Perhaps i was slightly more vigorous today. Shall I make it tomorrow’s goal to reach the Catalog Room, which contains my computer, and see if I can’t activate it and show you some pictures? I also have a telephone appt tomorrow to talk about arthroplasty, presumably with someone who knows what the word means. (I’ve looked it up. I do too.)
Knitting went well. I finished that horrible round, and have whizzed through three more. It is not much slower than ribbing, in the rounds where it is possible to keep track of left-twist, right-twist in your head. And alternate rounds are just knit and purl, mostly knit. I’ll measure again tomorrow.
There was an article in the Telegraph yesterday about making some spare cash by knitting. You were to price your efforts fairly, it said, by paying yourself the legal minimum wage for your time. I didn’t read much further. Can’t be done. The people who make money from their knitting are designers (and then, not much) and entrepreneurs, if that’s the word, who organise a stable of knitters — old ladies like me — who are happy to knit for far less than the minimum wage.
Wordle: another quick one, but I scored only four. Thomas, Roger and Mark joined me there. Five for Alexander and Rachel. Six for Theo. Silence from Ketki which is most unusual.
I think a distinction needs to be made between making some “spare” cash and making money or a living from knitting. I know a couple of knitters who knit on commission and earn a fair amount this way but they’re not doing it because they “need” the income. They knit things they enjoy….one of my friends was approached to knit an Alice Starmore cardigan (Katherine of Aragon) for a gal who’s mother had purchased the yarn for it years ago but never made it before she passed away. She charged and was paid over $1000 for it. It took her several weeks to knit it and she enjoyed the knitting. She didn’t need that money but it was a nice chunk of spare cash.
ReplyDeleteKnitting for money only works if you are already famous. Most people won't pay anything close to minimum wage. I once crocheted an afghan for a friend (not for the money) and tracked my time. The price she originally offered worked out to 5 cents per hour. I did get the benefit of the warmth on my lap since it was winter.
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered how much profit a single pattern earned by someone like Joji Locatelli, but Ravelry only gives statistics on number of projects derived from that pattern, not actually bought. Another way to truly profit - I believe - is by creating a popular yarn line such as Elsebeth Lavold’s and earning a percentage of the profits. But you’d have to be pretty well-known for that to work. And there’s always Etsy. But it seems to me that you’d have to be happy cranking out multiple items of the same thing over and over. Not everyone’s cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteChloe
There are not that many designers that can make a living at it, I think. That's why so many develop a yarn line. I can't see any paying minimum wage for the hours of a finished project. I've paid knitters to make samples on occasion, and it is for sure spare cash.
ReplyDeleteIf you've ever been on a fund-raising stall you will know a lot of people won't pay much for a well knitted one-off as it's "only hand made darling". Yet they would buy the same thing in a Bath arts and craft shop, or
ReplyDeletesomething mass produced for three times the price!
Sarah in Somerset - near expensive Bath.