yarn poll
June 26, 2007
i wound a lot of yarn into balls this morning and weighed them. then, i corresponded much of the day with my friend erin about what sort of colors she would like for two baby hats she’s going to make. this pic is of some of her options, but not the ones she took.
i’ve been told time and again that i have a way with colors. so, the question has been for a while now, how can i use that in the shop to cater to my friends who like to knit themselves. here are the options i’ve come up with:
1) yarn kits – no pattern, just 4 oz. of color coordinated yarn (with some extra colors etc. for embellishing)
2) knitting kits - 4 oz yarn with the option of several patterns to choose from
3) hat/mitt kits - yarn with the pattern, put together with a very specific pattern in mind
and to add to the mess that is my brain, once the book comes out in the spring, many of those patterns can be used with these same yarns (basic worsted weight). should i just do yarn kits with no patterns until the book comes out?
i obviously don’t have the time right now to work on 2 or 3, but i’d love to hear which you are most attracted to and why. and if you’ve any other ideas of how to integrate my sense of color into something for the shop, i’d love to hear them!
thanks!
cosy
Oh, you are so creative! I like the yarn-kit idea with an option to purchase patterns. That way, I could pick my own pattern, or yours. Then your yarn kits will also compliment your book. Whatever you decide, I am sure it will be wonderful. ;)
Hi Cosy, I can only really comment on the UK market, but I believe ‘kits’ are very popular here (e.g. http://www.laughinghens.com/knitting-kits.asp). If you put a pattern with the blue/green combo top left, then I would be your first customer as the colours are the ones that I wear all the time! I think there are lots of people only just getting into knitting over here (like me) and probably feel the need for guidance. Also, kits, or yarn with patterns, would make lovely gifts.
I would say, yarn kits without the patterns (or maybe with the list of suggested patterns) and let the creativity flow!
I’ve been lurking on your site for quite awhile and have just gotten around to commenting. I really like the idea of a yarn kit with the option of one of several patterns – that way if the yarn appeals to you, you might choose a wonderful project to go with it. Often, I like the pattern in a kit but not the yarn, or the yarn but not the pattern, so I really like the idea of a choice!
Kits are great, I think you can get a good profit margin on them.
If you choose to put some yarn bundles together with no pattern, a little swatch of some colorwork with the yarns in the photograpch would spur on those of us who are timid and clueless about choosing colors. When you can convince people that uncommon color choices really do look great together, you’ve elevated your own value in the marketplace. Gee, I guess you can’t take the management consultant out of this knitter, these comments are starting to sound like the way I talk to my clients!
My vote is for yarn kits with with a small range of patterns to choose from. You definitely have a great gift of picking great unexpected color combinations. Sounds fun.
i think you should do some of each for the shop. that way you’ll see what people are looking for by what they buy. but personally i like the idea of a kit where you can choose from a few different things to make.
I too vote for kits — yarn + pattern(s). Then once the book comes out, you could offer some kits and some just-yarn, for people who have the patterns already.