When I read the subtitle of this piece I thought, "Because it would take me more than an afternoon to get my knitting up to speed." And yet I'm really intrigued by the suggestions. Thanks!

I'm all for knitting -- I impress the hell out of my expectant collegues by making baby booties for their soon-to-be offspring -- but it seems like a very impractical format for bags. The yarn would snag and fray and pile and get filthy like nobody's business. I suggest sticking with scarves and (if you have more time) afghans, both of which can be very simple to make (especially by crochet) and rarely get directly rained or snowed on. ;-)

This has to be entirely the most boring Broadsheet piece ever. This is why articles on serious women's issues get pushed to the Style section of most newspapers. Shame on you!

" The yarn would snag and fray and pile and get filthy like nobody's business. I suggest sticking with scarves and (if you have more time) afghans, both of which can be very simple to make (especially by crochet) and rarely get directly rained or snowed on. ;-)"

That's not true at all if you felt them. I have a felted bag I made 5 years ago. I've only had to handwash it once. It's fab.

that is how , as a retailer of anything from those high priced and much unneeded, designer showoff handbags costing over $275; right down to the bottle of OPI nail polish; it really seems as if this season; you've got to sell for less than what your costs of doing business are!

as for the make your own gifts idea? well if gift-giving happens to be a " must do" in your life, then that sounds like a great idea. time to go back to the farm and spin the wool fresh from the sheep!

Louts complaining about the article for not being a banner of militant feminism. A retailer bitching about the economy (who probably voted for Bush but, too late, got buyer remorse).

I would rather make something than buy something, if only for the personal aspect of it. I used to bake cookies for a theater company, until it dawned on me that actors don't want to get fat. Afterwards, I made my own cards and included small but useful gifts that I at least "compiled" myself. For instance, individual sets of stainless steel flatware (purchased at a restaurant supply house) combined with a real cloth napkin, with the suggestion that their daily gruel might taste better if eaten with real utensils instead of plastic sporks.

This year, I'm taking hunks of fleece, towels, and some odds and ends and making a travel blanket and pillow from an online DIY page. Friends of mine are always complaining that they don't get enough sleep; they can take this and sleep anywhere, even under a table at a convention.

Of course I won't get anything back; my friends are all dirt poor. But I will have the warm feeling of not going broke or giving cheap Chinese crap at great expense. And that will make me feel much better than the bitter souls snarling at this post. And thanks for making me realize that I'm not as big a cynic as I thought I was.

I love the irony.

Several posters on the main page article gift-giving guide: "How dare salon suggest people buy crap for Christmas?! In this economy!? It's irresponsible! And over capitalist! Everyone should make stuff themselves!"

Now, in response to a fun DIY gift-guide column, one of the first comments condemns he column for being "boring" and "fluffy" and "unfeminist."

Make one want to convert to Judiasm. Although, I can imagine the grouchy comments about latkes. ("Make your own olive oil!" "It's so liberal-latte to make your own olive oil!" ....)

Knitting is not just for women! Both my husband and I made handmade gifts for our family. I made scarfs and hats for family members, and my husband created some great mythical creature dolls for our nephews!

My mom taught me to knit when I was 5 years old, I suspect, because she was frantically trying to find something for me to do on a rainy, boring day while she tended my new-born brother. A year or so later, a baby sitter showed up with her crochet project and I proudly showed off my knitting skills (a potholder or some such). She taught me to crochet.

For decades thereafter, I knitted, crocheted or otherwise crafted many, many gifts. I also created a tradition of a fancy afghan for each newly-married couple in my family.

I had noted knitting as the latest "thing" for affluent, younger women, but didn't realize the ramifications until I shopped yarn for my latest wedding afghan. The price of yarn is astronomical!

Rather like when fajitas (and chicken wings) became popular, skirt steak and wings (which used to be cheap, cheap, cheap) are now as expensive as other, better meat cuts.

On one hand, if everybody decide for make DIY gift, economy complete tank and everybody be at home with nothing for do except DIY. On other hand, DIY gift save you from WalMart stampede.

Would make own gifts, but unfortunate have Svutlana absolute no talent. One year as child, make scarf for father in squares that match color of Lion Club--yellow, orange and purple. Is hideous scarf this, with many drop stitch and few straight lines. Last year as adult make simple shortbread cookie, get mix up about difference between pound and cup of butter, ruin two batch and when final get dough right, burn cookie in convection oven. Few cookie than can be salvage get strange comment from friend who say, "What is shape of this cookie? Look little bit like penis this shortbread!" Is suppose for be candle, but...

Some people should never DIY.