks to make a simple pair of socks; most of the socks I knit are not simple at all. I enjoy this immensely.

However - the number of people who see my socks, and ask/expect me to make them a pair is amazing. They often say "I'll pay you for them." Really? You'd pay upwards of $75 for a pair of socks? I doubt it.

I only knit what I want to knit, and I only knit for others if I want to do it. Many people are not knitworthy, and no matter how much I love them, I won't knit for anyone who doesn't get that I've spent $$$$ on the knitting, and more importantly, spent my very valuable free time on the knitting. People have learned not to ask me to knit things for them.

This is also why I don't knit for charity. Most people would be just as happy with a winter hat from the dollar store as they would be with a gorgeous hand-knit superwash merino hat that took me a week to make. (I like to knit with certain yarns - the inexpensive acrylics don't feel good on my hands while knitting, so I don't usually use them.)

It's totally ok to say no, and to only make what YOU want to make. It's far more selfish to ask someone to spend their money and time making you something than it is to say no to requests.

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I think anything people "expect" us to do for $$ or for free services, begins to lose it's joy. Mentally, creating a gift is so different that an obligation - at least for me.

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I was asked if I would sell my prize-winning (a whole 5$ lol, but still...Best of Best in Show!) Celtic Maidens. They are 4 Lavendar and Lace charts I put into one, changing the colours of Celtic Winter. Each season took about 3 months to stitch. Autumn took about 5 months, cause it is very hard to stitch with 3 broken ribs.

The lady who wished to purchase my Girls offered me 200$. I had spent that on floss, beads and fabric alone! :eek:

I have learned the hard way...not to give my work to anyone one who does not appreciate it.One Xmas, I made guest towels for my then-partner's mother. She called me cheap and used them as dishrags. When he saw her reaction to my towels, my partner did not dare tell her I had made the candle wreathes he was giving her. She raved over his thoughtfulness at going to a craft show for a prezzie for her... :ermm:

I only have one more birth sampler and then I am doing Spirit of Christmas, followed by Celtic Noel...for MOI! MOI! MOI! MOI!

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I guess no one lives as high in the clouds as I do! I burn a lot of cookies because they cook so darned fast. Holly, I haven't noticed that water takes much longer to boil. Anything with eggs is a problem though. I haven't tried to make bread yet but I was told that Angel food cake is impossible at this altitude.

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When I first moved out here I couldn't get anything to cook the way I have been use to all my life but I am getting the hang of it now.
I found out that my oven is 50 degrees higher than it should be so now I know that I am doing much better!!! I never cooked on a camp stove but maybe the heat is a little less??

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