# got a question and would love some input



## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

I am an avid knitter and quilter
I am in need of generating some income as hubby got his hours slashed so we are now short almost 600 bucks a month!!
at least he is able to work.
jobs are scarce and honestly I am pretty confident i can generate some income.
I am currently making some quilt tops and knitting up some socks like boot socks for winter and kids socks etc.
I am thinking of starting mittens and hats too. 
not bragging but i been knitting for about 30 years and have gotten fairly fast so i can keep my family in knitted warmth with out probs.
anyway, would anyone on this forum be interested in my knitting for them or something?
Not sure what i would charge but as a general rule I can make a pair of socks in about 3 days tops for an adult size and kids size well they are fast. lol Oh and i make these items out of wool. 
let me know what you think or any ideas or something. I just want to keep up with our utilities but as for food stuff i am a prepper so we have a good stock up. 
thanks for any input

to add... between kids and general living that is why it takes me a couple days to get something knitted up. lol


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

I can help:

[1]
Post pictures of your work,let it be known you sell it.

[2]
go to proboards and make a free forum and make sure the type of service you offer is mentioned in the title!

[3]Post more pics there and put a link to your site in your signature.
if the government would let me I could almost equal my disability check selling my blades doing this in good times.

on a side note,ornate pouches sell good in the circles I travel in,so do duck bags of various sizes.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

Magus said:


> I can help:
> 
> [1]
> Post pictures of your work,let it be known you sell it.
> ...


ooo! I make bags all the time! in fact i recently made a bag for my daughter with lots of inner and outer pockets with an adjustable strap. hmmm great ideas. thanks!


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

We do have a marketplace on the forum ...

And I did like the socks you posted a picture of ...  (And we all know my knit socks ... well ... never mine. :surrender


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

:wave: Hey!! Last summer I met a lady while standing in line at the cutting table at the fabric store. She was buying up all the "cutsie" prints that were clearanced. We got to talking and she said her daughter had made a little fold-over (three fold) makeup bag for posted a pic of it on facebook. Next thing she knew people were asking her to make one for them.

Well, her 13 year old daughter put together a webpage and started taking orders. Next thing they knew she had so many orders that she couldn't keep up and mom, grandma and a couple of aunts were having to help her!  IIRC she told me they were charging $20 (covered shipping, which couldn't have been much) and the things were selling like hotcakes. She said there was no way they had more than $3 worth of material in one of them and they could make a couple dozen in an afternoon.

Anyway ... you might pick something you like making and can do quickly and then throw up a webpage with some pics and prices. According to this woman they were getting e-mails from people asking them to do other sewing projects for them ... seems like anything "handmade" is "the gift to give" these days ... Even if you didn't make it yourself! haha! :scratch


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

*Andi said:


> We do have a marketplace on the forum ...
> 
> And I did like the socks you posted a picture of ...  (And we all know my knit socks ... well ... never mine. :surrender


 Mine too! I don't think knitting socks is "my calling" ... :scratch

Hey! IHALFCENT, I have some yarn ... How much would you charge me to make my socks if I sent you the yarn and some money for return postage?? No rush at all ... completely at your leisure.

(OK guys ... Yeah, I know OPSEC and all that ... I got worse things to worry about than if IHALFCENT knows my addy ... lol)


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

BadgeBunny said:


> Mine too! I don't think knitting socks is "my calling" ... :scratch
> 
> Hey! IHALFCENT, I have some yarn ... How much would you charge me to make my socks if I sent you the yarn and some money for return postage?? No rush at all ... completely at your leisure.
> 
> (OK guys ... Yeah, I know OPSEC and all that ... I got worse things to worry about than if IHALFCENT knows my addy ... lol)


I would love to knit your socks! lol
about 10 bucks cuz you supply all the yarn. 
let me know.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

oh also..i don't hunt and neither does hubby as he is too citified. grrr
So i would also be interested in bartering for meat like venison, fowl like duck or turkeys or pheasant or something. I have a chest freezer waiting to be stocked up. 
you know... 'I knit for food' lol
not sure if there are laws about that but i would very much consider that if anyone has something like that.


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## Nadja (Jan 12, 2011)

Heres some other info for you. Go to Ebay , and type in wool knit socks etc and see what the average price is. Then you can either sell on ebay or create your own website free with a Google home page. Small, but should be enough for your needs and items.


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

lhalfcent said:


> I would love to knit your socks! lol
> about 10 bucks cuz you supply all the yarn.
> let me know.


Oh, oh, oh ... :2thumb: I sent you a PM ... :kiss:


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

got your pm and replied. 

I made an etsy site but haven't put anything up yet. I pulled out some nice blue hued corriedale merino blend I hand spun into a two ply and making a pair of socks to post here. 
when the color is so nice I dont like to complicate it with pattern stitches so it will be plain socks but the color sings! lol


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

lhalfcent said:


> got your pm and replied.
> 
> I made an etsy site but haven't put anything up yet. I pulled out some nice blue hued corriedale merino blend I hand spun into a two ply and making a pair of socks to post here.
> when the color is so nice I dont like to complicate it with pattern stitches so it will be plain socks but the color sings! lol


Can't wait to see the socks!  and your etsy site! :goodluck:


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Another thing you may want to consider is the cloth printer "paper" so that you can do custom blankets or pillows etc with people's photos or whatever, my wife made some for gifts and people just LOVE them.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

Tirediron...great idea!

ok everyone here is a pair of socks still on the needles.. i do magic loop knitting with socks as i can make a whole pair in at one time. 
The yarn is a handspun i had and of a corriedale merino wool blend. Perfect for cold weather and I knit it a little tight for greater insulation.
anyway...been wanting to use this yarn for a bit and there you go.
when they are done I will take another photo after blocking so you can see the finished work.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

That color is stupendous! I can see why you didn't want to do fancy stitches, it just doesn't need it!


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

yes emerald...the color sings don't you agree? lol
I decided to make the cuffs scrunchy which i happen to love the look and feel of.
these socks will be for me cuz i got this fleece for a reason 
anyway...i am already lining up the next several pairs in a nice variety of yarns i have again handspun but haven't gotten to yet. I have this beautiful grey alpaca oh my goodness so so soft!
and some merino tussa silk blends in spring colors. 
I found a gal about 50 miles from me who raises sheep and will be getting some raw fleeces from her tomorrow. so excited by what she has described to me!
I am learning to spin real fine yarns and plying them to make sturdy gansey type yarn for long lived sweaters for my kids and matching socks hats and mitts. 
got plenty of time do all this and i love it so it is not a chore.
ok see ya all soon.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Congrats on finding your wool ... That way you can look at it first hand!

Can't wait for your next project ... and I really like gray.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

hot off the needles my scrunchies


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## BadgeBunny (Nov 2, 2010)

Ohhhhh ... those are really pretty!! Blue is my favorite color! :congrat:


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

I got my fleece today!!! met up with this gal who had an attic full of fleeces so I was a bit wary. didn't need to worry as I got bags and boxes of beautiful blue liecestor fleeces, rambullait (sp?) merino and these are an assortment of colors. grays, white, dark brown. just beautiful!
I washed a half bag of the blue liecestor (i know i am not spelling this right) anyway it is white and oh my goodness it is fantastic. as soon as some dried I started spinning it and was almost in tears it was so heavenly. lol do I sound like an addict or what. lol
anyway I got close to 80lbs of this stuff at $2 per pound!!
She was getting ready for this seasons shearing and couldn't get to this. 
great timing! lol
I get some of the new shears too when they are ready. I am hoping for more merino.
ok off to bed and dream of clouds of fleece.......


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## Immolatus (Feb 20, 2011)

I work in an upholstery shop, and every one has a constant supply of fabric scraps you could take for quilts, etc. I have given tons to MIL and various female friends.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

Immolatus said:


> I work in an upholstery shop, and every one has a constant supply of fabric scraps you could take for quilts, etc. I have given tons to MIL and various female friends.


oooo never thought of that. :2thumb::2thumb:


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

lhalfcent said:


> I am an avid knitter and quilter
> I am in need of generating some income as hubby got his hours slashed so we are now short almost 600 bucks a month!!


Same thing happened to a good friend. She started a business selling horsey gift baskets and homemade soap with pumice in it (removes horsey dirt). Next thing you know, she is selling her baskets all over the country. Horse shows are buying them as prizes. Tack stores are selling them at Christmas. People buy them as gifts for Mother's Day, birthdays, etc. She even got a couple of horse estate realtors buying them for clients. Now she earns more than her husband ever did and he stays home to work for her! LOL

Use your imagination, think of something you'd like to have, and go for it!!!


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

thank you kejmack for the encouragement.
I was just asked to make a king sized quilt for a couple for their anniversary that comes in October. slowly this is beginning to happen. 
Also I love to bake and such and have a whole grain mix I have used for years that I give as gifts at christmas every year. lol like a tradition.
a couple friends have gluten allergies so i worked my mix as a gluten free.
Interestingly a large company in Nevada who makes a natural sugar that is not sugar and tastes like sugar found out about me by word of mouth and is testing my gluten free and regular mix and a cookie mix i make.
so far it looks good and this has been in the testing for the last 4 months.
I thought it went the way of weeds but then I got a call on friday saying they want to run with it but won't know the size of order until thursday. 
I formed a little company with two friends as partners and have a manufacturer all set up to make the mix when ready.
this is new territory for me but gosh, this would be amazing.
It seems once i stepped out in faith to use my ablilities for generating income it seems many opps are opening up. 
I have been so concerned about the economy and prices but want to be a help not the other way around. 
so glad this forum exists as I have learned so so much about preparation.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

1halfcent, how wonderful to have that talent! You're going to be so busy knitting your fingers to the bone!  Later after the rush dies down I'd be interested in some of your socks, too. 

I started making hot pads (pot holders) this winter out of odds and ends of fabric I have laying around, including some rustic prints that turned out hot pads with things like deer and elk and so forth on them. They turned out to be good sellers. At Christmas time I could hardly keep up. One of my daughters makes soap and another makes beautiful baby bonnets. We usually go together on a table at a craft sale or market ($5 here, then we split that 3 ways) and sell what we've made. We price ours just low enough to make people pull out money and buy, but not so low we're not clearing expenses. It's fun as well as making money.


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

gypsysue said:


> 1halfcent, how wonderful to have that talent! You're going to be so busy knitting your fingers to the bone!  Later after the rush dies down I'd be interested in some of your socks, too.
> 
> I started making hot pads (pot holders) this winter out of odds and ends of fabric I have laying around, including some rustic prints that turned out hot pads with things like deer and elk and so forth on them. They turned out to be good sellers. At Christmas time I could hardly keep up. One of my daughters makes soap and another makes beautiful baby bonnets. We usually go together on a table at a craft sale or market ($5 here, then we split that 3 ways) and sell what we've made. We price ours just low enough to make people pull out money and buy, but not so low we're not clearing expenses. It's fun as well as making money.


OOO I need some new hotpads! Would you consider a trade? say a pair of hotpads for a pair of socks??? 
I need a pair of those mitts hot pads.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Sure, I can make you some mitts hot pads, and toss in a couple of square ones that match! Let's talk on PM, and you can tell me what kind of decor/colors your kitchen has!

I'd LOVE a pair of your socks!


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

thought i would share what I been doing. 
I just finished washing three huge bags of fleece. But started spinning a bag of white leicester. That is what the gal told me it was. i am still learning my sheeps. lol
the pic below starting at right is washed locks, then a rolag I carded, then a hank of 108 yards of two ply.









this is a closeup of the hank


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

got to feeling artsy fartsy yesterday and took a break from cleaning wool to spinning some funky chunky yarn with quilt fabric pieces.
thought i would share.
I am just doing this on the fly lol learning as I go.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Very cool ... and artsy fartsy ... :2thumb:


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## lhalfcent (Mar 11, 2010)

thanks Andi. been busy cleaning, carding and spinning. lol
learning so much. I love it. 
Now if I can just get better at weaving! I want to learn to make dish towels and hand towels and cloths. sigh.


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