The Crochet Nativity I Made My Mom and the Beanies I Didn’t

It truly speaks to talent and dedication when people finally start requesting items from you. A lot of the time when you’re learning a new hobby, you’re just making it for yourself, and that’s a super fun place to start. But I’ve also been very honored to have people ask me to make specific things for them.

I’ve spoken earlier about making a poncho for one of my best friend’s weddings. I’ve also made quite a few throw blankets for my mother. The first one I made for her was a gingerbread blanket because she just loves gingerbread everything in the Christmas season. And when I saw the pattern, I knew she had to have it. I haven’t stopped making blankets since. I’ve also made things for my neighbors, for my hairdresser, for my co-workers. A lot of my friends have gotten gifts at Christmas time that I’ve made.

The Nativity My Mom Displays Every Year

One of the things I’m most proud of is a nativity I made about three years ago. My mother collects nativities, and during the Christmas season, they’re all over her house. I had found a pattern to create a crochet nativity and thought I would try my hand at it.

But then the second time I made it, I could see the progress I had made in my craft and was really proud of myself. Every year when she pulls this out in her house, I love to see it displayed.

Baby Blankets My Friend Never Asked For

One of my very best friends has a couple of children who are getting older and older. But when they were born, I did make baby blankets for them. It was a fun challenge for me. She did not ask me to do this, I just took it upon myself to surprise her with.

I’ve made three of them so far, and from what I’ve heard, her children still love them, which is a huge win for me. I’m very proud of that. So I know somewhere in her house, some very well-loved soft baby blankets are floating around.

The Beanies That Never Turned Out Right

I can’t explain it, but even to this day, I cannot make beanies very well. One Christmas, I decided to try to make a couple of beanies for my friends and my work friends.

And although I got them finished and packaged up, they were not as nice as I wanted them to be. My friends were very kind when they received these gifts, but they were ratty. The beanies didn’t fit their heads well; the stitches were uneven; it was just a struggle.

But once I had committed to it, I couldn’t give it up.

How I Turn Down Strangers and Coworkers

I try to be very kind when people ask me if I can make something for them. A lot of the time, they want you to do it, and they will pay you for it. But when I explain the cost, how much time it would take, and things like that, I don’t recommend doing it that way.

It depends on my relationship with the person. If my really good friends have a specific ask, I try to fit it in there and create what they’re asking me to because I really appreciate them thinking about me. If it’s just people- strangers, people at markets, coworkers, things like that I just have to let them know that I just don’t have the time or capacity to complete what they need, or that by the time I got all the supplies, it just would not be cost-effective for me (or them).

Why I Won’t Charge Family for My Time

When it comes to my really good friends and family, however, I do not charge them for my projects. Now, let me say that with a grain of salt, because sometimes they do still insist on paying me.

But it’s very hard to put a price on anything that they need because I just love them so much; I would do anything for them. I don’t expect them to pay me for my time. Sometimes the compromise is that if they want to pay for the yarn and supplies I need to complete the project, I will gladly let them do that.

Scarves Are Easy, Throw Blankets Are Not

There are some easy requests, like scarves, that people can make all the time that I can accommodate. I have those everywhere. I’m constantly working on a scarf when I’m traveling or in a meeting or anywhere that I can just do something mindlessly.

I have totes full of completed scarves and cowls for people. So anytime anyone wants one of those, that’s a very easy yes for me.

The things I turn down a lot are seasonal throw blankets. When they see my pictures, they think they’re beautiful. They really want one for their house. But I have to be very careful with those. They take me hundreds of hours to complete, require a lot of supplies and effort, and I just have to politely tell them there’s no way I can do that.

The Question Everyone Asks About Cost

One question that gets asked as I’m making things is the general cost of something like that. I think one thing that people ask about a lot, especially when they’re requesting things, is what the cost of that item would be.

People understand that yarn and supplies can be cheap; it’s probably a cheap hobby. However, you can definitely find some very expensive yarn, some very expensive hooks, some very expensive supplies. But even if not, it takes a lot of time.

When people ask me how long a certain project will take, I have to be honest, and it’s usually a lot more time than they imagined. And that’s a really good discussion to have with people that I enjoy doing it, but it does take me quite a while to accomplish what you’re seeing.