The Sweater Curse

I was surprised that my knitting group didn’t know about The Sweater Curse! I learned about it the night I learned to knit. It goes like this:

If a woman knits a sweater for her boyfriend before they’re married, they’ll break up by the time it’s done. 

It’s a real phenomenon, as proven by the existence of a Wikipedia page. The wiki offers several theories why it might be correct. The one I think is most likely is:

Catalyst for analyzing the relationship. Giving or receiving a significant gift such as a sweater may cause either the giver or receiver to evaluate the relationship. For example, the gift may seem too intimate, too domestic or too binding to the significant other. It can be seen as a signal that makes them realize that the relationship is not reciprocal, prompting them to end the relationship before it involves obligations

Except here the Wikipedia has it all backwards! It’s the knitter that analyses the relationship. Sitting there with nothing much to do but think about how much you do… or don’t… love that man.

When I was first dating my boyfriend, around the time I was learning to crochet, I made him a scarf. It was a tremendously long scarf, and sitting there with it, night after night, with row upon row in my lap, I nearly broke up with him. I’m being perfectly serious. It nearly ended us.

I didn’t even let him pose for a photo for my Rav page.

What saved us: crochet is a lot faster than knitting.