With the gift giving season fast approaching, I've abandoned socks as my travel knitting project of choice to focus on wash cloths. After all, it is none too early to do a little preemptive present preparation.
Why do I use the term "preemptive?" Because every year someone unexpectedly walks up to me with a gift in hand. This always leads to the "blush, stammer and lame excuse" syndrome. "Oh my, how sweet. Ummmm, I have a gift for you, too. But it's not with me . . . yeah, that's it, it's at . . . umm, home." (Unless you're at home, then your "not with me" excuse is not just lame but really, really, really lame.)
In order to avoid that rather painful experience (especially since I'm a dreadfully poor liar), I try to have a few extra items prewrapped and ready to go before the season begins. Then when the surprise gift appears - voila - I can state with perfect honesty that I do have a gift already prepared. If I'm especially on top of things, I keep a few of these little packages, with blank note cards in a box in the car, so when those gifts appear at church or the dance studio, I'm prepared.
These are the ubiquitous Ball Band Pattern from Mason Dixon Knitting in Peaches & Cream cotton. If this yarn looks familiar, it is. I bought monstrous quantities of these colors on sale for a project and then scrapped the original idea. I've been making bibs, burp cloths, toys, hats, water bottle holders and wash cloths out of it for a year now, just trying to use up my stash. Oy, what a lot of yarn I've gone through/have yet to go through. Let this be a lesson to everyone in sale yarn buying moderation.
Oh, and for those of you stealth gifters who get a twisted kick out of catching unsuspecting recipients unawares . . . just try to surprise me with an unexpected gift. You won't catch me napping this year. Mwahahaha!
7 comments:
Sneaky, sneaky.
What a great idea!
I think I'll set aside my carry around socks til after the holidays, and start doing some dishcloths.
Um, yes, I'm a copycat - but only for cool ideas!
The problem with gifting those "warshrags" for me, is that people keep coming back and asking me to make more! argh!
Moderation - say it ain't so. You're just really ahead of the game yarnwise.
If I really wasn't expecting a gift from someone I just say "Thank you, this is so unexpected! What a nice surprise".
Even with just family to buy/make for I find all the gifts hard to keep up with. I dread adding another person to the list, which is what happens if you scurry around getting a gift together for the surprise-attack gifter. If you don't reciprocate then the following year they are less likely to spring one on you.
Call me Scrooge if you like, but I prefer to keep my gift list small and from the heart.
I'm not saying there is anything wrong with having little gifts at the ready, (good for you for being so organized!) but be aware that it does tend to establish a "tradition" of gift giving with that person.
Good plan! I usually have a few extra loaves of pumpkin bread tucked away in the freezer. Wrap them up in a pretty tea towel from the dollar store and there you go! Instant gift for those "yikes" moments.
But a pretty dishcloth would be even better...
I haven't attempted the Ball WaRshcloths yet. Are they pretty quick to knit? My last cotton knitting killed my wrists. Guess I'm a yarny lightweight.
~ Robyn
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