Friday, May 30, 2008

Boyfriend Curse?

I've read so many articles and postings on the "boyfriend curse" in knitting. Well, I'm here to say that I don't really believe in curses, but I've experienced the question as to whether or not it is or isn't a curse to knit for your boyfriend. Many years ago, I decided to knit a tennis sweater for my then boyfriend. This took place in the early 1970's (so I'm giving away some age here). It was gorgeous to say the least--off white with red and blue stripes at the waistband, sleeves and neckline. Pretty proud of myself, I was! I gifted this sweater to boyfriend and it fit like a dream and he really liked the sweater. Now the question is: Did the relationship last? Well, what do you think? I, til this day, can't say what the ex-boyfriend did with the sweater. I think of all the "woman power" that went into knitting that thing. When SNOWBIRD moved to the Deep South, boyfriend just went POOF! After a while, he married someone else.
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LESSON LEARNED!
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Did I knit hubby a sweater before I married him? NO!
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Hubby pestered me and pestered me until I finally relented and put yarn to the needles and made him a great looking dark green sweater. I have only made him one sweater in our 14 years together and that has been in the last five years. Don't want to take any risks. Hubby has decided he wants another sweater out of a hemp blend for durability. Do I dare knit another? Probably will since the curse is only for boyfriends.
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So what makes boyfriends run when you knit them a sweater? Haven't found any answers to that one yet.

3 comments:

Monika said...

I've knit my husband/then boyfriend several sweaters. I didn't know about the curese! LOL. They were all awefully big, but I designed them myself. They all got thrown away at some point. After that I didn't knit a lot, besides socks for many years. My mom used to knit Tennis sweater like the one you described for her brothers. They were tennis instructors.

Monika said...

Forgot to say, thanks for your lovely comment on Sam's B-day post! :o)

Marjorie said...

My young-adult son, who is not sympathetic at all to knitters, thinks that all knitters are a bit odd. He comes by that judgment from observing only me. And he says it is no wonder that a guy will break up with a girl after getting a sweater, particularly if she has gone on and on about it, measured him upteen times, and had that insane look of pleasure on her face when he tries it on.

I did knit his-and-hers Arans for a college boyfriend, and when we broke up, I asked for the sweater back. I unraveled it.

Knitting for my husband has been much more of a pleasure (although he doesn't much like the measuring and the constant talk about yarn).