Knitted Gifts: Blessing or Curse?

I can't decide what people really think when I give them something I've knitted. I'm gaga for it, but I haven't lost complete touch with reality so I know that maybe these treasures feel like traps to some people.

But, I still can't help myself. Here's another Xmas gift ready to go:












In fact, I'm now officially done knitting for the holidays. The self-imposed pressure I put on myself about these gifts makes me want to start immediately in January stock-piling finished objects so there is no crunch come late in the year. I actually do start fairly early, I think, in August but maybe it's better to start right in January...or maybe it's not. Why change?

This scarf was knit on huge size 35 needles and I was finishing it up on Saturday while sitting at an estate auction. I plodded along till the end. After a short break, I took out something else I'm working on that's brown/pinks/reds and on much smaller needles and after about an hour, the man in back of me asked me what happened to the large needles. He thought I was still working on the same thing. I thought it was funny that he noticed it at all -- he noticed the change in the needle size but not the difference between the green scarf and the brown/pink/red shawl.

Starting next week, I will be travelling and in sock mode till the New Year. I'm looking forward to having a couple of new pairs of socks to parade around in.