Gauge: When can you skip it?

Dear users, dear authors,
when is a gauge not necessary?

Whenever the exact size isn’t that important—for example, with shawls, blankets, scarves, or even amigurumi.

...or if you enjoy unraveling your work 🙈 I very rarely do a gauge swatch... However, that means I have to rip out a lot of work.
As Ruth already mentioned, gauge isn’t that important when it comes to shawls and the like—basically, whenever the exact measurements aren’t critical down to the centimeter. That said, you should always keep in mind that you might need a lot more yarn than the patterns specify... 

Yesterday I knitted a hat without a pattern for my grandson. New yarn—very thick—without doing a gauge swatch. I had to start over three times because the stitch count wasn’t right.

If I’d done a gauge swatch, I’m sure I would have finished faster. 

Whenever the journey is the destination (i.e., the knitting, crocheting, or crafting itself)—and the result isn’t all that important—then a gauge swatch is NOT necessary ;-) Unfortunately, though, these are all too often the projects that eventually end up unloved in a corner and become UFOs... because maybe the piece was worked too loosely or too tightly, the loop or hat is too tight or too loose, the shawl or scarf doesn’t drape nicely or is too baggy or stiff as a board, the sweater fits the child but not the woman—or vice versa, the arm warmers slip off the arms—or you can’t even get it on in the first place... Yes, the gauge swatch can be a hassle sometimes—I feel exactly the same way, and I sometimes try to cheat my way around it too—but it’s actually ALWAYS worth it—because in the end, we want a beautiful result that we like, enjoy wearing, and want to enjoy for as long as possible... and because it ultimately saves us a lot of time and unraveling!

Thank you for your informative replies.
Could you please give this thread some attention as well?

Making stitch counting easier