Definitions for handmade handcrafted homemade

**ladytoysdream** · 06-25-2011, 08:18 PM

Odd title sorry, but I need some clarification.
And or snappy comebacks.
I started doing a farmer's market locally. I sell eggs from the chickens and homemade hats made by myself. In order to sell at this kind of market, your craft item has to be handcrafted.
Some hats I crochet and most I knit. I have a few on the table that are completely handknit on 2 needles. Most of my hats are started on my old almost 40 yr old knitting machine. I take them off part way and finish them with 2 needles. Do the seam by hand.
So this machine has no motor or no computer. Just basically a bed of needles and the carriage gets pushed one direction and then back the other, all by hand.
I get a LOT of compliments on these hats. Being it is not cold here, my sales are slow. Not a problem. I am building inventory for this fall, and looking for ideas and color suggestions from possible customers.
Every once in awhile, someone asks me how I make them. Today was a interesting conversation. The lady asked me if I made them on circular needles. I said no. She asked if I made them with 4 needles. I again said no. I make them with 2 needles. I start them on my old machine, remove it, and then finish off with the hand needles. Then I think she wanted to say something else, but then decided to walk away instead.
If someone sews something....they normally use a sewing machine. If a weaver makes a rug, they use a loom. Someone making a quilt would or could use a quilt stand. The baker uses a oven to make cookies or bread. Etc, etc.
I need a short sweet simple polite answer

I see I can't spell in my title. Sorry.

**Spirit Deer** · 06-25-2011, 08:30 PM

I think handcrafted, handmade in that context means not mass produced.

Personally, I don't really like the term 'homemade' because I think it can have a negative connotation. Homemade is often used to describe items that aren't as nice as manufactured items, things that may be roughly made without much skill, something someone who can't afford to buy has produced just to get by. Handcrafted and handmade seems like a better fit for things made one at a time by skilled people. That's just the way those words hit me, although I know the dictionary definition doesn't say so.

I don't think you need to defend your use of your knitting machine. If someone doesn't want your product because it was partially made on a machine, then they don't have to buy it. I doubt most people will care, as long as they like the color and style.

**mauimagic** · 06-25-2011, 08:53 PM

Designed and handcrafted by me in my home for you!!

Some people cannot help being (k)nitpickers - sorry - couldn't help myself!!

**ladytoysdream** · 06-25-2011, 09:01 PM

The more I think about it, I think the woman was hinting for my pattern / technique. I guess my answers must have confused her.
At one of the other shows, a lady asked me point blank for my pattern for one of my hats. I told her it was my design and I did not want to share it. I know she wants to make some on her knitting machine, but her's is a standard guage and mine is a bulky. She did ask how many stitches I started with and I told her the number needed, but that info is of no use to her on her machine. I know what her machine is, because she asked me recently, to help her learn how to use it. Which I did do, and did not charge her anything for that lesson.

**Contrary Housewife** · 06-26-2011, 10:01 AM

"antique hand-operated knitting machine"?

Selling to other crafters is annoying, I know. I'm one of those people who looks at something and thinks "I could make that myself way cheaper than that". But I think asking for the pattern is rude.

**ladykemma2** · 06-26-2011, 11:03 AM

in the high end craft shows i have done the crafts have to have been made BY YOU.

this is to prevent "crafters" from selling chinese imports.

these shows also forbid "melt and pour" soaps.

**Debbie-cat** · 06-26-2011, 12:37 PM

Your hats are definitely handcrafted/handmade. They must be wonderful! You should post pictures of them.

**ladytoysdream** · 06-26-2011, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

Your hats are definitely handcrafted/handmade. They must be wonderful! You should post pictures of them.

Okay

I have a few that I can't sell yet, as I only have the one each of them made and am using them for my visual patterns. When I do put them on the table, people want to buy them. Which is what happened yesterday with one of my crocheted helmet shaped ones. I had made it for myself, and thought it was a wee snug. So am using it as a demo / sample one until I can get a few more made.
I been searching for more mannequin heads and hat stands so I can get some more hats, vertical to get people's attention.
I should probably take my camera with me for the next show, and take a few pictures.

Today I got some fuzzy type yarn and it went through on the machine. It is going to be a double hat completely reversable. I plan on keeping it for me. I am that impressed with it. If I can find more of that yarn, then I may make some for sale. The yarn is Joann's and is gray and black variegated. And the reverse is going to be black.

I need to buy more interesting yarn as I start selling the hats. I have plenty of plain acrylic Red Heart yarn but will be looking for yarn with some wool in it. On the double reversable hats, the inner one has a wool mix to it. Makes for warmth.

Everything at this market has to be made or produced or grown by the vender / family /farm. A couple farmers have been challenged already by other venders and the market manager paid a visit to the farms in question to check things out. Now who would have thought selling asparagus, and strawberries would become a mud slinging match.

**ladytoysdream** · 06-26-2011, 01:47 PM

Okay, a quick picture album.
These are some of my latest ones.
Pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.

knittedcrochetedhats

The first one is a helmet style and you are viewing the front, and the lower part, is the inside back section that will go up into the hat when I do the second hat reversed.

**Debbie-cat** · 06-26-2011, 01:49 PM

Ooooh, those are wonderful!!! No wonder everyone loves them. Come fall, you will be selling them like crazy.

**ladytoysdream** · 06-26-2011, 01:56 PM

THANKS

The green hat in hat2 picture is spoken for. The lady will pick it up next market day. That version, I ask $ 25 for. It is single thickness for the hat area. The band and extended helmet are double thickness.

**Spirit Deer** · 06-26-2011, 07:04 PM

Sometimes you just have to not care about some people.

I had someone ask me once if she could make a Xerox copy of an unpublished novel that was making the rounds where this person worked. Select people were being allowed to read it, and since they liked it, they had created a 'buzz' so this person wanted to read it. I didn't even think, just gave her an immediate 'No' with no elaboration, justification, or explanation. She looked at me like I had slapped her. I know she was offended, but not nearly as much as I was! Do I regret doing that? No way! I don't feel obligated to be polite to people who are rude to me.

**ladytoysdream** · 06-26-2011, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by Spirit Deer

Sometimes you just have to not care about some people.
I don't feel obligated to be polite to people who are rude to me.

Basically they kind of sneak up on me. And sometimes I am not so quick with the correct response that maybe I should have used.

When I used to sell at the flea market years ago, more than once, I would get someone arguing with me over my book prices. I had a group priced at .25 each to move them out and my better books were $ 1 each. One day a lady wanted to know why I didn't sell all the books at a quarter each like the other venders did. I told her if she found better deals on the field, she should be buying from them and not standing at my table and giving me grief. I knew from wandering the field that at that time, there was only one other vender that had anywhere near the number of books out that I had. And I knew her price was a buck each also. Some books I had priced even higher depending on the subject matter. Again I would get challenged on my prices, and I would respond I had already done my research online. That usually let them know, that I really did know the going prices. Not that I was just guessing at them.

I like to be super polite to customers. I want them to come back. And being this is a small market of about 30 venders, I just will have to bite my tonque if I get a little grief every now and then.
The market manager and other board members like my workmanship. A few customers with odd questions every so often, I will just have to deal with. Beats sitting home and staring at the 4 walls

**Spirit Deer** · 06-26-2011, 09:09 PM

I don't always think fast enough for good comebacks, which frustrates me no end!

Yeah, sometimes you do have to be polite when it's a small market. Although I think someone asking for a pattern is over the top. I wouldn't necessarily be rude, but I'd say something like, "Sorry, it's a proprietary design" or "I don't have anything written down, it's all up here" and tap my temple or "I don't share my original patterns, sorry."