Do you charge for your time?

[Finnbar]

I'm kinda torn about what to do.

 

I like making baby blankets and clothing, because it gives me the chance to try out and learn different patterns and stitches without a big investment of time or materials. Over the past year or two I had made more than a few for my sister (she is in upper management at a large corp and gets invites to a lot of baby showers, etc.). I never minded doing these and only ever charged my sister the cost of materials.

 

In October, a mutual friend of my sis and me asked me to make a baby blanket for her to give a co-worker as a present. I had offered in the past to make a baby gift if she needed it. She said the baby was due in March, so I had plenty of time. I gave her my flash with patterns, and some pattern books and told her to pick out whatever she wanted. Level of experience not an issue because I like a challenge and I had plenty of time till March. Towards the end of November, she gives me the patterns back and she had picked out three - all of the "experienced" level. For example, one was a Irish cable blanket! I asked her which one she wanted, and without even blinking she told me all of them - now she had two friends having babies in March. One was a baby girl and the other was having twins - a boy and a girl. I was stunned and instead of asking her if she was out of her mind, mumbled okay and left.

 

So beginning in December (a lost cause month at best), I have three difficult blankets to make. I started with the Irish Cable. It was a challenge and I actually got used to not having two rows the same. But after about 40 hours and numerous frogging episodes with a total of about 6 inches completed, I figured out I would be lucky to get one blanket done. Three would be impossible unless I gave up my day job. I bailed on all three patterns she picked and went the tried and true Bubbles Baby Blanket. Bigger sizes, some embellishments, different colors, but all the same.

 

Making these blankets has become stressful to finish for March, then last week she comes up and asks how the blankets were coming. I told her I had one done and was working on the second and then she tells me, "well that's good, one baby was born yesterday"! What???? You told me March! She shrugs and says, "I don't know, but one was born yesterday." Note that she didn't say "OMG it was 2 months premature". This leads me to believe she knew all along the baby was due in January.

 

I'm telling you, she has sucked the fun and enjoyment right out of my crocheting. Of course, it was my fault for not just telling her no, but it's hard for me to say no to friends or family. Now she wants to pay me for them. I am so aggravated I am tempted to charge her $50 each (material and time) and several people have told me I should, but I kind of feel wrong about that and think I should only charge her for materials.

 

When my sister asked her why she had me do three at the same time, she replied I made so many for my sis she didn't think it would be a problem. Uh, yeah!!! I do it for my sister but although you are a friend, you ARE NOT my sister. AND, my sis always asked me in the front if it was okay and I had enough time.

 

Sorry for the long rant. Have you ever had someone think that because you do something for a family member they can expect the same? Do you charge for materials only or for your time as well?

[tralee]

Personally, I think that $50 is pretty inexpensive for a blanket, but that should have been discussed when she asked you to make them. Most people assume that just because you like to crochet, it shouldn't be a problem for you to make something for them, a friend of theirs, a friends friend, etc. Yeah, I have been asked many times if I plan on making something for so and so's baby, just because. Just do it if you like to, not because you feel like you have to.

[bgs]

People like that just have no clue of the time involved in making these. I am afraid if you do not charge her for the materials and your time or at least educate her on how much time is involved she will continue wanting you to make blankets for her to give away. Thats evident since you thought she wanted one blanket and she nonchalantly said she wanted three. It's one thing if its fun and convenient for you but when it takes the fun out of something you enjoy then it's time to say no or at least be adequately compensated.:hug:hug

[annmcc1976]

I totaly would Charge for your time. I was on twitter a few weeks ago and I was working on a shawl someone orderd from me on Etsy, (Custume order) and I posted a picture of my progress, and one of my new twitter friends stated "OHHH I want a blanket!" now her n I been talking for a few weeks.. and got to be good friends so far. and we been textin n such. and she told me She wants a Queensize afghan. now granted im a SAHM. dose not mean I have all the time in teh world. so after hashing out how she wanted it> (Thankfuly simple solid stripes) I told her Price will depend on how much yarn it will take. plus my time.. n she said no problem. then she sent me a email the next day.. she changed her mind. "IN A BIG WAY" now she wants 2 queens gans and 4 cellphone cozy's lol.. so it old her again. price per item will depend on Materials and my time n she said absolutly no issue. so I plan on charghing at least $35 EACH blanket just for my time, and then whatever cost to my yarn. (thankfuly i have some of the color she wants in my stash) so i wont be forkin out a lot on yarn. and it will be all profit.

 

then 2 days later ANOTHER Twitter friend got wind of the blanket order and placed a order too .

 

NEVER feel bad, always meantion you will have to charge for your cost of yarn plus the time it takes you to make a blanket.. the more complcated the pattern the more you will have to charge. just like any artist dose with their work

 

If we keep just charging for the yarn, we'd be making things for free! and I for one would like to be "paid" for the time i took out o my day to sit n make something that is not for me. then i can splurge on some yarn for myself

[RoseRed]

Hey - if she wants to pay for it let her. Average pricing is materials x3 depending on difficulty. Maybe she's buying her way out of feeling guilty. If it feels like work then it is. You offered A babyghan not a stack of them.

 

It's amazing how much fun it's not when it's work that you really don't want to be doing.

 

Ann - there is no way I'd make a queen size ghan for $35 in labor for someone I've known for a couple weeks. I just wouldn't do it but if it makes you happy then go for it.

 

I refuse to let my time get monopolized in that way. I have things I need to make for myself and gifts for my friends and family.

[annmcc1976]

Hey - if she wants to pay for it let her. Average pricing is materials x3 depending on difficulty. Maybe she's buying her way out of feeling guilty. If it feels like work then it is. You offered A babyghan not a stack of them.

 

It's amazing how much fun it's not when it's work that you really don't want to be doing.

 

Ann - there is no way I'd make a queen size ghan for $35 in labor for someone I've known for a couple weeks. I just wouldn't do it but if it makes you happy then go for it.

 

I refuse to let my time get monopolized in that way. I have things I need to make for myself and gifts for my friends and family.

 

 

oh I never set the price yet. was just sayin, I may still unsure, as of now i told her cost of yarn plus my time. and my time depened on how long it will take me to make it.

 

but still I'm not going to not charge just for my yarn.

[RoseRed]

Why not? You had to buy it in the first place.

[annmcc1976]

lol I think i need to re-word it.

 

I am going to charge her first for the yar I have to purchase. then I'll add in any from my stash. as for my time. It will depend on how long it takes me to make it. (actualy workin time)... i'm just not sure what I should charge for time.

[FrLopLady]

Ann what I've heard is the minimum 3x's what the cost of yarn total WOULD be if you had to go out and buy it all. If you find it on sale for $30, but it normally would have been $60 then I would charge 3x$60 (maybe not reasonable price range, but you get what I mean)

 

I've had people ask me for scarves and so far I've not done it.

[jillkap]

Finnbar - I was reading your post and saying to myself, "That's me, too!!" I've only been crocheting for a little over a year, but I made hat & scarf sets for my (11!!) little cousins for Christmas, now I'm getting calls and emails from family members asking me to make things for baby showers, etc. and they expect it to be done in like a few days!!

 

It's hard, especially when it's family, to "name a price," but I've found that you have to give them a price up from (one that you think is reasonable), and I've been telling them more time than it may actually take. This way you don't have to worry about bringing up the payment topic later, and if you end up finishing earlier than you told them it's like a surprise!!

 

I'm going through a similar experience where crocheting is starting to be work and not fun because I'm making what other people want and not necessarily what I want to make, but I refuse to let anyone take the enjoyment out of my favorite hobby!! =)

[RoseRed]

lol I think i need to re-word it.

 

I am going to charge her first for the yar I have to purchase. then I'll add in any from my stash. as for my time. It will depend on how long it takes me to make it. (actualy workin time)... i'm just not sure what I should charge for time.

 

No - you don't need to re-word it. Some time, some where, someone paid for the yarn in your stash. Just because it's sitting in the back room does not mean it has no monetary value. You had to buy it to put it back there.

 

If you don't want to count it then don't count it but at some point it was purchased from a store. It's your yarn -do what you want with it.

 

Ann what I've heard is the minimum 3x's what the cost of yarn total WOULD be if you had to go out and buy it all. If you find it on sale for $30, but it normally would have been $60 then I would charge 3x$60 (maybe not reasonable price range, but you get what I mean)

 

I've had people ask me for scarves and so far I've not done it.

 

The formula is based on the full price of the yarn. Sale is just bonus!

 

I've had lots of people ask me to make things. If I want to make it I'll tell them we can either pick out the yarn online or make a date to go to the store and they can purchase it. It's amazing how quickly people drop the idea when they find out it's not all for free.

[rired41]

I think i would offer to teach her how to crochet so she can learn how much time and effort is put into a baby blanket.

[codymikki]

This has all been discussed in several older threads. One thing that became crystal clear was to at least have the person PAY UP FRONT for the yarn. That way, if she backed out later on (it happens) , we aren't out the cost of the yarn. Seems like a good policy.

 

Saying "no" is something you have to learn. The first time is scary, but believe me, it gets easier. No excuses, no rationalizations, just 'sorry, I can't do it' or whatever.

 

Finnbar, I think one of the problems is that you may have made it sound too easy (picking whatever she wanted; youliking a challenge). Her adding in 2 more didn't help either. People who don't crochet really don't have a clue as to difficulty and time involved. Sounded like she didn't care either. Unfortunately, there are people like that out there who pounce and catch us off guard. See "Saying no" above.......

[RoseRed]

I was thinking about this. I LOVE using Caron Pounders. My 6x4 afghans use about 3 pounds of yarn. At $8 a pound x3 is $24 plus tax. I do not think that $75 including materials is a far price for the work involved in an afghan.

[sopo]

I was thinking that too RoseRed. After I did my horse herd in miniature, I had a friend ask me to do hers. She would pay me. She has 3 big horses, 2 miniature horses and 4 of them are paints! Now, being a small toy, the price of yarn is not going to be a lot... but the work and detail if I could even figure out the paint part... yikes! I told her I would think about it. She said if I decided to, to let her know. Sometimes, 3x the cost of yarn just wouldn't cut it.

[Finnbar]

Thank you for letting me rant and all the feedback. I think I am more aggravated with myself than her, as I should have stepped up and told her no - can't do three. She was just being herself, and probably wouldn't have even had a problem if I said no, so it really was my own fault for being a door mat. The simply fact of the matter is I did it to myself and have no one to blame but myself for turning an enjoyable, stress-releaving interest into a time crunched work project. Lesson learned.

 

Thank you also for the info on what to charge if someone else asks me to make something for them. I have always wondered about that. In this case, I think I'm going to tell her $100 for all three. I can live with that. I did use the Caron One Pounders and a simple, easy pattern ... and (deep sigh ) she is a friend.

[RoseRed]

I still think you're selling yourself short but that does weigh in the 1 blanket you said you'd make. You do whatever YOU are comfortable with. It doesn't matter what any of US say. YOU have to live with your decision.

 

It does feel good to make a one tho.

[LadiBug329]

Most of the items I make are for gifts for family or friends. I struggle really bad when I'm given a deadline to get something done...i've found i procrastinate, i guess because "having" to do it is different than doing it just for the fun of it.

For example, my half-sister saw some stuff I posted on my blog, and asked if I would make her a scarf. I said, sure...get the yarn yourself (and gave her amounts) or I can get it in the colors you want. She went to an LYS, bought Debbie Bliss yarn - 3 balls of 50g in a really nice blend, for like $11 a ball and mailed it to me. I did not tell her i'd charge her to make the scarf...i just enjoyed playing with the yarn. Once she got the scarf, she really liked it, and had a friend that wanted me to make one for her. So I told her, the yarn plus $15, which covered some of my time. When I asked her a month later about if her friend had decided on the scarf, she said, her friend thought it was a bit much for a scarf, and thought i would just make it for free if she got me the yarn. I told her...nope...I had other projects that would have to be put on hold to make her scarf, and I didn't do it for everybody for free.

 

I think you should charge what is fair to you, not so much what is fair for the person wanting it, regardless if they are friend or family, or complete stranger.

I also have to agree with RoseRed and Sopo- $75 for an afghan is just not very much. I would charge at least $100, depending on number of colors, pattern, difficulty, etc.

 

But, because I crochet for a hobby, i would probably never commit to make an afghan for someone paying me to do it...I get too bored too quickly with one project...which is why i have about 10 WIPs going right now!!