the-snazzy-jazzy-pirate-ship:

For any of you considering buying a hand-knitted creation from anyone:

Name-brand knitted beanies are not what hand-knitted beanies look like (for the most part). Most of them aren’t actually knitted. They are made from bolts of factory machine-knitted fabric that has been sewn together, like an ordinary fabric hat. I have studied them lengthily.

Most name-brand scarves and cowls are not what hand-knitted scarves look like either. They have been mass machine-knitted (often with extremely thin sock yarn) or created via sweatshop-like labor. Thicker scarves are very often folded in half and sewn together at the edges to conceal the purled side. For the cowls done in stockinette, the tails have often been sewn (with thread) back into the design. Experienced knitters can tell at a glance. 

Hand-knitted pieces cost more than your favorite name brand beanies/ fingerless gloves because our hours of time demand pay. We are self-employed. We buy every skein of yarn, use our own mathematical equations to create our own original patterns, sit for hours on end knitting and crocheting. We teach ourselves. I am an unemployed student who consciously dedicates entire days knitting the same hat that, if produced in a factory setting, would sell for less than $20. 

The average hand-knitted hat costs around $3-$15 to produce (from materials ALONE). With an average of 7-12 hours of work per hat, and with N.Y. state minimum wage being $8.75, the average hat should cost around $64.25 to produce (assuming you’ve made it as quickly as possible and as cheaply as yarn sells). [This does not include the price of shipping (usually around $5.00), or the price of packaging.]

How much do I sell my custom-made beanies for?

$15.00. I make virtually no profit, because I know that if I charge what my work is actually worth, everyone will just go to Zumiez.

There is a huge disconnect of understanding between what something sells for and what it actually costs to make.

Please take all of this into consideration and do not question the prices of someone’s craft.