Jude commented on Casting off another way
First of all….those look VERY complicated to even think about doing. You are excellent at your craft. Those mitts should be worth about 80$ or more if someone were to purchase them.!!!
I do it all the time. Well, when someone asks me to knit something for them and then asks how much I would charge.
I had no problem coming up with a price for a crocheted item a friend of mine made for someone else. She asked me for my opinion and said with the time invested and cost of the yarn, I wouldn’t charge less than $35. And she did. And the person paid the price.
A friend commissioned me to make the Drinkers Mitts for her and I gave her a price. A very low price. It’s not high enough for the amount of work involved but I felt bad charging what I would charge a complete stranger.
Do you charge a flat fee? Do you use some type of formula to come up with a price? Or do you sell yourself short?
Knitting In Flashes 
If you even charge for the cost of the yarn and pay yourself even min wage… .it would still be more. What does your knowledge and experience cost? Do you REALLY want to do it? I find it’s better to just be upfront about a price….may be inflate it a.bit. can you purchase the handmade item…it is a.custom made…choice of.colors item. Then the person tells their.friend ” oh these were JUST xxx…..can she knit me some?”. Look at your friend that sells those hats! Your items are ART!
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Minimum wage!? Everything I’d do would be priced so high. I’m not a speed knitter and I timed myself with those during a two-color row. It took five seconds per stitch for the 62 stitches in one row. So that’s a little over five minutes per row. And let’s not forget the times I had to “unkint” because of my mistakes. At least I’m not doing this for the money. It’s because I like to but I’m not crazy to make a complicated thing more than once…without huge compensation!
Let’s see…one penny a stitch would have made those mitts $90.64!
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I agonize over this. Easy to charge strangers what things cost (including time and experience) but harder to do that for friends. But I try. And I let them know they are getting the friend discount, so that if their friends want something, then the price will be higher.
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I’m glad to know I’m not the only one to give a friend discount. I did tell my friend that I won’t be making any more of those mitts but if a really, really, really close friend or relative (daughter/sister) asked me to, I’d do it. Anyone else and the price doubles.
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Good plan! I have a coworker who is very respectful of my work and has bought hundreds of dollars worth of things. I give her a break. (I have even charged her just for the yarn on occasion) But not other coworkers. They have to pay full price or it gets crazy.
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The Man crabs at me because I sometimes charge barely enough to cover the cost, let alone my time. I DO offer a family discount that extends to certain friends. We shouldn’t feel guilty for charging for a hand made item. Junk made in China is sold for big bucks. The things we make can last forever.
Hi pot, this is kettle…
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If I would have bought the yarn especially for those mitts, I would have lost out on the project. All of it came from my stash and the drinks only used a small amount.
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I set a flat fee. Baby hats, I can crank them out in no time, even detailed charts. $20 a hat. Stranded mitts? I was asked once, $35.00, nothing less, and I thought I was being very generous since it was a good acquaintance. She didn’t bite and I wasn’t upset. If I am doing something like that, I am not giving it away. A shawl I made for a friend with no expectation of payment garnered $100.00 from her. She knew the time and effort that went into it.
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