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
Posts Tagged ‘knitting for profit’
Knitting For Profit Blog Maintenance
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Hi there!
You may have noticed that the home page of the knitting for profit blog is temporarily displaying incorrectly. We are undergoing some maintenance and upgrades of the site and all will be returned to normal hopefully very soon!
In the meantime all the links,buttons, tabs and articles all still work perfectly OK -just click on any of the tabs or article titles and you can still enjoy our fabulous knitting articles and site! (or just scroll right to the bottom of the home page where you will find the navigation sidebar)
Thank you for your patience!
Knitting Business Success Story – Sue from TasmanianFibre.com.au
Friday, January 15th, 2010
How does a single mum go from the backyard blues to running an International Fibre House that is now Tasmania's largest spinning supplier?
It all began with a rather unusual wedding present from her new husband Barry – 2 Alpacas! But what was she to do with them?
Two years on, the "Mount Roland Alpaca Stud" in the Highlands of Tasmania produces the finest of Alpaca fleeces and supplies to an international market. Sue is now the proud owner of 18 Alpacas, 14 Angora Rabbits (including a pair of German Angoras which are rare in Australia) and 8 Tasmanian Cormo coloured sheep for fine fleece production. She even buys fine fleeces from other Tasmanian growers to help with the demand of a worldwide market for her hand spun yarns!
Sue has now given up her fulltime day job to concentrate on this business, which was launched in October 2009 and very quickly attracted local and international interest with orders flowing in daily. The Tasmanian House of Fibre (www.tasmaniafibre.com.au) supplies high quality, specialised yarns, the lastest of which are the beautiful, fine, luxurious, hand spun lace weight yarns – Mount Roland Silk ’n’ paca, Silk ’n’ Suri and Silk ’n’ Bunny.
Mount Roland Silk ’n’ paca is a fine lace weight hand spun yarn that is plied with natural silk. The Alpaca used is mainly from Sue’s own Alpaca Stud with some fleeces from other finely bred Tasmanian Alpacas. The yarn features natural colours but may also be enhanced with hand painted silk colourways.
Alpaca is light and very warm due to hollow fibres, the yarn is suited to lace weight scarves and wraps knitted on large needles or baby garments, this yarn is lovely to wear.
Mount Roland Silk ’n’ Suri is a very special and unique yarn. The Suri is also an Alpaca but instead of a fluffy coat the Suri has long silky lustrous locks. The yarn Silk ’n’ Suri is again plied with silk featuring natural colours and hand painted silk colourways.
Suri is a completely different fibre to work with, it has a long staple of 8 – 15 cm. When the Suri yarn is spun and plied with silk it is very good for garments that require drape, Suri is a heavy fibre compared to Alpaca and Angora rabbit. Suggested uses (I’m sure the fibre Artists out there will find many more) are, scarves, wraps, anything lacy, would be nice as an open lace over dress for a very spectacular wedding gown. Silk ‘n’ Suri should adapt well to cotton patterns.
Mount Roland Silk ’n’ Bunny – a real labour of love!
The rabbits are grown happily on the property, they have special five star accommodation that has been built just for them (by her loving Husband!), they are fed twice daily plus hay and water on demand. All cages are cleaned every 3 days and disinfected, floors are swept every day and washed.
The bunnies have special outdoor runs that they use to munch their way around the yard, so most days except when raining or high winds they are all taken out to their day runs and returned in the evening, grooming, chatting and clipping add to the hours of care.
Silk ’n’ Bunny is a beautiful, delicate, soft, luxury blend of hand spun lace weight English or German Angora and silk. It comes in natural colours of white, chocolate, smoke, gold/cream and some hand painted colourways of limited quantities. Angora rabbit fleece is extremely soft and warm and cuddly being a very low micron of 10 and under, again a hollow fibre, not a lot is needed for warmth.
Silk ’n’ Bunny makes a very soft, warm lacy scarf or wrap, is lovely used as a feature or trim on garments, e.g. cuffs, edging on hoods, baby booties to keep those little toes warm or mittens. The yarn as it is knitted produces a beautiful halo of soft fluffiness.
So with all the animal care, spinning, dyeing, website management and orders, managing a small band of spinners – her mum included, developing new lines and sourcing new supplies Sue has found she is now busier running her home based business than working 5 days a week – but she enjoys every minute of it and she loves chatting to her customers!
If you would like to know more or ask Sue a question, or just have a chat, you can contact her through her website at www.tasmanianfibre.com.au
$140,000 A Year From Knitting??
Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Yes! You CAN make money knitting, and I am very excited to show you this article from the New York Times…
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/fashion/17etsy.html?_r=1
It's an etsy success story of a woman who threw in her job to knit full-time and is now earning more that $140,000 a year working from home.
Now admittedly, this is no walk in the park – it's hard work doing that much knitting! But it shows what's possible, and it's really inspiring. Imagine if you were making only half or even a quarter of that amount from working at home and knitting…
So I hope this inspires you, and gives you a good boost in motivation to stay on your knitting for profit journey!
Last Chance To Hear The Knitting For Profit Teleseminar!
Friday, September 25th, 2009
I’ve just finished the new Knitting For Profit Teleseminar about making money from knitting and crochet online – we had a great time on the call today, thanks to you all for taking part!
We covered lots of info about getting started online and the many ways you can make money from your blog or website or etsy store – and we even came up with a couple of new online knitting business ideas!
It’s not too late to register to listen to the call, just click here and you’ll get special access to the recording when it becomes available later today.
Thanks again to everyone on the call, and I’ll look forward to our next one!
A Real Knitting Income Story!
Friday, September 11th, 2009
Following on from my previous posts about how to start making money online from your knitting or crochet, yesterday I had the very good fortune to speak to JJ Vazquez, from www.begintoknit.com.
JJ’s story is really motivational, and her excitement and passion are very infectious! With the economic times being pretty tough in the US, her husband found himself out of a job and JJ realised that she and her family couldn’t always rely on employment to bring in the money. So she made the decision to take control of her own destiny and get into business – a knitting business!
After the sales of their knitting replaced her husbands income for the time he was not working, they decided to broaden their vision and market, and get online. It’s great to hear her experiences, and she gave some fantastic advice for anyone who wants to start making some extra income using the internet.
I’m really looking forward to sharing her story – you’ll be able to hear the full recording right here on the blog so make sure you check back next week!
We’ll also be having another "Knitting For Profit Teleseminar" on Friday about how to promote and sell your knitting or crochet online, and other creative ways you can make an income from your passion.
So whether you are just starting out, or you would like some great new ways to get sales and traffic to your site, join us on Friday for some inspiration, ideas and more!
Online Knitting Success Story – Emilda From Hectanooga
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009
Emilda is a knitting designer with a difference, and you can’t help but be inspired by her positivity, generosity and joy of knitting! She is part of a growing group of designers who create with “knitterpreneurs” in mind, with fast easy to knit designs that she is happy for people to make a profit from knitting.
Find out why her products sell so well, and how this self-confessed technophobic now makes most of her sales online!
How it all started…
Emilda grew up in a small country village at a time when skills like knitting, crocheting, quilting and sewing were part of everyday life. “Women could do everything, and it was all of necessity, not a leisure activity as it is today. As a young girl, the clickety-click music of my mothers knitting needles, and the rhythmic movement of her hands dancing above her knitting needles was a mesmerizing and almost hypnotic nightly occurrence in our kitchen as we sat around the big wood stove by the light of a kerosene lamp!”
“We had no access to patterns back then, so I became adept at finding a way to make what was in my mind, and bring it into reality. I have always sewn without patterns, and knitted and crocheted without patterns.”
From knitting by lamp-light to online retailer!
Over the following years, Emilda built up a wide and wonderful range of knitted items, which sold well at countless craft shows and markets. But she wanted to go the next step, and start selling online.
The only problem was that she believed she didn’t have the knowledge or skills to be able to run her own website. “At my age, I probably just have a limited expectation that it is just too complicated for me to comprehend” – but this wasn’t going to stop her!
She decided to list her knitted pieces on a couple of crafting sites, but was disappointed with the results. Then one day she happened to find a discussion on a blog about Etsy.com, and after reading their positive comments she decided to find out more.
“When I saw how little the costs were, and realised that they do all the maintenance of the site, I was determined to join up!
“I had sales the first day I placed listings on the site! After that, I shifted my compulsive urges to listing, and making new items, and listing and listing and listing. My first sales were for wooden buttons which I make from tree branches, and in the beginning that was the main attraction to my site” she says.
Why are her products so popular?
Emilda started her Etsy.com store in November 2008, and in only 7 months she has made over 400 sales!
“When I joined Etsy, I was only selling the finished products. But I received emails from people who had visited my shop, asking if they were they my own designs, and if they could they buy the patterns. And so, being entrepreneurial in spirit, I saw that there was a need for that type of thing. I began the task of having a clipboard handy, and writing the instructions as I was knitting.
I think what makes my items unique, is the mere fact that I have not followed a pattern. When I was selling at craft shows, which was the main outlet for my creative endeavors for a great deal of the past 30 or so years, people would buy the finished hats, scarves, ornaments, and they were attracted to my booth because my items didn’t look like others.
Now my pattern range consists of over 100 hats, cowls, neck warmers, scarves, crocheted jewelry, knitted fashion accessories, mittens, shrugs and shawls. And I find that people keep coming back for more because once they have used one of my patterns, they realize how simple and easy they are. My biggest focus is on how to make an item with the least possible increases, decreases, or complicated patterns – without losing the cuteness factor!
And my tutorials include pictures of the progression, which is very helpful. When you have the visuals, it really leaves nothing to figure out.. you read the directions, and look at the picture, you pretty much know what is being explained!”
And you don’t mind people using your patterns to “knit for profit”?
“I want people to love knitting and crochet as much as I do, so my patterns aim to be simple, easy, quick, and made for people to be able to make a profit from them.”
I have lots of people coming back for more patterns, simply because they are free to sell and profit from the finished items they make. And I love that they will be giving birth to something that was in my imagination, because I just don’t have the time anymore to mass produce. My mind is full of patterns, so I think my purpose is to supply the whole world with wonderful patterns!”
Emilda is now retired, but loves that her hobby provides extra income and keeps her busy. “The best part of making money from knitting is being able to work whenever I want to. If I have a sleepless night, I just get up and let the creative juices flow – for me, the hardest part is actually shutting my imagination off!”
A great tip for using Etsy…
I wish I had known that I could have started on Etsy with just one item. I thought I had to have a store full, so I was pressuring myself to hurry up and make lots of things, and then go through the photography and listings all at once. It is actually better to list slowly, because it keeps you at the top of Etsy’s search engines.
And her advice for someone who wants to make money knitting?
“Make one or two things you love to make, then open a store on Etsy!
You know, I don’t have any shares in Etsy… but as far as I am concerned its a great deal. Anyone, anywhere can try out their products on a well maintained, and well managed site…. and all for just 20 cents, because that’s all it costs to list an item. There are no registration fees, no start up costs, just set yourself up, and list an item! What have you got to lose?”
If you are interested in starting an Etsy store, you can click here to get started (and I don’t own shares in Etsy either, but maybe I should!!)
And have a look at the new Knitting Patterns pages right here on the Knitting For Profit Blog to see some of Emilda’s beautiful designs that you can buy through her Etsy store at www.hectanooga.etsy.com
A Quick Lesson In Speed Knitting
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
If you want to make money knitting, then being able to knit faster not only means you can get more done in a shorter space of time, it also means you are being paid more per hour of work – so it’s worth taking some tips from the worlds fastest knitter!
Miriam Tegels is in the Guiness Book of World Records for completing an amazing 118 stitches in one minute!
KnitPicks has released this video with tips from Miriam for increasing the speed of your knitting, and it’s really fascinating to watch her in action. Miriam knits in the continental style for competition, but her tips are still useful even if you knit in other styles.
To really get your needles burning, Miriam suggests:
• Don’t tense up – make sure you shoulders are relaxed
• Keep all your movements small, your hands should move as little as possible
• Keep your left index finger low, almost in line with the needle
• Drape yarn over your left index finger and down through the middle and ring fingers of your left hand. Keep tension by clamping down on the yarn with these fingers
• If you want to compete, practice continental style on size 8 needles with DK weight yarn, once you can knit more than 200 stitches in 3 minutes you’re ready!
If you’re not interested in competing, stick to your preferred style and just keep practicing! When you are knitting for profit it’s well worth the effort to increase your speed and productivity.
Another way to speed up your knitting is to choose projects that are simple and fast to knit. There are some good books available that specialise in fast projects, and remember to have a look at Ruth’s projects which are designed to be fast and easy too.
Knitting Business Success Story – Jill and Susan from Y2Knit
Thursday, March 26th, 2009
Susan and Jill have brought together their love of knitting and yarn, their skills, life passions and experiences to create www.Y2Knit.net, a knitting business with a difference!
They are a wonderful example of the many paths that a life in knitting can take you down, and how being creative with your approach can set you apart and make your knitting business a success.
Both Susan and Jill have been knitting since they were young children, and both have been teaching knitting for many years now. Their knitting business, Y2Knit, has evolved over the last few years to include not only the yarn store, but also knitting workshops (online and live), an extensive pattern collection, two published knitting books, two more books on the way, and of course their famous knitting retreats!
“Jill and I both loved the idea of combining a relaxing experience with knitting workshops, good food, yoga, massage and fun conversation. Our most recent knitting getaway was in Tuscany” says Susan.
This is a great example of finding a niche and doing something that really sets you apart.
Both Susan and Jill attribute their success to determination and hard work, as well as flexibility and being able to capitalise on each others skills. “We tend to have different strengths, so we can balance each other, and we are also able to bounce ideas off one another” says Jill.
They both had some experience in business when they started out, and now have a knitting business plan which helps keep them moving in the direction they want to go. “We are constantly looking at how we can excel and succeed in our knitting business” says Susan.
And they have some great advice for anyone wanting to start teaching knitting:
“I think the first step is to identify if you are a good teacher. Try teaching your friends and see what it’s like. If you find that you can’t stifle your impatience, then teaching knitting isn’t for you!
Jill and I both love to teach knitting, and I think that our enthusiasm shows through. To start, develop some lesson plans, find a venue, and work at getting people to sign up. To be an entrepreneur, you must be able to do your own marketing.”
They freely admit that their hours are long, and it can be challenging to embrace the rapid changes that have occurred in this industry over the last few years, but both Jill and Susan show a wonderful passion for knitting and teaching knitting, and live life surrounded by the people and things that are most enjoyable for them, a dream come true for many of us!
If you have found Jill and Susan’s story helpful and inspirational, or would like to know more about how to start teaching knitting, please leave a comment!
The Knitters Guide To Business Cards
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
Business cards are absolutely essential for knitting for profit, so how do you make sure they help you sell more of your knitting, and where's the best place to get them?
When you are knitting for profit, one of the most important things you'll need to do is get your name and knitting product range known to your customers. If you have been smart and chosen a niche market, you will have a very clear idea of who your customers are, where they are shopping, and what they are looking to buy.
Now you just need to find them and let them know that you have the solution to their needs and desires! One of the ways to do this is to make sure you have professional looking business cards that immediately tell people who you are, what you sell and who the knitted products are meant for.
Many knitters make the mistake of only putting their name and address on their knitting business cards – but that tells your customers nothing about how you can help them! When you design your card, you must make sure you include a clear description of your knitting product range or service, and how it will benefit your customer. For example:
If someone with sensitive skin sees Jane's card, they are much more likely to (a) keep the card, (b) call Jane for more information about her knitting range or (c) pass the card on to someone else they know who has sensitive skin or allergy problems.
Now this is just a quick mock-up I did on my computer…and realised afterwards that I left out Jane's last-name…we all make mistakes 
, but the point is, even with seemingly important details like that missing, people would still be more likely to call Jane's knitting business from this card, than if she just had a plain old boring card with only her name and contact details on it.
Business cards are so important for getting free publicity for your knitting business. If you display at craft shows or markets they give customers (and potential customers) a way to contact you later. Every knitted item you sell should have a swing tag or business card attached, because people who have already bought from you are the people most likely to buy again, and they need to be able to find you.
So where do you get knitting business cards?
There are lots of online business card providers, but always remember – you get what you pay for! If the deal seems cheap, its probably because they are using cheap or thin card and low quality printing inks and processes. I have been burned by this – ordering what was described as “premium” business cards and getting undersized cards on thin paper that looked like I'd printed them myself on a home inkjet printer!
So if you use an online provider, check the SIZE of the cards (standard business cards are 89 x 51mm or 3.5 x 2 inches), the WEIGHT of the card they are printed on (should be at least 80lb stock, 350g/m2 or 12pt thickness or they will look and feel cheap) and the FINISH of the surface (the best, most popular finishes now are low-sheen or semi-gloss.
Some people still like high-gloss and matte finishes, but be aware that many people think these finishes make their cards look cheap). Also check postage costs as they can make seemingly cheap cards very expensive!
I have used ClickBusinessCards.com and been happy with the results. I live in Australia, so use the Australian branch, but they also have sites for the USA, UK and New Zealand. Like most card companies online, they have standard templates that you can modify yourself.
Try typing 'business cards' into your local google search and you'll find plenty of different sites. The other site I like is zazzle.com, which has some beautiful templates you can use for swing-tags.
The other option is to go to your local printer or graphic designer. This means you'll get much more personalised service, and is a good way to go if you are not confident designing yourself, or would like some advice about layouts and colours for a knitting business card. Just remember, on your knitting business cards you should include:
►Your Business name (if you have one)
►Your name (and title if you want, eg director, creator or owner)
►Your postal address
►Your phone number(s)
►Your email address
►Your web site or craft-mall address
►A description of your knitting products or services
►Their unique features
►How they will benefit your customer
This will help you get more customers, and make sure that your existing customers can buy from you again and again, helping you to make more money from your knitting!
What is Knitting For Profit? And What Is A Knitterpreneur?
Friday, March 6th, 2009
“Knitting for Profit” means you are making money from your knitting skills (yay!!). This can be achieved in a variety of ways, but how do you become a true "Knitterpreneur"??
Knitting For Profit could mean you are selling the pieces you knit, or it could mean you are getting paid to teach other people how to knit, or you could be earning money from your knitting designs or knitting patterns. Whichever way you earn, you are being paid for your knitting skills and talents, and you have become a ‘business owner’, no matter how much or little money you are making, or whether you officially call yourself a business or not!
You see, there are many different levels of ‘business’. You may think of a knitting empire. A large fashion-knit design company, or popular knitting or crochet magazine, or perhaps a large established knitting pattern design company or yarn manufacturer. Million dollar turnovers, worldwide distribution and teams of staff. This is a big vision, but entirely possible as shown by the large knitting companies that already exist.
Or you might be thinking of a smaller knitting business. Based at home or in a retail shop, one or two employees and creating enough income for you to live your knitting passion and be surrounded by the things and people you love. Lots of knitters live this vision by owning yarn-stores.
Or what about just a bit of extra income for the family? Not getting rich, but having enough to be able to stay at home and care for your children. Enough to keep your family comfortable, and let you keep on expressing your creative spirit.
Or perhaps you just think of knitting. A micro-business that lets you buy all the yarn you desire, and makes enough so you can knit for free!
No matter what your goal or vision, if you make money from your knitting, you are knitting for profit, and you are what we call a ‘Knitterpreneur’.
We believe anyone who starts a business, no matter how big or small, must have some entrepreneurial spirit in them! So we created the word ‘Knitterpreneur’ to describe all of the amazing people who go on that journey using knitting or crochet.
Get some inspiration and ideas from the real live stories of Knitterpreneurs on this blog – have a look in the ‘Success Stories’ category for them. They are well worth the few minutes it takes to read! There are also more in depth interviews in my book "Knitting For Profit".
I hope you’ll join us in the Knitterpreneur community, by learning all the tips and tricks to Knitting for Profit found here and in my book. My book is designed to be a step by step guide to helping you become a successful knitterpreneur. And if you would like to share your own story with us all, please contact me at liz@knittingforprofit.com, I’d love to hear from you!
-
-
FREE MINI-BOOK!
Subscribe below and we'll keep you up to date with new posts and great ideas, plus you'll get a sneak preview of my new book, in a special FREE “Mini-Book”
You'll discover the #1 reason why successful knitters make money and real examples and strategies that you can use immediately!
Our privacy policy keeps your email 100% safe!
-
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]
Our Sponsors
-
Bookmark and Share
Bookmark This:
Plugin by Hendrik Bahr. Our Sponsors
Subscribe via RSS
Subscribe via RSS