HOCRAP

[gemini6184]

I feel really bad... I just saw the girl I'm doing the commission sweater for, and it turns out they broke up. I was afraid of this, but I thought the curse only applied to those who were doing the knitting. I'm trying not to take it too seriously, since they dated and broke up once before, and they're still friends so she's still going to give it to him.  

[Tes]

~
Young dating couples have, my guess, a 50-50 chance of being stable. Perhaps this is waaaay off but there's always a high turn around in the 20-something dating scene.
If they broke up before and then got back together it's a pretty good sign that they are one of those yo-yo couples and were going to break up again at some point. They will probably do it a couple more times and then REALLY break up and have nothing to do with each other.

Glad that you're still going to get to unload that sweater. I've been stuck in the position that a couple broke up and they didn't want the item anymore.
~

 

[I be me]

Curse?
what curse?  

[kochi~mochi]

I be me: are you not a knitter? If you are, how can you have not heard of the sweater curse?

stitch and b***h

Here's a legend known to allknitters across the land: It is bad luck to knit a sweater for our boyfriend, as it guarantees that the relationship will end. Of course, if you're looking to rid yourself of said boyfriend, this maight not be the most direct way of going about it. Like most myths, it holds a good amount of truth. If you've spent a month or two working long and hard on a sweater for your guy, only to have him not appreciate it enough or not wear it very often (and this happens all the time), you mught catch a lingering resentment and whind up dumping the ungrateful lout. The theory, i suppose, is that if you're married to the guy and make him a sweater he never wears, your still stuck with him.

Most knitters hold a great deal of faith in the curse, and just avoid knitting anything terribly complicated for their boyfriends.

Gemi - how old are you? If you and your friends are teenagers, then no, it wasn't you. 3nodding it was the teenager-ness of it all.  

[I be me]

ah,
now that I have heard of the curse I wish I could change my vote.
mind you the probibly would have broken up anyway, I mean people have a lot of relationships that the people think will last "forever but only a max of one can be relationships that last "forever"
*unless your partner dies first, but unless you are really handy with sharp objects I wouldn't rely on this*  

[gemini6184]

Mikono

I be me: are you not a knitter? If you are, how can you have not heard of the sweater curse?

stitch and b***h

Here's a legend known to allknitters across the land: It is bad luck to knit a sweater for our boyfriend, as it guarantees that the relationship will end. Of course, if you're looking to rid yourself of said boyfriend, this maight not be the most direct way of going about it. Like most myths, it holds a good amount of truth. If you've spent a month or two working long and hard on a sweater for your guy, only to have him not appreciate it enough or not wear it very often (and this happens all the time), you mught catch a lingering resentment and whind up dumping the ungrateful lout. The theory, i suppose, is that if you're married to the guy and make him a sweater he never wears, your still stuck with him.

Most knitters hold a great deal of faith in the curse, and just avoid knitting anything terribly complicated for their boyfriends.

Gemi - how old are you? If you and your friends are teenagers, then no, it wasn't you. 3nodding it was the teenager-ness of it all.

were in college.  

[SaelensFrozenFlame]

Mrrr....i think it also applies to scarves sometimes...

I was knitting a scarf for my then boyfriend...and i couldn't finish it, so I went with an alternative, and when i took the alternative up to his place, he and I wound up breaking up.  

[gemini6184]

[Far] [From] [Home]

Mrrr....i think it also applies to scarves sometimes...

I was knitting a scarf for my then boyfriend...and i couldn't finish it, so I went with an alternative, and when i took the alternative up to his place, he and I wound up breaking up.

actually it can happen with anything from what i understand. i made my boyfriend slippers, but he pretty much had to beg before id agree to knit him anything because of the curse sweatdrop  

[Lychee Fruit]

I was always of the understanding that there's a positive legend involving a scarf. I don't know if it's really a good belief to have, that knitting for your loved one is bad luck. After all, if you plan to marry, wouldn't you (traditionally) want to show them that you're good housewife material, being able to provide clothing for your family?  

[Brunette_Star]

I've heard of the sweater curse, but I've never heard of it applying to items like scarves or dishclothes. But doesn't the curse itself only apply when someone in the relationship makes it? (Translation: I don't think the commission caused it)  

[kochi~mochi]

Personally, i say the only thing the curse curses is hand-knit objects that the knitter didn't think through well enough. When knitting for anyone, the first thought should be "will they like it?" Then you should go to the "is it comfy?" and then "is it in their colors?" and then "will they appreiciate the work i put in it?"

Will they like it - Have you ever seen them wearing a sweater or scarf or gloves or whatever your planning on making them? If not, have you seen them wanting to buy one/a pair? Have they talked about wanting one? Some people just don't like wearing sweaters (my girlfriend), aren't big on scarves unless its freezing (once more, my girlfriend), dislike gloves unless ifs freezing (Once more, you guessed it, my girlfriend) or are extremely picky with what styles they do like (And yeah, thats my girlfriend). When knitting for them you have to make sure that its planned perfectly.

Is it comfy - Make sure they aren't allergic to the fibers your making it out of. Make sure it fits the way they like it. Make sure the yarn feels good. This one is fairly important, but really its not often over looked. Most knitters will pick up a yarn and say "ooooo.... this one feels good."

Is it in their colors - Make sure if they wear mostly black, you make them whatever your making them in black. If they wear lots of colors, make sure you make them something to match something they have. "And i thought the green would go lovely with your coat" is always a good idea. Let them know what you knitted it to go with, and they'll appreciate that you thought about the color and what they wear. Also, it gives them a "Ah! This scarf goes with my coat!" and they just might wear it every time they wear their coat.

Will they appriciate the work i put into it - If you've considered everything else, then this shouldn't be a problem. But if your loved on sees that hat as something that took an hour, and it took you three weeks (because you had to learn to increase, or you knit slow, or whatever) they may not shower you with the applause your looking for. Of coarse, if its a hat made with nice yarn in colors they love and they wear hats in that style, then they should love it, no matter how long it took you to make it.

Of coarse, if you answered no to any of these, my advice: Don't make it. Change yarns, change patterns, buy them something. The only thing that will come out of making something for somebody that isn't their color, isn't comfortable, and they generally don't like is a really bad day. You never want to hand somebody their present and have them not like it.


Not saying i'm an expert or anything, but i can tell you one thing: I only have one thing i'd make for my love, and thats cookies. I know she doesn't wear most knit items, much less anything i could knit easily. I might make her a hat with kitty ears or a pair of fingerless gloves, but only after she surprised me with a trip to... somewhere really cold.  

[gemini6184]

Actually I think thats a very concise chronological way to go about knitting for your significant other. The only reason I even thought about knitting my bf slippers is because he was complaining his feet are cold. When we get married his wedding present will be an aran vest I'm going to design from my clan aran (im part irish) because he never wears anything with long sleeves but hes still marrying into my clan heart  

[Brunette_Star]

You have a good point there. After all, if you knit something pink and they never wear pink, that's a sure way to get slapped with the sweater curse.

*makes note of this so as to avoid the curse*  

[Story From The Stars]

I've been hit with the curse. I was with my ex for nearly two years, and I started making the blanket a few months before(I have wrist problems so it takes forever) and all of the sudden he broke up with me when I had about half of it done. But I have nothing else to do with the yarn(they're his favorite colors, so I don't even really want to touch them at the moment) so I'll still give it to him if I ever finish it.  

[Story From The Stars]

Lychee Fruit

I was always of the understanding that there's a positive legend involving a scarf. I don't know if it's really a good belief to have, that knitting for your loved one is bad luck. After all, if you plan to marry, wouldn't you (traditionally) want to show them that you're good housewife material, being able to provide clothing for your family?

My ex told me two days before he broke up with me that he wanted to marry me, so that doesnt' make a difference.