Let's talk about appreciation for crochet gifts we've given

[~Kel~]

I started on an afghan on Jan 2nd last year after finding out DH and I's best couple friends were having their first child. I gave it to her for the shower, she thanked me then. he sent me an e-mail thanking me, she sent the thank you note saying they were so glad to have it bc each of them has blankets or quilts handmade for them and they were glad their little one would have the same thing, we just got their Christmas card and they used the blanket as the background for the pic of just their DS

[happy stitcher]

It's so nice to hear how people appreciate the gifts you all have given...

 

The best "thank you" I ever recieved was a professional picture of the recipient's baby in nothing but a diaper holding the baby blanket I made for her.

 

I've made so many gifts...and usually all I get is a "thanks", and occasionally I don't get any response at all. It's so nice to know that some people still say "thank you" and show a true appreciation.

[boswifedeb]

I can honestly say that I have never been disappointed in the appreciation department. It is such a good feeling after spending time on an item to get a warm hug or a thank you note.

[kazily]

I have learned through the years who to give hand made gifts too, & all of those are extremely pleased with their gifts. My mother is the only one I'm not positive about. She asked for & loves the afghan I gave her last year & displays it on the back of her sofa, & often comments on how nice it is & how much she likes it...but acted "weird" at something else I gave her that was crocheted. I think it was a Bible Cover. Maybe she just "thinks" that only afghans should be crocheted.

[TonkaMama]

I like to make things for my best friend. Lately she's been wearing the scarf and matching beanie hat I made her. Not only is that a compliment (knowing that the item is being used), but she'll usually have a story of someone (often a stranger) commenting on the set. That always makes me feel good!

[cdgayer]

Earlier this year, I decided to try to use up some scraps, so I started making 12 inch granny squares with each round being a different color. After I got 12 of them made, I put a blanket together, not knowing what I would do with it.

 

My SIL got it today for Christmas. She was amazed-said I was so talented, I really had a gift,blah,,blah,,blah,, The part that was really funny is my BIL said my color choices were great--they went together so well!

 

I didn't tell him the color choices were made by randomly picking a color from the drawer.

 

So now my MIL wants an afghan for next Christmas. I'm thinking maybe a Mile-a-Minute pattern. Maybe I'll get it done by November if I start it tomorrow:lol

[CDBear]

I made a good friend cry once......

 

My friend collects Snoopy stuff - she has bunches of it! I made her a blanket of all sc's, then crosstitched Snoopy on it. It was huge......... When she opened it at our office gift exchange, all she could do was hug it and cry. When she got her composure back, I got a great big hug. The blanket is in her office at home, folded on the back of a chair for all to see and for her to snuggle with on cold evenings!

[renegade]

I am pretty broke right now because of extremely high vet bills with two of my cats, so I made ornaments for everyone this year using the pattern on the red ball found at http://pandacrochet.8m.com/ornaments.html . I made about 30 of them, because I had lots of people to give them to in addition to my friends, including my hairdresser, 3 veterinarians and their technicians, and some family.

 

With only a couple of exceptions I hand delivered all of them, and universally everyone loved them. They appreciated that I took the time to give them a pretty, handmade gift, and it's something they'll be able to keep and use for a long time. I had to search to find shatterproof ornanements (everyone wants to sell glass, because I guess they break so easily so you need to replace them every year), but I found some that several people thought were glass, in some pretty, bright colors.

 

I may have started a new tradition of giving small handmade gifts. It was gratifying knowing that the people I took the time to make these for really appreciated them, and will enjoy them for a long time.

[magiccrochetfan]

I love reading all these posts! I've looked at this thread several times over the last few days. It is so nice to make something, thinking of the recipient while crocheting, then have them acknowledge the work and love you put into it

 

Tonight my brother called and one of the things he said was how much he likes the snowflakes I made for his family last year.

 

May we all have a good experience when the gifts are opened on Christmas Day!

[susieq8579]

I do have to say that I am a baby blanket maker. If I find out someone is pregnant I have to make a blanket. Even if they are just an aquaintence. I can't help myself.

 

I always get the best compliments most of them are along the lines that they love to have something homemade for their babies, and either they don't knit or crochet or they don't know anyone who does.

[Blondie]

I may have told this story another time, but here goes anyway...

 

Several years ago I sold Avon to make some extra money. At Christmas time during one of our regularly scheduled meetings, we were going to have our Christmas party and gift exchange. We didn't exchange names, we were to just bring a gift (non Avon of course) and place it under our little tree. Then you were to just pick a wrapped gift from under the tree, you could trade with someone, before it was opened, or you could keep the one you picked. For laughs there was a lot of trading going on.

 

Because of our lack of funds at the time, I made a sqaure doily (wish I could find the pattern now because I love it) and I was worried what people would think because I made something instead of buying a gift. You know how some people are about hand crafted items

 

Well you should have seen the look on the face of the woman who got my doily. There was no need for her to say a word, you could tell she loved it. She immediately told she had the perfect place to put it. All of the women loved it and went on and on how wonderful it was that I took the time to make it and so on. It made me feel so good I about cried.

 

That is a memory I will have for life.

[LittleJadeFrog]

I know the people that appreciate handmade gifts. So I make tons of them for them. Never a complaint. My mom and I show each other our WIPs or FOs and compliment on them. She cannot do "mini" items so usually I have to make 2 because she tells me how much she loves it by adding it to her shelf, then I have to make another.

 

For Mother's Day this year I made her "diet" (crochet) chocolate-covered strawberries in a plastic canvas box. She loved them so much that she showed all her friends and told my Mom Mom. I ended up making some for her too. Now I have an "order" to make her a bunch of grapes.

 

For Christmas I mad DH a superman graphghan. We have been in the process of moving so I really didn't have time to wrap it. I took it out and opened it and he said "What is that?" I said it was his Christmas present and he said it was nice. I know he appreciated it without getting all squeelly like my mom does.

[Krakovianka]

I only made crocheted gifts for my immediate family, and only 2 of my 4 children, at that. Money was short this year (when is it not?), and I made a "small" seraphina shawl for my 10yo (I used her as a model to check size when I was making one for my secret pal, and she loved it). She crocheted her own fastener for it (I hadn't quite had time to make one), and wore it all day yesterday and has it on again today. I made my 14yo daughter a second pair of the "The Ultimate Crocheted Socks" from crochetme.com, in her favorite color (blue), and she loves them even more than the first pair. I also made her a thread tissue-holder for her purse, because she liked the one I made my swap partner so much.

 

Finally--and this was by far the biggest hit--I made each of them a Fuzzy Guinea Pig from PlanetJune's pattern. They hardly put them down all day! They just love them--named them--and were so surprised because they had no idea I could made guinea pigs (they are huge fans of guinea pigs).

 

It's not so hard to please our own kids, of course--we know what they like--but it is gratifying to have them love what we've made. Also, they know perfectly well that I prefer to crochet with thread and don't care for making animals at all, so they know I've gone out of my "comfort zone" for them and appreciate that, too.

[CrisKad]

I made a variety of crochet things for my mom, 3 sisters, and 3 grandparents. It was all received very well and everyone seemed to appreciate it! One of my sisters even kissed and hugged the doll I made her and told me it was made in her favorite colors! That felt great!

[Addey]

I had a wonderful gift-giving experience yesterday.

My brother and his girlfriend were out here from California for Christmas. Like I've posted before, my Gram is the one who taught me to crochet and she just passed on the 28th of November. Two years ago now I'd made her an extra-wide scarf/wrap for Christmas. Mom brought it back home with her and had it sitting in a basket in the living room. Becca, my brothers GF saw it and admired it. She and my brother came up to my place for dinner Sunday. The first thing she said to me was how much she admired the scarf.

Well, yesterday I gave it to her. It wasn't wrapped or anything. I just picked it up out of the basket and told her I wanted her to have it because she loved it sooo much. She practically ripped the scarf she was wearing right off and tossed it aside so she could cuddle and snuggle and wear the one I made. Her face lit up with awe and amazement when I gave it to her. It really made my heart sing.

[HappyBunny]

I made my mother the Half Moon Shawl, my father a pocket scarf, and my sister and SILs and niece a scarf each for Xmas. Everyone was very surprised and thrilled that I made something for them....and not just a big thank you but they actually wore the items!! I can't think of a better compliment than to know they would wear what I made them. It's very encouraging since I've only been crocheting for 6 months!

 

Kim

[Lyndamic]

I'm a nurse at a children's hospital. I can't tell you how much the kids love Project Linus blankies. If they are mobile, they are taken to the 'blanket stash' in the Recreational Therapy department and allowed to choose their own. Some kids will take up to an hour to look at them all over and pick just the right one! Kids who are confined to bed are brought a few to chose from.

 

The kids sleep with their blankets, show each other their blankets, and 'frequent flyers' (kids who have to come back often due to chronic conditions) know they are getting one and always ask when they can pick out their blanket!

 

So, a HUGE thank you to all of you ladies who make and donate these blankets. I have seen myself that they really do bring comfort.

[ladytoysdream]

I gave my niece a granny square hat yesterday. She will be 5 today. I wasn't sure if she would like it or not, but it sure made her smile. Her mom told me she really really likes hats

At our family Xmas dinner yesterday, I gave everybody a small granny square stocking. Let each one pick the color they wanted out of the bagful I had with me. They were a big hit. I was surprised

[mythunderbird]

i recently had a order for a baby sweater and some recieving blankets and while i enjoyed that i decided to make and give my cousin and his wife a baby blanket and a nursing shawl for her. i recieved a beautiful thank you card from my cousins wife. they thought it was special gift and something they love and will keep forever, boy did that make my day!!!:yay

[Sue89]

I had a bit of a creative block this year, so all I crocheted was one ornament for a friend. It was a stuffed star with a tiny photo of her dogs in the center (posted in the miscellaneous forum), and it was fairly simple-looking. I just used it to decorate the package of the store-bought gift I was giving her. She saw it and gasped like it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. She loves handmade things so I always know she'll be appreciative, but I didn't expect that big a reaction. Made me feel good.

[Super Granny]

several years ago I went to Michigan to spend the weekend with a group of women I met in an online group.. we all stayed at one of the woman's home so I made her and her mother each an afghan as a hostess gift... not only did I see my gifts in use this past june when I returned.. at least once a month my friend thanks me for them especially for the one I made her mother...

 

at our family get together this year I made purses for my little neices and scarves for the older neices and my nephews... I had them thanking me even without the urging of their parents... the little girls loved their purses and were carrying them all night...