Crochet
- Thread starter Mel
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GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
This morning, one of my coworkers stuck his head in my office for the sole purpose of saying he wants me to make him a blanket. I told him I have never sold one before so I am not sure yet what would be a fair price. He told me to think about it and let him know, but emphasized that he definitely wants one.
We have not had a change to discuss sizes, colors, patterns or any of that yet. I might just make a few swatches of the patterns I am comfortable with that can be made in a single piece for him to choose from. What he prefers will obviously dictate the amount of time and materials involved. I also have not previously tracked the actual number of hours invested in my projects. This might be a tricky thing to estimate.
Certainly I'll be doing it more for fun and experience than solely for profit, but I need to make sure I charge a fair price for my time. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would definitely ask him for the cost of materials up front, minimally, so if he backs out I am not taking a loss. It's the same coworker I paid to renovate and re-tile my bathroom a few years ago, so I am sure he would understand that sort of arrangement.
We have not had a change to discuss sizes, colors, patterns or any of that yet. I might just make a few swatches of the patterns I am comfortable with that can be made in a single piece for him to choose from. What he prefers will obviously dictate the amount of time and materials involved. I also have not previously tracked the actual number of hours invested in my projects. This might be a tricky thing to estimate.
Certainly I'll be doing it more for fun and experience than solely for profit, but I need to make sure I charge a fair price for my time. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would definitely ask him for the cost of materials up front, minimally, so if he backs out I am not taking a loss. It's the same coworker I paid to renovate and re-tile my bathroom a few years ago, so I am sure he would understand that sort of arrangement.
Maybe check out Etsy? I looked briefly. You might be able to get an idea from what other people are charging. I saw one blanket that looks like it was made from squares and it’s $40. That actually doesn’t sound like a lot of money to me. But there are some others that are more expensive.
$40 ? Like a baby blanket!
@GingerFoxx ---https://www.etsy.com/search?q=crochet%20blanket&ref=auto-1&as_prefix=croch
Makes my rethink crochet!
Do you think $40 is a lot or a little?$40 ? Like a baby blanket!
@GingerFoxx ---https://www.etsy.com/search?q=crochet%20blanket&ref=auto-1&as_prefix=croch
Makes my rethink crochet!
Just that the page I first linked to were blankets well into $200's. The baby blankets were around 40. For a full sized blanket I would think 40 too little for handmade, but some of those were quite expensive! Like this one for 158. Adult crochet Bulky Blanket made to order.Blankets to custom order.Throw blankets for adults,Handmade crochet blanket-Afghanblanket
GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
Yeah materials alone would cost more than $40. Some of the ones on Etsy I think are just someone's family heirlooms they are looking to make a little money on.
The afghan I am working on for my mum is made with yarn my boss gave me, but I have probably used more than 6 skeins worth so far between all 4 colors and I would guess it will probably be close to a dozen by the time it's done. Retail price on that same brand and style of yarn is just under $5/skein. So materials alone will probably be about $60 worth.
The throw blanket I am finishing up for my boyfriend is maybe roughly twin bed sized. I used 2 skeins of yarn that were 1-pounders, maybe about 1000 yards worth, and cost about $10/each. I still need maybe one more to join the squares and do a border. So I estimate that will be $30 in materials with a good bit of leftover.
The other afghans I made were mostly scraps from other people so it's hard to estimate on materials. Depending what my co-worker wants, I am guessing $50-$60 base price just for materials, plus my time, whatever that is worth.
The afghan I am working on for my mum is made with yarn my boss gave me, but I have probably used more than 6 skeins worth so far between all 4 colors and I would guess it will probably be close to a dozen by the time it's done. Retail price on that same brand and style of yarn is just under $5/skein. So materials alone will probably be about $60 worth.
The throw blanket I am finishing up for my boyfriend is maybe roughly twin bed sized. I used 2 skeins of yarn that were 1-pounders, maybe about 1000 yards worth, and cost about $10/each. I still need maybe one more to join the squares and do a border. So I estimate that will be $30 in materials with a good bit of leftover.
The other afghans I made were mostly scraps from other people so it's hard to estimate on materials. Depending what my co-worker wants, I am guessing $50-$60 base price just for materials, plus my time, whatever that is worth.
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GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
I chatted this morning with another coworker, Jane, who has crocheted for decades, so she knows a lot about things like cost of materials, time and effort, and quality of work. She said my quality is very high, since the stitches are even and consistent both front and back. She even said I should enter a piece for judgment at a craft fair! Based on her experience, Jane said for a queen-size afghan (which is what my coworker Thomas wants) I should charge at least $300. I searched Etsy for "queen size crochet blanket" and the AVERAGE results I saw which weren't just people clearing out their attics or doing something very elaborate ranged from $200-$400 depending on the pattern. So based on all that input, I think that's a fair price.
I told Thomas the going rate on Etsy, and based on the retail cost of materials for my mum's afghan, about $60-$75 would be materials. I told him I will look up patterns that are within my skillset and send him some examples to pick from. Then we can discuss how many/which colors he prefers, and ultimately settle on a price. I told him, minimally, I would want cost of materials up front, just in case something unexpected happens and he changes his mind or cannot pay me the rest. He said he would be comfortable paying me half up front and the other half upon completion. I let him know I will be finishing my mum's and boyfriend's birthday afghans first, so I can probably start his sometime next month.
I am getting pretty excited about this prospect of being commissioned for my new hobby. I will probably search for some one-piece afghan patterns this evening, in addition to the ones I already have my photos of, and send those along for him to mull over.
I told Thomas the going rate on Etsy, and based on the retail cost of materials for my mum's afghan, about $60-$75 would be materials. I told him I will look up patterns that are within my skillset and send him some examples to pick from. Then we can discuss how many/which colors he prefers, and ultimately settle on a price. I told him, minimally, I would want cost of materials up front, just in case something unexpected happens and he changes his mind or cannot pay me the rest. He said he would be comfortable paying me half up front and the other half upon completion. I let him know I will be finishing my mum's and boyfriend's birthday afghans first, so I can probably start his sometime next month.
I am getting pretty excited about this prospect of being commissioned for my new hobby. I will probably search for some one-piece afghan patterns this evening, in addition to the ones I already have my photos of, and send those along for him to mull over.
Hmmmmm....sounds like a promising gig to work on for Christmas sales!
There's a discount store that sells two skeins to a pack, one pound, for $1.99. I think acrylic, can't judge quality, but they knot something awful! I bought one for a hat and scarf and it about drove me mad! I wonder if it was me?
There's a discount store that sells two skeins to a pack, one pound, for $1.99. I think acrylic, can't judge quality, but they knot something awful! I bought one for a hat and scarf and it about drove me mad! I wonder if it was me?
GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
My mum's birthday afghan is complete. I just finished weaving in the last few yarn ends. I decided not to hold onto it until her birthday. I am going to surprise her with it this afternoon.
GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
I watched some YouTube tutorials last night and sent some options to my coworker to choose from. He wants me to replicate this design, using the same or similar colors as the second image: Kaleidoscope Granny Blankets Crochet Patterns Free | Styles Idea
Val
Forum Legend
Wow! Seems like a difficult pattern to bring to life! But, no doubt, you'll do even better!
Looking forward to seeing it when it's finished.
GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
The YouTube tutorial I watched made the pattern seem much less intimidating than when I first saw the design. It's mostly just making a classic granny square, then the tricky part is adding triangles onto each side as you go. The skills involved are no different than a classic granny square, the new challenge is just knowing where to place the first few stitches on the triangles so they line up properly. I want to practice with some scrap yarn today after I finish my errands.Wow! Seems like a difficult pattern to bring to life! But, no doubt, you'll do even better!
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GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
JoAnn Fabrics has an awesome sale on yarn this month. One-pound skeins of yarn in a few different brands for $7 instead of the regular $11. I bought eight, for projects yet to be determined. The clerk told me about a $10.00 coupon for purchases of $50.00 or more. With that additional discount, I ended up spending only $45 on those eight HUGE skeins.
I decided to buy the yarn for Thomas' afghan as well, since they had all the correct colors. I had the clerk ring his yarn up separately, and I am saving the receipt just in case anything changes where I need to return or exchange any of it. I got ten 1lb-skeins (two skeins of each of the 5 colors that will be needed, just to ensure I have more than enough). With the additional $10.00 coupon I paid just under $60!
I also went to Michael's craft store. They had clearance and sales going, so I got some good deals there too. I spend about $55 there. With that $100 worth of materials for projects yet to be chosen, I am sure I can get at least 4 or 5 large afghans with plenty of remnants leftover. The commission from one afghan alone could easily cover what I just spent. I like the idea of my hobby paying for itself.
The timing was perfect too. My yarn stash at home was all but totally depleted. The few skeins and remnants left were not enough to make a cohesive project. I'll be well occupied for quite a while...
I decided to buy the yarn for Thomas' afghan as well, since they had all the correct colors. I had the clerk ring his yarn up separately, and I am saving the receipt just in case anything changes where I need to return or exchange any of it. I got ten 1lb-skeins (two skeins of each of the 5 colors that will be needed, just to ensure I have more than enough). With the additional $10.00 coupon I paid just under $60!
I also went to Michael's craft store. They had clearance and sales going, so I got some good deals there too. I spend about $55 there. With that $100 worth of materials for projects yet to be chosen, I am sure I can get at least 4 or 5 large afghans with plenty of remnants leftover. The commission from one afghan alone could easily cover what I just spent. I like the idea of my hobby paying for itself.
The timing was perfect too. My yarn stash at home was all but totally depleted. The few skeins and remnants left were not enough to make a cohesive project. I'll be well occupied for quite a while...
Val
Forum Legend
Who knows? Perhaps, very soon it'll be paying not only for itself, but it will pay off completely, and more... and you'll be doing it for living (besides your main job, of course).
GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
The extra money will definitely be helpful toward the savings goals I set for myself this year.Who knows? Perhaps, very soon it'll be paying not only for itself, but it will pay off completely, and more... and you'll be doing it for living (besides your main job, of course).
That is so gorgeous. Well done!
You inspired me to try the corner-to-corner. I am almost done with one that will fit on a queen-size bed. I've used all scraps, so it has wide stripes. I also made some cotton dishcloths using the same technique. I really love it the pattern. So, thank you for the inspiration.
I will post a pic when I finish it. I should be done in the next few days.
