My Dragons
Things to Think About
So, first you want to go read this blog entry, and the comments; then you should go read this one (though you can skip the comments there, because it's Yarn Harlot and (much as I enjoy her style) she gets pelted with sycophants like the Quilt Code weirdos).
Yeah, so anyway. I think this goes back to the difference between knitting and, say, tatting; I wrote about it way back when the blog was first getting started, but it bears reconsidering.
So here's the thing: Liam hasn't had to buy himself a pair of socks since we started dating, because I knit socks for him. The sheer number of pairs so knit ensures that no single pair is going to wear out anytime soon--at this point he can easily go a month and a half without having to repeat socks--but that doesn't mean I expect them to last forever. Or my two pairs of kneehigh stockings that I knit this winter. The natural pair had a couple of thin spots; the black pair, being pure alpaca rather than the tough merino-linen blend, developed actual holes. I darned them and moved on. This is why the fancy parts are in the legs rather than the feet: feet wear out.
I certainly appreciate it if a little more care is taken with handknits than with store-bought things; it's an acknowledgement that I did spend my time on something. But you don't have to treat a thing like a baby just because I knit it; imagine how much Lake would like her outfit (which she'll likely be too big to wear next winter, alas) if anytime she wore it she were told not to run around and play. If it gets dirty, wash it; if it gets a hole I can fix it; if it gets stained I can still fix it, as I have plenty of the leftover yarn sitting around. This is why not to use up every possible scrap of yarn...