RANT!!

This is a rant about people undercutting the prices of hand knitted items.

I've been snooping around a bit and stumbled over someone selling hand knitted figures/animals 2 for £8.00 (the ones in the photo), £8.50 and even 4 for £11.20. This just doesn't cut it with me. Even if she buys the cheapest yarn available plus cheap stuffing the material costs per item will range from £1.50 to £2.50. That'll leave at best £5.50 for the time making it. The minimum wage for age 25 and over is currently £7.50.

Nobody not even the fastest knitter on earth will knit 2 bunnies with jumpers, sew them up and stuff them in less than 1 hour.

I usually charge 3 times what the yarn cost me plus buttons or whatever else I used. It makes it more transparent.

I always state exactly what yarn I have used so people can look it up and see that I don't make up a price for fun.

If I would charge yarn + hours that would make some pieces more expensive than others even so I used the same yarn but the pattern was maybe a little more complicated and it took me longer to make.

As I like other knitters usually knit in front of the TV it is very difficult to judge how much time I have actually spent making things. It would mean I would have to time myself, write down every minute I have actually knitted would be just ridiculous and waste my time.