A Day Off?

I crochet every day. I'd crochet every single second if I could, but there are other things that need my attention sometimes... kids, chores, dog, husband, etc.  I work mostly on custom orders that I receive through my Etsy or Artfire shops, and I rarely have time to stock new pre-made items... and I hardly ever finish anything for ME.  So a few weeks ago I decided that I'm going to start taking a "day off" from my shop stuff once a week.  I chose Saturdays... mainly b/c there's no mail on Sunday.  Ha ha.   I kind of felt bad about sitting around crocheting stuff for ME, like I was neglecting the orders on my project list.  It wasn't until I went on vacation that I realized that I really do need that break once a week.  I do my best to get my customers' orders out as quickly as possible, but if I don't sit down and crochet something that feels more like "fun" than "work" I'm going to get burnt out.  And I don't ever want that to happen.  So that's that... I crochet for ME (personal projects, pre-made items for my shop, or things for friends) on Saturdays & my customers get my attention Sunday-Friday. :)  That's fair, right? :)

Spontaneous Sales are Fun!

Last night I was sitting here at the table, crocheting away at a hat & noticed that my shop was getting really close to 700 sales.  What better way to boost that number than to host a "spontaneous sale"!

I announced on my Fan Page that all crochet patterns would be 50% off until midnight.  That was a pretty great 6-hour sale!  I ended up selling 24 crochet patterns... which is like selling 12 of them full price.  I'm pleasantly surprised at how many people took advantage of the offer!  I sold the elf hat pattern 5 times, and the Angie hat pattern (shown) 4 times.  I can't wait to see photos of all the great hats that everyone is making. :)

So, if you can afford to host a "spontaneous sale" in your shop, do it!  Even if you don't sell stuff that is easily renewed like my patterns, perhaps you could offer a BOGO sale, or a percentage off of some stuff... anything!  People love sales! :)

A Little Info About Pricing in my Shops

This entry is inspired by Twysted Yarn's blog on Pricing.

My smaller items like soap savers & dishcloths range from $2 to $6.  My hats range from $14 to as much as $20, depending on the size & materials used.

 I think it's important that you all know what's going through my head when I'm working on an item & how I go about pricing it.  There are too many shops out there who charge WAY too much, in my opinion... Here at CrazySocks Crochet, I do my best to make great items at a FAIR price.  Of course handmade goods are going to cost more than mass produced items that you could buy at Target... but like your Grandmother always says, "You get what you pay for."  If you want something that everyone else has, go to Target.  If you want something handmade, something made with care, something unique and/or something YOU can customize yourself... it's worth a few extra bucks! :)

So that being said, this is how I breakdown my pricing.

1.  It has to be FAIR to ME - I buy the supplies.  I lovingly work every stitch BY HAND.  I can crochet a soap saver in as little as 20 minutes.  I can crochet a hat anywhere from 1-3 hours.  There are fees to list items, PayPal fees, etc.  So if you take all of that into account, I could make more money working part time at a fast food joint but crocheting hats is just more fun!  (Yeah, I pretty much stole this from Twysted, but she's right!)

2. It has to be FAIR to my FAMILY - My loving husband helped me get started with this.  A lot of my starter supplies came out of his pocket.  When I'm crocheting, I try to do it during my "free time"... but as most SAHM's know, there's no such thing.  There are always chores and errands to be done... When I'm crocheting, the dishes, laundry, toys, meals, and other activities often get neglected.  Of course I'd rather crochet than put up the laundry, but my kids need clean clothes too!  So the profit I make not only has to reflect MY time, but also the time that I've taken away from my chores and my family.  In fact, while I write this blog, there's a basket full of clean laundry begging to be folded.

3.  It has to be FAIR to my CUSTOMERS - Like I said above, not many people would be willing to pay $30 for a hat... It's JUST a hat, right?  I figure in my time, my materials, my packaging supplies, etc... and I honestly don't make much profit off of a custom order.  Photographers & other professionals are usually willing to spend a little extra for something unique, but most of my customers are parents & hard-working citizens, just like me... and if I wouldn't spend $25-30 on a hat, why would I expect others to?  I do my best to make it fair for everyone.

So that's that.  Yarn & other craft supplies, Postage, Shipping Supplies, Business cards... it all adds up, but I do my best to keep the prices down.  I hope that has enlightened some of you.  Thanks for reading. :)

Tasty Recipe - Simple Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons are sweet & delicious.  We usually have them at Christmas-time, but they're good all year! :)

One 14 oz bag of Sweetened Coconut Flakes
 1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

 Mix well in large bowl. Carefully place spoonfuls onto GREASED cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Tips of coconut will be light brown. Remove from cookie sheet immediately using a wet spatula.  They will be sticky at first, but will harden as they rest.


*You can also top Macaroons with sprinkles, candied cherries, finely chopped nuts, or mix in small chocolate chips before baking.