A Labour of Love

On more than one occasion it has been suggested to me that I sell my crafts and I’ve tried. Unfortunately, unless you can find a happy medium between the cost of materials and the time you spend producing your craft, it’s hardly worth it. I recently posted a picture of this crocheted market bag and asked if you would be willing to pay $70 for it. Not really surprising, the answer is NO. I’m not sure I would even pay that and I made it. I know I could pick one up for pennies but what does that mean for the person or people who produced it? And I can almost guarantee that this bag will still be around in a few decades. Can you say the same for that cheap version? So, next time you see a homemade item and you think it’s expensive, rethink that thought.

I actually made this market bag out of boredom. Wendy was off to Mont Tremblant with some girlfriends and I was watching her dogs. After a long day of working on the blog, I was exhausted and ready to tune out. But, as I sat to watch tv, I realized that I needed to do something with my hands. I already knew that I wanted to make this bag, so I found it on Pinterest and figured out what materials I needed. I already had the needles, so all that was left was some yarn. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday and all the local yarn shops were closed and I opted for that big chain store that I usually avoid. I have to admit that in this case, it was the best deal I could have got at only $12.40, tax included, for a 14oz/400g ball.

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Back on the couch and watching a new series, I started. As a side note, I’m in pretty good shape now but haven’t always taken great care of myself so I need to pay attention to my body as I crochet or knit. I go into power knitting or crocheting mode, where my posture is crap, my shoulders forward and my work is far too close to my face, then, I hurt and I’m grumpy with myself for taking on a project. Geez! Five hours later, I was finished the largest of the market bags. Yes, you heard that right… 5 hours! Now you understand why I asked the question. Minimum wage here, in Ontario, is $14.35 an hour. You do the math…

In the end, I wanted to use up all of that cotton because I hate waste and who wants to store another ball of yarn and so I ended up with a medium sized market bag in addition to the large, a make-up sponge and a not so square face cloth. Oops! I really do enjoy making things but I rarely keep them for myself, I already have far too much stuff. I often have someone in mind when I start crafting but Wendy and I were thinking perhaps we might try to sell some of the things we make. So keep an eye out for that. We’re finding ways to fund all those amazing things we want to try and all the adventures we want to go on.

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So, back to Value vs Values and Local vs Big Corporation. I’m the last person to judge because I’m guilty of them all. Sometimes, money is tight and I have to go the cheapest route and I try really hard not to feel guilty about it. But I will always ask myself…do I really need it. On the other hand, buying local or from a small private shop will probably cost me more but the item will most likely last longer, will be much better quality and I feel great about supporting them. More and more these days, I tend to shop with my values because I have to live with the impact I make with my choices.

Lots of love,

Julie