What makes a knitwear giftee truly worthy? FO Friday

If there’s a model of the good knitwear giftee, my aunt is IT.

She does not request frumpy, tragic knits: She has good fashion sense and knows exactly what shapes, colors and textures flatter her body.
She remembers what her wardrobe already contains and cultivates variety. I’ll never get bored knitting for my auntie. She doesn’t ask for the same sweater or shawl over and over.
She consults in the process. She carefully helps us pick patterns and yarn. This means we almost never wind up surprising her with a knitted gift, but at least we always know that we have her buy-in in advance.
She actually wears what is made for her. Nothing expresses appreciation for a hand knitted gift more than use of the object.
She takes care of her hand kits. Second runner-up in the “expressing appreciation” category is taking proper care of hand knitted gifts. Auntie knows how to do it right. She pays attention to washing instructions and she stores things properly and carefully on drawers or shelves (not on hangers).

I hope every knitter has a giftee like this in their life. Someone for whom it is a true pleasure to knit.

Here’s the latest thing I knitted for my aunt: a belated birthday present.

Meandering Vines Shawl

This was knitted in a rainbow-y Ella Rae colorway. 100% merino.

The original pattern was knitted in lace weight alpaca held double. Auntie, with the help of her local knitting consultant (thanks Mom!), chose a fingering weight yarn instead, which eliminated any need to hold the yarn doubled. I was somewhat relieved. Doubled yarn inevitably leads to accidentally picked up stitches, and that leads to ripping back, all of which inevitably leads to grief and rending of garments and gnashing of teeth. And really, why put yourself through that if you don’t have to?

I hope you enjoy the shawl, auntie!

With you, I know the roughest handling this shawl will ever experience will be from the mail carrier who delivers the package.

Happy birthday!