A question for you all
G'day all!
This may or may not be today's post. It certainly is a question for you to provide your opinion.
You send a RAOK to someone. You've dyed up some of the best yarn you can get locally in close to their favourite colours. (You then admit that you are not yet getting consistent results and are not a very good dyer.) You've dyed up some tops in paler colours and spun them with your own hands. (You even make sure that your cats have added some of their hair to it so their cats have some different cat smells to smell.) Your co-conspirator adds favourite yummy snacks that you know are not available there, plus some random stuff and sends off the parcel.
They get it. They tell you they got it. They don't even thank you for it. It doesn't appear in their blog. End of story.
You think:
a) they hate the contents
b) they really don't like the contents
c) they found it offensive
d) customs took away half the parcel.
Any other options?
You feel:
a) sad
b) disappointed
c) a little angry cos you think you (and your co-conspirator here) put time and effort and money into the parcel and didn't even get a thanks!
d) all of the above.
Am I over-reacting or what?
I often look at the secret pal stuff. I would love to do it. It looks like fun. Then I look at the stuff that is blogged as being from a secret pal. I could not afford to do a secret pal - knowing my luck I would get someone who only accepts Rowan yarn as being worthy. Rowan costs double or even triple what local/NZ yarns cost here. $16-25 a ball is fairly normal in price for it (the cheapest way is to get it from a couple of online UK pushers). Gedifra is expensive too, but other European yarns are not too expensive, mostly. Some of the parcels I see on blogs would cost me $100-200 to buy and send overseas. Dunno about you but that is big bikkies to me, and is my (special purchase) yarn budget for 2-4 months gone in one hit. OK, so you can do it locally but then you don't get the really different stuff, the stuff you can't get here....
Next time around, I'll have pics of the scarves I am putting into the scarf festival. Two of the scarves you've already seen, but two others you haven't. I am most embarrassed because here is me, a Melbourne supporter whose heart beats true for the red and the blue, and I've made a scarf in (almost) Collingwood colours for the festival.... Collingwood are the magpies and our mortal enemy.
anon!
This may or may not be today's post. It certainly is a question for you to provide your opinion.
You send a RAOK to someone. You've dyed up some of the best yarn you can get locally in close to their favourite colours. (You then admit that you are not yet getting consistent results and are not a very good dyer.) You've dyed up some tops in paler colours and spun them with your own hands. (You even make sure that your cats have added some of their hair to it so their cats have some different cat smells to smell.) Your co-conspirator adds favourite yummy snacks that you know are not available there, plus some random stuff and sends off the parcel.
They get it. They tell you they got it. They don't even thank you for it. It doesn't appear in their blog. End of story.
You think:
a) they hate the contents
b) they really don't like the contents
c) they found it offensive
d) customs took away half the parcel.
Any other options?
You feel:
a) sad
b) disappointed
c) a little angry cos you think you (and your co-conspirator here) put time and effort and money into the parcel and didn't even get a thanks!
d) all of the above.
Am I over-reacting or what?
I often look at the secret pal stuff. I would love to do it. It looks like fun. Then I look at the stuff that is blogged as being from a secret pal. I could not afford to do a secret pal - knowing my luck I would get someone who only accepts Rowan yarn as being worthy. Rowan costs double or even triple what local/NZ yarns cost here. $16-25 a ball is fairly normal in price for it (the cheapest way is to get it from a couple of online UK pushers). Gedifra is expensive too, but other European yarns are not too expensive, mostly. Some of the parcels I see on blogs would cost me $100-200 to buy and send overseas. Dunno about you but that is big bikkies to me, and is my (special purchase) yarn budget for 2-4 months gone in one hit. OK, so you can do it locally but then you don't get the really different stuff, the stuff you can't get here....
Next time around, I'll have pics of the scarves I am putting into the scarf festival. Two of the scarves you've already seen, but two others you haven't. I am most embarrassed because here is me, a Melbourne supporter whose heart beats true for the red and the blue, and I've made a scarf in (almost) Collingwood colours for the festival.... Collingwood are the magpies and our mortal enemy.
anon!
Glad to hear everything went well with the colonoscopy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the secret pals stuff. It looks to be very expensive especially at the cost of some yarns.
Cathy
I'd be spitting with fury, myself, under those circumstances. I like people to be properly grateful for pressies! Especially well chosen, well thought out ones.
ReplyDeleteHope the digestive bits get back to normal soon. No way could I survive that long without food - and having had gastro a couple of weeks ago I can identify with the liquids portion if not the rest!!!
I would be totally peed off about not even getting a thank you. I mean i was busting a gut when you sent me my birthday pressie to show it off to everyone and to thank you for it!
ReplyDeleteI mean geeeeeeez at least a thank you and showing it wouldnt hurt! And doesnt cost anything.
I dont think you are over reacting.
And I agree about all that SP stuff! Looks waaaaaaay too costly otherwise I would have joined too!
Katt
I would be pretty darn peeved myself by said lack of reaction. Not even a thank you? Rude.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think I'd be happy for some local flavor from your locale rather than mine. It certainly wouldn't be cheap if I had to buy it, if I could even discover its existence and I think it add a certain something to the whole exchange idea.
You aren't overreacting, but you'll drive yourself crazy if you choose to think the worst of this person. Maybe she's just clueless. By definition a random act of kindness is done because its kind. Not with any expectations attached to it. Most people in knitblog world are truly appreciative and vocal about it. Her lack of response does not take away from the beauty and thoughtfulness of your gift. Secret pals....same thing. You do it without assuming you will get reciprocity, otherwise you set yourself up for disappointment. For the record, it sounds like a fabulous RAOK, which makes you a terrific person.
ReplyDeletei do understand. the last package i sent my secret pal, i got an email saying thank you, she was looking forward to knitting the yarn i'd sent her, and the other things were greatly appreciated, but while the previous packages i'd sent her were highly touted, this last one got a bare mention. i wasn't quite sure what to think. who knows
ReplyDeleteyou know, i'd be happy with any handspun you would want to send, lol. i love handspun yarn!
ReplyDeleteI would also be annnnoyed if there was no acknowledgment of your efforts. i think its plain rude
ReplyDeletecheers
nat in sunny QLD
knittingnatty.typepad.com
I used to like the idea of a Secret Santa/Secret Pal exchange until I actually did one last Christmas! The person I bought for posted happily that their gift had arrived - but nothing after Christmas Day :-( I concluded they didn't like it. Could have lived with that except the person buying for me made a big deal of posting how they hadn't been shopping and were sending something "pre-loved" - yep that made me feel wonderful!
ReplyDelete(OK this will teach me to use the PC late at night) - hit publish too soon ... Very glad your colonoscopy went OK, must be a big relief! I do not envy you the prep though!!
ReplyDelete