Newsletter: Prez Sez

2022 is in the rear-view mirror and I am looking forward to a lot more cranking this year.  I have retired from my full-time job and while I still work (gotta put money into that yarn and cylinder fund you know) I do have more time to focus on my hobbies. 

I headed to Ankeny Iowa in February to attend PIGS – People in Glorious Socks – a wonderful crank in.  I am so excited to connect with old friends and look forward to making new ones.  Crank ins are such a great place for sharing and learning. I don’t know that a lot of socks will get made – although I managed a couple of pair last time I went. I got to crank on the new Tru-Knit to try it out and see what it is all about. And I saw some interesting old machines. What I do know for sure is that I always have fun. 

I made a pair of colorwork socks recently. I do crank on a LT150 as well as an antique Tuttle so am quite spoiled having a rotating cylinder which aids greatly when working with more than one strand of yarn. Over the years I have seen mini-masts created – some fancy with brass fittings and weights, some basic consisting of a dowel and a CD/DVD. I have seen little balls of yarn just being dropped in the center of the machine when not in use. It can all be done – having access to a rotating cylinder just really makes the whole thing a lot easier. I did drop a couple of stitches – that was hairy. it is hard to catch them and recover them under the strands that is for sure. If I learned something – other than to be more careful when changing colors and especially when trapping a long float (mine stretched across as many as 9 stitches which in a sock cuff is not optimal): bobby / hairpins are your friend. I had bought them because I want to try a Dutch heel and they came in handy in holding on to stitches until I could get them back on the needles.

I try to keep up with stuff in the many Facebook groups to see what is new and trending. Lately I have been seeing a lot of questions about cranking as a business venture – lots of questions about selling socks, what to charge, etc. And the answers are about as varied and plentiful as the questions!

I remember when I saw my first CSM. I thought, heck, I can make socks to sell. And I have sold a few – not many. Working full time plus, there wasn’t time to build a business – and that is what it takes to make money at cranking and selling socks. Do your research.
What is your market?  Craft fairs? Farmers Markets? Online?  Partnership with a retail store or boutique? All of the above?  How do you set up an online presence?  How do you market yourself and your product?  Do you need to register as a business, need a sales license. How will you handle your taxes?  So much stuff beyond cranking and kitchenering.

I met a young woman at a Sheepherders Rendezvous in Wyoming last year. She is on Instagram – The Girl Who Wears Wool Socks. Her story was pretty awesome.  She has a relationship with a local woolen mill where she purchases her yarn and then sends it to an Indie dyer to have her specific colorways made. She sells her socks via Instagram exclusively and has a pretty substantial wait list. She sells complete socks using her yarn but will also crank socks with yarn supplied by customers for a fee. 

I have tons of respect for people who are able to make cranking or any other hobby into a successful business. I do have an Etsy shop that needs to have a lot more product added.  I sell a few socks now and again as well as woven items such as scarves and shawls. I have a few ready made items but prefer to do custom orders to avoid having things sit and not sell or at least not for a long time. 

As I leave the working world behind, I will be making a lot more things and maybe look for a way to at least get a return on some of my investments in material and equipment. I am not sure that I want to really turn my hobbies into “work.”

As for Society news – we had our first meeting with the new board members.  We also have had a meeting of the newly formed Content and Communications committee. We are hoping to bring you much more good stuff going forward. As always – if you have an interest in contributing – please reach out.

Your Prez, Judy Weller
Cranking  in South Dakota