Did you know that you can make money knitting?
In fact, you could start a full-scale business knitting for profits. Read my review here to find out more about the ins and outs of going into this sort of business and knitting for profit.
Although it is difficult to make a lot of money selling hand knitted items, it is possible to make money knitting with a bit of thought and savvy.
It is quite time-consuming to knit a handmade item, so you need to, first of all, assess the cost of your materials, and then work out how many hours you spent making the item and charge accordingly.
Of course, it is going to work out that your handcrafted knitwear is going to cost a lot more than the shop down the road who imports lower quality garments but at a cheaper price.
So the best thing to do if you love knitting, and you want to make money knitting is to find something original to make.
Make sure that it is a work of art, and only you must be doing this. It mustn’t be something that you can buy in any shop and must be highly desirable.
You could also look at the area you live in and what type of knitwear people will need for that area.
For instance, if you live in a fishing village you would do well selling tough and warm sweaters with a zip up front, whereas in a warm climate you might do very well selling thin lacy short sleeved tops. Lacey tops are relatively quick to knit by hand.
Wear your creations yourself, so people ask you where you got them, and you can tell them it is only available from you at a price.
People are willing to pay for something unique that nobody else has, or even something that will be super practical to them.
If you do this on a large scale, you would need to source good quality wool and materials at low prices in order for your profit margin to be bigger. If you got a lot of orders, it would also be well worth your time to hire a knitter or two to help you.
I know of people who have come up with a great knitting design and ended up selling their items to high-priced boutiques. People are always willing to part with their hard earned cash for a good piece of artful clothing.
What Can I Knit?
Here there are just so many options to try if you want to make money knitting. Here are a few examples:
- Scarves
- Beanies
- Blankets
- Sweaters
- Coasters
- Kids Toys
- Coat Hangers Covers
- Pillows
- Booties and Mittens for Babies
- Neck Warmers
- Pretty Dishcloths
Or you can even try this cute cow.
Speed Up The Process
Now the next option to make money knitting, if you seriously want to go the whole hog, is to invest in a good knitting machine. These machines are designed to churn out lovely items in next to no time at all in comparison to how much time it would take to hand knit the same item.
This seriously takes the joy out of hand knitting, but if you want to profit from your knitting then a knitting machine is the answer.
You could also try the amazing loom knitting machines that authentic knitting board offer at the moment, which will still give you a handmade feeling.
Trusting that this article gets you closer to your goal of knitting for money. Please feel free to share your comments below.
Knitting for Profit
Knitting can be for profit you say if it is an original piece. You still have to charge extra for it being knitted by hand. I didn’t think knitting could be for profit sense I know people who knit by hand. My guess is you have to love knitting in order to maintain a business from home. Thank you for allowing me to comment on your site!
Edward Mijarez
Yes I agree that to knit for profit by hand can be slow, but with a knitting machine it could be far easier.
Michel,
This is a wonderful idea. My wife has always enjoyed knitting and is currently looking to take on a part time job. This would a perfect way for her to start her own business.
As far as a machine goes, do you have any particular make or model that you recommend? Would you be able to tell what you think it would cost to get something like this off the ground with supplies and a machine?
Thank you for this informative site. I can’t wait to share this idea with my wife.
– Justin P
If you want to start off cheap, then the Addi or similar would do you well. If you want a more professional machine, I would go for the bigger types like Empisal or Singer. These obviously cost a lot more. Will post more in the future regarding the more expensive machines.
Hi Michel,
This is a very helpful post for anybody who would like to start their own business.
You talk about being original and I personally think that is the best thing you can do in any type of business. Especially in the knitting business. There is probably a lot of competition and you are going to have to be original.
What is the initial start up cost more or less for this kind of a business?
Thank you
It all depends how big you want to start off. It could be as little as the wool needed for your next project, or you may want to purchase a knitting machine, in which case it will cost a little more.
Excellent advice and great comments, thank you for being so knowledgeable.
I have an Etsy shop, That I Sell My Hand Knit Design Ridge Groove Coasters. I just Sold 4 Snack Coasters After Having Just Recently Listed, however though, My Drink Coasters Which I Started Making May of 2018, They Have not Sold as of yet, Whatever you Decide to Knit Make Sure you Do so with Quality in Mind and Great Pricing That you deserve.
Love your coaster, and in colours to suit every occasion. All the best and I am sure you are still going to do well with these. Do you make personalised ones? People love coasters with their names on.
How can I buy yarn/materials at wholesale? The retail prices of yarn make it pretty much impossible to make a profit. Thanks for the information!
I find Amazon quite cheap, but they don’t always ship to me in Africa. Charmkey Yarn is also not bad, but make sure to compare prices. I was lucky enough to find a factory shop in the city where I live simply by using Google. You could try, as I have discovered a lot of places on my doorstep that I didn’t even know about.
Online there are also places in China that look reasonable, you could maybe test the waters there.
I am in the process of making some warm knitted blankets which I have been giving to the homeless but I was wondering if there is a market out there for me to sell them. They are quite big and I enjoy doing them. I have also made simple scarves in the past too. How could I go about selling them as I have no selling experience.
There is always someone looking for what you are offering, which is why the internet is the perfect place to sell from. Try Etsy as they specialize in selling crafty things that people make themselves.
Otherwise, if you want to create your own website to sell your wares on where you don’t have to pay a commission, you can learn how to do it with this company.
Love knitting sweaters and vests have my own design and patterns for making them, Love this idea on how to sell them all, and I am going to think about doing just that. I also knit other things like socks, fingerless mitts and blankets.
Thanks very informative.