compliments are a funny thing

I got to work yesterday and no one said anything about the Tivoli. This, in some strange way, was the biggest compliment I could get. When someone asked me what I’d done over the weekend, I told the story of the party we went to, and then said, “and I finished this.” Then I got a “you made that?” and that, too, was a high compliment.

But then I went downstairs for a meeting, and when one person who hadn’t seen me yet that day laid eyes on me, she immediately said, “did you make that?” And I was kind of disappointed. Is that sad? I’m trying to remember, but I do think she’s asked me if I’ve made most knitted items I wear, even when store-bought, so I suppose it wasn’t her saying, “Damn, that looks totally homemade and like crap.” Still, it’s weirdly what I don’t want to hear–and yet, I want people to know that it’s my work. As people found out throughout the day, though, I got a slew of nice compliments (everyone loved that the shaping was visible).

Anyway, these are my own random psychoses coming through. I wonder if other knitters suffer them as well. I actually feel incredibly self-conscious wearing sweaters I’ve made (mittens and hats don’t make me self-conscious, even when they’re incredibly complicated or good, somehow). I’m going to have to get over this, as I’m currently in more of a sweater-knitting mode.

One Response to compliments are a funny thing

  1. Rachel says:

    I completely know what you mean. It’s flattering your work is professional enough that people don’t immediately notice it as handmade, but on the other hand, you want your handmade stuff to look so much better than stuff you can get in a store that you’re disappointed if no one notices! I am very self-conscious about wearing my own knits for this exact reason. If someone comments I don’t know whether it’s because it’s really good or really bad, and if no one comments I’m disappointed.

    Your tivoli looks great, though — I KNOW that no one was thinking it looked like crap.

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