A gift -- sort of

The parents of the intended recipient of this layette do not read this blog, so I thought I'd show off how quickly I can conjure a crocheting project in a pinch.

I very rarely give homemade gifts -- it's a rather dicey sort of proposition. I mean, they're always received graciously, but there is the taint of a "loving hands at home" look about them that is not often the style of the recipient.

I used to give any homemade gifts along with a long, drawn out disclaimer relieving the recipient from any obligation to wear, display or keep the item given, but then realized that, as a gift, that would be the rule with any item. You don't give a gift with strings attached -- otherwise it's not a gift. I'm not sure what it is, but it's not a gift.

Then there is my Puritan idea that in order for something to be a gift, I should have to have gone through some trouble to manifest it. I should have to spend money, go to a store, stand in a long check out line -- something horrible, or even slightly annoying. But the fact is, I love to knit and crochet, find it very relaxing and enjoyable. So it's more a gift to me, than to the recipient and that doesn't seem quite fair.

So I suppose the only gift in the case are the buttons, which I had to go to Joanne Fabrics to purchase. Then again, I'm always looking for an excuse to go to Joanne Fabrics, so having to buy buttons for a gift that was being mailed to someone on Dirtman's side of the family justified my at least entering the store and, if I happen to glance briefly at the bargain fabric, it was merely in the interest of getting to the button rack -- honest. Okay, not really. The buttons are in front of the store and the bargain fabric are as far in the back as you can get.

So I guess the real gift part of this is that I at least thought of a way to mail it to Maryland, though Dirtman actually packaged and mailed it.

I guess I really didn't do anything to make this a gift then. Which means I'll have to write a thank you note to Kim and Brad thanking them for giving me an excuse to crochet a baby layette.