Stitches

What Do You Want To Know About Starting A Knitting Business?

For many years I have been knitting caps for cancer patients who loose their hair from treatment. I get lots of requests from these people to help them start up knitting at home to make some extra money for their treatment, take their minds off their problems or have something to do when having treatment. So I'm asking for your best tips, your own experiences, what are the things you'd like to know about starting up a knitting business or any other advice you can offer. Thanks in advance.

Public Comments

1. you need to know ppl and have a location
2. My friend was teaching classes at some Fabric store !!!
3. Approach it like any other business. The key to success is getting people to know your product and how to obtain it. Take some pictures of what you make and put it on a flyer. Add your contact # and your price and what other products/services you have to offer. Place some flyers at some locations where you would have the best luck at finding a customer, ie : fabric stores, hair salons, waiting room at cancer department in hospital.
4. CRAFT SHOWS!! Things like knitting, crocheting, jewelry, etc. seem to sell better in person rather than from flyers or over the internet, because people like to feel the items, see the actual colors and make sure they look good on their coloring, perhaps try it on too. I've done three craft shows with my jewelry over the last three weekends and made over $350!! For knitting, it seems that other vendors sold more items if they are generic colors - that is, colors to go with many outfits and not outrageous color combinations. Also, one lady sold many hats that had animal ears ($5 each). Her shawls and ponchos didn't sell well because her color cominations were rather strange (orange/purple, orange/blue), so stick with good fashion sense on those. One lady sold many scarves in the colors of the local high schools!! Just some thoughts . . . . hope I was able to help. Search your local newspaper for vendors wanted, call up and get going!!! PS - little money to be made? Yeah, maybe, but think of it this way. If you get your yarn on sale, that's less money you need to make to break even. Also, say you sit down to watch a couple of movies on a saturday, AND knit at the same time. So, for two movies you make, say, one scarf to sell for $15.00. You'd be watching that movie anyway, right? I make my jewelry while watching TV. If I'm going to sit and watch a show anyway, but make a bracelet while I watch, and sell that bracelet for $25-30, I've made money while I caught up on my favorite show. A good use of time.
5. additional thoughts!: Hobby Lobby sometimes hires people to teach knitting and crochet. I was offered a position at our local store, but cannot take it as I don't live in town. I go to the small Senior Citizens center to hold classes in "fiber arts". It is also the local community center so I can have any age groups that want to learn tatting, knitting (basics only), crochet, spinning and I have a couple of travel looms I can take. Everyone wanting classes has to purchase their supplies elsewhere and bring them to the class. With a knitting business you would have to have a stock of needles, hooks, yarns and patterns available for your customers. Too bad you have to choose only one of the answers.
6. A word of warning for anyone wanting to start a business selling hand made items - knit, crochet, sewed etc -- there is little money to be made. I have been knitting for 40 years and it is my favorite needlecraft. I love to make hats, but even the most simple hat takes at least 3 hour to make. At a modest $10.00 per hour labor how many hats could you expect to sell for $30.00. I used to do craft shows selling various hand made items. It netted me Christmas money, but it never paid me more than $2 or $3 per hour for my time. Keep knitting and donating your caps but keep it as a hobby - it's a lot more fun.