Knit This for me...
Last night, a woman I know came up to me and told me she wanted to commission a hat from me. She showed me the hat she wants. She keeps losing these hats. Evidently, it's expensive to buy these hats. She figured she could get one cheap from me.
This hat was a simple skull cap. This one was crochet, not knit. I explained that I don't crochet, I only knit. Then I told her I don't do commission work. She started whining that her birthday was coming and maybe I could make it for her as a birthday gift.
She buys these hats from a local store where the owner hand makes the hats. I happen to know the owner. She's one of the fastest, most skilled knitters I know. I couldn't possibly match her skill or speed. I've often wondered how she manages to produce hats at a price that people are willing to buy and still be able to pay herself a living wage. Somehow, she's doing it. Her business just expanded to a larger retail space.
I've done the math for myself. If I learned to crochet, I guess I could probably learn to create one of these hats in maybe two hours. Two hours of my time is more than most people are willing to pay for a simple crochet skull cap.
The woman who wanted the hat came to me because she wanted a cheap hat. I think if she puts such a low value on hand crafted items, she should shop at WalMart. They will be happy to sell her something priced at what she would like to pay.
No, I will not be making a hat for her birthday, as she suggested. Yes, I'm annoyed at the suggestion.
2004.10.06