Any knitters out there?

[GingerFoxx]

I would love to turn my knitting into a side business, but when you consider not just cost of materials, because yarn can be obtained on the cheap if you know how to shop, but just the amount of hours that go into a project, there doesn't seem to really be a way for it to be "profitable". I mean, I could buy $3 worth of yarn, make a scarf, and sell it for $20, but if I spent a full day knitting it, I wouldn't really be making any money. That being said, I do enjoy knitting gifts for those close to me.

 

[Pirate]

I would love to turn my knitting into a side business, but when you consider not just cost of materials, because yarn can be obtained on the cheap if you know how to shop, but just the amount of hours that go into a project, there doesn't seem to really be a way for it to be "profitable". I mean, I could buy $3 worth of yarn, make a scarf, and sell it for $20, but if I spent a full day knitting it, I wouldn't really be making any money. That being said, I do enjoy knitting gifts for those close to me.

yeah people keep telling me to sell my amigurumi. Firstly, I wouldnt sell stuff made from someone elses free pattern (this is an alien concept to some people) and I dont have enough of my own patterns to use/theyre not good enough. Secondly, noone is going to pay £20 for a tiny stuffed toy. for me to bother spending hours on it just to sell it to a stranger, I wouldnt want to give it away for £5!

I wouldnt mind getting good enough at patterns to sell those, but then again I dont like paid patterns myself so would feel hypocritical.

 

[Scorpius]

I just started this shawl: http://mustknitfaster.wordpress.com/2010/03/23/ventura-wrap/ using psychedelic rainbow yarn.

 

[Skylark]

I've been crocheting both yarn and plarn since January. Scarves, hats, bags, bathmats, sleeping mats, pillows. I've never used a pattern for anything. I'll get an idea from seeing something another crocheter did, and then I'll take off on it and make it my own.

 

[Scorpius]

I just finished this last weekend:

It was fun to knit up, went very fast.

 

[Skylark]

Got a front pic too?

 

[Scorpius]

It's kind of awkward to wear in the front because the yarn is so stretchy.

I recently finished blocking this one, made of a cotton/bamboo blend yarn:

 

[Digger]

Knitting is cool... the divorcee who lived next door when I was growing up invited all the young boys over to teach us how to knit.

Come to think of it, I'm the only one who actually learned how to knit.

 

[GingerFoxx]

I am working on a new scarf using scrap yarn. So far it's coming along nicely. I may start a new afghan/throw as well.

 

[sallyomally]

Most impressive talent.

 

[Skylark]

Knitting is cool... the divorcee who lived next door when I was growing up invited all the young boys over to teach us how to knit.

Come to think of it, I'm the only one who actually learned how to knit.

You might have been the lucky one, then, if said divorcee had a noxious STD or several.

 

[SummerRain]

I am learning to knit at the moment, I just started about a couple of weeks ago, but my knitted keeps getting bigger and bigger with each row and I can't work out why... but otherwise it's going well, it's very relaxing. I'm just using some cheap acrylic wool atm to practice but I'm excited about the other vegan wools I've seen at John Lewis...

 

[PTree15]

I mostly crochet, but I knit, too. Just finished a double strand knitted baby blanket for a friend. Circular needles rock. Scorpius, love the shawl!

 

[KLS52]

I know the very basics of knitting...I wonder if I can teach myself with a do it yourself DVD or something. I really want to be able to make something useful!

 

[SummerRain]

^ Maybe, I found online vidoes helpful but not as helpful as a friend/family member who can knit! I used some of these: http://www.letsknit.co.uk/index.php/knitting_videos/ to get me started.

 

[KLS52]

Thanks! I'll check it out.

 

[Fyvel]

Summer Rain, do you have holes in your knitted work? You may be accidentally increasing by moving the yarn in front of the needles between knit stitches (called a "yarn over").

I am about to start a rainbow afghan for my little monkey!

 

[SummerRain]

Fyvel, thank you! Yes that is exactly what I am doing by accident, I looked it up on you tube. I don't hold the wool in place, the wool is usually in front of me, so this happens. Now I will start again and make sure I hold onto the wool to keep it in place, and hopefully it wont taper.

Sounds good!

 

[Fyvel]

That is a very common beginner's mistake. Just remember when you are making a knit stitch the yarn must be in the back and when purling it is in the front. So if you are switching from knit to purl (for example if the pattern says to k2 p2 across the row), you must bring the yarn to the front between the needles before you make the purl stitch (and vice versa when switching from purl to knit).

 

[KLS52]

I bought yarn, needles AND an embroidery kit! Let's see how long it takes me to get started, lol.