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alternative, bohemian, crafts, crochet, etsy, gypsy, handmade, jewelry, mermaid, nonfiction, smile, travel, writing
I had to do it; I gave in and splurged on a pattern. I wanted something to cover up my top because I don’t like to wear bras, and I saw this utility burgundy denim jacket that I really liked – and I scanned pinterest for hours for shrugs and boleros.
I found free patterns on making sleeves except I was skeptical. There wasn’t anything that I thought worked well with what I had in mind. Then I found Living Skies picture.
I followed the layout but used a different stitch. I half double crochet and I didn’t have enough yarn to make it longer. It measures 66″. The seams were sewn at 17-18″. And I also used a different size hook that the pattern referenced. I had on hand a Q size hook and sewn in the air as fast as I could. It still took me 2 days.
I was in a rush – anxious to see how a long scarf turns into a shrug.
I shared my creation to all my Facebook groups and got virtual standing ovations. I admit I didn’t know how much to sell my work for. It was put to me this way by a dyer from 57 Chapters: “If you make this beautiful shawl out of cheaper yarn, its harder to convince someone to buy it for $60, but if you made the same shawl and spent a little more on the yarn, you can sell it for a reasonable price.” As much as I loved the soft cotton I buy from Hobby Lobby, I’d be lying if I didn’t have fantasies of using organic fibers.
A Lot of Questions I Asked Myself About Price
How much did I want to make per hour? Calculated and who could afford what I made?
Looked at other shops for examples.
Personal etsy purchases
Asked myself “How much could I buy this for?”
Who was the right market?
I wanted to make my crochet a brand. I would stop selling crochet and sell my style. That’s usually what sold the fastest.
Don’t undersale yourself. You are trying to make a profit because this is a business.
Stop selling yourself short.
Here is an itemized receipt:
$14.95 (yarn + cost to ship it to me)
$3.40 shipping
$3.94 Living Skies Pattern
$22.29 (materials + shipping) sold for $30.00
I lost track of the amount of hours, but I’d give it an honest 4 hours to complete over 2 days. I’m not charging much because this isn’t yarn scrapped from the bark of a banana tree, and also, I’m doing a major destashing.
Here’s the second one I made, and I’m forced to take a short break due to all the problems I’m getting in my hands. I’ll take asprin and I’m hooking all over the place.
I still have Zero to go and need the nose and ears. Not bad! Then ill have fun making eyes and stitching him up, and the way I package him is simple – in a large envelop with black and white stripped tissue paper, felt, and spiders. I’ve made different thank you notes for everyone, but now i’m choosing a zine and typing things up on my typewriter, then signing my name at the bottom.
I know I need business cards, and I think back to Baily Bee’s packaging which was so magical and how jaded I felt when I purchased the pattern. I’ve done trades for clothes and art. The most I spent was on jewelry and I thought the price was a steal – gorgeous arrow head necklace that came with arrow head earrings – $35.
And I got an aqua quartz choker and that seahorse charm below from this collection also for an amazing deal.
This post has taken me forever to write because I still don’t have a definite answer on how to price crochet – but I do know that you have to value yourself the way you value the people’s work you love. I have to see my own self worth.
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