New Horizons, No Boundries

I want to take a minute to let you know some of the awesome that is coming down the pike.

A new pattern will be ready to release in the next couple days, I know how everyone likes to grab the patterns. It is exciting to do different things with our stitches, and create things that are classy, fun and functional. I think I will hit the mark for some of you this week.

On Saturday Morning, I will be posting the 3rd article on Pricing. In this one, the focus will be Cost + Time.  The Wrap up post, where we will do some blending, and pinning down of when each is the better option will be the following Saturday.

I had planned to jump into the topic of Target Market the first of March, I have been conducting research, and delving into this topic so much already, I think it could be a 6 month course, where we would still have some questions.  Instead, I was blessed to be put in contact with Martiel Beatty, and will be hosting this opportunity, Open to any and all, regardless of their art

Webinar Information

I will be posting about this, a lot and often. I need sponsors who are willing to help promote this event, you may contact me through Email, at grammy.dirlam@gmail.com  Please put Sponsor Webinar in the subject line.

Fiasco or Fine?

After a few days of debate, and asking followers for some input, I meandered myself into a salon for a hair cut.
I was nervous, and had my husband along for company.  I sat in the chair, and enjoyed the luxury of having my hair shampooed. I really do enjoy that. There is something very therapeutic about a good massage of the scalp, and the aroma of a salon shampoo that just awakens the senses. Now Time for the cut.  Sitting in another chair we are chatting about my choice of style. I had forgotten my picture at home, but found something in the book there that was so close, this woman knew who I meant right away.  The stylist turned my chair, and began the cutting process.  Chatting away, My husband is getting bored, but he is really very patient. I am positioned so I am not looking in the mirror, but more at my husband. I am glad, as he is a huge part of the reason I have worn my hair long the last 22 years. I am judging his facial expression, and all is good. he is neither showing alarm or joy, just looking bored.  I was stone cold when she turned my chair so that I could see in the mirror. My Hair, what? where?  no.
I was not even able to stammer anything. I had gone in with an expectation, and had shown the woman a picture, She had indicated the understanding of my request. I was staring at a cut that did not belong. I swear, it was god-awful, choppy, blunt and NOT what I wanted.  I bit my tongue. Had I been able to say anything, it would have been less than humane.
She spent 48 minutes using a flat iron and blow dryer on my hair. It was flopped in front of my face for most of this time. She then spun me back to the mirror, grabbed by the handful from the top of my forehead, and dropped it on top, fluffed it a bit with her fingers and asked what I thought.  Hands instantly moving it, trying to look less angry, and actually look at the cut and style. It did not work well.  I had her give a few more snips, so there was some feathering and framing of my face, which actually just made it look choppier.
I thanked her, got my coat and hat, paid the bill. My husband followed me out the door, not sure what sort of obscenities might be flying out of my mouth by the time we got to the car. I just thought all the way home, I do not think I spoke.
When I picked up my grand daughter from school, she looked at me, she says, "I liked it better long, but it will grow back, Right Grammy?"
Oh, the hugs I gave that little girl, and the smiles, and reassurances that Yes, it will grow back.

Today, I spent some time on it. I put a fresh color on it, and played with the curling iron, the gels mouse, hot rollers, hairspray and several different clips to get it to do something that was not an embarrassment.  I am not sure how I fared, as I am my biggest critic. I will say that there is truth to the statement of a 5 year old. It will grow back.  If you want to see it, you will have to wait just a bit.  I will be participating in a new venture with several other Wonderful Crochet Artists, which is expected to launch within the week.  I will let you know more, as soon as I have a actual date.

Until next time,
Becky

What am I selling? Article #2 on Pricing my Crochet for sale

This is the second in a series, you can read the first article here

I have been researching all week for this article, I have read countless blog posts from others, I have a list with 19 different links that I could include on the 3Xcost method of Pricing your Crochet Items for sale.

It is 4:32 on Friday afternoon, and I am just now in a place where I can write something I think MAY make sense.

In a group discussion just a bit ago, I saw again the normal post, The customer/friend/cousin wants this, and I quoted XX. Is that too much?
I see this so often, I know how it will play out, and yet I always get sucked into these discussions.

This time it was this pair of adult Ugh Style Boots    

the price quoted was $22.00.


I have to say, I wanted to crawl through the wires of the internet, and blast out in her face with some sort of ARE YOU OFF YOUR ROCKER?  Rant and Tirade  Picture the Looney Tunes Cartoons with the phone, where the animal explodes out of the receiver, all puffed up like a balloon until they have concluded their rant, and are then deflated, hanging out the earpiece of the old fashioned phone.  Before I could focus, there it was, in all it's helpfulness, "I use 3 times the price of my yarn to set my price"  Again, I felt it, I was swelling like a balloon, I was urging my fingers to type, but alas, it was futile, the original poster chimed in with, "I have enough left over from another project, so there is no cost". I dropped my head, and walked away from my computer. it is a lost cause, this person is not going to get it.  DO YOU?

I went back and offered the link for the gadget that I shared last week. I suggested that she make one, and double the time. Then weigh the boot that was created, and figure out just how much yarn goes into it, and of course double it.  Then, determine what the yarn would cost, if she had to walk into a store and buy it today, with no sale price or coupon involved.
I was stunned to see how many were being gentle with their nudge that she should actually be asking more. here is a copy of my last statement on that thread.

 I think it is also important to note, hand made is not the same as what you get going to a box store and buying clearance priced merchandise. A person who does not have the skill is asking someone with the SKILL to make it for them. The SKILL is what you are selling, your time, and your Skill. You can buy cheap boots anywhere.

This actually says it very well.  

If you need a plumber, you are not likely to get him to work for you at a price lower than industry standard, and frankly, it is a whole lot more than minimum wage. An attorney is gong to charge you his normal rate, As will the beautician who cuts your hair. Why is it we as artisans are reluctant to recognize the value of our time, and SKILL?

So, Now, let's look at the 3 X Cost method for pricing. Just for the sake of continuity, lets use the same project, so I do not loose you in this.

The Pattern itself is $5.00
A skein of Red Heart Super Saver 14 oz is about $8.00
A skein of Red Heart Classic is about $4.00,

the item has at least 2 colors, not sure if the sole is doubled, so we will use these figures to calculate.

Based on the cost involved, assuming she has to start with a hook and a request, she will be paid $5.00 for her time if she does actually charge $22.00 for this order.  I will not even go into how ludicrous that is.

Factoring the cost at $17.00, and using the 3X method, the price of this order is $51.00.
Better right?
But is it fair to the seller and the customer?   Maybe.
$34.00 for your time is not too bad, if you look at a projected 4 hours to make the pair, that is $8.50 an hour.  What if you actually need 6 hours, because of something unforeseen in the pattern, as in doubled yarn, and doubled soles. Or a new stitch that you are unfamiliar with, then the hourly rate for the pair would be $5.60 an hour. Still a good deal? An entire day, focused on this project, is it worth it, or will you have resentment, and be saying I need to charge more if I make these again?

There are some that think this is a great way to do it, because it sets a standard price, industry wide. If you are a seasoned crocheter, The pattern would get completed faster than some one who is just starting out. So, the rate per hour would be higher for some and as proficiency expanded it would continue to grow. Beware. It does not always work out so well. (if you think of this as a well priced item)  Now lets look at a small, free pattern, but also a pair.  My Zen Baby Legs, in a child size.
Yarn required
Less than 1 skein of # 2 yarn, Just say $2.00
Patten Free.
Time to complete, about 2 hours
So, the price would be $6.00. The customer is delighted.
So, the hourly break down would be $2.00 an hour.  Are you looking for a way to inflate that? Are the hairs on the back of your neck standing on edge saying you are worth more than that? Mine Are.
 Let's do one more, this time, two different Hat patterns. The first is this Slouchy Faux Cable Hat
the second is this Kiwi Slouch Hat  With both of these being Slouch hats, the price should be easy to calculate, right?  They take a similar amout of yarn. Let's just say one skein of Caron Simply Soft for each Hat.
Both patterns are free, and I do not know either designer here, just random hats from Ravelry.
One skein of yarn is sufficient to crochet either hat.
Carron Simply Soft Aprox $ 3.25
Using the 3X method, the hats would sell to the customer for $9.75  Holy Wow, Really?  You would be satisfied with that?
For the faux Cabled Hat, I spent 30 minutes reading the pattern, and it took nearly 4 hours to make. It is complex and involved. Certainly worth more than $1.44 an hour. I would think 10 times that.
The Kiwi Slouch was a much quicker read, and took just over an hour and one half for me to complete. So, the break down for this hat would be 3.25 an hour.  really? for a beginner pattern I would make more money,  Well, yes, because it does not take as much of my time, or skill, so a higher reward.   THAT IS JUST WRONG.

So back to the title of this posting, What am I selling?  Am I selling products? or am I selling my time and skill to provide a service to the customer that wants a quality, hand made item?  Price your goods accordingly.

Until next time

Becky

A New look For Me

This is so off the general topic, and yet it is not.

I have some great things coming up in the not so distant future. I have been told, pretty emphatically that it is time to get myself out of the back ground, and be seen. This plays into several areas of my life, but especially here in my media world.

Before I will even let someone take a picture of me, with the intent being to put it on the internet for the world to see, I want a hair cut, I want to be seen in the best light possible.  So, I would appreciate some feed back, just a bit of a nudge.  I have selected 3 styles that I like, and placed pictures of them on my Pintrest Inspirations Board  Please click on that RED link right there, and click like on the one that you think is best suited to a 50 year old woman, with lot's to offer.

Well, DRAT, it would seem there is no more like button on Pintrest.  well, if you would please comment here on the blog. it is easy with Google+  and the link opens a new window, so you won't loose me. 

I would be very delighted, and it will only take a few seconds.

Oh, don't dawdle about it, I plan to get my hair cut on Monday, February 10th.

Thanks.

Until next time,

Becky

Zen Baby Legs Crochet Pattern

Blogging is so brand new to me, I have decided I like it, I have also decided that if I want people to read my blog, I have to read others.  I have also decided that it might be nice if I share a link to a post from another Blogger with you. Not Just any post, but one that strikes me that day. Today's is from Beatrice Ryan Designs.  She impressed me today See the link there in RED

Now, on to my offering for the day:

This pattern is so cute, if I do say so myself.  My grand daughter loves leg warmers, sometimes.
She has her favorite colors, and her favorite features. Soft, not too textural, not too tight, but not so loose they fall down. Her latest request is something to keep them from pulling up too much when she does have to pull them up. (like after running or dancing)

I started these Wednesday Afternoon, and was so excited. It was just a thought, The more rounds I did, the more I liked it. They are way too cute, They are light, Airy, delicate, but not flimsy. A true break from the weighted down heavy we have needed this winter season.  I am so ready for spring.

I posted a picture on face book asking for name suggestions, and I got a few, I have not quite found the one that grabs me, so I am waiting.

What's say we start with the pattern?

Starting with a soft, fine weight yarn, and an H hook
confirm your gauge of 14 DC and 8 Rows in 4 inches.
too many stitches? go with a larger hook, Not enough? yup, smaller hook.  Too Short, Think Tall as you work your stitch, try not holding your working yarn so tightly. Too Tall, Well, aren't you an odd ball. hold on to that yarn just a little.

Once your gauge is confirmed, you will have no problem making these wonderful leg warmers for any child.  This is written to fit a 4 to 6 year old.  If I have enough interest, I will do the math, and add more sizes.

Fdc 29, ch 3, and join to the base of your first dc.
if your Foundation DC's look anything like mine, you are going to LOVE this technique.

 The stitches themselves are fine. It is the Eyelet lace look at the bottom that I am unhappy with. This one is pretty consistent, sometimes the loops are different sized, and pulled askew. Looks like one of the kittens got hold of it. Even though it is getting better, this is not the edge I want, so, we are not going to use it.

 Here you see that I have ch3, and slst to the foundation, where I would have built the next st. This gives us 30 total st for this round. Except, it isn't a round,  yet

 Drop your working loop from the hook, insert the hook through the very first ch. through the hole where the tail starts. Do this from the front side, so that your right side will be facing when the joint is completed.

 Now pull the working loop through, snug up the working loop and ch 1.pull snug to finish the joint.

 You can see here how you actually have two ch3 next to each other, you will use the tail and a yarn needle to secure this closed.  Now look at the top edge of our tube, Beautiful, clear stitches, no goofy loops, but ALL the stretch of the fdc.  All those goofy loops, they are at the top, about to be worked over, hidden from view, to be forgotten, until you start the second leg warmer.

Rnd 2.  Ch3, FPDC over the 2nd ch3, BPDC over next 3, FPDC over next 3, all the way around. Finish round with 1 FPDC, slst to ch 3. ch3 to start next round
R3 to R5 Repeat R2,
R6 ch3, sk 1 dc, sc in the next,ch3, sk1 dc, sc in the next, around to the last dc. ch1, dc in the dc you started the round in. This will give you the elevation you need to start this round.
From here, you will be working in a spiral, with out joining your rounds.
R7 Ch2, sc in the ch 3 loop, ch 2, sc in next loop, all the way around.
R8. Ch 1, sc in next loop, ch1, sc in next loop around.
R9. Ch 2 sc in next ch space. ch 2, sc in next.Around
R10. Ch 3, sc in next loop. use a marker to indicate your first ch 3 loop. continue around, ch 3, sc in the loop
Repeat rounds 7 to 10 4 more times, until you have 5 of the ch1  rounds, you will end on a ch 3 round.
DC in the next sc, Dc in the ch3 space. around. join with a slst.
Ch3 FPDC over next dc, BPDC over next 3, work around. Finish the round with 1 fpdc, slst around the ch 3 at the beginning of the round. Repeat round 3 more times. Slst to the last fpdc,     Do not bind off.
Stirrup

 Ch 1, Yarn Over, and insert hook into the top of the last BPDC in the next set.  Complete DC, It will be virtually laying sideways across the end of the group of BPDC.

 Yarn over, and insert hook into the base of the last dc Made, We are doing FDC now.
But I want you to catch the two threads, so there will not be quire as much stretch.

Continue the FDC for a total of 9

Now we are going to attach these 9 to the other side, with the 10th FDC.
Look how the stirrup is coming off the side at a 3bpdc space, we will attatch it about 1/3 of the way arround. Skip the 2 fpdc groups, and the bpdc between them.





Insert hook in the top of the Last BPDC  of the next group.

 draw loop through, 2 loops on hook

Yarn over and insert hook into base of FDC of Stirrup. (as if making the next DC)

and now insert hook through the first BPDC of the group.  yarn over, and pull through both layers that are being joined.

You now have 4 loops on hook, and we can complete the dc, and the joining of our

 We Y/O, draw through the first 2 loops. Y/O again and pull through all three.

 It is just a smidge bulkier than a normal DC

 poke hook through the next fpdc, and slst to secure it.

 Cut yarn, and bury ends.  One down, one to go.

Allie is tickled, and eager to get all gussied up for a photo shoot, but she has to hold on to that enthusiasm until after school tomorrow.

Oh, in the process of getting this finished, the perfect name was offered by Cheryl Pledge Kardell.  May I present the "Zen Baby Legs"  legwarmers.

I am looking for you

Social Media has become the common thread in so many lives. Even standing in the check out line at the local library, I have conversations with strangers over something posted on Facebook, or seen on YouTube. People want to connect. Many things are being done in an electronic format. We can all see the progression. Learning how to join in has been a struggle for me. Using the "New Platforms"

It was about two years ago that my son came home from work, telling me about "this board, where you share things, and it is really cool" he says to me. "Mom, you need to look at it" he says to me. I looked it up, and went, "Oh, ...  cool", in a very half-hearted way. If only I had known then, what I know now. I would probably know what I need to, so that I could manage marketing with Pintrest Effectively.

Pintrest is growing fast as a "go to" spot. You can find, follow, share pins, re-pin, get ideas, give instruction, Plan A Wedding, Plan a Vacation, Sell or Buy items, let's face it, if it is tangible, you will find someone doing something with it on Pintrest. It is FREE, and sitting there waiting to lure you into it's crossed boundaries world of framed, loveliness. 

When we look at those people who are buying things, (broad spectrum Target Audience)  What do we need to know about them? Age? Economic Status? Family Status? Life Style? Gender? yes, those ideas come to mind, although it would seem we need to know what they are looking for, What do they want to buy? Can we ask them? It would be a challenge. We cannot expect to be a big box store, and have everything imaginable under one roof. Each of us is more defined than that. Our Audience varies, today they need one item, tomorrow it is another. We as the seller need to find ways to put our item in the places where they will be seen when our customers are looking.

If you sell the most delightful crochet tablecloths and bedspreads, you won't find your audience with young parents shopping for kids shoes. but they might pin it.

If you sell Luxury Baby items, Layettes, Christening Gowns and the like, you would not want them along side Snow Shovels and Electric Drills, That is not your audience.

If your items are obscure, people won't find them. Let's spend some time learning how to use Pintrest in a way we can benefit from.  That is why, when you look to my Pintrest boards You will see, I only have a few right now. (that you can see)  I have made all the others private.

I will be working on getting things functional for sales before I put them out on public display. As I reveal each board, I will discuss it here, so perhaps I can help you learn from my foolish miss-pins.

My Free Patterns board is just that. The Tips and Tricks will fill up with pins of technique and tutorials that are actually useful, not just things to fill up the board.  The other two, Sadly, they are a mess, and need to be cleaned up.

Until next time

Becky

Pricing My Items for sale

This is the first in a series of articles. I appreciate you, and hope that you will follow along as I try to add something to the subject, from a direction that makes me comfortable.

If I have seen anything repeated in multiple threads on Facebook, or any of the social media groups for that matter, it is, "What should I charge for this?", usually followed by a picture. Sometimes they are great pictures, sometimes not so great.  Photography will be a topic for a future series.

There is a HUGE push for three times the cost of materials.  We can go into more detail on this method Next Saturday, February 8th, because this really needs to be thought through. There are others who have expounded on this concept. I will pull together an article that will cover it in depth.

There is a BIG lean toward a cost + time compilation.  (We can discuss this after we talk about the Three times method.) So many factors to examine.

There is a small group who feel  "It needs to be reasonably priced, so I can sell more, and therefore make more money in the long run."  There is a place for this thinking, and we can delve it into it in the Spring.

From my Perch on the Porch, I find that none of them work for me.  It is not so cut and dry as any of these.  There are elements that factor in that are not so easily defined.

I did find this tool a while back, that helped me establish a starting place.  Check out this gadget  from CraftsCalculator.com!
It is easy enough to use, and has just recently been upgraded to allow a few more options.  It is fun to play with, and gives the opportunity to adjust factors, while keeping it depersonalized.

I would suggest playing with it a bit. You have a product that gets regular orders, let's say a hat. You have sold this hat for 2 years at $20.00. You are happy with that price, you feel compensated for time and materials. This is a great place to do a comparison.  Enter the cost of materials, and the time required to create the hat, then slide the profit button around, or try the different skill competence levels. Where does it put your $20.00 price?  Do you still feel good about your price?WONDERFUL!
Now use the same levels to see what the price would be for that item you just do not know where to start.  Does this tool provide you with a number that makes sense? Do you feel in your gut it should be more or less?  Why? Now you are thinking. Some effort is going into it, but not from a thin air place. You have a suggested dollar amount from which to start.

I have struggled with a confidence issue for quite some time. My work is good, the items I create are often my own designs. I am proud of what I do. I still struggle with placing a value on my work.  I have had people look, and be extra excited about an item, then shut down immediately when they hear a price. I have also had people reach into their pocket and hand that same amount to me immediately.  I have had those that agree to the price, but I never hear from them again.  It is real, it happens, it is not you, it is them.  The people you want to connect with are the ones who are reaching into their pocket right away.  That is your target market. We will look at the details of who they are soon.


Article two has been published, you can read it here