The Knitting Fiend

From time to time, the subject of actually knitting for hire arises on numerous knitting discussion lists. Not writing patterns, or software, not running a shop, not teaching knitting, but knitting sweaters for customers. You know, yarn over, drawing one strand of yarn through a loop.

I just shudder at the thought. Some of you shudder too. Nearly every proficient knitter has been asked to knit a sweater by an acquaintance. Mind you, I don’t mean a real friend; I mean someone you kind-of sort-of know. A friend is someone who invites you to dinner from time to time, right? That chatty lady you see at church on Sunday, while likely very nice, is an acquaintance. So, from your point of view, if you knit for them, they would be a customer.

This customer approaches you with an idea in mind. It becomes clear that they are proposing you should lay out money for the yarn in advance, take all their measurements, and create something that fits them perfectly. Inevitably, they want a unique, time consuming item with lots of detailed work. Why else would they look for a knitter to make it for them? Either the item needs to be worked by hand, or it requires huge amounts of hand manipulation on the machine. Yet, as you discuss this, you pick up some vibes. It’s clear they think the labor should run about $10 — because you just knit sitting in front of the tv, right? Plus, you knit all those sweaters for your family for free, right? And, even though the customer doesn’t know how to knit at all, they are under the impression knitting a whole sweater takes no more than 2 hours.

You, on the other hand, are willing to knit for free for very close friends and family. Heck, you cook dinner for free, right? And you do laundry for free, right? (Of course, real friends or family, sometimes do things for you, like mow the lawn, or help you paint the family room.)

And of course, you are also willing to do people in need favors in a pinch. You knit for a charity. But this isn’t a pinch and it’s not charity knitting. Knit for free for that obviously prosperous lady who admired your sweater at church? That would be a huge, huge favor.

So, you figure like this: If I knit this for this woman, it will take time away from mowing my lawn, of fixing my plumbing. So, I’ll have to hire a lawn service or a plumber. Depending o the service, that would cost me $20-$40/hour. So, I’d be willing to knit for hire for $20/hour. Everyone has their own number– but it’s something along these lines.

Now, you think a little more.

“This woman is asking me to hand knit that beautiful sweater in Vogue knitting magazine made from a luxury yarn. Obviously, she should supply the yarn because I don’t want to be out the $100 in advance.”

Then, you examine the pattern and notice the gauge is 6 st/inch. You reflect and think:

“It will take me 20 hours — at least. So, 20 hours x $20/hour = $400 in labor. “

And then you hear horror stories about customers deciding they didn’t want the sweater after the it is knit. They demand the money for the yarn, and suggest the knitter keep the sweater and sell it to someone else. Well, you don’t want this sweater knit in her size sitting in your closet. And, while the sweater in the magazine is beautiful, it’s not a style or size anyone in your family wears. And who, other than a person who orders a custom sweater is going to pay $500 for a sweater? Do you really want to bring up the idea that she might stiff you? She’ll be insulted!

By this point, you are trying to decide if you should just laugh or groan inwardly. After all, even though I think the calculation I just did represents a, in some sense, a fair amount to charge someone for 20 hours relatively skilled work, I gasp at that number! There is no way any sane person would pay that much. I could never bring myself to ask that much. But, asking much less just isn’t worth my time. And, while I love sitting on the couch and knitting for a loved one, knitting for mere acquaintances doesn’t give me any particular joy. So, it would have to be for the money; $400 to be exact.

So, when an acquaintance asks: “Could you knit that for me?” My answer is simply “No, sorry, I don’t knit for hire. ”

But, I sometimes wonder: Should I answer:

“Sure, you buy the yarn. I’ll knit if for you, if you’ll trade 1 hour cleaning my house for every hour I spend knitting. “

Now that would be fair!