Knitting For Profit
If you love knitting and have ever wished you could make money from it, then make sure you keep reading because I
Archive for the ‘Knitting Resources’ Category
Felting Knitting Yarn Review
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Felting knitting yarn is almost a misnomer here but it fits, Felting is actually the process of turning a knitted piece of work, no matter what it is, and turning it into a pseudo-cloth fabric by constantly stabbing it with your felting needles, themselves devices that should be one of those things that never came to be!
The felt knitting yarn should be a worsted yarn. As a general rule, look at what size knitting needles are required for the worsted or felting knitting yarn and go up about two sizes too large from the factory specifications.
If you would like to do your felt knitting the old-fashioned way, you will need some raw wool or other material that has not been spun and a pair of felting needles. If you decide to do this, be certain never to leave your felting needles unattended around cats or your other yarn as they will inevitably become entwined in ways that were never meant to be and are nearly impossible to resolve peacefully. Fortunately, there is a more merciful method that, while not one-hundred percent guaranteed, is substantially easier and less likely to result in injury or a complete loss of all your knitted crafts.
Take your worsted knitting yarn and knit with overly large stitches (as you would have to with over-sized knitting needles) and make whatever you are making roughly twice the size that it should normally be were it just a regular item not to be felted. When it is done, make sure that all of your loose ends are well tended to and not loose anymore.
The hard part is yet to come and any loose ends could very easily ruin all of your knitting. Do not worry about the size of the item being so large, initially it is going to get even larger and then it will shrink … maybe more than you want if you are not careful and attentive.
Find a sealed cloth bag to put your knitting into before you get the washing machine ready. A pillow case with a zipper seems to be about the best solution as it will help you keep your washing machine in working order after you are down felting the knitting. Make certain that any straps or other loose items on your knitted item are straight and then seal it in the bag.
If you fail to do this, the massive amount of lint that is getting ready to be turned loose could easily clog even the best washing machine … especially if you are felting a large knitted sweater or cape. Now it is time to get your washing machine ready.
By all means never stick your hands into an open washing machine that is still agitating but you will have to be very careful to stop your machine at least every five minutes so please be careful. Set the water level for the lowest setting possible, set the wash cycle to hot and the rinse cycle to cold. Do not let the machine cycle all the way through though. Start with one tablespoon of color-safe detergent before you even think about dropping your pillowcase and knitting in the washing machine.
When there are some suds in the hot water, place your pillowcase in the washing machine and let it agitate for about five minutes. Pull your pillowcase out of the water every five minutes, make sure that nothing is twisted or bent out of shape or your felting knit will be uneven. Some bleeding is also going to occur so just understand you really cannot prevent that.
Repeat this process as needed being certain to check your knitted craft at least every five minutes. The first time you check it, it will be slightly larger than you made it but it will quickly shrink back down and then you get to watch the felting process begin.
When it is what you feel to be the right texture and size (as it is your work after all) you are ready for the last stage of knitted felting. You can use cold rinse water in the washing machine but the colder the water is, the better the felting results will be. If you have a tub, bucket or other container large enough to hold your knitted and felted craft and ice water, that would be ideal. If you do use your washing machine for the cold rinse, be certain not to let the spin cycle kick in as this will very likely ruin your felting knitted products.
When all of that is done, you are ready to shape your felted knitted garment, bag or whatever else you may have created. Do not be afraid to stretch it and shape it while it is wet. If you start seeing something that does not look right; a quick dip back in the hot water and then straight to the cold water will allow you to start over. While that may seem like a lot of additional work to felt knitting items, when it is done right (and it may take some practice) the finished knitted garment will be a true home-made work of art that you will always love and cherish.
Knitting Pattern Abbreviations – A Handy Summary
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
To follow on from my last post, the other thing I find really handy is to have a summary of pattern abbreviations and conversions close to hand. So here's a list of all the ones I know or could find – feel free to add more if you know some!
ALT – Alternate or alternately
APPROX – Approximately
BC – Back Cross (Also RC or Right Cross)
BEG – Beginning
BET – Between
BO – Bind Off
CC – Complementary Color – Contrasting Color – The secondary color yarn
CM – Centimetres (2.54 centimetres is the same as one Inch)
CN – Cable Needle
CO – Cast On
CONT – Continue
DEC – Decrease
DPN – Double Pointed Needles
FC – Front Cross (Also LC or Left Cross)
FL – Front Loop
FOLL – Following
G st – Garter Stitch
G – Gram (There are approximately 28.35 grams in one ounce)
INC – Increase
INCL – Including
K – Knitted Stitch – K will often be followed by a number such as K5 meaning you need to make five knitted stitches.
K1B – Knit One Below – Knit the stitch into the row below the one you are stitching
K2TOG – Knit two stitches together
KB – Knit Below – Knit the stitch into the row below the one you are stitching
KFB – Knit into the front and back of a stitch
KWISE – Knitwise – This indicates a slip stitch done “knitwise” or like a knit stitch.
LC – LC Cross (Also FC or Front Cross)
LH – Left Hand
LP – Loop
LT – Left Twist
M – Meter – One meter is roughly 39 inches
M1 – Make One Stitch
M1PST – Make one purl stitch
MB – Make Bobble – A bobble is a raised area that may be included to add a touch of dimension.
MC – Main Color – The Main color yarn for your project
MM – Millimetre – Generally used to gauge or measure needles and occasionally yarn length
Oz – Ounce – Knitting yarn will often be purchased by measures of weight
P – Purl Stitch – P will often be followed by a number like P3 meaning make three Purl Stitches.
P1B – Purl One Below – Purl the stitch into the row below the one you are stitching
P2TOG – Purl two stitches together
PAT – Pattern
PB – Purl Below – Purl the stitch into the row below the one you are stitching
PFB – Purl the front and back of a stitch
PM – Place Marker
PNSO – Pass Next Stitch Over
PREV – Previous
PSSO – Pass Slip Stitch Over
PWISE – Purlwise – This indicates a slip stitch done “purlwise” or like a purl stitch.
RC – Right Cross (Also BC or Back Cross)
RH – Right Hand
REM – Remaining
REP – Repeat
Rev St st – Reverse Stockinette Stitch
RND – Round
RS – Right Side – The side of the “fabric” that will be the outside of a garment or the upside or visible side of a decoration, trim or other element that is visible in the finished product.
RT – Right Twist
SK – Skip
SKP – Slip Knit Pass – This is where you will slip two knit stitches together as one and pass them over the last stitch knitted.
SK2P – Slip, knit two stitches together and pass over the two stitches to decrease by two stitches
SL – Slip
SL1K – Slip one stitch knitwise
SL1P – Slip one stitch purlwise
SL ST – Slip Stitch – SL ST will often be followed by a number to indicate the number of slip stitches that need to be made. (May also be referred to as SS in some patterns)
SS – Slip Stitch – SS will often be followed by a number to indicate the number of slip stitches that need to be made. (May also be referred to as SL ST in some patterns)
SSK – Slip Slip Knit – This is where you will make two slip stitches together as one and then knit them together through the back loop. (The actual number of slips may change, thus you may see SSSK or something similar as well)
St st – Stockinette Stitch
TBL – Through Back Loop – The stitch should be knitted through the back loop
TOG – Together – Indicates that the stitches should be stitched together as opposed to stitching them separately so that K2TOG would indicate you need to stitch two stitches together as one single stitch.
WS – Wrong Side – The side of the fabric or garment that will be against the skin and not visible to the outside world or the underside of a decoration, trim, ribbing element or other knitted products.
WYIB – With Yarn in Back
WYIF – With Yarn in Front
YD – Yard – 36 inches
YFWD – Yarn Forward
YO – Yarn Over – Where The stitch will be made with the yarn going over as opposed to under.
YRN – Yarn around the needle
YON – Yarn over the needle
Knitting Yarns – A Handy Summary
Friday, October 30th, 2009
For anyone relatively new to the area of knitting, knitting yarn types can often be a source of confusion. Weights of the yarn are talked about when purchasing yarn as well as when discussing the size … both differently. Some people talk about skeins while other people talk about balls or rolls or spools. All of this can easily lead to confusion when it comes to knitting yarns and which yarn does what. This article is meant to be a quick reference source and summary – please leave a comment if you have any tips or additions that would be helpful too!
Lace Knitting Yarn
Lace Knitting Yarn is the lightest weight knitting yarn available. Lace yarn can be difficult to work with and it will be very important that you use the same size needles that are specified in your pattern if you want to get the proper results. The needles may seem large but this is generally to create the lace effect in your finished product.
Baby, Finger, Sock or Super Fine Weight Knitting Yarn
The Super Fine Knitting Yarn is great for lace work as well. In addition, it is a very common yarn for things like socks, baby items and even some other more intimate wear should you be inclined to add that to your personal knitting collection.
Sport, Baby, Double Knitting or Fine weight Knitting Yarn
Fine knitting yarn is very popular for lighter clothes generally worn indoors as well as many decorative and ornamental knitted items. The knitted products may be “stretchy” but not to the extent that you would want for heavier clothes that may be layered or worn in rough outdoor weather.
Worsted or Light Weight Knitting Yarn
The light knitting yarns are among the most common and most popular yarns in use … especially among people learning how to knit. Light knitting yarns generally have great tensile strength meaning they will not break if you pull them too hard making it great for people who are just learning.
Medium Weight Knitting Yarn (Including the Aran Yarn common in some parts of the world)
Medium Weight knitting yarn is very popular for many hats, caps, mittens and other knitted products that require both a certain level of protection while remaining stretchable, soft and relatively comfortable when in use.
Rug, Chunky, Craft or Bulky Weight Knitting Yarn
Bulky weight knitting yarn is one of the most common yarns used for large sweaters, heavy scarves, ascots and shawls as well as a lot of other items. It’s large size makes it much easier for many people to work with and it can still be beautifully crafted into some amazing finished products.
Roving, Super Chunky or Super Bulky Weight Knitting Yarn
The Super Chunky weight knitting yarn is a bit large and cumbersome for some people to work with. Apart from that, it does make some really beautiful items like throw-rugs, heavier capes and some really nice sweaters, and the bulkier the yarn, the less stitches you need to do to complete a project.
I hope this has been helpful, please leave a comment if you have any other advice, tips or questions about knitting yarn!
“How To Get Your Knitting And Crochet Online!” Teleseminar
Monday, September 21st, 2009
The next Free "Knitting For Profit" Teleseminar will be on Thursday 24th or Friday 25th September depending on where you live. This time we’ll be covering questions about getting your knitting or crochet business online including:
• How to set up your website or blog
• The different ways you can make money or take payments for your products or services
• How to advertise your website
• How to get free traffic!
• How social media like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube can get you more traffic
Remember! You must REGISTER to get access to the call and to the recording later! So CLICK HERE to register for the call and enter the questions you would like to have answered. I’ll look forward to having you on the call!
Publishing Your Knitting Book – An Update
Thursday, September 10th, 2009
Just thought you might be interested in the progress of my publishing journey for the Knitting For Profit book.
If you are interested in publishing a book yourself, especially for those of you looking at the pattern strategy, the fastest and easiest way to get one up and running that I have found is on lulu.com. As soon as you upload the file for your content, add a cover and list it in the marketplace, you can order a copy and have it delivered within the week! I also like the fact that they print to order, so I didn’t have to get thousands of copies up front and pay huge amounts for them.
I was very excited a couple of weeks ago when I submitted the final version and cover artwork for my book, got the book listed and ordered myself the very first copy. They were amazingly fast on delivery (seeing as I am in Australia and they are based in the US) and I was thrilled to get hold of the first paperback copy of my book until….
I noticed the cover artwork hadn’t printed as clearly or professionally as I had expected and in the conversion of the file from a word document to a pdf, the pages were out of sync, so I had pages with nothing on them and text boxes spread across two pages… bother! (or words to that effect)
So now I am in a process of revision and trying to get a response from lulu about why the cover ended up the way it did – so despite being relatively fast and easy, the self-publishing process did have it’s pitfalls. I am also going to ask them how much it is to get one of their people to finish off the files so the finished product comes up looking really great.
So I’ll keep you posted. I still think it’s a great way to get your knitting or crochet book out into the marketplace really fast, and also an important step in your market research – rather than spending thousands on publishing books you may never sell, get one set up on lulu today and see how it goes – it will cost you nothing to do, and you can instantly become a published author which looks great on a bio or on your blog!
Knitting Designers Opportunity!
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
For any knitting designers out there, Tess at Angel Yarns is looking for original pattern designs for new yarns!
She is looking for scarves, mitts, cardigans, jumpers, socks shawls and hats.
If you are interested, send through some pictures of your work. If you are approved, she will buy your designs and they will be put up as free patterns on the angel yarns site. Just send an email to Tess at www.angelyarns.com.
Can You Help Rose Convert Crochet Patterns To Knitting?
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
I have had a great question from Rose, which I thought someone may have an answer for. Here is her question:
Knitting For Profit Teleseminar Questions
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
I have been getting some great questions to answer on our first teleseminar!
Here’s a couple that will be great to cover…
$$ How do you start out knitting or crocheting for profit?
$$ How do you find a profitable knitting or crochet niche market?
$$ How do you find people who need contract knitters?
$$ Should I have a website?
$$ How do you advertise and get known without spending too much money?
$$ What is the first step towards getting your knitting designs published?
We’ll be chatting for an hour and cover as much as we can in that time – and it’s not too late to register! Go to www.knittingforprofit.com/teleseminar.html to register and be in the draw to win a free copy of the Knitting For Profit Book!
Looking forward to having you on the call!
Free Knitting For Profit Teleseminar!
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
It’s been a while in the making, but the very first live Knitting For Profit Teleseminar is going to be on Thursday 23rd July (or Friday for Aussies and New Zealanders) – that’s only 2 days away (I like to put pressure on myself…!)
I’m going to be answering your questions about making money from Knitting and Crochet, as well as giving you the chance to win a copy of my new and updated book in paperback, which will be available soon.
So what is a teleseminar??
All you’ll need to do is call in to a number and you’ll be able to hear me live answering your questions. You will have the chance to ask a question if you would like to, or you can just listen in and learn from other people from around the world who are setting up and running knitting or crochet businesses.
I have set up a registration page where you can register for the call and enter your questions that you would like to have answered or discussed. And don’t worry – you don’t have to speak if you don’t want to! Just come along and listen in – I’d love for you to be there.
So make sure you register now because there are a limited number of lines on the call and everyone who is registered will be in the draw to win.
Just go to www.knittingforprofit.com/teleseminar.html
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Sell Your Knitting And Crochet Online – Without A Website!
Friday, July 17th, 2009
Did you know that you don’t have to have your own website to make a profit selling knitting and crochet online? In this post I’ll be revealing the top online craft sites for selling knitting and crochet, and what may surprise you – E-bay isn’t one of them…
But isn’t there heaps of opportunity on E-bay because it’s so huge? (you may ask), isn’t there heaps of traffic and don’t people pay more because it’s and auction? Well I wouldn’t list any knitting or crocheted items on there…ever.
Why not? Most people who are shopping on E-bay are after one of two things – something that is very rare or hard to find, or a BARGAIN. And most people who are shopping on E-bay do not put enough value on the time and effort that goes into making handcrafted items. It breaks my heart to see such beautiful pieces being sold on there for so little money.
I would much rather see your products listed on quality craft and knitting sites where people appreciate their value and you aren’t paying outrageous listing fees.
So here is a list of quality craft sites with their advertising and selling fees. I have listed them in order of highest traffic first (according to Alexa at time of writing). Try them as a great way to sell your knitted products without having your own online knitting website, and safe in the knowledge that the people who come to these sites to buy are more likely to realise the true value of your skill and time.
www.etsy.com – Probably the most well known craft mall, with a wide range of high quality crafts and lots of traffic (ie customers!). Etsy lets you set up a "shop" with your own URL based on your username, for example, http://niceknits.etsy.com, and a customised banner, profile and shop policy. It’s easy and you dont have to be too web-savvy to set it all up. They also provide secure shopping and an artisans community where you can ask other sellers for advice or tips. Fee: Free to sign up, $0.20 to list each item for 4 months, plus 3.5% comission upon sale.
www.kinfolkcrafts.com – Great for country crafts, this site has a friendly country feel. Created in 2000 as a resource for crafters who want a web presence but don’t have time to maintain their own site. They offer customised service and will design a web page and even a unique logo for you. Fee: The Standard package includes one web page for 10 of your products and costs $75 for set up and design, then $10 per month for hosting, minimum 3 months hosting and no commission fees. As you grow, there is an option to upgrade your site, and you have the ability to have your own unique URL, eg www.niceknits.com (no mention of kinfolk in the name)
www.handmadecatalog.com – A nicely presented site, designed for crafters to be able to sell online without maintaining their own website. They do national advertising in the US, and marketing to bring in targeted customers. There are there levels of membership, with the premium allowing you to have your own webpage address eg www.handmadecatalog.com/niceknits and list up to 1200 items. Fee: Basic is $4.95 per month, plus a 15% commission, Standard charges $7.95 per month, plus a 10% commission, and Professional is $12.95 per month with a 5% commission on top. Annual payment discounts are also available.
www.craftmall.com – Large online mall, wide range of categories Fee: Basic accounts range from $7.95-$47.95 per month for 15-500 products, Premium accounts range from $14.95-$54.95 a month for 25-650 products. Alexa Ranking (at time of writing): 816,209
www.artsefest.com – Another large online mall with a big range of categories Fee: between $14-$18 per month if you build a site through them, $8 monthly if you already have a website (long-term sign up discounts also available)
www.youcraftylot.com – This is a UK based site created by Hazel Allen, who aim is to create an online crafting community and become the biggest craft sales site in the UK! Fee: Free to join, 10 pence listing fee and no sales commissions!
www.handmadefusion.com – This is a relatively new site offering quality handmade items. Fee: $0.15 c perlisting for up to 4 months, 3% commission on sold items.
www.artisansmarket.com – This site was created by a group of artisans and small business owners that wanted to provide a network for artisans as well as better services and education for the public. It is a clean and well presented site. Fee: $10 a month plus 10% of sales. Annual payment discounts are also available.
Three Quick Tips:
1. When you chose a site, you should take into consideration how much it will cost to list or rent ’space’, compared to how much traffic they actually get.
2. You should also make sure that the site is relevant for your products, for example, don’t list on a country-craft site if you are trying to sell high-fashion products to young city-dwellers.
3. You may need to test a few different sites to see where your products sell best.
My Knitting For Profit Book has more tips and advice for listing in online malls, and how to sell knitting online without your own website. If you have found another good site for selling knitting or crochet online, let us all know by leaving a reply below!
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About Liz
Welcome! My name is Liz and I am a work at home mother of two. I am also the author of the new book “Knitting for Profit”. I have created this blog to give you more great information, ideas and resources for making money from your knitting passion! [more]
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