time management for knitting and crocheting

[Former_Member]

Hi im Nardett and I was wondering if you could give some advice and tip about knitting and crocheting along with selling it.

I'm not use sure to manage my time when it comes to projects. I dont know how much hours a day I should work on project and what is a good deadline to make for each item. Any advice?

I also have selling my stuff on etsy but I'm not sure what to specialize in. How do I know what's the right thing to do?

And how can make it a career? I want to be able to become successful with it. Any tips?

Please and thank you!!!!!

[bebbyjumpers]

I knit because I enjoy doing so and I spend as much time as I choose on my knitting. Maybe I will spend most of a day watching a movie or TV and knitting, or sit in the garden and knit for a few hours, or sometimes I have no time to knit due to other pressing matters. But I will never be forced to knit or not to knit! It is a choice I make. And if someone chooses to buy one of my items, then that is a bonus to me. I always meet my deadlines for custom orders though!

[Former_Member]

I knit because it's a hobby to me. For that reason, I do not sell my knits via Etsy. But, for my business because I no longer work outside the home I devote about 6 hors a day to it. I break it up, so I'll spend 2 hours in the morning after breakfast on it, and then do my housework & garden and I'll come back after dinner and work on my business for an hour or two. Then, in the evening before bed I'll work for two-three hours, too. I love doing what I do, so it's not really work (unlike housework!!!)

For your knitting projects, you would probably want to figure out how long it takes you to make a particular pattern & price accordingly. Also, you might want to investigate if their are any timesaving knitting methods (such as speed knitting) that you can work on mastering. Peronally, I can only knit one way (I've tried Stephanie's Speed Knitting, but i can't get the hang of it) but a good part of that is the arthritus and muscular myopathy in my hands :)

Here's the link for speed knitting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P51GByV0H2w

[Former_Member]

that helps alot i will use that thanks!!!

[krochetlady]

I crochet also as a hobby. I started my Etsy shop when friends kept saying "hey you should sell that" after seeing some of my work.

When I opened in 2008 I didn't do much with my shop, most of my sales have been within the last year. Now I love working on my shop.

Etsy has a lot of crochet shops, sometimes it's hard to get your product noticed. So consider creating your own unique product to get noticed.
But beware others will sometime copy your product or idea.

I realized more sales when I focused on quality products, with reasonable prices and timely delivery.

Good luck to you!