The Certainty of Knitting

Art by Robert Tageant

Life is full of surprises, unexpected news, and outcomes that were never anticipated. Just last week I brought my car to have it's routine oil change done before I left out of town to visit a friend. While it was being serviced, I got a phone call that it needed some other work done... $800.00 worth of work in fact! That's a lot of money to shell out without much notice. It threw me into a stressed-out tizzy of crazy. I survived and the world moved on (thanks a ton to my very patient and clear head husband - God I love him!) but my point is life is full of things like that. Everyone I know has had something similar happen to them in some shape, form or fashion - you can prepare all you want but life is not a math equation. A+B does NOT = C when it comes to the real world and you never know what is around the corner.

This is one of the reasons I love the sh*t (excuse my French) out of knitting. Knitting is a huge math equation and no matter how many times you do a certain stitch pattern - if done correctly - it always turns out the same. Knit 2 then purl 2 until you run out of stitches ALWAYS gives me a nice ribbed piece of art. It has no variables, it has no maybes, it is certain and something that I can always depend on unlike life. When things are going crazy and spinning wildly out of control, I can always pick up my knitting needles and rely on them to do exactly what I want and expect them to. Thank goodness for the certainty of knitting – without it I would be one scary lady some days! 

Meeting Little Gavin!

Gavin taking a hard core nap!

This weekend I FINALLY got to meet my best friend’s newborn son and man is he a handsome little thing! At a fresh 3 weeks this little man looked and was as strong as a 3 MONTH old. My husband and I were both so thrilled to get the chance to meet him for the first time and had a blast hanging with him for a few days. Plus it doesn’t hurt they live a good three hours from home so a little out of town time away was a great little vacation for us.

Blair and I driving to Auburn!

 It has become a tradition for me to make a blanket for all of my close friends' children - which seem to be more and more frequent there must be something in the water. A few months back when I started Gavin’s, I did a post on it’s beginning stages (to see it click HERE). I haven’t said much else about it due to the fact his mommy wanted to see the finished product as a surprise so it’s been top secret for a bit.

Here it is in all its glory! I used a stitch pattern called entrelac that creates a series of blocks in the colors Mom picked out for him. Since this type of stitch has a front side and back side (not reversible) I chose a cotton fabric backing of brown monkeys to back it complete with a brown bias tape border! I’m not an expert seamstress but I must say I’m pretty pleased with how the sewing portion turned out too. It’s machine washable so safe for real use – spit up and all! I have secret (well not so secret anymore) hopes that this turns out to be the one blankie he eventually carries everywhere until he’s grown… we’ll see (fingers crossed).

Can't you see how much he loves it?!?!

thinkin' hard

 Special thanks to Erica and Brandon for letting me share their handsome son here on the site! Love you guys!

Blue Steel Face!

Self Portrait

As part of the photography class I am in I had some homework to do this week. One of the assignments was to do a self portrait. I didn't want to get all dressed up slap my camera on a tripod and take a pretty picture. I wanted to show myself as well the real myself.


I am not the kind of girl that really enjoys getting dressed up all the time (don't get me wrong I enjoy a good dress every now and then) but usually I spend my weekends in my pajamas, not fixing my hair, not putting on makeup, and knitting every second. This is when I am the happiest. So that's exactly the way I wanted to show myself. So here's my self portrait!

Here's the real me- Messy hair, knitting needles, pajamas, and not a smidgin of makeup. It's not the prettiest picture I've ever taken but it's certainly realistic. This is the happiest state of me.


I think this was a really good exercise even if you aren't a photographer or want to be one. Think about yourself - the real yourself and grab a picture of it. When life is getting you down, your job is bleeding your creativity, anything, whip that picture out of what you REALLY are and get back to it.


"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never give up fighting" - e.e. cummings 

It's a scarf, it's a necklace, no it's BOTH

Today I am glad to announce that I added a new line to my Etsy store! The knitted cowl necklace. It's unique and several things in one: it's a necklace, it's a scarf, it's cowl, and its well... awesome! I'm super excited about it because it's not only super stylish but is so versatile and useful as well. Because it's so many things it has so many uses! 


This is perfect for this time of year when the weather is doing it's thing moving into the next season. It's just the perfect amount of warmth without overdoing it and making you hot. Here's a few pictures of it!

You can find it in my store HERE (CLICK ME)

I have high hopes that this will be popular this season with it getting a little warmer and have a few other colors up my sleeve. Which color would you like to see it in next???


Also this week I finished the blue flower clip that's listed in my store to change it from a custom made to order item to a ship at once item. I'll touch more on this later but I am going to make my entire store a ship at once store. No one wants to wait for goodies that they've already paid for. I know I don't and I don't expect anyone to have to do it either!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89492154/crochet-flower-hair-clip-with-rhinestone 

I've been telling myself I'm going to do this for some time but this week I've officially decided that I am going to enter in at least one craft show this year. I have gotten a hand full of the local shows on my list to decide which is best for me and am digging through them now. I think this will be a great way to get my name out there further and generate some extra traffic for my knitwear! I've got a lot of work to do to make sure I have enough things made to make the fees and trip worth while so I will be one busy lady these next couple of months!


Last but not least I will be closing the store for vacation starting March 8th for my wedding and honeymoon!!! If you would like to purchase anything or had any questions please try to squeeze them in before then, otherwise I will get back to you when I am back (the 22nd).

Recent Featured Treasuries

This last month I have been included in a couple of treasuries and I am so flattered and excited about it! For those of you who aren't Etsy freaks like me and don't know what a treasury is here's the gist of it: ANYONE that is a member of Etsy can make a treasury (sellers or buyers). How it works is you pick a theme ~ any theme your heart desires (I always find this to be one of the most fun parts) and you choose  Etsy items -up to 16- to put in it. The things you choose are totally up to you but it's things that in your opinion are a good value, a beautiful product, and/or has great photography. So as you can imagine every time someone considers my work good enough to include in their treasury it I'm very flattered. 


Treasuries are a great way to help others discover products they would have never come across before and to help you keep track of things that you really like. As a goal this year I am trying to make at least 1 a week to spread the love and help all of you keep your thumb on the pulse of some great Etsy products. Ever since I have started my store, supporting small business, hand made, local, etc. business has been a huge deal to me. No one wants to see Wal-Mart run the world one day (as if they don't already) So try to keep these in mind when you go gifting next time.


Here are a couple of treasuries I have been featured in within the last 30 days!!


Treasury: Purple Rain, Purple Rain (click me)



Treasury: Waves of Color (click me)



Treasury: Is Elegance an Attitude? (click me)



Treasury: Cranberry Chocolate (click me)



I hope as well as sharing my excitement about having so many features that you have found a couple of other items that I've been featured with you want to add to your favorites.  I encourage all of you to make a treasury some time soon! If you do please share them with me, I would love to see them!!!

Little Bundle of Joy

My maid of honor is having a little boy and I couldn't be any more excited for her!!! As a new and growing tradition, all of my closest friends have gotten a special blanket for their little new ones for their baby gifts.  As I've mentioned in previous posts we have picked out a pattern: it consists of small squares, each row a different color. Here's my inspiration:

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/iHodge/tumbling-blocks-blankie-80661ad

Last weekend we picked out a yarn and color. I'll be using Vanna's Choice Baby yarn for this blanket. Generally as a rule of thumb I NEVER buy yarn that I can get at Michael's or Hobby Lobby because it's usually a low quality yarn made with low quality material but this yarn is actually pretty good, not to mention it's machine washable which is SO important with a baby blanket.

So here it is, the color combo and yarn! I'm also going to use the brown as a border for the whole thing. I think this is an excellent color choice by the future mommy! 


I won't be able to get started on it until at least after the wedding, but I can't wait to get it started for him. I think it's going to be beautiful. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful friend & I'm so glad that I can do something this special for her and her first child.


The best thing about making your own baby blankets (or having someone make it for you) is that your can do just about ANYTHING you like. These colors will match his new room just perfect, and the colors are in the EXACT order she wanted them in. I'm always taking custom orders so if you are interested in having one for your next new bundle of joy message me for a quote!

Picture Sunday

Ok well I know I said that I was going to spend today taking pictures and learning to apply the new things I've learned in my photography class. It hasn't been cold at all here in Alabama all year and of course today of all days I wake up and it's basically under 40 degrees and windy as I'll get out ALL day! It's beautiful and sunny but I sure as heck don't have the urge to get a nasty cold a month out before my wedding. Needless to say, as tempting as it is I know I would be miserable out there in the cold so I'll have to post pone that to another day and spend the afternoon knitting instead (no complaints there). I did however do one of the class assignment because it requires me to be inside :)


The object of this assignment is all about lighting. Be inside a room, position your object/model near a window with the light raining in and capture the highlighting of the light on one side right next to the darkness on the other.  I've seen a lot of pictures done this way and it looks really neat when done right. Here's mine: 

In all of these if you can't already tell the light is coming in from the left (that's where the window is).  Usually at this point I would load them up into photoshop and mess around with the brightness and other settings but since this is for a photography class, I figure I should leave it alone so I can be shown where to most make my improvements from my un-altered images. 


On the other hand I did want to share with you a few blogs that I have recently been turned onto while learning more about photography, and even more so photoshop. I'm a little more handy with that program then I am with a camera (although I am by no means a pro at either). I have another blog I want to share with you, but I'll bust that out another time - Keep you on your toes!


The first blog I want to mention is The Coffee Shop Blog. She posts free photography tutorials, free actions for photoshop, and free scrapbooking designs. Did I mention it's all FREE. I have downloaded a few of her actions and used them myself and they are really great. All of the files come with the action and/or scrapbook design along with instructions on how to use them. This blog makes it almost impossible to screw it up- VERY user friendly and FREE. Did I mention it's FREE??  It is definitely worth checking out! Here's a link to a page of the site where all of the free goodies that they've ever posted are available- there's a ton of great stuff: The Coffee Shop Blog Freebies.


I hope you guys enjoy! Time to go spend the rest of my afternoon knitting.

I'm BACK

It seems like I haven't written a post in a MILLION years. Things have been so busy over the last few weekends with wedding showers!!! I've been so blessed to have all these special showers and wonderful people who wanted to come and spend these special moments with me. I never thought that I would enjoy blogging so much but I have really missed writing to all of you! Here's a picture of one of the coolest cakes I've ever seen and it was at my lingerie shower!

A friend of one of my bridesmaids made it and it was amazing! She does it for fun on the side and it was just as amazing in person as it is in this picture, not to mention it was DELICIOUS. 


I've officially started knitting up some jewelry. It's still winter now (according to the groundhog) so it's still chilly enough for scarves and hats and all those traditional knitted items but the warm season is right around the corner and I'm getting prepared for the season! It's not done yet so I can't show you yet but imagine a red cowl-like necklace with lots of texture and shape! I think many of you will be surprised with how this will look and I can't wait to share it with you guys.


Since I've written last I've also finished the bearded beanie and it's gotten over 100 views just this week. I'm very excited and wanted to give you guys a special thanks because ya'll are the people that make it happen! 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/92300743/bearded-beanie-hat-hand-knit-and-crochet

Now that I have all of my showers out of the way I should be back to blogging on the regular until it gets to my wedding! Speaking of my wedding I want to remind you guys again that the store will be closed a bit from March 8th -22nd for my wedding and honeymoon. 


I'll be taking some pictures to get some assignments done for my photography class tomorrow. I'll share the fun and pictures from it soon if not tomorrow as well! I started taking the class out of necessity to get good photos for my store and have started to really enjoy it as more of a hobby. Hopefully I will have some cool things to show you. If all else fails and they all suck (which is quite possible I'm a newbie) I have been turned onto some very cool people and blogs as I have been learning this thing called photography and will share them with you as well. 

Weekend Wrap Up ~ Showers & Knitting

This week has been particularly busy and it's only going to get busier from here! In the last 7 days I have had a wedding Coastie shower, second dress fitting, photography class, a fraudulent charge on my credit card and lots and lots of knitting! I haven't gotten quite as much knitting as I would have liked this week but I am gonna keep this post short so I can really tackle some yardage on my projects today :)


I was very blessed and excited to have my very first wedding shower yesterday. This shower was a little different than your usual shower in that this was all about meeting my new Coastie wife family! It was so much fun getting to know the girls that I will be moving around the country with in my adventure of being a military wife. They were all wonderful and I am so glad to join the clan. 


My second dress fitting was a surprise all in itself. I was planning on just trying it on and bringing it home but of course that would have been easy. I ended up having to have it taken in (which I wasn't originally doing) and re-doing the bustle. Now I'm totally paranoid that I'm going to gain like 2 lbs and never be able to get back into it lol! This sucker is tight. I think it will be much better (as long as I don't have any cake between now and March) though. Hopefully I will be picking it up and taking it home in a few weeks.  On the down side I realized that the veil I hand knitted in lace will not work well with my dress!!! I spent a ton of time on it and in the end the color just doesn't match my dress right so I'm just going to let that be my something "borrowed" from a friend. Looks like I may be starting my wedding veil line a little earlier than I anticipated.


As far as knitting goes I haven't popped out any new product but I sure have been knitting up a storm. I was planning on having the bearded beanie out by the end of this month but it may not be until the beginning of February before it hits the store. Here's a sneak peek of what it will look like:

I'm getting ready to close up the top and start on the beard. These really are so much fun. 


The second project I currently have on my needles is the cardigan. If any of you know anything about the shaping of a garment here's about where I am ~ I've done all the decreasing for the waist and now I am doing the increases for the chest! Pretty much means I'm a little more than half way done with the body.

At this point it's kind of hard to tell what it is but to help you out it's worked from the bottom up so the ribbing is the bottom of the cardigan and it's not quite to the area where the sleeves will be.


I am quite aware that Valentines day is coming up right around the corner. Now is a good time for you fellas to get your lady something nice and original or you ladies to treat yourself  to a little something like a hand made ear warmer:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89216117/hand-crochet-ear-warmer-with-pinwheel

I currently have this and 2 other colors in my store. On top of that if time permits I want to add some hand knitted jewelry to the store before then. I know, I know "hand knitted jewelry"?? Just trust me on this one, it's a good idea.


And last but not least I'm starting to post on my Twitter account! If you have a Twitter account you can find my there @Innov8iveKnits or click on the follow me button on the top right of my page! I'd love to follow you.


Hope all has had a safe and fun week. I'm off to knit!

Weekend Wrap Up ~ Stocking up on Stock

In trying to keep up with my goals for the month I have recently added 3 more items to my stock. One of which has sold before I was able to take good photography of it. I'm very excited to be making strides towards my goal. I did a photo shoot for the 3 items yesterday. Here's the results.

All but one of these items are currently available for sale in my Etsy store. Check them out here:
Tan Ear Warmer: Click Here
Green Ear Warmer: Click Here

I'm very excited to be tackling my monthly goals and I'm so excited to be adding all of these great items to my store.

Future Friday ~ Flower Pin

One of my closest friends has a sweet little baby girl. We spent this past Thanksgiving with her and her family. While we were thanking and feasting, I noticed on her little headband was this great little flower clipped on it. BOOM! Innov8ive Knit's new line is born (in thought at least)


People do this all the time, clip bows and flowers to those little scrunchy headbands for baby girls. It's quite genius, and so simple I can't believe I didn't think about this earlier.


Remember this hat?

This is that precious ball of inspirational sunshine I was talking about by the way. Innov8ive Knit's next new flower clip is going to look a whole lot like this flower. Except smaller and attached to a great ribbon covered clip and all kinds of fun centers!


I currently have in the mail on it's way to me several new colors with this project's name all over it. Keep on the lookout for these to hit my Etsy store soon. Pre-orders are available (contact me) for details. I am thinking of selling individuals and doing deals on sets of 3's and sets of 5's. 


This isn't the only flower style making it's way to the new baby clip line, it will make it's Future Friday debut soon.


I am dying to hear your opinions on this, and what colors you want to see these in first! Comment away.

Goals for December

Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/01/better-business-goals-2011.html

I think it's a great thing to set short term goals for yourself, especially a business. Sometimes it can get discouraging when you have a long term goal and it doesn't happen overnight. Well duh- by definition it's a LONG term goal. None the less, it can still get you down when it doesn't happen sooner than later. This month I have decided to make a goal for EVERY month. I think this is a great way to set myself up for success, and in sharing this with you I can have a cheerleading team as well :). You are the people that make it happen!

Here's some key things that I want to get done this month:

• Add at least 5 items to my Etsy store stock
• Sell at least 5 items in from my Etsy store
• Introduce the flower clip line to the store
• Blog more consistantly (this way everyone will know when to expect new things)
• Create & blog at least 1 treasury a week
• Make a goal for every month

It's a small list of things, but in the beginning stages of my new business I think that these are plenty and will certainly keep me busy and hopefully more successful than before. I am looking forward to tackling these goals for the month and sharing my process in taking them all down!


Everyone needs a list of short term goals to tackle things in a manageable way and keep the spirits up. What are your goals this month?

Future Friday ~ Pinwheel Ear Warmer

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/63714253

I have mentioned this project before but I wanted to introduce it on it's own. I have had SEVERAL requests to make this and I am so glad to announce I have the pattern in my library now.


I currently am working hard to tackle all kinds of custom orders to get done by Christmas, but this is high on the list of things to come. I already have a couple of orders for this for Christmas, and have a pile of yarn coming in for stock with this project's name all over it!


On top of adding this to my list of things that Innov8ive Knits will offer, I have been considering making some modifications to the pattern to allow for a more versatile look. 


In the future I plan on adding a button to this headband that can be popped through the center hole of the pinwheel flower to make it interchangeable. After the first few I make in the original style, I will be making SETS to go for sale that will include one neutral colored headband with the button as well as a couple of different colored flowers to change it with.  This item will easily go with everything in your wardrobe! This is a very exciting addition and modification. I can't wait to get my hands on that yarn and have it hit the store! Keep on the look out for posts announcing it's arrival.


Because of my schedule, this will most likely not hit the store before Christmas. If you are interested in purchasing one as a Christmas gift, this can be done! Message me, and I will get with you on colors and other options. Time is running out for Christmas orders, contact me as soon as possible.

Weekend Wrap Up ~ Cyber Monday

All the holiday excitement is starting to die down. I hope everyone had a fun and safe Thanksgiving.  This year Blair and I crashed a friend's family gathering to celebrate. We had a wonderful time and are so blessed to have such great friends that we might as well call family to share with.


Even though a lot of things are indeed dying down, there is one more big hoorah before all is said and done. I am having a cyber monday sale starting TODAY and extending through all day Cyber monday in my Etsy store! This sale is for a whopping 20%! That can add up to some super sweet savings. To get this great discount use coupon code: "CYBERMONDAY11"  at checkout and your 20% discount will be granted! 


Here are a couple of great items that are available:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82702476/mohawk-dinosaur-hat-for-boy-in-blue-and

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82701030/newsboy-golf-toddler-hat-hand-knitted-in?ref=v1_other_2

Stock in the store is limited at the time thanks to all you your custom order requests lately, so take advantage of it now before I sell out! I have hardly had time to make anything to add to the store. Speaking of which, I am still taking custom Christmas orders. There is VERY limited space for additional orders and they are filling up fast.  If you want something that you don't see in the store just in time for Christmas, let me know quick before time runs out!


As a heads up, keep on the lookout at the end of the week for the Future Friday segment! I have a couple of great new things that are on the list to add to Innov8ive Knits goodies to buy. They are going to be so much fun and I can't wait to introduce them to you.


Once again I hope you all had a great holiday, and don't forget to take advantage of my Cyber Monday sale. It's only for 2 days and the clock is ticking!

Weekend Wrap up ~ New Strides & Organizing

This week has gone by so fast! The holidays are right around the corner and the days have gotten so short that I can hardly get anything done these days.

If you haven't already heard, this week I made my first sale!! I also got my brand new business cards in! Things are really coming together and Innov8ive Knits is making great strides every day lately. These new business cards are a BILLION times over better than the last ones I had. I got smart this time and had a graphic designer work with me on creating the new logo. With my new photoshop skills I put the logo on a clean, simple background with only the most important information on the bottom and had them made. My last cards were super busy and you couldn't hardly even read the letters. Most of the time less is more, learned that the hard way.

This morning I finally sat down and organized my giant stash of yarn and updated my knitting queue. Before I started to organize I had a plastic tub of all of my yarns crammed in with no rhyme or reason and receipts for them all over the place. I took all of the yarn and attached a tag on them showing what project they are for and how much it cost, then put all the yarn for the same type project in a bag together. It's not quite where I want to be, but until we get a new house & a new office this will have to suffice. When we do get our new place after the wedding here a few things I'd like to do (thanks to pinterest, feel free to follow me here)



http://pinterest.com/pin/108930884706611487/



I really love the way this works. I would most likely do mine by yarn size or project, and the chalk labels are ideal! My stash is always changing being able to easily change the way I categorize it is so wonderful!



http://pinterest.com/pin/108930884706611493/



This is another genius idea! Although my business is based around knitting, there is always paperwork to be done. Any way that I can minimize desk space taken up is a thing I want to be involved in. On top of having paperclips and such available & out of the way. I can also stash tapestry needles, my clothing labels, and other frequently used notions there.

I've had to put aside a couple of projects I had planned for my Etsy store stock to work on some new custom orders I've picked up. I am so grateful for all the new orders I've gotten lately. It certainly has kept my busy and my Etsy store very naked but that's ok.

AND I purchased a new pattern! I have had several requests for this, or something similar so I thought it would be a great idea to include it in my goodie pattern catalog.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62734110/crochet-pattern-pdf-spiral-flower?ref=af_you_favitem

I would love to have your thoughts on what colors you would like most for this. I've also considered attaching a button on the headband and making a couple of flowers in complimenting colors so you can change it up if you like by attaching it via the hole in the center of the flower.

It seems like just yesterday it was Monday and here it is again right around the corner. Next thing you know the holidays will be here (and my wedding right behind). I have a VERY LIMITED space for custom orders guaranteed by Christmas now. I you are interested please let me know soon. Have a great week!

Weekend Wrap-Up ~ end of giveaway & speial trip

Weekend time with some of my favorite people. As you can see, we have a slight internet addiction :)

This weekend my fiance and I drove up to Auburn to vist one of my best friends to celebrate my birthday weekend! I took Friday off of work and just have been enjoying every second of it. I could get used to spending all of my days knitting and blogging.

As usual I have a project on my needles for the 3 hour trip up and back. I have gotten to the point where I can't even go to bed without knitting or I get all anxious. It has turned into some type of wind down thing that I have to do to sleep lately. It is so nice to get out of town for a few days and just sleep in, veg out with a pair of knitting needles, and just basically do whatever the heck I want while surrounded by my favorite people.

What do I have on my needles this weekend you ask? I have officially started the mardi gras scarf! I am so excited with how this is turning out. This scarf is very light and lacy which is great for southern winters (it rarely gets too cold for a bulky scarf) and this one has some really fun beading. What says mardi gras more than beads? Now it's not those cheesy plastic mardi gras beads, I've got more class than that now. I can't wait to get it finished and blocked. This pattern is turning out just how it's supposed to which is a welcomed chance in contrast from that stupid tie I have been fighting the last couple of days! 

 Also this weekend is the end of the bearded beanie contest. I can't wait to get all the entries together in a little sack to do the drawing and see who wins! This is the first giveaway that I have done for Innov8ive Knits and I have been so pleased with the results and how supportive everyone has been. I am thrilled to share the wealth with a lucky someone winner :) The bearded beanie has been one of my most popular viewed items. I thought that the newsboy cap would be most popular but my Etsy stats beg to differ. I am still patiently awaiting my first sale through the store, but I think that will be more likely when I get most items into it. (like the mardi gras scarf)

by the way... if you haven't noticed already I have made some changes to the website. I hope you like it. Feel free to leave your comments about it.

The Life of a Knitted Object ~ Part 1

I have had this conversation with a lot of people. Friends, family, customers, and other Etsians. There is an interesting, fine line in the pricing of an original, handmade object. 

I recently had a conversation with someone who I will call "A". This person asked how much I would charge for a plain one color toddler hat. I quoted "A" $35.00.  "A" then proceeded to tell me that she could get a hat like that from someone else's Etsy store for $15.00. That's half price! I can certainly relate to shopping around for the best bang for your buck so I thought I would share how I determine my prices, and why it's the smarter choice.



hand knit newborn cable hat in sky blue

 I will use this hat that is currently for sale in my Etsy store as an example. It is listed at $30.00. (note this is a newborn hat and not a toddler hat which = less yarn & less time to make which is why it is cheaper).

1. First thing I think about in the cost of my work is the materials put into it. I NEVER buy yarn from Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Yarn is not like GreatValue aspirin ~ same thing for less money. Commercial yarn that you buy from these places are mainly made from acrylic. While acrylic is a man made fiber and will probably last a long time, it's itchy, uncomfortable, and well... cheap. In most cases it is also manufactured in a mill with poor quality control. All the yarn I buy is quality, luxury, name brand fibers that will both last a long time and will be something you can take pride in having. Cost for this yarn is approx: $4.00. So that's $11.o0 profit, not too bad for a small hat right? WRONG!
2. Next thing to take into consideration is the TIME put into making it. A small hat with cables can take anywhere from 4-5 hours depending on the size yarn and the intricacy of the cable. Lets say that it only took 4 hours. $11.00 divided by 4 hours = $2.75/hour. Last time I checked, no one in the United States or in their right mind at least works for $2.75 even if they LOVE what they are doing. It just doesn't make sense, there is no successful business that runs on that kind of profit!  At this point you can see that either your less expensive purchase has low quality yarn, OR the person who makes it doesn't value their work or time, which can probably in itself tell you what quality of work you can expect
3. Also I have to take into consideration the the fees assicoated with listing an item on Etsy. As well as the price for advertising (search ads, renewals, etc.) On top of that I also have to think about the time it takes to photograph, edit, and load these listings on Etsy too. 
4. Last thing I incoporate into pricing is the intricacy of the pattern. Simple patterns get no upcharge but complicated ones like the one below that contains a series of short rows, inserting elastic linings and re-inforced plastic bill, unique increases and decreases get an extra fee. These things are skills that are intricate and not necessarially owned by casual knitters.                                                                  

newsboy hat hand knit in red tweed

After those things are taken into account, selling that hat would basically put me in the red. I didn't go to business school, but everyone knows that a business simply can't be run in that manner and I take enough pride in my work to not be OK with basically paying someone else to buy it from me. Although there's always exceptions, this is the reality of pricing a hand made product. Just goes to show you that you truly do get what you pay for when it comes to hand made.

To better elaborate how time consuming and involved a knitting project can be (depending on the project), part 2 of this segment will walk you through the details and pieces involved in making my current project: a knitted tie. A lot more goes into a project than I think some people realize, and I hope this will really open up some eyes on  time and love is invloved in my work!