The High Cost of Knitting
This weekend, I finished crocheting the edges around the two purplish shawls I made and gave one away as a birthday gift and the other one as a sorry-I-didn't-deliver-your-Christmas-scarf-on-time offering. And, while I was visiting a friend in the hospital, my favorite yarn lady called about a project we are planning. I asked her, by the way, you never billed me for the yarn I bought last month, how much is it? I have made several shawls and given two of them away. How much are those balls of the Japanese yarn, anyway? She told me my total bill (> $700!!!!!) for the last batch of yarn and then told me the balls of yarn were between $13 - $16 each. And she told me how much some of the cones cost. I almost had a heart attack. YIKES!!!!! That means I have been been giving away shawls that cost about $60 in yarn! And these people weren't even my kids or best friends!!!!! So, the moral is, always ask for your receipt and WRITE DOWN how much your raw materials cost BEFORE deciding to give away your work.
She also told me that my shawls should START at about $125, and that one of her customers is selling shawls similar to mine to some of the high-end Beverly Hills boutiques for $300 wholesale. Geez. That's a lot of money.
The thing is, I actually enjoy making my shawls and scarves and everything else that I knit. If I were to turn it into a total business, then that would take some of the joy out of knitting. I hate deadlines and being rushed. (Ask any of my friends, some of whom are still waiting for their birthday or Christmas gifts). I love knitting for the holiday boutiques because I can knit whatever I want in whatever yarn combination I like and I know SOMEONE out there will love it and pay $50 - $75 for a scarf for Mom, Grandma, best friend, whatever. People are bolder when it comes to buying holiday gifts. But to commit myself to supplying some of the high-end boutiques here in Los Angeles? Ummmm.....maybe not.
On the other hand, I have quite the yarn addiction. At first, I tried to buy only $300 - $400 of yarn at a time--whatever I could pay off in one paycheck. Now it is up to $700 an order and I just placed another order for another 5 pounds of Fortuny-type yarn that usually sells for $115 a pound. I'm getting a great deal, but STILL. I work hard, but I don't earn enough to support this yarn habit. My favorite yarn lady said that I bought $3000 worth of yarn between the end of September to December 31st, 2004. And that is just from HER. For the record, she lets me make payments, so I don't put anything on a credit card. The other yarn people I pay cash up front, but then again, I usually don't spend more than $250 at a time. I think I bought about $1500 total from the other yarn people last year. Maybe I SHOULD try to sell my stuff at the high-end boutiques here in the Valley! At least to recoup my yarn investment (never mind my investment in equipment and other supplies!). Geez. I have to think about this for a bit.
She also told me that my shawls should START at about $125, and that one of her customers is selling shawls similar to mine to some of the high-end Beverly Hills boutiques for $300 wholesale. Geez. That's a lot of money.
The thing is, I actually enjoy making my shawls and scarves and everything else that I knit. If I were to turn it into a total business, then that would take some of the joy out of knitting. I hate deadlines and being rushed. (Ask any of my friends, some of whom are still waiting for their birthday or Christmas gifts). I love knitting for the holiday boutiques because I can knit whatever I want in whatever yarn combination I like and I know SOMEONE out there will love it and pay $50 - $75 for a scarf for Mom, Grandma, best friend, whatever. People are bolder when it comes to buying holiday gifts. But to commit myself to supplying some of the high-end boutiques here in Los Angeles? Ummmm.....maybe not.
On the other hand, I have quite the yarn addiction. At first, I tried to buy only $300 - $400 of yarn at a time--whatever I could pay off in one paycheck. Now it is up to $700 an order and I just placed another order for another 5 pounds of Fortuny-type yarn that usually sells for $115 a pound. I'm getting a great deal, but STILL. I work hard, but I don't earn enough to support this yarn habit. My favorite yarn lady said that I bought $3000 worth of yarn between the end of September to December 31st, 2004. And that is just from HER. For the record, she lets me make payments, so I don't put anything on a credit card. The other yarn people I pay cash up front, but then again, I usually don't spend more than $250 at a time. I think I bought about $1500 total from the other yarn people last year. Maybe I SHOULD try to sell my stuff at the high-end boutiques here in the Valley! At least to recoup my yarn investment (never mind my investment in equipment and other supplies!). Geez. I have to think about this for a bit.
posted by knutty4knitting @ 8:17 PM
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