No matter, I love to crochet..but people now have many allergies..so maybe that was why it was thrown away…move on

One item I definitely recommend buying middle of the road if you can is a quality yarn winder (if you're into winding your yarn). You'll have to end up replacing a cheap yarn winder sooner than you think because the cheaply made moving parts will wear down pretty quick.

Really true! People don't really know the efforts we put into a creative process. Thanks for sharing!

I once crochet a very nice blanket with a stitch I absolutely fell in love with and gift it to someone that obviously didn’t appreciate it because I saw that blanket at her yard sale table. I saw it and I immediately took it back saying, “Hey, I made this for you with love and healthy prayer blessings and you don’t like it? Thanks for letting me know you don’t appreciate my thoughtfulness gifts to you and I won’t anymore.” and I walk away with that blanket. She just looked at me all in shocked without a word. I don’t know what became of her. 😂 I crochet a lot because I want to learn more patterns and I just save them to donate to the less fortunate people that aren’t able to buy nice things for themselves and I love that my creations will be used. ❤

I totally agree! I apply the philosophy "buy once, cry once" to most things around my home - appliances, clothing, etc. That said - I am the biggest bargain hunter i know. I will research the daylights out of something so even my splurge items are never just spending blindly. With yarn and tools, ive learned the types of things I like that are worth the money over time. Im notorious for playing yarn chicken and figuring it out when I have a limited quantity of yarn (which is basically always). I feel likethats harder to do with crochet than with knitting, but its why I'm so on top of my organization. I digitize my stash on Ravelry and I weight every skein before and after so I always know exactly how much I have on hand at any given time. It makes using limited amounts so much easier :)

I have started making crochet items for charity. Warm Up America is always asking for crochet items. Check them out. I just reached out to my community to see if anyone is collecting hats, blankets, etc. I have received information on senior homes, homeless shelters, foster care and many more. By giving them to charity I know the items I make will be appreciated.

I really enjoy your personal but factual opinions!

I might make one based upon the temperatures of the year I was born in. That way I should be able to order the "right" amount of yarn and can work as fast and as slow as I want.

Hi Shannon 🤗 hmm 🤔 lots to think about! Thank you! I can totally relate…at your age, I didn’t want to dress like my daughter…but…I didn’t want to dress like my mother! 😏🥰🧶🤩

❤sweetie crocheting is art and art is priceless. If they aren't appreciative of the things you've gifted them... do not hesitate to say "hey I noticed you don't really use or need that blanket I made you, but I know someone who would love to have it bc they know it's not an easy thing to make so if you'd like to be kind and return it I'd appreciate it and if there's ever a time you may want a different piece let me know a few months in advance as that's how long it takes to make by hand. Thanks, you're a doll"... seriously don't under appreciate yourself and your value. If it makes your heart hurt to be rejected by being kind then perhaps the best way to fix that is to be blunt but polite and honest. If you can vent on the internet than you go door to door and take back your time. There's plenty of people in hospitals and orphanages etc etc etc that would cherish not only the gifts but you for giving them something that nobody's ever given them. I used to live to people please until I realized that not a single one were there for me when it mattered most. Now I'm not working and I'm dealing with mastectomy stuff and constantly at the oncologist and do they bother asking if I'm alive. Nope. My best friend is my husband my kids and dogs... and 2 sisters and they all love my gifts I make. If you want to see how fast ppl will run away from you... get sick. You don't have to be contagious but just the fact you are losing your boobs means you'll lose all the fake ppl who don't deserve to be called friend! That's my pov. First hand and hard learned lesson here babe, all for free!

When I give a gift to somebody, it's up to them what they do with it afterwards. I love making things with other people on my mind, and it's a joy. If they give it away, maybe another person needed it... no hurt on my side. I might make something else for them, if they ask. Once out of my hands, out of my mind 😊

I actually gift some crochet projects to my mom but she didn't want it haha.

I made a decision about gifts a long time ago. Once given it is their property to do with as they wish. I would prefer them to give it away or donate if the item is not wanted, no need to tell me. I have been asked to make things but there are only a few I would say yes to. Most of my makes are now for charity.

I knit, crochet, sew, embroider, paint etc. But I admit, am a very selfish crafter…only make things for myself that I am dying to wear/have around. On the rare occasions that i create for others, they literally have to beg me for years. So as a consequence, they cherish the items I give.

Thank you, Shannon for sharing such great information 👍😊

Well done! Thanks for sharing!

Oh man, have I spent money this year trying to find the perfect crochet hook! I love Boye too, although it can hurt my thumb if I do too much crocheting. So many of the ergonomic hooks are either too big in diameter or the texture of the handle really bothers my hand. If the Boye hooks were perfectly round without a thumb rest, it might just be the unicorn hook for me 🤷‍♀️

As I crochet more, I don’t just go for the most economical anymore-I really go for the best (within my budget) for the project. My Dad’s voice in my ear…”penny wise, pound foolish…”😎

Hi I’m from the UK and have used a similar weight yarn from Paintbox. I was also surprised how small the skein is but they actually do further than you might think.

I agree...buy the best yarn/notions that you can afford at the time.

Absolutely gorgeous yarn and scarf! The leaf pin is perfect!

Im allergic to wool. Im so limited on what i can stand touching my skin. Middle range acrylic and cotton is about all i can handle. So many people love red heart but i just can't handle how scratchy it is.

This was so fun to watch!

Common sense crafting…the philosophy of crochet! It’s nice to have someone take things to the lowest common denominator. Just use common sense and not fears or cravings. Both are extremes in emotions. Good video.

Always enjoy your videos. Happy hooking!

I know you like pulling from the middle, so you might like Hobbi yarn. They have a quick pull tab on all of their yarn. The shipping cost is pretty decent too.

I tend to buy mid-range. The cheap stuff doesn't work for me. I enjoyed this video. 😊❤

Yes it can. You should focus on the best quality you can afford. Not being able to make a sweater out of Quivik yarn (hint: it is $150 for 100g) and you have to use wool yarn (which I think runs around $25 for 100g) instead is not being cheap. If you are having to buy a new plastic hook every 3 days because it is cheap and is always breaking but it is $1.25 you know what go ahead and spend the $5.00 on that aluminum hook from Michael's.

❤

I always buy more than I need of clearance yarn.

In quilting, we say that some people are quilt worthy and some are not... Doesn't mean the gift isn't great.

I quit crochet for a while, and really invested more time in knitting, mainly because I didn't feel that I could do the more complicated stitches. I couldn't remember whether I had yarn-overed before or after I slip-stitched, and I have up pretty easily. I was sad and disappointed that my tries at amigurumi failed, also. But just a few weeks ago, I must have seen something on RU-vid about Tunisian crochet, and I am so happy with it. It's like the best of both the knitting and crochet worlds, in terms of knowing what I did, and when I did it. I am working now on a mesh crochet vest that I got the supplies for, last December, and had just been afraid to start. Thank you for your post, Shannon, and everyone who has commented. 🎉

I would LOVE if you could share the pattern of the red cute hat you’re wearing in this video. It would be perfect to add to the chemo hats I’m making. 👍😻 thanks for reading this.

I’ve learned over the years that there will never be as much appreciation for handmade things when the recipient has never made something themselves. That’s not to say they are unaware, but to have true appreciation over the hours spent finding or making a pattern, yarn shopping, then the hours making it, ripping it out for the inevitable error, weaving in ends, washing and blocking, it’s always going to be an under-appreciated art to those that haven’t experienced it, and can certainly make it that much more hurtful. It’s a hard (yet important) lesson to learn that making and giving is your choice and your control; how they respond, is their choice and their control and it speaks nothing of you or your hard work.

Quit crochet?? That almost made me cry! Its the best therapy for me, I love crochet ever since I discovered it, which is just few years ago. Even watching others crochet is relaxing and encouraging. Crochet chases away depression and blues, helps you focus on life, takes you away from distraction by various gadgets. I wish I could find videos that would help my autistic daughter to crochet, she tried many times but its difficult for her to understand it, but when she tries she is very focused and loves it. Dont quit crochet, just try different things to crochet. :)

This. There's a reason the term "knit worthy" exists.

I do not have the patience for knitting or crocheting but my mom loved it and now my niece… so we have been gifted blankets and other decor… but i have to keep my husband from laying inappropriate items on them (tools, dirty shoes), they can’t be replaced! 😂… He loves a quilt we have on our bed my mom had made 40 years ago and is falling apart but he refuses to let me store it away! I don’t always lay out crocheted blankets because I am afraid they will be snagged or stained. I don’t want anyone one to be offended I just don’t want anything to happen to them.

I donated over 30 to 40 crocheted hats to our homeless shelters and made pet circle pads for our local animal shelters. Everyone was overjoyed

Thank you for sharing your experience in this video. While I am aware that this can happen to anyone, I am still thankful for your input on this topic. This is a reason why I only crochet beanies, scarfs and ponchos for my immediate family since I know that not only will they wear them but they will also be asking for other crochet items. As for friends, I only crochet baby blankets and beanies for those that I know will appreciate them enough to wear or put them to good use. Again thank you for this video.

it always makes me so sad to see crocheted blankets in charity shops now that I crochet and I know how much time went into those :(

There's an old saying " it's the thought that counts" I treasure every gift I receive and keep them like treasure to remember the love someone put into it whether it's small or not and some of those have passed away but I think of them when I look at the gift❤

I don’t gift. If I’m asked for something, yes :).

Just make some small size kiss lock coin purses

I say 'sorry I don't think I can make that, but hey you could probably find it on Etsy.' Then they change their minds lol, people really out there trying to using me to save money.

I crocheted a lacy shells dress for my cousin's first baby with white yarn with metallic thread plus a matching bonnet. I gave the gift with a white onesie, tights, and cute socks and told them when they opened it that it is meant to be worn over the onesie. Her husband openly scoffed the dress, said it's too revealing for a baby and they'll never use it, and dropped the box on the ground while laughing at me. This happened in front of the entire baby shower. Then people wonder why I don't visit them often. It wasn't the rejection of the gift that was the problem, it was the cruelty of how he treated me.

😢 When you showed that footage, I saw 400, I thought wow $400 that's actually a fair price, and my jaw dropped when you said 4 dollars. That's actually so sad

I really appreciate your comments. I am a knitter and have felt the sting of unappreciated handmade gifts. So I started making and gifting hand knit dishcloths. Seems like everyone loves them. Not very original or personal, but saves a lot of time, money and stress.

Ok Im not a knitter/crocheter and my art was never rejected BUT I am an oil exclusive painter and my mum let me set up my art studio in her front room and so I painted an absolutely gorgeous landscape painting. My mum said it reminded her of her favorite scripture so I decided to dedicate that BEAUTIFUL painting to her. Later on I was in the process of painitng this portrait and it was hanging up to dry in its beginning stages but it didn’t have irises, just the white/grey part of the eye and she took it down off the wall bc it looked creepy. Annoyed the HELL out of me. I unintentionally did this again with another portrait and she kicked me out of her front and back to my room. It pissed me off but I respect that. Cool. Whatever. Best believe she’s not getting that damned landscape painting. Its literally one of my best ones. She doesn’t appreciate/understand art enough to be gifted and deserving of an art piece.

Thank you for this video!! This made me so much more confidence to make my first crochet sweater!

How about a pattern for the hat and yarn colors you are wearing. It is adorable and I would love to make and wear it.😊