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I have to somehow produce presents for two boys, 15 and 12, that happen to be my second cousins, by Thanksgiving. The tradition has always been to give them a homemade gift, I am so so much better at gifts for girls, I've got that one down to a science, bath stuff, home made lip gloss, hats, skarves, jewelry, bags, journals, all that I made, oh boys are so much harder. Little boys it's easy, you felt them a ball (which is so so much fun, I need to do that more often), or you make them a hat that matches their coat. When they are 15 it's so hard, and the twelve year old becomes hard because he thinks whatever the 15 year old says is cool.
So I think I'll knit them hats, their mom will think it's cool. I wouldn't have as much of a problem if I weren't 19 and "cool" myself.
If you were a boy, and were getting a handknit hat, would you perfer solid or two striped colors, ribbed the whole way, or just at the bottom so it doesn't roll, with a fold over or not? And since I don't know their favorite colors exactly (both like blue I think), would it be ok to use the older one's school colors, that's red and white, he runs cross country, that could be nice.
Unless you can think of something else useful I can make them, that won't break my budget, require extreme skill (I can't carve wood or weld very well), or seem like I have no clue what I'm doing. There will be no girls at this event, so I don't even get to have total fun for this one.
Oh, food is not an option, which is my standby with teenage boys.
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Do they dress up for church or anything? Ties are easy to sew, and teenage boys like creative ones that reflect their interests.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
Hats are nice. But don't ask me what style/color. Ask the boys. Or must the present be a BIG SURPRISE?
If they live nearby, maybe they can even pick out the yarn with you.
My mother-in-law knit my son a sweater, which he loved so much that he wore it every day, and still kind of mourns that he outgrew it. They picked out the pattern and the wool together. She appreciated that all the work she was doing was going into a sweater that she knew he would like, and he appreciated getting a sweater exactly like he wanted.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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They don't dress quite that up for church, usually just polo shirts and khaki's or something.
I really can't talk to them, or go shopping iwth them, they're 3 hours away, and almost impossible to catch on the phone. I think I will go with hats, and can figure the colors out myself, was just hoping hatrack males might chime in and say whether they perfer folded over or not.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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My grandma crocheted hacky sacks last year, all of us got several (I even got a pink one!). Jayne style may be a bit too complecated for the moment, and since I don't think (but I can't be sure) either of them have seen it, I don't know I will. I could make them hats in their harry potter house colors, that I know.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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It all depends. I like solid colors myself, unless we're talking hackey-sacks. Warning: homemade stuff for teenagers can be tricky. i'd ask them.
Posts: 1156 | Registered: Jan 2004
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Actually, just remember a good hat should always make you stand out in a crowd. The real purpose of a hat is to provide some flair into something which is otherwise fairly dull. Go for something flash, and I assume these are beanies?
Posts: 1735 | Registered: Oct 2004
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I'm thinking more like ski tobbogans, but not turned up, I don't know, I really am better with girls. Pink, frilly, or even not, but still female.
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I just feel a Jayne hat would be lost on someone who has no clue who Jayne is. I plan to make on for a friend who does know who Jayne is, practically is Jayne in many ways, and dresses very strangly to start with (he wears a black afro wig to school at least once a week).
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Personally, I wouldn't have worn a knit hat when I was 15. You're going to have to make it pretty funky for them to want to put it on.
Posts: 5957 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Are you talking winter hats? For some reason I thought you were talking about some floppy baseball cap or something.
I’ll revise my opinion. Winter hats might actually get worn. Funky ones that don’t look like anything anyone else is wearing will get worn if they’re that type of guy. Otherwise, it has to be the right brand name and the right style. If neither, they will be worn if it’s actually cold and if the guy doesn’t think the hat makes him look like a dork.
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Uggh, from the perspective of a 15 year old boy, any sort of clothing is not a present. Period.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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I'm really really really having issues coming up with a present other than some sort of clothing, that fits into the family rules of must be home made and under about $8
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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If it's hats for winter, sky blue and white sounds nice to me (15 year old boy). I wouldn't want it striped the whole way though. Maybe solid blue with a white stripe thru it, or vica versa.
Posts: 853 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Oh that would be cool, and I have Sky blue, so I just need white in that type of yarn, and yeah just one stripe would look nice. I may do one red and white, and the other blue and white, plus I also have brown that looks nice with white or blue.
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And my other suggestion would be a light/dark green and blue, with bottom half green and upper half blue. Kind of like a Sprite bottle. Edit: Like thisPosts: 853 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Jaime, if it's ribbed, do you think it should be turned up, so the bottom is two layers thick, or just left to be worn one thick. You are being very constructive, thanks.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Can you find a pic of the hat you're describing to show me what you mean? I don't think I'm picturing the hat right.
Posts: 853 | Registered: Feb 2004
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FWIW, I prefer to wear my toboggan hats with the bottom rolled up. I also prefer single, dark colors rather than any kind of pattern. But I'm just one guy, and my fashion tastes have been described by others as a bit . . . odd.
Posts: 786 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Can you find out what their favorite clothing store is? Then you could just go to that store's website and see what colors they're using this season, thereby increasing the coolness factor.
Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I still think scarves would be a better knit gift for a teenager. Hats are kinda iffy, but scarves are always cool.
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Even 15 year olds.
