Hand knit kilt hose... What would you pay?

[Arlen]

I think $35 -$40 dollars for standard is very good. Maybe $60-$70 for custom?

That's great, thank you.
It's mostly pointing to that she can charge more if she wants to, but she's not really likely to.

[Nick the DSM]

$1!!!!!

...maybe 30 but no more that 40.

[thistlelass]

[QUOTE=Nick the DSM;600841]
$1!!!!!

[jordanjm]

I would come up with a pricing structure that includes all of her costs. People like to see on price.

[Arlen]

I would come up with a pricing structure that includes all of her costs. People like to see on price.

Thanks. That seems like one of the big ones. It's great to be getting so much help for her.

[PiobBear]

I've paid $100 for a custom pair of Argyll hose in my tartan.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I hate to be evil's advocate here, but if she is payingherself $10 per hour and is thinking of only charging $30 to $45 for a pair of hand knit kilt hose, do I assume from this that it only takes her 3 or 4 hours to make a completed set of hand knit hose?

Either she is the fastest knitter on the planet, or there is just something here that I am not seeing. My wife knits, and I know how long it takes her to make a simple handbag, or a pair of regular socks. I just don't see kilt hose being done in 3 hours.

Also, you have to add in the cost of the yarn itself to the labor costs. I know with local people you say she has them buy their own yarn, but if she's serious about taking on line orders, you want to be able to offer the complete service. A lot of people won't be interested in sourcing their own materials and having them shipped to you -- they will just want to pay one price and get the finished product. You want to make it as easy for them as possible.

And please don't sell your fiance short -- make sure she makes enough money doing it for it to be worth her while. She may say now that she enjoys knitting enough that she isn't concerned with making any money, but once she's done her fiftieth pair of hose and looks at the stack of orders for more piling up behind it, she's going to want some kind of compensation for her many hours of labor!

Great looking scarf, by the way!
M

[Arlen]

M. A. C. Newsome, feel free. I'm all for any help people can give her.
For a pair of kilt hose in my size (U.S 6 x x wide) it usually takes her about 3 hours for a bog-standard set of hose.
Obviously it depends on shoe size and the yarn and needles she's using, but she's a continental knitter and one of those folks who just does it so fast you can't really follow what's going on.

I have to admit, I remember how she was after 5 feet of that cable knit scarf, so I'm trying to be supportive as well as realistic about her goal of providing affordable hose to the masses!

It seems like the consensus is to provide some sort of pricing chart with all the variables and maybe get her to charge a little more depending on quality and her time.

She's toying with the idea of making a pair for someone online (Either in here or in one of the communities she frequents) and getting them to do a review that she can use to base some of her pricing on.
It's going to be about 2 months before she really starts, but she wants to be prepared and it means enough to her that I'd like to help.

Honestly, I think she's just sick of going to dances and seeing young men with bad kilt hose sagging around their ankles.

I have to admit, I do love that scarf.

[Arlen]

I've paid $100 for a custom pair of Argyll hose in my tartan.

Thanks.
Do you mind if I ask, was it a fairly plain argyle or argyle with the thin overlay?

[Dreadbelly]

I make less than a dollar an hour usually. I just try to recover my supply costs.

Can't compete with sweat shop labour.

I know I should be charging more for my stuff, but nobody is buying anything right now as it is.

Best of luck with the venture, and that scarf is fantastic.