Do certain friends and family members constantly harangue you to start an etsy shop? I find this very annoying because I knit for fun and relaxation. I don’t want to turn it into a stressful business. Also, these are usually non-knitters who don’t know the cost and time involved. I will occasionally take a special request from someone, but recently when I’ve quoted a price – they’ve quickly changed their minds. And I calculate prices by only paying myself minimum wage per hour. Below you can see a recent conversation with my sister. Rant over, just needed to get that off my chest to fellow knitters.
4 Likes
It’s not constant, but as I was practicing with my new wheel the other night my husband suggested trying to sell handspun yarn on Etsy. I diplomatically said, “People do…”
This is my FIRST wheel, mind!
3 Likes
Yes people have suggested that to me too and since my favorite thing to knit is Christmas ornaments, I have thought about it.
But, it seems like a big hassle, I’m not sure people would pay what I would charge, and I would be worried about making sure the designs were super original so I didn’t violate any copyrights.
And the final point: I can’t think of a good name.
4 Likes
Having bought my share of handspun on Etsy, you’d have at least one customer waiting for you! I love handspun, can’t imagine adding yet another addicting hobby to the one I have already.
1 Like
It’s interesting, isn’t it? I get it a lot too, and I try to take it as the compliment it is, but it can be hard when folks get determined about it. There’s something to be teased out about the insidiousness of capitalism probably, that people want to ascribe a monetary value to determine worth (and probably something ironic then in how much they undervalue a handknit.)
My go-to answer is I have too many things I want to knit for myself. Selfish knitters, ahoy!
10 Likes
When I completed my most challenging stranded item ever, my husband commented: “Not being funny, but that looks as if it was machine made.” He meant it as a compliment, as in, very even stitches and a neat finish.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iMF70vyAeXE/VlrnbrdFbgI/AAAAAAAAETk/Mb9uB2NZrIA/s1600/DSCN1149.JPG
10 Likes
I have an Etsy shop for my quilted items (pillow covers, wall hangings, the occasional lap quilt), and it’s nice when something sells, but 98% of my sales are for patterns, not finished products.The really successful shops either have a lot of products at a low price-point (greeting cards, earrings, soap), or they’re selling supplies to other crafters. It’s not worth doing for a small selection of handmade items with high labor and materials costs.
I had one, but it didn’t sell much. Etsy is saturated with 1,000’s of knitted items. I do sell my things, but I have a FB page, and do ok with word of mouth sales. I’m not looking to make rhis a full time gig, though. I knit for the joy of it. Although, not gonna lie, I did sell enough beanies at Christmas to help offset our Christmas expenses.
4 Likes
I get that all the time from my kids and friends. But I am a process creator not a production maker. Not sure if that makes sense.
I never want it to be a job.
6 Likes
My husband said to me last night that my Hadley looked store bought. He absolutely meant it as a compliment, so I kept my mouth shut!
5 Likes
I couldn’t hate that comment more - why does everything a person loves to do have to be monetized??!!
I’ve finally discovered the perfect retort that never fails to shut them up (credit goes to a fellow raveler in the Selfish Knitters group). I say breezily, “oh, I feel the same way about my knitting as I do about my body. If I love you enough, it’s always free. If I don’t love you … you couldn’t pay me enough.”
Either they then totally get it and drop it, or they’re too shocked to put up a fight. Once someone said, “no, but really, …” and I looked them deep in the eyes and said dramatically: “Yes. Really.”
13 Likes
That’s a wonderful reply. Exactly so. Thanks 
2 Likes
Recently somebody in the community whom I do not know personally saw one of my small (but involved) project somewhere, and asked me to knit another one for money.
I said I do not knit for money, but since I felt like it, I would knit one for her/her daughter.
she asked about compensation at least twice more, and I said in no uncertain terms that I did not want any.
I made the thing, dropped it at the school for her, and 1 week later, I get a thank you card with $20!
It made me furious, even though this person was obviously just trying to be nice.
I made it into a donation, which was fine, but it took all the fun out of it!
2 Likes
I’m not sure this is relevant to this conversation but at a recent auction to benefit my synagogue, I was the winning (and only) bidder on the custom needlepoint tallis (prayer shawl) bag, and the person who was the winning bidder on my item (a knitting night for a bunch of knitters of all levels)–was the needlepointer! We might have been the only two who knew that those minimum bid prices were worth it. When we figured this out, we realized we could have just swapped but then the synagogue wouldn’t be getting the money, and that was the plan, after all.
9 Likes
right on, Kay! I am always tempted to bid on hand made knitted or otherwise items, because i know what it takes
1 Like