What is a fair price for handmade items?

I've touched on this before, but it's time for a quick update Handmade items are a labor of love, and you should never question or try to haggle a price. Each crafter moves at a different speed, and materials are not as cheap as you would think. You aren't just paying for materials, but their time and effort. Let's break some things down...

That beautiful wool shawl that is safe to put in your washer? The yarn probably cost $50 minimum. That acrylic baby blanket made to for a standard crib? Even cheap yarn has a cost it it was probably around $15-20.

Not to mention tools and supplies (consider the maintenance of needing to replace needles, the cost of that stuffing even though 1 bag will make multiple plush toys, the price of the pattern, etc). This may be stuff that is "on hand" or "the cost of doing business" or an initial investment that can be spread across multiple products. But just because I can reuse that pattern or tool, doesn't mean you shouldn't consider it in to the material cost. If you wanted to make the thing you bought, you would need the materials (yarn) AND supplies (pattern, needles, etc).

I'm currently making a shrug, a half sweater, for myself and I chose some gorgeous hand dyed yarn in a super long gradient. I spent over $150 on the yarn, plus I bought the pattern and needed new circular knitting needles in the correct size. Overall quite the hefty investment, and it's a treat for myself so I don't mind.

I'm still working on it, and it took me a couple hours to get just half a sleeve. But let's look at this as an example. How do determine your cost of such an item. Just the yarn was about $160, the pattern was $7, and the needles were $16. Now estimating the time it would take...2 hours for half a sleeve, we will be conservative and say 4 hours per sleeve, plus the actual back. Let's estimate that at another 4 hours. So 12 hours total work (and I honestly think it will be more). What is a fair hourly rate for my craft?

I make over $20/hr at my day job. It doesn't sound unreasonable to charge that for my craft, as it is still work. Sure, I can take it with me, work while hanging out with friends or watching a movie. But you know what--I have a highly digital job and work from home. I get many of those same benefits, but I don't get paid less because I can work in the comfort of my own home with flexible hours and my chosen environment/background. I get paid a fair wage because I am performing a highly skilled task.

So let's assume $20/hr is a fair rate, plus of course the materials. We are looking at $240 for time and $160 for materials, which brings us to $400 for a shrug. Half of a sweater, out of an 80% wool blend. That's not particularly fancy yarn. It's nice, and comfortable, and I love it. And of course part of the cost comes from the fact that someone took the time to dye it by hand! I have to account for her materials and time and artistry. I don't know how to dye a large quantity of yarn in 1 repeat of a gradient (not yet, MKD will be venturing into yarn dying, but that's another post for another day). It's gorgeous, but I paid for the knowledge, expertise, hours of work, and materials.

Anyway, I'm getting off topic. Back to the point: At a fair hourly wage we are looking at a $400 shrug, and that didn't even account for the supplies I needed to get started like my pattern and needles. Is it fair to account for the full price of such supplies? Who knows. I may not ever make the pattern again that I bought for your product. That is more of a personal decision to the crafter, if they want that supply investment to be cost of business or be reflected back on their customer. But either case is completely reasonable.

Now let's say I make the same item out of cheap yarn. And I don't say that with any prejudice. I prefer cheap (acrylic/man-made) yarn for baby items because it is sturdy, holds up well to repeated washing, won't felt or accidentally shrink, avoids a lot of allergy issues you might have with natural fibers, won't fade in the wash, etc. If you get a good brand it is super soft too, but even if you get the scratchy, stiff stuff, it will soften up after a few washes just fine. Anyway, with cheap yarn I would be spending about $20 on materials, but if I charged an hourly rate this would still be a $260 shrug.

Some people are willing to pay that price, sure, but your average person won't especially when the materials you are using aren't considered special. So a while back I did some research to learn how other yarn crafters price their items. Many recommend an equation of (materials + supplies) x3. I finagle that a little bit, but generally it is a pattern I follow. So now that shrug made out of acrylic is $60, which means I am only making $40 for about 12 hours of work (that's less than $4/hour). This is where some judgement calls are made, and honestly I would probably adjust the charge to $80-100 (giving me a profit of $60-80, or $5-7 per hour).

You want it out of that fancy yarn I talked about? I'm not going to charge you $480, that's even more than if I charged an hourly rate of $20. But it's going to be expensive because the yarn is.  You would still be looking at $240-$260, and that is with my hourly rate well below minimum wage. But I accept that because I find knitting fun and relaxing, I like having new and unique projects to work on, and I actually do take into consideration I can work on your product while watching netflix, Chilling in bed, or over coffee with friends.

Using a basic 3x material/supplies equation, my take home is about 65% of the price you see. If I am listed on etsy I actually price up everything 10%, but I don't see any of that--it all goes to covering my etsy and paypal fees. If you order a gift set or a lot of items, I will often offer a discount. Usually sets all come from the same yarn, and I do not always need to go out and buy more. As such I will usually offer about 20% off (not always as there are certain other considerations, like if I actually do need more yarn to accommodate, is there an upcharge for the type of work being done, etc). However that 20% discount for you is a 30% loss of sales for me, because I am still paying the same price for materials and supplies. If you supply your own materials/supplies, I will often offer a 35% discount. This actually does not cut into my income, but gives you freedom to pick whatever materials you want and only pay for labor (which again is well below minimum wage).

Finally, I want you to consider time in a different way, not as billable hours. Say you decide a price is too high and that you can buy the materials and learn how to make the item yourself. How many hours are you actually going to invest to learn the craft and then make your item? How much is your time worth? If it take me 12 hours to make that shrug, how long will it take you to learn to knit, purl, and cable? Not to mention the time to learn to knit flat vs in the round, and picking up stitches, plus whatever personalization you may have wanted (for example I wanted longer sleeves with thumb holes...how long will it take you to learn to alter a pattern, understand how to lengthen a sleeve, and figure out a thumb hole?). I would bet a good deal more than 12 hours, plus your craft time could be very different from mine. Just think about the other benefits of paying an artisan. It's not just materials and hours. It's knowledge, skill, problem solving, and more.

So, if you are buying handmade, consider why the prices are so high and what you are actually paying for. There is a value artisans offer to you, and it is more than just the cost of supplies. Even if you see a price you think is too high, they might not be making a livable hourly wage off their craft. And if you are family or a close friend, and you think you deserve a special discount, I'm sorry you don't. It's either a gift or a purchase. You aren't any more special than another customer and you are taking away time from more lucrative projects if you are requesting a deep discount.

Apologies as this turned into more of a rant than I intended. I just often find myself negotiating prices and allowing certain people to guilt me into discounts, and I've seen friends and fellow artisans posting how they barely make any profit on their products. I felt it was time to re-address the situation and make sure people understand the WHY behind high prices for artisan products. Certainly some crafts lend themselves better to fair prices where the artisan makes a fair profit and the customer feels the high price is reasonable (leather craft for example seems to lend itself well to fair prices), but that is not universal. And regardless, don't question a person's worth. You don't know what is going into your product, and if you want something cheap go buy it elsewhere.

Upcoming Projects

Well...I am still moving. There were some hiccups, and now I am moving to a different place over the course of the next week or so. However, most of my supplies are still packed up, so the shop will remain in vacation mode.


In the meantime, I am planning 3 baby gifts for friends. Well, I say 3, but for one of them I have 3 separate ideas. Regardless, be on the look out for...

Lavender, Cream & Tan Hedgehog Set
I fell in love with a hedgehog plush pattern that I found, and the theme just feels right for my one friend. I really want to make a coordinating blanket, but she and I have made other arrangements, so to accompany the lavender hedgehog I am thinking of bonnets and mary jane booties.

Blue, Tan, and White Lamb Set
My friend showed me a blanket that she would like and I switched up one of the colors and thought of ways to expand into a gift set. I found an adorable lamb plush I am going to make to coordinate with the blanket, and she is also going to get a set of loafer booties (just to switch things up from the Chucks, plus they are darling! It was actually between loafers or buttoned boots...)


I am also throwing around a few more ideas as possibilities for the same person. They will probably still all happen, even if not a gifts (although, given how many friends we have in common...lol)

Rainbow of Chucks Booties
Who am I kidding? This is definitely happening. Ever since these two got married, I've been saying this would happen. I am going to make as many Chucks as I can in all different colors, so their baby has some awesome footwear this winter.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Set
I honestly am not sure what this would entail. I am thinking a beanie with an attached mask that can flip up...or a shell (photo prop or possibly sweater, still working out details). And of course there is the option to make plush characters, or weapons, etc. We will see where this goes if it happens.

Owl Set
The mommy to be loves owls. And now that I know she is having a little girl, I feel like they are easier to incorporate. There are a ton of cute patterns out there for blankets, plush, hats, and scrubbies. We will see if this amounts to anything, but I feel like at least one owl thing will sneak it's way in.


I've also got a few orders lined up. One which was just placed today and is due in a week, another due shortly thereafter thankfully these are both blankets only), and a large video game themed set due at the end of the year.

Peach, Yellow & White Blanket
A coworker came up to me today asking how quickly I can make a baby blanket. She technically already gave a gift, but now that there is also a shower going on for her friend, she wanted something simple to give. We discussed colors and finally set on this theme with the baby girl's name sewn on in fleece. Keep an eye out for pictures, as this sweet blanket will be finished in about a week.

Baby Girl Blanket
A friend of mine is ordering the blankie for her little girl from me. I don't have any more specifics yet, as I think she is picking out the yarn. Little girl is due soon though, so more updates and hopefully a finished item within the next month or so.

Video Gamer Set
A buddy has commissioned me to make a video game themed set for one of his gaming friends. The set will be for a little girl, and I think we have all the items finalized. We are going in a few different directions with Nintendo, XBox, and PC. There is definitely going to be an XBox controller rattle, and another plush toy based off a character from League of Legends. Other items include a blanket, and hat & booties. I'm keeping these under wraps for now (especially as I am designing the blanket and am not 100% sure how it will work/turn out), but they will be based of some traditional Nintendo characters.


I am also working on some basic kitchen & bath items (wash cloths, pot scrubbers, exfoliating pads, hanging towels, hand towels, etc) to add to the shop--great for regular use or new baby items.

So...keep your eyes peeled for some of these items, and remember you can always contact me for something similar, or completely unique. You can always contact me via my blog, Facebook, or Etsy convo (I still check them), and I plan to have my shop live again after Labor Day!

Playing Catch Up

The shop is back open! I had it on "Vacation Mode" for the last few weeks to catch up on some big projects, and once those were done I was getting ready to move. I was sad to do it, but you guys have been keeping me pretty busy with a steady stream of orders which I LOVE  but I was in need of some extra time. I'm all caught up and unpacked now though, so let the orders roll in again n_n

I've been posting the projects that have been occupying me on Facebook as they've been completed, but here is a quick collection of what has been going on the past few weeks...

Patchwork Puppy & Matching Blankie
I made this as a gift set for a friend of mine. She let me know the colors and theme (puppies & kitties), but also hinted that she loved the turtles I have made. I had to find a way to make it work, so using two Heidi Bears patterns, I compiled this little fella.

Heidi is pretty awesome and is cool with selling items made using her patters, so if you are interested convo me on etsy. However, these guys will not be regularly posted as they take quite a while and a good amount of yarn. This also means they will cost a bit more (like $30-35 for larger guys like this, probably).

Giraffe & Matching Blanket
This set was made for another friend (2 down, 3 more to go... this year!). It came about because they are keeping the gender a surprise. I was trying to figure out gender neutral combos, and thought these colors looked cute together and lent themselves well to a giraffe. This couple actually has another little gift on the way in the form of Jayne Cobb hats n_n

Nightmare Before Christmas Set
This set was so much fun! It was actually a commission, requested by my friend's husband for a coworker (the same one who requested the Nicor set...I love his requests! They are so much fun n_n). He wasn't sure what he wanted exactly, but his coworker loves The Nightmare Before Christmas. He got as far as booties, and something with Jack's face. This was the result and I am loving it.

This set may not be a regularly posted item, but if you are interested I am taking custom requests for it and/or individual items. Zero is actually a lovey/blankie buddy so his body is larger than normal and his collar is incorporated into the blanket part.

Wedding Mittens
These guys are more complicated to work on at work than I thought, so they took quite a bit longer. However they are now complete and below are the two different styles of pairs that were requested

*The two blankets in these pictures will be some of the pattern options available to you when I get the create your own blanket postings made. Until then, if you like the designs and are looking for a blanket, feel free to request one in the colors you want.

Selling Items from Patterns

This is a highly debated issue, and sometimes causes complications with requests I get for specific items, especially if the requester has found a pattern by someone else that they want me to use. I thought now would be a good time to address the situation and give you some basic information.

The Short Answer
Yes. Practically any pattern you want me to make an item from can legally be made and sold in public.

The Nitty-Gritty
According to what I have been able to find, patterns are rarely copyrighted (meaning that the designer has actually filed with the patent office). Even if a designer has gone this far, copyright law only protects the pattern itself, which means I/you cannot redistribute/resell the pattern, with or without alterations. You also should not be claiming the pattern/design of said resulting items as your own. However, this all only applies to the written instructions and not the items resulting from following the pattern. All items made using a pattern are not protected by copyright law. As such, you can't really be banned from selling items made using another person's pattern, nor are you liable to pay a fee to the designer for permission to sell these items. This also means those blanket statements and cottage licenses have no/little legal standing.

Yarn Obsession has a great summary of the circumstances, and even highlights some personal experiences related to the issue. Tabbers Temptations, also linked in the previous post, goes even further to break down the actual copyright law and explain how it really applies, citing court decisions and even highlighting false statements found on the web.

All that being said, you can't tell who has gone through the legal hoops to get specific protection, and as noted in an article I found in Vogue Knitting called Ask a Lawyer! Knitting and Copyright, and Knitty's Copyright Primer, it is wise to err on the side of caution. A designer may not be diligently policing, or they may; they may not be very litigious, or they could try to sue you (even if the ground they are standing on is very shakey or has no precedent...but do you have the spare money for lawyer fees just to find that out?)

My Answer
While it is completely legal for me to make an item from any pattern you find and sell it to you, both privately and publicly on etsy, I try very hard to adhere to the designer's wishes. Items I list on my shop that are designed by others almost always have a note from the designer saying they are OK with sale of items based off their patterns. This is more out of respect, but I try to follow it none-the-less.

On occasion I may make an item by custom request (meaning one time) that does not have such a note from the designer. In the event that the designer has specifically prohibited sale of items made using their patterns (despite the fact that there is no legal standing for such a statement), I will try to find an alternate pattern or design my own. If that is not possible, I may consider making the item but only for private sale (meaning we will make alternate arrangements off etsy), because despite the fact that it is completely legal for me to do so, I do not want to deal with the hassle and headache that may arise from going against a pattern designer's wishes.

As for the flip side, I do explicitly state on this website that is is legal to make items from my patterns and sell them. I am in like mind Fresh Stitches in that it is more beneficial to me and you to state this out right. You use my patterns, other people see that you've used my patterns, and hopefully I get more sales or custom item requests. Handmade by Caitlin is a side job, so while I would love to make a profit crafting an item for you, I will not be upset to have some extra time to myself while someone who has bought my pattern makes the item for you instead. I do ask that you link back to me, and I do include a note that I would prefer you not selling items made from my FREE patterns of LICENSED characters, not to be a jerk but because some of these license holders can stop the sale of these items and force me to take down my patterns, even though they are free.

Trademarked Characters
This is a whole other beast of a question! I do not have a firm grasp of trademark law, but I know of too many knitters and pattern designers who have gotten themselves into legal trouble creating, designing, and/or selling trademarked or licensed characters. If you are a fellow knitter, I am sure you are familiar with the saga mazzmatazz went through when she designed and shared some free patterns for Doctor Who characters. The BBC found unlicensed knit characters being sold on ebay and went after the designer, hitting her with a cease and desist. This article sums it up nicely. Mazzmatazz was lucky and over the course of a few years was able to work with BBC to release some new and officially sanctioned Doctor Who patterns (more info on her site).

There are also multiple cases of designers, crafters, and sellers of "Jayne Cobb hats" getting hit with cease and desist letters. This article explores the situation really well, but basically the characters and their appearances are intellectual property trademarked by Fox. Distribution of patterns (even if free), and sale of hand knit hats were cutting into Fox's profits of their own licensed products, much in the same way BBC lost some sales of character figurines to the unsanctioned plush ones.

You can see how this gets messy. Some companies don't care, or don't police so only care when it is brought to their attention, and others are very diligent and strict. I don't mind sharing my patterns, but they are free for this reason, and should I ever be asked to take them down by the intellectual property trademark owner, then I will comply most willingly. That being said, I know I have shared intentions of certain themed products for my shop. I have less qualms charging for items I have designed myself (key phrase here), and that I have put hours and materials into. At that point, I feel I am charging for my time and out of pocket costs, but again should I be asked to stop doing so I will.


I hope that may have answered any questions you have about copyright when it comes to  requesting knit items, selling knit items, and designing knit items. I have linked you to my research, and while my basic understanding is that for non-trademarked creations copyright law only protects the written pattern and not and items you make using it, please feel free to peruse my sources and conduct your own research. If you find any errors or are better versed in copyright and trademark law than me, please leave a comment. If you have further questions, also leave them in a comment and perhaps I or one of my readers can answer it for you n_n

New Products!

Ok--so I'm a little late on the updates. I am sure most of you have already seen them on my Facebook page, but let's get the bog moving again with some new release highlights and some talk about what is to come.

Last week I released a new toy set and outfit, as well as updated an existing toy set. Let's start with what is new n_n

Tool Belt Toy Set

This little set is currently a favorite of mine. I designed it for a local ministry to use as a door prize, as after one of the members saw my purse set (she is also friends with the mama) I was asked to make one for them to raffle and a boy set of some sort. So here you have the tool belt:

The hammer, screwdriver, and wrench are plush but can be turned into rattles via an add-on listing in my shop (however, I feel the hammer would be best suiting for this as the wrench is very flat so the rattle piece would be noticeably felt, and the screwdriver does not have much room for a rattle piece, but it would fit in there without being as noticeable as the wrench). The listing includes the belt, and the pouch is available as an add-on for a small additional fee. Originally I wanted to include the pouch in the listing, but I was already looking at a higher price without it just due to the extra materials.

This listing does have some costumization as well (I love to give you guys options!). There are 6 colors for the tool handles (Red, Royal Blue, Dark Green, Yellow, Neon Orange, Black) and 3 colors for the belt/pouch (Tan, Brown, Gold). I do not list sizes, but the default belt length is 23.5 inches which will easily accommodate up to a 22 inch waist. This measurement is laid flat and the belt is rather stretchy so can accommodate a slightly larger waist, and it is adjustable so will definitely accommodate smaller waists. If you want it shorter or longer please just add a note on your purchase.

This was a huge hit locally and already has an order! Turn around time is 3-5 days for crafting, plus an additional day or 2 to get your item packed and shipped.

Construction Outfit

I know I mentioned this last year when the custom Nicor Reader Outfit was posted, but the construction outfit is finally available! I had to do a little research as designed the hat and had trouble scaling it to other sizes, and the free vest pattern I used was one size only. Now that I have found patterns that I can use for shop items, the outfit is ready for sale:

This set includes a hard hat, safety vest, and work boots. You will notice 4 sizes are listed, but only the work boots actually have 4 sizes, while the others have 3. The hat and vest patterns only had sizes 0-6 months, 6-12 months, and toddler while my booties size differently as I actually did scale that pattern after creating it. This just means you have some additional size options for the booties, and the corresponding hat/vest will be made as well. So, your size options are:

3-6 months (3-6m boots, 0-6m hat, 0-6 m vest)

6-9 months (6-9 boots, 6-12m hat, 6-12m vest)

9-12 months (9-12m boots, 6-12m hat, 6-12m vest)

12-18 months (12-18m boots, 12-18m hats, 12-18m vest)

And again there are customization options. One day I hope to have the free time to make samples of all my listings in their available made-to-order options (and of course I always accept custom requests for different color options/combos!), but in the mean time there are swatches of the colors. The hat has 3 colors (White, Construction Yellow, Construction Orange), and the vest has 3 colors (Neon Yellow, Neon Orange, Neon Green). The boots are currently only available in standard work boot gold. There is also an optional add-on for reflective stripes on your safety vest. Do keep in mind the reflective thread is not very elastic though, so if you are on the cusp of 2 sizes order a size up.

Turn around time for this order is 5-7 days. Adding reflective thread does not affect the crafting time.

Purse Toy Set

I will not go into great detail about this, as it has been covered previously. The purse toy set includes a purse, wallet, and stuffed cell phone (rattle option available). The inclusion of the key and coins have been made optional as they are rather small and could be a choking hazard if this gift is for an infant instead of a toddler. There are 3 specific designs available for sale, and a made-to-order listing which lets you choose your design and colors (colors are to be added in the notes to seller section of your order, as there are too many variables to list in a drop down; color swatches are provided in the listing).

There are also a few listings coming up for adults. Currently one purse and wallet only set is listed for purchase as the purse is a good size for a clutch and the wallet holds cards perfectly. Eventually they will be listed as individual products as well...keep your eyes peeled!

Coming Soon

I have 3 friends expecting, 1 coworker expecting, 1 friend trying, and another friend with a little boy turning one! That means lots of planning, designing, etc. That also means possible future products for you!

The toolbelt has inspired me to make a Tool Box! The same tools will be included, but they will be housed in an old-fashioned tool box. I have some sketches down, but I have not quite figured out construction. I want this to be stable which may include support structures or extra yarn. Unfortunately this will affect price and the tool box is likely to be more expensive than the tool belt but I am hoping to keep it in the $30-35 price range n_n

I also am designing a Letterman Jacket as one of my gifts. It will be super cute and I can't wait to finish it. This will definitely be available in the shop, with either color combo or school color choices and multiple sizes. The one I am making for my friend will have his initial...I am not sure how to handle that in my listing (we are only allowed 2 variables in etsy), so they may be preset to the school, or I will ask you to request a letter in the Notes to Seller (this way you can do a school letter or initial).

I am also looking into Blankets and Caps for order. Sometimes it can be daunting to come up with a design on your own or make a custom request without an image to go with it. Since I will be making a good amount of blankets coming up, I am thinking of making a few listings of different stitch patterns with the colors and border style as your options. Likewise, a cap listing with color and size choices would be added. What do you think?

Ideas

My friends are awesome. Seriously. They also help me come up with cool ideas. Not too long ago a few suggested super hero chucks, using the hero logo in place of the star patch. So that is definitely something I am playing with, as well as how to translate the idea over to super hero mary janes. I am thinking either clay or painted buttons to go at the end of the straps, similar to how I've used small flowers on some pairs.

Building off the construction set, last week my buddy and I came up with a few ways to adapt it to multiple themes. He came up with the idea of a hunting set, consisting of a camo billed cap, neon orange vest, and the boots. He also suggested a biker set with a black helmet, vest (jean or black, possibly with patches), and black combat boots. Taking that a step father I was thinking cowboy/rancher set consisting of a cowboy hat, plaid/denim vest, and boots (either work boots or cowboy boots).

With the bridal mittens in the works, I am always thinking of more items for the teens and adults. Even though it is finally getting warm in the states, I am thinking of some fingerless gloves. They are always great year round, especially for office workers or people living farther north.

Do you have any ideas or requests? If so, post them here! Or on Facebook, or convo me on etsy n_n

Gift Reveal and New Shop Item

My day job just keeps getting crazier! If you saw me at work, you would not believe my title is "Receptionist" lol. Between work and school there has been very little time for samples, and the orders I am getting are keeping me pretty busy n_n

I know I still owe you guys some pictures of old custom orders. As they were local orders, they were handled in person and never posted to etsy. Once I figure out where I put the camera with those pictures on it, I will post them here and on Facebook for you to see!

Last week, I was working on a gift set for my friend's two year old daughter. She loves bags and will abscond with yours if not watched. She usually doesn't take them apart, but just carries them around very happily. Last night she was adorable with a bag that she kept "hiding" behind her back, despite it being larger than she!

So, back to the point, I made her a small purse complete with stuffed cell phone, coin purse/wallet (with coins!), and a key:

This gift set will be posted for sale in the shop shortly. I may make up some samples and post those for sale, and there will definitely be a made-to-order listing. As I currently do not have samples, the made-to-order listing will have swatches for you to choose colors from. I will likely include a list of adornments as well (so you are not stuck with flowers, but also to insure adornments that would not look good aren't picked). And, as always, you can contact me for custom orders to meet your specific desires.

I was also playing around with the idea of making the phone capable of ringing, etc. Unfortunately I did not have the custom sound buttons on hand like I had thought, so that did not come to fruition for the gift. However, if I can find a decent priced supply, they may be available as an add-on for a small additional fee in the shop!

I was inspired by some various patterns and projects, but ultimately I created the patterns for these items on my own. As such, I cannot point you in the right direction to craft your own, but should there be enough interest I may list the pattern for sale as well n_n

I am trying to get back to my regular schedule of posts, and possibly add to it as I am getting into other all natural and DIY facets that would fit in with my "usual" posts. Until then I am going to try to post at least once per week.

Thanks for stopping by! Keep an eye on my Facebook and Twitter to see when this toy set is listed for sale. 

Shop Update! and some other stuff

Whew...it's been quite a while! The holidays always get super busy for me between gift knitting and the increase in orders (and some last minute orders lol). My online presence always seems to disappear at that time, but I promise you I am still here and will reply to any of your messages/comments.

I wanted to get a ton of samples done before posting more items to my shop, but time is getting away from me. So, I have gone ahead and made some listings with swatches for now (I will update when I get around to making all the samples). This has resulted in 4 new listings, plus another that I don't think I highlighted very well before the holidays:

Choose from 11 accent colors!	Choose from 11 accent colors!	Choose from 10 shoe colors!
Choose from 18 shoe colors!

I don't always make posts like this, but you can usually find links to my new listings on facebook, twitter (and Google+ when I remember...heh). You can also always find my new listings on the New & Upcoming items page (click the link or use the tab at the top of the site). The New & Upcoming items page also lists products I am working on currently and hope to have listed soon, as in within a month. You can also find a list of future items, which are products I am planning out but currently do not have the time to sit down and make samples of. If you see something listed that is not available, but you are interested in, please just let me know and I will be happy to give you a description, mock-up, whip up a sample, or list a reserved item for you n_n

So...now the reason for why samples have been super delayed. Christmas, predominantly. I finished my last needed gift Christmas morning. In fact it was lace and never even got blacked (not that my sister much cared, in fact she is a knitter herself and I don't think she has even bothered to block it since!). Then I was trying to finish the same sister's gift from last year (I ran out of an expensive yarn) before she flew back to Japan, which did not happen. It almost did and now it is waiting to be bound off and blocked because she said to hold off on sending it as she may be ordering stuff to the house and then I can make 1 shipment. I also basically finished my boyfriend's blanket! Finally! The backing is only sewed to the two  long sides, so when he comes home for spring break I will need to seam the top and bottom, and tack it down in some places as it gets billowy, but it is useable and awesome.

So that takes us until 3 weeks ago lol. Now I am working on new samples for the bridal party mittens (the original yarn did not make a mitten as nice as I wanted for wedding pictures), this includes one full mitten to make sure the bride likes the look and to decide which of the 3 button options works best, and 4 swatches just to give an idea of how the other patterns will look once knit (as currently we had been working with mock-ups in excel). This is taking most of my free knitting time as she and the bridesmaids are going dress shopping this month! I want to make sure she likes the look so that once dresses are picked I can find matching yarn and get moving. I am also in the midst of designing a gift for my friend's two year old daughter, so that project is currently a secret but you will see pictures in the future and it may even become a purchasable item in my shop. I've also had a few non-official requests, so if the requesters follow up with details of what they want you could see some fingerless mitts, slippers, and maybe a Pokemon plush soon!

Well back to knitting, work, and school! See you guys next week n_n

General Sizing: Hats

As I've mentioned before, I list sizes by age and that can be somewhat arbitrary. I always try to give you the most accurate sizing information possible by also including the actual measurements. However, sometimes when I am given a custom request, the "size" asked for may not correspond to the measurements you and I are both thinking of. To help you figure out what size to be ordering, I put together this list*:

PREEMIES
1-2 lb (1 kg)	7.5-8 in circumference  3.5-4 in height	18-20 cm circumference 10 cm height
2-3 lb (1.4 kg)	8.5-10 in circumference 4 in height	22-25 cm circumference 10 cm height
4-5 lb (2 kg)	9-11.5 in circumference 4-4.5 in height	23-28 cm circumference 10-11 cm height
5.5-6 lb (2.7 kg)	11-12 in circumference 5-5.5 in height	28-30 cm circumference 3-15 cm height

BABIES
Newborn (0-3 months)	11.5-13 in circumference 5.5-6 in height	29-33 cm circumference 13-15 cm height
3-6 months	12-15 in circumference 6.5-7 in height	30-38 cm circumference 15-18 cm height
6-12 months	14-17 in circumference 7.5 in height	36-43 cm circumference 18 cm height
Toddler (1-3 years)	16-18 in circumference 8 in height	41-46 cm circumference 20 cm height

KIDS
Toddler (1-3 years)	16-18 in circumference 8 in height	41-46 cm circumference 20 cm height
3-10 years	17-18.5 in circumference 8.5 in height	43-47 cm circumference 22 cm height
Pre-teens	18.5-20 in circumference 9-10 in height	47-60 cm circumference 23-25 cm height

ADULTS
Teens	18.5-20 in circumference 9-10 in height	47-60 cm circumference 23-25 cm height
Women	19.5-20.5 in circumference 11 in height	50-52 cm circumference 28 cm height
Men	21-22 in circumference 11-11.5 in height	53-56 cm circumference 28-30 cm height

This is an approximation, but I try to follow this list as best I can when posting items.You will notice some ranges overlap; this is because head sizes vary, but my listings will usually have a concrete measurement listed. If there is a range in the listing, the fist number is from the piece being laid flat and the second is with some stretch to give you an idea of what size head it can comfortably fit (typically hats can stretch comfortably 2 inches beyond circumference).

I'll give you a quick break-down of how I measure head wear:

• Circumference is determined by laying the hat out flat, measuring across the widest part, and doubling the result.
• Height is determined by laying the hat out flat and measuring from the brim (does not include ruffles, earflaps, etc) to the highest point of crown.

*You can order by size or provide the actual measurements of your child's head. If you find measuring your child's head difficult (which is understandable, they can be quite squirmy) or are ordering for someone else's child, you can measure a hat that already fits or use my chart above to estimate what size you want.

How do you price hand made items?

This is a common problem for any one trying to get into selling their hand made items. How do you determine a price? What is fair? How do you compete with others making similar things?

You don't really want to charge for your time, because prices could skyrocket. I could get away doing this for some items, if I charge $5/hr and no more. For example, I can do a pair of simple booties in 3-4 hours, so that would be $15 or $20...I charge that for some booties, but the very basic ones I charge less. Would you be willing to pay that much for a solid color pair of booties? Maybe, but only because they are hand made. And if I up my rate to say $7 or even $10 an hour (which is still low-balling the worth of my work by just barely hitting what baby sitters make, and is a good deal less than what I make at my day job being a receptionist/admin), then the prices are getting to $21-$28 or $30-$40 per pair of booties. Now would you be willing to pay that for a simple pair of booties? Probably not. And I reiterate this is a simple pair. The roller skates, for example, take considerably longer as I am making and attaching 8 wheels. If I charged by time, the cost would almost double. Even going back to charging $5/hr, that is $30-$40 per pair of roller skate booties. Seems a bit outlandish, doesn't it? An afghan, which takes me about a week (let's say 15 hours), would cost $75. Maybe for a full/adult sized afghan would you be willing to pay that, but probably not for a baby sized afghan...

So...realizing hourly wage is in no way fair to me or you, I've done a fair bit of research online trying to figure out how to fairly price my products. The simplest and least concrete method is to look at similar items on etsy (or other shops like artfire, etc) and see what other people are charging, then determine where in this range your product falls with you feeling like you can actually make a decent profit. I did this at first when I opened my shop as Caiti Scarlet Designs and carried jewelry. This worked for me, and I found prices that I felt were competitive without cheapening my product, and I was happy with the return. However, if you shop around, have a lot of business, the right connections, or other crafty friends, you can buy in bulk and save a lot there as well so this method isn't likely to hurt you. Not so much with yarn...

I've come across 2 reasonable ways that other yarn crafters have used. Method 1 involves measuring your yardage and charging by the yard. The amount I saw was $0.05 per yard. This is rather fair, although does not fully compensate any embroidery, stuffing, eyes, beads, or other embellishments. But as far as a base goes, I find it fairly reasonable. Also, this was a year or so ago, so the recommended rate per yard may have even jumped. The only problem, other than lack of compensation for other materials, is that you need a way to determine your yardage. This can be done by weighing your yarn (in whatever way makes sense to you...such as the skein before and after, or the finished project, etc). Just use the provided info on your yarn label and do a quick equation of total weight multiplied by yarn over grams. There are also nifty little yardage counters you can use while knitting up your item.

Now I find the need to weigh my yarn or run my yarn through a a counter a bit finicky and annoying. Also, I don't like the fact that it doesn't provide an easy way to accommodate for your other materials. Because of this I use Method 2, which is basically charging 3 times your total material costs for the product. This also provides a fair and reasonable price, and it is a bit easier to figure out than the previous method.

I usually stick to this method...it is simple to follow and gives me pretty even pricing across products. However, when selling online there are fees to consider. If you do not want your fees to cut into your profit, consider adding 10% to the price. That isn't an arbitrary number, and I'll show you how I came up with it, but for those of you looking for the quick answer, there it is.

The Basic Process: Base Price: 3 x materials cost Etsy Listing Fee: $0.20 Etsy Selling Fee: 3.5% Base Price Paypal Fee: 5% Base and Shipping OR 110% x (3x materials cost)

An Example: a typical infant afghan (priced at $35) Materials: 3 skeins yarn @ $3.99 each (excludes tax) Materials Cost: 3 x $3.99=$11.97 Base Price: 3 x $11.97=$35.91 Etsy Listing Fee: $0.20 Etsy Selling Fee: 3.5% x $35.91=$1.26 Paypal Fee: 5% x ($35.91 + $10.95*)=$2.34 Total Price: $35.91+$0.20+$1.26+$2.34=$39.71 $39.71÷$35.91=1.106 or 110% *assuming priority mail medium flat rate box

Winter Wedding Mittens

Following off of last week's Shop Info post, I am working on an order for someone local who knows me and the kind of projects I get myself into (If you want to know what I am talking about, check out my Sent Swap Packages album on flickr...sometimes I am rather ambitious n_~). This girl is having a winter wedding and saw an adorable wedding picture on Pinterest where the bride and her bridesmaids were out in the snow in their dresses, and all the bridesmaids had on coordinating mittens. So her request is that I make 6 pairs of different mittens in her colors: grey, teal, and white.

I've been spending the past few weeks swatching away, trying to come up with neat ways to pattern the colors for the bride to choose from. Some of these designs actually lend themselves to being repeated, depending on which color is made dominant. I started without a swatch of the dress color, just to get some ideas of how the colors would work up, figuring I can also get more accurate colors for the actual mittens if necessary. 

these are the mock swatches the bride chose,
click the picture to see a .pdf of all the ones I came up with

I also spent some time hunting for generic mitten patterns or formulas. I would just figure it out on my own, they are a rather basic construction, but I have incredibly tiny child hands so am a bit concerned about making them too small. I looked around and found a lot of patterns using similar stitch counts and measurements for an average woman's mitten, so instead of making a striped swatch I made a striped mitten using this information for the bride to try on.

Mitten picture forthcoming...

The bride also wanted buttons like in her inspiration picture, but thought that sparkly snowflakes would be cuter. I have been browsing around and collected a few different ones for her consideration. We may explore other options, but the rhinestone snowflakes seemed to be the best looking sparkly options.

click to enlarge for detail,
but this image best represents actual sizes
(UL: 3/4", LL: 7/8", R: 1")

The wedding is not until winter of 2014, and the bridesmaids won't be picking their dresses until February so I have a bit of time. Luckily Christmas knitting won't interfere at that point, so as soon as dresses are picked and the teal color is finalized I will be speeding my way through these mittens. Expect to see the finished order on my blog and in my shop early next spring. If you are interested in something similar, just contact me*!

* I am very easy to get a hold of...Send a message or post a comment on Facebook/Google+, comment here, use the email button on the side bar, etsy convo me, or use the "Request Custom Item" button in my shop n_n 

Handmade for Adults

I thought now would be a good time to take advantage of Shop Info Wednesday to remind you that while most of my stock and products are for infants, I can and will venture beyond that scope. I can make items for older kids, adults, household use, and even decoration. In fact, this is my usually fare for non-shop projects (just ask my friends and family...they receive a lot of them!).

Would you like some examples*? OK!

One of the gifts I give that get rave reviews are actually wash cloths...seriously. They are knit from cotton and have a decent texture for scrubbing if necessary. My mom asks for more all the time! I've started expanding them in to kitchen and bath sets as well

I also make clothing and accessories that will fit anyone from baby to adult, although there are some caveats to that. As I have designed very few items myself (especially clothing-wise), I am limited to patterns where the designer has given express permission to sell items made using that pattern. Unfortunately this means you cannot just link me to a pattern and request I make it for you and get paid...I want to respect the designer's rights. As such, some projects you may see on my flickr, blog, or Ravelry may not be reproduceable for purchase. However, I am willing to help you find a pattern that I can sell items from and work with you from there.
In fact, there are some items that can be easily designed without infringing on designer rights. For example: socks, mittens/gloves, hats, and scarves. There are many basic patterns or formulas and a variety of free stitch patterns (e.g. cables, checked, lace) that can be fairly easily implemented into these items. I am actually working on a project right now involving 6 pairs of mittens in the same 3 colors but with varying stitch patterns (more on this next week!)


*If you want further examples, check out my flickr...I am slowly updating it to have all my Ravelry projects and shop products in there.

Shop News

Hello everyone!

It's been just over a year since I relaunched my shop on etsy. It was a soft opening, but things have picked up over time and everything is going rather well right now. I'm not super busy, which is good because I am not swamped and I have time to get all my orders done, but I wouldn't say no to a few more customers.

The holiday season is slowly closing in, and I thought now might be a good time to shake things up a bit and try to get some social networking going on. I'm still working out the specifics of how to set this up in etsy, but I am planning a few promotions:

First Time Customer
If it is your first time ordering from Handmade by Caitlin, you will receive free shipping.

Referrals
If you follow me on etsy, Facebook, twitter, or Google+ and refer a friend, you will both get a 10% discount on your next order! Network user name will be needed for confirmation of course, and your friend need only enter your name in notes to seller upon their first order. You will both then receive a code to use on your next order.

Free Holiday Plush
If you spend $30 or more at my shop, you will receive a small holiday plush for free. (I am still working out which one(s)...if multiple you may have choices!)

Other Ideas?
If you have suggestions on offers or promotions you would like to see, products you want available, or if you just have fun ways of sharing my shop, post them here! Remember, my shop is all about YOU! I wouldn't be here without you, so I want to know what you want and what makes you happy n_n

Already Planning for October

If you are keeping up here and read last week’s Shop Info post, you know that I have enough custom orders to keep me working for the rest of the month! However, I still have tons of ideas for regular shop items for all of you to enjoy without having to make a special request. Next month I am hoping to have enough downtime to get to such ready made items for my shop including:

Wall-E Set: Eve cocoon & Wall-E plush
also listed separately: 
Eve cocoon
Wall-E plush

Minion Set: Minion hat, Gru logo overalls, banana plush/rattle
(you pick: 1 or 2 eyes)
also listed separately:
Minion outfit (hat & overalls)
Minion hat

Yoda Set: Yoda ears hat, Jedi robe/kimono top, light saber plush/rattle
also listed separately:
Yoda ears hat
Jedi robe/kimono top
light saber plush/rattle








Customizeable Roller Skates: Black or white skate boot with choice of wheel/lace/stopper color
(made to order, 5 day wait time)

Customizeable Chucks: Standard white sole and black stripe with your choice of shoe color
(made to order, 3 day wait time)

Customizeable Mary Janes: Standard white sock with your choice of shoe color
(made to order, 3 day wait time)

I'm hoping to get the first three sets finished early in October (or even late September if I have time!) as I think they would be great for Halloween. If you are interested in any of these, please contact me and instead of a ready-made item for the shop, I will do a custom order for you!

More Custom Orders

Wow! I was expecting September to be a slow month, but the requests just keep coming in! This is great news for the shop, although it is pushing back my planned ready-made and customizeable items. Don't worry though--those ideas are still there and just keep growing over time!

So last week when I was delivering the First Grandson set, another coworker saw the cap and asked if I could make one for her son now that fall is coming up. She was thinking navy, but left the color choices up to me. I went navy with a gold border. I delivered it yesterday and she was thrilled! As an added bonus, she had just picked up a fall shirt in the same colors so now her little boy has a fall outfit n_n

The customer that ordered the penguin plush for her niece, just put in another request for a turtle plush for her daughter. At first she asked for the turtle to be green, but then she mentioned her daughter's favorite color is purple. I decided to go with a sea foam green body and a purple granny square shell.

Another request that came in last week was for a pair of skates and a beanie with a paw print, in blue and green. We decided on royal blue skates with neon green wheels and laces, and a royal blue beanie with neon green paw print. So far these are still in the designing phase, but I've got the hat chart figured out at least.

The train set is still in the works, but has gotten pushed back. Luckily this is an order for a friend and she has no real due date. It is just a gift she wants to give, and unless she wants to wait until Christmas there really isn't an event as the baby was born in spring (the request came though during summer). Everything is designed, I just want to get the baby's current age so I know what size to make the conductor's hat.

I am also working on a personal project for a friend. Her son turns 2 this month and his party is Curious George themed. I definitely want to do a George plush, but am playing around with ideas to go with it. Currently I'm debating between a yellow hat or a cardigan.

I also think I've finalized the 3 Strikes for Sean donations. I decided to make two pairs for boys and two pairs for girls. For the boys I am sending in soccer cleats (in white and red), and Chicago Bears logo cuffed booties. For the girls I am sending in purple mary janes and pink flower sandals.

And that should take us through the end of September! Whew...