AIBU to remind you that crochet is hand made?

[StripyHorse]

I am currently crocheting a top for DD. It's taken me a few evenings so far and I am not even half way. In the meantime, I keep getting adverts on social media for various crochet items like this top https://www.hollisterco.com/shop/uk/p/crochet-v-neck-halter-top-51495819?faceout=model&seq=02

Unlike knitting, crochet can ONLY be made my hand so this top will have taken someone hours to make.

AIBU to ask you to consider this before buying crochet items on the High Street? If the price seems cheap (remembering materials costs / shipping and company profits) someone is being paid peanuts for all their hard work.

Quite right. I knit for pleasure, and have done a couple of commissions in years past - never again. Yarn is so horrendously expensive now and if one set a proper hourly rate for the skilled labour involved, not to mention the price of the pattern if one had to buy it, it would be a small fortune. Someone asked me the other day how much I'd charge for a jumper and I quickly told her it would run to the hundreds, and I don't do commissions now because it kills the pleasure of knitting when it's just another job.

I agree with what everyone on here is saying as not crochet related but my mum worked all her working life from age 14 in clothes factories so while "only" a sewing machinist she really knows her stuff when it comes to making clothes and especially fabrics as the factory she worked in did do a lot of high end stuff and over the years the amount of times family would ask her to alter something which apparently was only a small job but would in fact take her hours to do. People do not appreciate the skill and hours of work that can go into garment construction if it's done correctly.

@YouAreBeingUnbearable This totally looks like crochet to me, although the photo's not clear enough to see the stitches very well.
If that's knitted, it's very cleverly designed.

I used to be like you, though I hadn't got as far as trying videos. Eventually I signed up to a weekend course - DH was away and I fancied doing something craft-related, and that was all that was easily available. Basically, that unlocked the mystery and I've never looked back. it undoubtedly helped that I was already quite a keen knitter.

Even in that small photo on my iPad screen it's clearly knitting! Are they calling it crochet to bump the price up?

For clothing, you need to do far more complex stitches (I haven't learned them yet, I lose track!) involving yarn overs as well as the basic steps above, creating multiple chains before moving to the next stitch.

The basic steps you described in the paragraph above this one make a DC, so involve a yarn over and can be used to make clothes. Whilst I'm not saying it's easy it's not as complex as you think.

Having said that people should be paid fairly for what they make.

I was just going to suggest the same thing. @AnneAnon, is there anywhere near you where you could do a class? I go to a yarn shop where the owner teaches crochet and knitting one-on-one and it makes such a difference having someone to guide you through the process.

The picture is zoomed in though. And you obviously know the difference.

I have no idea why they call it crochet, they either don't know, think crochet is trendier and/ or can charge more.

It's from John Lewis BTW.

Or all of the above! 😄

Most likely. And my experience is that no one really cares about the difference

Yup.

Great video here about crochet -

Link doesn't work, @Busubaba

If you want grown up beautiful crochet blankets - check out Amanda Perkins. https://www.ravelry.com/designers/amanda-perkins. She recommends beautiful wool yarns for a stunning finish.

I was a knitwear designer in the 90’s. Stuff that looks like crochet can definitely be made by machine.

Apologies, it seems the quality of the photo has diminished on upload. But yes, it is 100% knitting and a very good imitation of crochet (even quite close up if you’re not a crocheter/knitter!)

Very nice I like Jane Crowfoot, I have made a couple of her blankets.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/janie-crows-ravelry-store/patterns
Again if I had to price them to sell, it would be hundreds, each took a month.

At the moment I'm four months into a fairisle shawl , I'm retired, yesterday I worked on it for three hours, I've just checked thats about an inch of fabric. And I'm not a slow worker.

So what's the solution, to end exploitation?

I love these labels. I sew one into anything I make for my children that says 'yo mama made this'. The adult child thinks it's cringe worthy. Which makes me want to do it all the more!

I have a variety of labels and one of my favourite things to do when I finish knitting something is to choose the right one and sew it in.

I learned to crochet 30 years ago and have started it again now I’m retired.

I love how innovative designs are now, and have even tried out Tunisian crochet.

I have been offering to make my Dd something in crochet for the last couple of years but she just laughs. Now it’s in fashion, maybe she’ll want something.

I’ve been sending her pictures of crochet wedding dresses for ages!!

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a lady at a craft fair about 8 years ago. She sold hand-woven blankets, scarves etc. from wool. I went over to tell her that she was vastly underpricing her work, as someone who just does corchet for family, she was hugely underselling her items. She explained that she could price them properly (cost of yarn + minimum wage x hours spent) and not sell anything, or reduce the price and sell them. I bought a blanket from her that we still use every winter. It cost £35, which I suspect just covered the yarn costs. It look her a week to make it. I still have mixed feelings about it, mainly about why she'd keep weaving items when she wasn't making any profit, but at least the blanket has been appreciated.

@FriedEggChocolate it's probably because she just really enjoys crocheting and doesn't think of it as work, so selling at cost price means she can recoup the cost of the materials and buy more to continue her hobby, with the added bonus of someone else appreciating and making use of her work.

@Twyford. Agree with you. Most of the people won't pay the actual value because they don't know the actual value of the garment. Most people would rather to overpaid a garment because of the well known brand and the appropriate marketing that pay a fair money for a hand made item.

Only people who knows the value will pay it if they can afford it, but those are the fewer.

I wouldn't sell stuff. It is not worthy for me. I do it mostly for presents for people I love and as hobby.