Selling Handmade, The Questions
I have some concerns which I have decided to share here. This should help me think it through and hopefully I can help someone else along the way.
How much should I charge for my handknitting and handspinning? Will anyone buy my handspun and handknit designs? How will they know how wonderfully soft they are? How will they be able to really appreciate the details, the expert workmanship with just a few photos?
or …. Perhaps what I should be asking is….. Why do I want to do this?
Pricing Handknitting, The Questions
They have pretty big price tags because I choose the highest quality, softest and most luxurious fibres to work with. Cashmere, Silk, Alpaca, Merino Wool etc. are expensive fibers. It takes so much time, patience and experience to take a pile of fibers and turn them into a one of a kind garment with integrity, style and timelessness. I can’t possibly charge by the hour as they would be unaffordable. I can’t make a living at it even if I was the fastest knitter in the world. I couldn’t even put food on the table. So what is the desired outcome?
As an artist I am compelled to create what I love and to work with and feel the materials in my hand. To watch it become something beautiful. I could no more stop doing this than stop breathing and I want to be able to share my work with others and hopefully, to be able to “support my habit” financially. These exotic luxury fibers that I like to use are expensive so if I can sell some of my work I will have enough money to pay for the fibers used in that project and some to buy more. That would be a worthy goal
So how do I convey the quality of my products.
The workmanship is excellent. I have had knitting needles and spinning fiber in my hands almost every day for most of my life and that kind of practice comes pretty close to perfect. I am a master knitter and spinner.- The materials are the best available anywhere in the world.
- All of my designs are original and One-of-a-kind
- These qualities are what sets my handknits apart from the crowd so how do I convey this to my audience?
