Here are Lucy Neatby's Travelling Socks from the XRX Socks, Socks, Socks book done in various fingering weight yarns. I love all Lucy Neatby's designs.
I've recently tried to stop knitting specifically for others. What I do lately is make the projects I want, even if I have no clue who will like it, and then keep them all in my knitting box. When friends come over I'll let them paw through the knitting box and keep anything they like. I'm at the point in my knitting where I really like to try new things - knitting a plain sock for someone would just drive me nuts.
However, there are times I do knit for others. If a child asks me to make him/her something or if it is a really really quick project, or if the request is from a long-distance friend who asks for something and can't do the knitting box trick, etc. Obviously knitting for others is an emotional issue. A while back someone I really really REALLY do not like repeatedly asked me to knit something. I finally did it but the whole time was muttering to myself and vowing never to do anything like that again.
Certainly I've given knitted gifts that were unappreciated and unloved. I've also had the opposite experience. My friend Brad wears everything I give him to death. The guy is a wool-a-holic. I mended some wool ski gloves I made for him about 3 times until they finally just bit the dust. I always feel a little weird giving him knitted stuff knowing it is going to be in shreds soon. I now give him only hats because I figure it is harder to destroy a hat.
The Dale of Norway Trondheim sweater I'm making for Brad is the first sweater I've ever made for a non-family member. Brad has singlehandedly helped us move twice in the past six months. The first time he had to fly down here and then take the moving truck himself in hot weather because the closing on our house was delayed five times. When we thank him for this enormous feat he has the nerve to act like it was no big deal. He definitely deserves a sweater! I can't vouch for how long it will stay in one piece though.