A job of custom knitting, sweater, and Afghan design now exists. This kind of job provides service to custom-knit clothing to specifications, and personalizes knitted clothing prepared from patterns. Almost everyone can appreciate the beauty of a hand-knit sweater or afghan. But relatively few have the skills or time necessary to produce one. A custom-knitted sweater or other article of clothing is a great gift for the hard-to-please or the hard-to-fit. You can supply keepsakes to celebrate special occasions including holidays, reunions, and births.
You’ll need the skill to produce work of professional quality in a reasonable period of time. You may be called on to take measurements and create clothing to fit, or you may need to follow someone else’s instructions. Make sure you have a written agreement about the work to be done, including full specifications and sizes. Give details about the type of yarn and other components, and make reference to a specific design if one exists. Keep current on available yarns, materials, and designs. Visit fabric and knitting supply stores for ideas, and consult web sites and magazines. You may be able to purchase supplies locally, or you may have to order yarn, needles, and components by mail or over the Internet.
Post flyers and business cards at knitting stores, community centers, and supermarkets. Place ads in shopping guides, newspapers, and church bulletins. Consider setting up a web site to promote and sell your work, posting photos of completed work. Customers can call you by telephone or send specifications by e-mail. The primary expenses are for advertising and promotion. If you set up a web site, you will have to pay for design and hosting. Consider setting up a merchant account to accept credit cards. This sort of work is generally done on a flat-rate basis, although you will set your rate based on your estimation of the number of hours required to complete the job. You can include the cost of materials in your overall price, or break them out as a separate element.
