Time Trials for Crafters

I have been estimating.  Over and over, people ask, "How long did it take you to make this?"  And I, being the earthbound, factual person I am, make a wild guess.  It isn't that I haven't tried to recreate how long I have spent on items.  I have.  For example, when I price an item, I like to imagine that the price has something to do with the amount of time it took me to make it.  I even hope that I am charging a few dollars an hour for my time.  But honestly, have no idea, not really.  I pick it up and put it down.  I knit a few rows on the bus, in line, while waiting for an appointment, between helping kids with homework, while the coffee brews.  Knitting is marvelous (as compared with machine sewing) because it can be done while watching tv or listening to a lecture.  So, I really don't know.  Do you know how long it takes you?

Well, I have taken up a challenge.  I am timing my projects.  A good friend that has done development work with small crafting cooperatives in Africa told me that he had crafters make the same thing 10 times and time their work.  Then, they all took the averages of their times for that product and averaged them together.  The final average was the time they used when determining a price.  I am not going quite that far.  After all, this is a cooperative of  only one (with a large support staff of family and friends, of course).  I have made a little chart (on paper) with a list of products and four columns: three trials and the average.  Very systematic!

Now I know why I have resisted doing this. First, it is hard.  I have a little notebook where I jot down elapsed times each time I start and stop.  Imagine, you answer the phone, jot.  You check the food, jot.  "Mom!" jot.  Only, of course, I don't wear a watch, so the process is, find a clock, jot.  Annoyed with this non-system, I have begun to do more of my knitting during the quieter, school hours of the day when I have fewer interruptions.

And, I am discovering the second reason why I have resisted doing this.  It is depressing.  My products take me a long time to knit, a good while to felt, and many have very involved sewing/finishing that they require.  Oh well.  I have only just begun and I am simply "gathering data" as another dear friend would say.

All ye crafters out there in the blog-o-sphere, do you or have you ever done time trials?

Hello Etsy Weekend and Good News

First, above all, I thank you all for being SO supportive!!  You can't know how much it means to me that you all responded so quickly and lovingly.

And, I am doing much better.  It started on Friday when I finally got courageous and called the people who run the Christmas Market I had applied to participate in.  I had been avoiding calling them, hoping they would never discover just how little German I have.  I did it anyway.  At first, it took a while to find someone who speaks some English, then it took a while for that person to understand who I am (she spoke very little English).  Once she understood my name, she clearly knew who I was and remembered my application.  Hooray!  She quickly got me on the phone with someone a great deal more fluent (but from another department).  They wanted to know if I was running a business or a home-crafter.  I'm definitely trying to run a business, but I have been crafting for fun for so long that I sometimes wonder myself!  I looked around my workroom (what my family calls my "Woman Cave") and declared myself "professional".  Then, they wanted proof.  I wasn't really sure if I had any, but I sent them to my etsy shop.

Today (after a very eventful weekend, see below), I got a magical email.  They want me!  Not only do that want me for the Christmas Market, but they'd also like me to participate in their Handmade Textile Market in November.  Oh my goodness.  I immediately began listing all my current inventory and making a list of everything I would need to make to have enough for both markets.  Can I do it?  I'm not sure, but I sure am excited by the possibility!

I am also lit up from attending the Etsy conference here in Berlin this past weekend.  Amazing Doug made me go.  He rocks.  Over 500 small business owners (mostly crafters) were in attendance.  Imagine.  Practical and inspirational talks abounded, almost all in English.  And, I met so many other people living here in Germany, here in Berlin, who are walking a similar path.  Local community -- is that possible for fs expats, really?  I think it might be the holy grail.

Gnomes from a special order gnome mobile for another expat.

So, I am newly inspired.  I'm still scared, but it's that edgy feeling that brings life into focus.  Wish me luck!

Four Months? Feeling a bit low.

Going four months (or more) between posts pretty much gets rid of all readership, I suppose.  Oh dear.  Oh well.  Let's see how quickly I can sum things up.

The German language course really did fill up my life and make me VERY busy.  I even learned a little German! Happily, my instructor let me knit during the down time.

All spring and early summer my little business continued to grow.  We went home to Michigan for nearly two months, during which my Etsy business nearly stalled completely, but where I found more customers.  I even participated in my first Craft Fair.  It wasn't a perfect fit and selling wool in 90 degree heat isn't for the faint-hearted, but it was a super experience.  I learned a lot about how much thought and work goes into displays.  I have applied to be in a local Christmas Market here in Berlin (I have heard back yet) and hope to learn more then.

Unfortunately, I have been feeling a bit low lately about the prospects for my business.  I am VERY happy about the things I am making, but they really don't seem to be selling much.  Here are some pics of some of my new things:

I guess I wonder if it makes any sense, selling these things.  Well, I know it doesn't, not really.  I will never really make enough to justify my time.  No one in their right mind would pay me enough!  I am also slightly disillusioned with Etsy.  I spend a great deal of time on my photos and listings & that's on top of my time spent  making all these lovelies.  I have had a few strangers buy or special order items, so I admit it has been a way for few customers to find me.  This weekend I am going to an Etsy conference right here in Berlin to see what I can learn.  I am not willing to quit yet -- it hasn't even been a year on the site, but I just don't know how much energy I should be putting into selling things there.

I have been feeling like a much more comfortable way to earn money from my habit would be to sell at art/craft fairs.  In my idealized vision this would mean that I could spend my joyful hours knitting away at things that I like, building up a lovely little pile of items.  Then, one day I could simply carry them off to a show and sell them.  Let the people who rent me the booth do all the marketing.  I think it might be a silly fantasy.

Any advice out there?  Am I just in a normal lull?  I am very open to feedback at the moment!