It's often my experience, as I'm sure it is for most who knit and/or sew, the non-crafting community holds the impression that we, as crafts(wo)men, save exorbitant amounts of money by sewing and/or knitting. This usually provokes my defensive response and a lengthy dialogue on the costs of materials vs. labor in individually produced vs. mass-produced goods... Yada, Yada. Of course, there was a point in history when it was far more economic to sew and knit at home- You know, like back when gasoline used to cost 11 cents a gallon. TImes have changed. Inflation. All that. Still, there are exceptions to every rule and opportunities for us to have an economic leg-up over the non-knitting population. In my opinion, it all breaks down to a quality over quantity. Winter accessories, for example, are a fantastic demonstration of this. Most box stores sell an array of cotton/poly scarves/hats/gloves for bargain prices. Wool accessories, however, are another story. In our world of low-cost-mass-production, natural fibers are a luxury. For instance: this 85% wool, 15% poly Tory Burch snood is available to purchase for $175. However, a knitter could far out-luxe Ms. Burch by knitting Jill McGee's Twisted Sister Cowl with Amy Blatt Nunki (71% Wool 29% Yak) for roughly $50 material cost + time. Not bad, eh? We have a great advantage when it comes to compiling our collections of wooly accessories, and these types of projects are especially wonderful for unselfish, gift-knitting. I'm sure there's more than a handful of knitters out there who are already thinking about their holiday knit-list. Just for fun, here's a little list of infinity scarf projects that will keep you smiling all the way to the bank: What do you think? Would your knitting prowess out-shine the luxury knitwear market? This particular cowl is a gift. It's the Brioche Infinity Scarf by Unnur Eva Arnarsdóttir knit using four skeins of Berroco Flicker. And, I bought my stamp HERE, in case you're curious. ;-D
15 Comments
Meg the Grand
10/14/2013 11:01:36 pm
The cowl turned out beautifully! And I love all of your suggestions of what to make ... shall we go yarn shopping again soooon? (I need you to be the strong one and say no here). Also, your stamp is tres adorable :)
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10/15/2013 12:13:09 am
The cowl is beautiful! I'm sure the recipient will love it. Thanks for the links for all the great cowl projects!
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The cowl turned out beautifully! I always laugh when people suggest knitting is cheaper than buying, or that I should knit to sell things because I'd make a lot of money. Ha! I love your breakdown for cowls. We can definitely out-luxe store bought in so many ways. :)
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I'm constantly trying to explain to people why I can't make them a dress just like the one I made myself or why I wouldn't really be able to make money selling my things on Etsy. I've tried to tell them that if my objective was to make extra money with my spare time, I'd be better off getting a waitressing job, but I think they all just believe I'm crazy or confused. So I love this post!
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I think you are right on the money! For comparable items it is cheaper to knit - and they are so much nicer than those cheaper store bought replacements! the cowl is beautiful. Woolly christmas gifts don't go down so well over here - its often one of our hottest days!
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When I used to sew for a living I had to explain to people ALL THE TIME why I wasn't cheaper than a dress at Ross...or why the silk they wanted would cost more than the limo they wanted to rent... I love your list of "buy this or make this". Since I don't knit much this gives me a great place to look for a project that works for me so thanks : )
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10/17/2013 05:36:47 am
I have to make one of these! Love love love the stamp!
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10/23/2013 07:53:35 am
This is SUCH a universal problem! I have a friend whose mother wanted me to keep her grandkids in knitted socks, because store bought ones are so expensive (!). A co-worker constantly says "you can make me xxx" and no one seems to understand how much effort goes into knitting! SO frustrating!
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