how to get the lowest prices on yarn

[KPeterso]

I buy a lot of handmade. No way if spend $30 for a hat made of either of those yarns. Ick.

Knitter here. I would not buy the yarns listed above. I am a bit of a yarn snob though. I tend to prefer buying yarn at my local yarn shop since I know I like the quality. I like Berocco Comfort or Encore for hats so that they can be washed. I really like Oh My, Jeanne, and Blue Sky Organic cotton if price is not an object.

 

[phorsenuf]

Not a fan of Red Heart. I find it to be rough feeling. I want my hats to have a softer feel. I sell my hats from $15 - $25.

 

[Burnedout]

Natural fibers are the only ones worth spending that sort of money on. I hate it when a dad comes out and people jump on the bandwagon with every cheap copy they can.

3 hours and $4 worth if yarn does not equal $30 IMO.

 

[JLiz]

3 hours and $4 worth if yarn does not equal $30 IMO.

So, at $26 for labor she is only making $8.60/hour. That puts her charging only $1.35/hour more than the Federal Minimum Wage. Do you think skilled labor is worth only a $1.35 more than unskilled, entry level work?

How much do you think the hat is worth?

$25? That's $7/hour.

$20? That's $5.30/hour.

$15? That's $3.66/hour.

Would you do any job that only paid $3.66/hour?

 

[wishesuponastar]

Thank you for breaking that down. I crochet afghans and the yarn costs $80 on sale (I use two skeins at a time for thickness) and takes many hours to make like two months. I wonder what I should charge ?

 

[firecracker725]

Natural fibers are the only ones worth spending that sort of money on. I hate it when a dad comes out and people jump on the bandwagon with every cheap copy they can.

3 hours and $4 worth if yarn does not equal $30 IMO.

I can only assume you meant "fad". If you don't like it, you don't have to buy it. These types of things sell like hotcakes at festivals all over. I'd much rather buy a handmade item from a fellow mom than some crappy mass-made item at a store.

 

[Burnedout]

I sew and attend and sell at a dozen festivals a year. And yes I use excellent fabric rather than finding the cheapest crap out there and making a hat that won't keep a child's head warm and will look terrible after the first month.

Buy wool yarn on sale or coupon. $7
$23 for 3 hours.
$7+ an hour in the craft world is not bad.

Why not make a quality product??

 

[JLiz]

Thank you for breaking that down. I crochet afghans and the yarn costs $80 on sale (I use two skeins at a time for thickness) and takes many hours to make like two months. I wonder what I should charge ?

Depending on the complexity of design and your skill level, the afghans are worth between $700-850. However, you're probably never going to find a large enough customer base to earn a living from them.

That's why I stay away from large projects for sale. Most people have become so accustomed to the artificially low prices of machine knit or underpaid Asian labor. I know I could never afford a hand knit sweater or blanket if I didn't knit it myself.

I charge $250-300 for organic cotton cabled baby blankets. I think most people can stomach that amount and are often willing to fork over that kind of cash for an heirloom baby item.

I don't sell at festivals though, commission only with cash paid up front.

 

[JLiz]

I sew and attend and sell at a dozen festivals a year. And yes I use excellent fabric rather than finding the cheapest crap out there and making a hat that won't keep a child's head warm and will look terrible after the first month.

Buy wool yarn on sale or coupon. $7
$23 for 3 hours.
$7+ an hour in the craft world is not bad.

Why not make a quality product??

I agree with your sentiment just not your pricing. I'm a major yarn snob and would never buy, knit, wear, sell, or gift anything make from Red Heart. But, I also wouldn't pay some a high school kid more to man my booth at the festival than I paid myself to knit the item.

I use either organic cotton or superwash merino wool for children's items I make, depending on the season. I also charge a price that reflects the quality of the workmanship as well as the quality of the materials.

 

[Burnedout]

I agree with your sentiment just not your pricing. I'm a major yarn snob and would never buy, knit, wear, sell, or gift anything make from Red Heart. But, I also wouldn't pay some a high school kid more to man my booth at the festival than I paid myself to knit the item.

I use either organic cotton or superwash merino wool for children's items I make, depending on the season. I also charge a price that reflects the quality of the workmanship as well as the quality of the materials.

I agree. I was working with the original price concept. Lol I man my own booths because I do teaching in the process. They are juried shows that expect participation.

I'm a sucker for organic cotton both in yarn and fabric. A recreational knitter and I won't use synthetics. Anything that tears up my hands while knitting or crocheting isn't worth working with or going on a newborns head.

I think there are people who know what quality is, and there are many more that learn the concept when you let them see and feel the difference.

The op would only loose a small amt and make a far better project. Lol in case my point got lost.