Warning: Introspection sans photos here.
I've been thinking about Ted's comments - after I got over the feeling of impending abandonment by a super-talented virtual knitting Friend. I think none of us should make a decision to give up something we have loved..., we shouldn't make that decision in the low light of the cold seasons. It's time to hibernate, but have dreams of coming out to a warm, sun-bathed Spring where everybody smiles and says how nice it is to see us again.
If a big part of the reason we knit is so that other people will oooh and ahh over our work, then we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. I admit that when I knit something I think is especially nice I want others to appreciate it too. I need to get over that.
Last weekend was the Friends of the Library Craft Fair. I learned quite a bit about what other people want. The Noro scarf went before the doors were officially open. The neck warmers made of handspun yarn were appreciated, but had to be marked down to $10 before they sold. The old-fashioned items and wash clothes were still on the tables at the end of the day, but the felted catnip mice were gone shortly after we opened. The seaman's scarf sold for a fair price. Hats and colorful mittens were good, especially if they were glittery.
Next year I'll have to figure out how to balance what I want to knit with what might sell at the craft fair (no more pi shawls). What I might enjoy making: fair isle hats and mittens; thrummed mittens; seaman's scarves with lace patterns. To balance these things that I would enjoy knitting, there would be some things I believe others want that I might not enjoy making so much: more felted catnip mice and some felted dog bones (dogs like to carry their toys around in their slobbery mouths); knitted toys; other terminally cute items.
So, I'll keep knitting, but when knitting for others I'll knit what they might want instead of what I think they should want. And to make it interesting, in order to donate items for a fund raising event I'll have to design the items myself (or get permission from the various holders of the copyrights). There's the challenge - graduating to design.