I’m in love with a too expensive jumper

[Badgercity]

And I can’t get it out of my head.

www.celticandco.com/womens/clothing/jumpers/chunky-fishermans-rib-jumper

If I owned it my life would be better and winter would be full of wonderful crisp walks.

Sigh

I’ve been lusting after this exact jumper too, for a while - also in green. I wfh in a cold study all winter and think if I wear it everyday it will justify cost per wear? I also think maybe I should just order it, hopefully hate it and then send it straight back!

Those saying to get someone to make you one at 'cost' from a Wool Shop.

Have you any idea just how much a decent wool would cost? About £5.00 - £ 15.00 per 50g x approx 15 = £75.00 - £225.00

And no way would anyone in their right mind do it for just cost.

It would take me at least a week to ten days to make and I'm a quick knitter. I would charge 150.00 on top for making it.

Hand-knitted are not the cheaper option.

@Maggiesgirl

Those saying to get someone to make you one at 'cost' from a Wool Shop.

Have you any idea just how much a decent wool would cost? About £5.00 - £ 15.00 per 50g x approx 15 = £75.00 - £225.00

And no way would anyone in their right mind do it for just cost.

It would take me at least a week to ten days to make and I'm a quick knitter. I would charge 150.00 on top for making it.

Hand-knitted are not the cheaper option.

Nobody is saying to do it for no cost! Wool is expensive but it'd probably still be cheaper then buying the jumper!

Here's a pale green one, in a different style but very nice irelandseyeknitwear.com/collections/womens-sweaters/products/womens-knitted-sorrell-cropped-aran-sweater-apple

And a low neck means it's not itching right there and there's room for something else under.

@StarfishDish how would it be cheaper, even at the cheapest wool i would charge £225.00 and I dont charge a lot for making knitwear.

People saying get someone to make it for less are really undervaluing the skill it would take to do so, and the time. Paying someone to make an essentially bespoke garment wouldn’t be cheaper, and shouldn’t be!

Op, you might want to check this site out for cashmere? www.nearlynewcashmere.co.uk/

@Maggiesgirl that is what YOU would charge, not other people. The wool shop I am a regular customer at has a group of retired ladies who knit up patterns for customers at the shop and don't charge highly because it's a hobby and keeps them busy.

I was going to say something similar to Spudlet but was beaten to it! I'm an experienced knitter and it takes a considerable time to knit a jumper. I knit items as presents sometimes, which is obviously for free and my own choice, but if I asked for a reasonable hourly rate, nobody would ever ask me to knit anything as it would add up to an extortionate amount. My mum tried knitting for a company who wanted hand knitted Arans. She was a fantastically skilled knitter, but she ended up sending the wool back to the company when she realised just how little they were paying her for a very labour intensive job. Then there's the cost of the wool. My eyes have nearly popped out of my head at the price of good wool (as opposed to bog standard acrylic). Knitting ain't cheap😊

Just realised a few others have commented on hand knitting too. Should have RTFT!!

Just to clarify, I don’t knit. My Nan used to have a fascinating knitting machine when I was a kid, but I think her knitting days are over now sadly.

I think maybe life would be amazing if I lived on the windswept Irish coast (and had the jumper, assuming it’s not itchy - which in my fantasy it isn’t).

I live in the south west, not coastal though. So the weather is pretty mild most of the year. I would wear it on dry days without a coat and a light base layer, I’m literally always cold.

But….I would be terrified to ever wash it. How infrequently do you think I could realistically get away with not washing it, and are there any handy tips for keeping it fresh in between washes?

@Maggiesgirl Apologies if that last post of mine sounded rude. It was meant to have a smiley face on the end

Thats ok. I just get a bit upset when people think that they can pay a pittance for hand-knitted items. I've knitted all my life and sell on Etsy and in local shops, I often get told ' i could make it cheaper than that' . Im not rude enough to say " go on then" but have so wanted too.

Maggiesgirl I don't sell anything I make so I haven't had people commenting on price but in your case I would say "Oh you should, you'll value it much more if you make it yourself. I can recommend some good YouTube videos to get you started."

I have had a few people asking me to make things for them when they see what I've made for myself and I always say "it's not as difficult as you think, I can recommend some YouTube videos to get you started if you want to crochet it it for yourself" They invariable say "Oh no, I don't have time for that". I let that go rather than pointing out how little they obviously value my time.

If you commissioned a knitter to do that and they charged a fair hourly rate by the time you'd paid for the labour and the materials you'd be way over £185

@starfishdish
Would knitters really knit at cost? Why? What's in it for them? I know many knitters are happy to knit for friends and family or for charity, but why give away their labour for free on a commercial basis?

[quote WorriedWishingWell]@starfishdish
Would knitters really knit at cost? Why? What's in it for them? I know many knitters are happy to knit for friends and family or for charity, but why give away their labour for free on a commercial basis?[/quote]
They might just enjoy the process and have run out of friends/family to knit for. If they knit with the wool provided then they don't have any costs and they know it will go where it's wanted.

[quote WorriedWishingWell]@starfishdish
Would knitters really knit at cost? Why? What's in it for them? I know many knitters are happy to knit for friends and family or for charity, but why give away their labour for free on a commercial basis?[/quote]
Sorry I should have read all the responses upthread @starfishdish
But it does depress me when (invariably) women give away their skilled labour for free, and that what women do is considered to be of little value.
Imagine going to your local car parts suppliers and asking them to do 20 hours of labour for nothing or expecting it to be populated by a bunch of retired car mechanics who are ready and willing to do the work for you

I guess it depends on how you look at it. From some people's point of view knitting/crocheting/quilting is a relaxing hobby like doing a jigsaw. It's considerably more expensive than jigsaws and you need to offload the finished product somewhere. So for some people knitting for cost is like having a constant stream of free jigsaws.

I rarely make anything for anyone, unless I really like them and they have a baby in which case I'll crochet a blanket or make a quilt. Over lockdown I had loads of time and made a lot of quilts and then I got a bit pissed off because the quilts had nowhere to go to, they were just made for my amusement and they were building up into a big pile that needed to be stored. Then a friend asked me to make a king-sized quilt for her and because she had just caught me at the right time it was perfect for me. She paid all the costs, I had fun helping her decide the pattern, it's pushed me out of my comfort zone because she has different tastes to me and the finished article will go to someone who will really appreciate it for decades to come.

I wouldn't spend that kind of money for a lambswool jumper,cashmere maybe!

That is a truly ridiculous price for a lambswool jumper. Positively exploitative.

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar

I guess it depends on how you look at it. From some people's point of view knitting/crocheting/quilting is a relaxing hobby like doing a jigsaw. It's considerably more expensive than jigsaws and you need to offload the finished product somewhere. So for some people knitting for cost is like having a constant stream of free jigsaws.

I rarely make anything for anyone, unless I really like them and they have a baby in which case I'll crochet a blanket or make a quilt. Over lockdown I had loads of time and made a lot of quilts and then I got a bit pissed off because the quilts had nowhere to go to, they were just made for my amusement and they were building up into a big pile that needed to be stored. Then a friend asked me to make a king-sized quilt for her and because she had just caught me at the right time it was perfect for me. She paid all the costs, I had fun helping her decide the pattern, it's pushed me out of my comfort zone because she has different tastes to me and the finished article will go to someone who will really appreciate it for decades to come.

I take your point. Re the too many quilts scenario - I know someone who lies all of hers flat on her spare bed and is now looking at a Princess and the Pea scenario

It's very nice but that neck would irritate my skin beyond endurance! Can't stand polo or turtle necks.

Buy some good wool and knit your own one… looks like quite a simple pattern to follow

Lovely jumper...it so would itch though.
I really need to come off mumsnet, style and beauty section has the best online finds!

Looks itchy but nice colour