What Will Happpen When I Am Gone?

I don't plan on going anywhere just yet, so don't panic or anything.  I have recently read several blog posts about finding lovely knitted or crocheted items in thrift stores.  After reading about the lovely blanket Kris at Simplify found, it got me thinking about what will happen to all my yarn creations when I am gone?  Will my family pack them up and send them to the Goodwill store?  Will they not understand how much work I put into each and every item?

 Here is a quick look at one of my closet shelves.  So much of my knitting/crocheting life is right here.  On top of the pile is the crochet vest I recently finished, underneath it is the blue crochet vest I finished before that.  The tropical shawls I made on vacation to remind me of the water in the Caribbean, and over to the left the gray Japanese Flower inspired shawl.  My new shrug is on the first shelf next to the really cool pinkish, crochet wrapped sweater I made last year.  I have so many shawls that are so beautiful  (see the right of the photo), that I never even wear.  Even if they are not on my body I still want them to be treated with respect and not given away.

 I have these small slanted shelves due to my closet being located under the stairs, even though they are small they can still hold the red wool wrapped vest (I have never worn), and the cotton Noro vest hiding underneath it.  I have a lovely green tunic made out of Berroco Glace to the right and an amazing black cardigan made from Glace underneath it.  These were all made years ago, but they still mean something to me.

 I do not have a craft room or even a craft space, my closet holds everything.  This is where I have my knitting and crochet supplies, my stash, my needles and hooks, and my project bags are all located here.  What will happen to all of this?  Will it go to someone who will love it as much as me? 

 I don't even have room for my latest purchases, they are still in the bags I brought them home in.  I don't intend for this yarn to linger out here on my closet floor, I just haven't got around to finding a place for it yet.  I find when I put the yarn in bins I forget about it.  If I had a craft room I swear all my yarn would be displayed so I could admire the beautiful colors and textures all the time.

I give many, many of my finished items away.  I know that a lot of them are never used by the people I give them to, but that is okay.  I was on a shawl kick a few years ago and everyone got a dropped stitch, knitted shawl for Christmas.  Then there was the year everyone got a felted bag, last year it was crocheted cowls.  I know these aren't used too much as I intimately know the people who received them.  But that doesn't stop me for making things for my family and friends, and for that case making things for myself.  I just wonder what will happen to all these items.  If they end up in a thrift store, I sure hope someone will find them and give them the love they deserve, and understand that a lot of time and love went into making them.

Do you ever wonder what will happen to the items you make?  And when you find and item, do you ever wonder about the person who made it?