Why There Are So Few Knitters for Hire

Anna, with 2 of her Dropp pullovers
{…she does not knit for hire!}

For some time now, an old university friend has been looking to commission a hand-knitted sweater. From the start, I explained that I wasn’t in a position to do that type of work - which was understood and accepted. But naturally, considering that I work in the industry the friend hoped I could refer someone who would take on the project. It has been a couple of years now, and every so often the topic comes up again. Yet despite my many knitting-world contacts, I have been unable to find anyone willing. 

For those who are not in the fibre industry, I realise this may seem implausible. Surely there are knitters in Ireland who would be delighted at the prospect of paid work?

But the short answer is …No.

And the reason, when you consider things from our {the makers’} perspective, is fairly straightforward: Hand-knitting is an extremely labour intensive {and consequently, time consuming} process. So much so, that if the knitter’s work is to be compensated fairly the resultant garment will be unaffordable to the vast majority of the population. 

If this still sounds implausible, let’s plug in some figures. 

Firstly: How long does it take to hand-knit a sweater?

This answer will differ depending on many factors. But let’s go with an optimistic scenario. For the fastest, most skilled and experienced knitters I know, the absolute minimum {assuming an average adult-sized sweater, in an average yarn weight} is one work week - meaning 40 hours. 

Minimum wage in Ireland is at present 10.50 Euro per hour.

So: for the knitting alone, the cost of labour {assuming the fastest knitter, and one who is willing to work for minimum wage} would be 420 Euro. Add to that the cost of materials and planning/ design time - and depending on how straightforward vs elaborate the project ends up being, I think 600 Euro is the absolute minimum total.

Chances are, you are already gasping at that amount. 

Now consider also, that expecting the knitter to work for minimum wage is not altogether reasonable if you are looking for a highly skilled professional who is able to handle custom projects {which implies that in addition to knitting they are also able to design from scratch, or at the very least to modify existing designs}. So, instead of assuming minimum wage, a more realistic approach would be to consider the typical cost of specialised artisanal labour in Ireland, which is currently around 30 Euro per hour. A basic calculation makes it clear that this would bring the cost of a sweater well over the 1,000 Euro mark. 

The dilemma here is obvious: What is fair compensation for the maker, is not affordable for the average customer.

Knitters are pre-emptively aware of this. Which is perhaps why they are not willing to waste their time discussing a project with a potential customer and producing an estimate, only for the customer to gasp at the cost and back out… or worse, back out once the process is already underway, which is equally known to happen.

There are three possible scenarios I can think of, that solve this dilemma:

1. If the customer is wealthy, to the point of being in a position to pay a fair wage to the maker without financial discomfort.

2. If the customer places such a high value on hand-knits, that they are willing to spend a substantial portion of their income on a sweater despite experiencing financial discomfort as a result.

3. If the customer and the maker are from such economically disparate regions, that what is a fair wage to the maker will be easily affordable to the customer despite them not being wealthy by their own region’s standards.

Of course, other scenarios might also exist. But if a knitter within your own economic region agrees to make you a custom sweater at a cost that implies either (a) working at below minimum wage, or (b) working faster than the timeframe I specified earlier… personally I would be extremely cautious going forward. Either the interaction will be exploitative on your end, or the result may fall short of professional standards/ your expectations. It is also worth mentioning that some processes described as ‘hand-knitting’ in fact refer to machine knitting, on a mechanical {i.e. hand-operated} device. And there is nothing at all wrong with that. But hand-operated machine knitting is not the same as actual hand-knitting, so it is important to be aware of that.

I know that in past generations, knitting for hire was more commonplace than it is now. But let’s not forget, that this pre-dated the era of cheaply made, disposable clothing, and pre-dated the cultural expectation of owning a great many items of clothing and change outfits on a daily basis. As such, a high quality sweater was perceived as something worth saving up for, and worth spending a substantial portion of one’s income on. Aside from that, more skilled knitters were available to take on the work {whereas at present time I know perhaps half a dozen in all of Ireland who are even capable}. And finally, let’s also not forget that the concept of fair wages is a relatively recent one, and that - in particular when it comes to ‘women’s work’ - financial exploitation was, shall we say, less frowned upon in previous generations.

I have knitted for hire in the past, and actually enjoyed it. But as my practice grew, the scoldings I began to receive from random strangers for my ‘outrageous’ prices - complete with references to so and so’s retired grandmother who would do it for a fraction of the cost and probably much better than the likes of me - was, to be honest, a big part of why I switched to pattern design when the opportunity presented itself.

Do with all this information what you will. But for those who ask why there are so few knitters for hire, this would be my reply. And now next time I am asked, I will simply link to this post.