Christmas Gift Knitting, or How Not to be a Selfish Knitter

I think I’ve overextended myself with my plans for Christmas gift knitting. This is what I’ve either told the recipient I will make, or have planned to make:

  1. 2 pairs of socks
  2. 1 pair of fingerless gloves
  3. 1 beret (in photos)
  4. 1 Knitted Babe, plus accessories
  5. 1 sunglasses case
  6. 1 scarf

The thing is, I know that all the people I plan to make these things before will really love to receive them. When I mentioned to Will (son no.1) last night, that I was thinking of not making socks this Christmas he said ‘Oh no! Christmas bed socks are a tradition! We’ve normally worn out the pair from last year so it’s a really good time to get them!’

But that list of seven items, each of which probably represents two weeks’ worth of available knitting time, will take me fourteen weeks to make! If I started now, and only knitted gifts, that means I would finish these items half way through December.

Umm, no. It’s not going to happen.

I mean, I love my family, all of them, but fourteen weeks of knitting? Are you kidding me? There’s a reason I’m a member of the wonderful Selfish Knitters group on Ravelry, and that is that I like knitting for myself! This is my hobby, and I knit for my pleasure!

On reflection I have decided drastically to reduce this list. There are only two people who know that I am making something for them – these are the people for whom I am making the beret and the Knitted Babe. I think I will make these two items, and then if I have time, and if I feel like it, then I might make something else from the list. But only might, mind you. I am, after all, a card (well, badge) carrying Selfish Knitter.

So tell me, how much Christmas knitting are you planning to do? How do you manage to balance knitting for yourself and knitting for others at this time of year?

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