Too many asking me to knit for them

#1

I have an aunt who wants me to make a shawl for someone, then a friend I work with wants me to make a dog sweater for her MIL’s small dog (b/c they are too expensive at the pet store, wonder how much she thinks I’ll charge) and just got an e-mail from a cousin who wants me to knit a cocoon for her photography business.

This is on top of what I am knitting for my own Christmas projects.

The thing is- I don’t think they realize what I would charge realistically for a knit project. I will way undercharge my friend’s dog sweater, but this really is getting to be too much.

It’s not like I am going to make any money off this stuff, so why should I devote my “free time”?

#2

It’s too bad they all came at once because that makes it really overwhelming. I think I would tell them that I really just don’t have the time right now. :shrug:

#3

Say “no”. :slight_smile:

#4

Whooooaaa. . .boundaries, boundaries!!! No one should be asking you to knit anything for them except your spouse and children, and even then, they’d better really nice to you for a long time.

Your friend at work wants you to knit for a dog that belongs to HER MOTHER IN LAW?!?!?!?
Your aunt wants you to knit a shawl for her FRIEND?!?!?!
At least your cousin is asking for something for herself!
Just who do these people think you are?! Or rather, what do they think you are, a knitting factory?!

You could say, “are you kidding?! Do you realize what you’re asking me to do!!! Were you planning on buying me a new flat screen TV set in exchange? Or some diamond jewelry?” But if you want to be more diplomatic, this is what I would do: Find the appropriate patterns on Ravelry or Patternfish, preferably something like Lucy Neatby, who charges about $12 a pop. Then find some hand dyed yarn on line, maybe hand spun as well, you know, About $10 an ounce. (Don’t actually buy this stuff!-- you’re just making up a shopping list.) Then tell them that you don’t have the right size needles and pick some by Lantern Moon. Each project should take at least 2 sizes of needles, preferably 3. You will also need a crochet hook to catch dropped stitches and weave the ends, afterwards. A hand blown swirly one by Ernst Glass should do it. This will total about $110. Then tell them that knitters usually charge by the stitch. This will add on another $200 to the doggie coat, $700 to the shawl, and not knowing what a photography business cocoon would be, let’s just say $300 to that.

This will do one of 2 things: 1. Prevent you from ever having to knit for anyone ever again. 2. Or they will pony up. In the latter case, you can now either enjoy knitting with luxury yarns with your new needles, or you can pocket the cash and get some Susan Bates needles and Red Heart yarn. If at the end of knitting these things, even under these beneficial circumstances, you vow never to knit for them again, then make a lot of glaring mistakes, spill coffee on the finished object before giving it to them, and you will be back at result one.

Good luck.

#5

Sandy57th… Love your advice!! :rofl:

#6

I don’t think so! The photography cocoon I would consider as long as she pays me for it - and by that I mean pay what they’re going for on etsy. The other two? I would sweetly tell them you are working on your own stuff and offer to teach them to knit. Period. But according to the Facebook Quiz I am a Mega Bi!t#. :smiley: Something I’ve worked very hard on. :woot:

#7

“I knit for relaxation. Knitting for others is too much pressure so defeats the purpose. I don’t even like making designated gifts because I put too much pressure on myself. But I’ll gladly teach you how.”

That generally shuts them up.

#8

I agree. Even gifts make me stress because I worry about the deadline. Alas, someone is always having a baby.

#9

Hmm…you could tell these people that you are busy working on your own projects, but you would make time to teach them how to knit so that they can make their own items. Once they learn how much it costs for materials, they’ll stop asking you.

#10

I’d shock them by telling them how much I’d charge for the item, telling them that hand made items are beyong monetary value,…

Honestly, when I knit something for someone, it is because I asked them “Do you want me to knit something for you”.

Otherwise I don’t accept requests, except if they pay for it.

#11

The last time someone asked me to knit for her I just said that she wouldn’t be able to afford me,then I gave an explanation of the time involved…knitting time,joining all the seams(it was a doll)how long I would have to work on it and even at minimum wage she really,really couldn’t afford me…and you know what …it felt good to just say NO!!!

#12

When someone asks me to knit something for them I just laugh ans say “get in line”. I then explain that my back log of items I need to knit for my children and granddaughter is too long to consider knitting for anyone else.

#13

It really is taking the enjoyment I usually have out of knitting. I knit for people all the time, because I like to, but it is on my own time, and done as a surprise, or gifts for baby showers.

I looked at cocoons on Etsy, and they aren’t too expensive, approx. 30 dollars. I don’t see why she doesn’t just order one. I mean I would charge about the same, plus cost for the yarn.

The person who wants me to knit a dog sweater even said that her m-i-l looked at Petco and Petsmart and they were around 30 dollars which is too much. Too much? What does she think I would charge for a handknit item then?

I will knit the sweater and cocoon, but then I am going to tell people it puts too much pressure on me with my own projects, and a timeline that makes me not enjoy it. I mean, I knit for pleasure, not for work.

Thanks for all your advice. I pretty much knew what I needed to do already, but venting really helped.

#14

Glad you feel better. You’re right, knitting should be enjoyed, not something for which you have a deadline, which puts pressure on you.

#15

We all knit for the pleasure of it,I honestly can’t believe the nerve of some folk asking for things,especially for them to give away.
About the dog sweater, I’ve never knit one but they look so cute and I have a friend with a little miniature pinscher so I want to knit her a sweater(the dog)and I keep asking my friend for the measurements and she keeps forgetting…just thought it was funny me desperate to knit one…but that’s the fun part of knitting, making the things that catch your eye

#16

“Sorry, but I don’t knit for people that I haven’t either married or given birth to with VERY few exceptions, and since the list for the one that I’m married to and the ones i’ve given birth to are so long…”

or the “well, i would… but then i’d have to take the time off projects i had planned for people in the family…”

#17

Yeah!! :thumbsup: