Hello on this Snowy 🥴 Sunday afternoon!! It’s been a crazy couple days over here in C3 Headquarters…Meaning my brain 😅 Hahahaha
Friday’s Ladies Night event didn’t really go as well as hoped, but given the circumstances and the fact I was bringing something totally random and new to a ladies “shopping” night out I guess I can’t complain to much.
I did have some friends come to the pop-up class for making scrunchies! They LOVED it, and now have the itch to crochet even more things!
This is exactly what I’m hoping for! I want to spread the love of the world of crochet. I want to share my knowledge and get more people into the art of it all.
Crochet is so much more than just “tying knots around a hook.” It’s fun, it’s relaxing (for the most part,) it’s ART!
Crochet has brought my life so much joy, and I just hope to bring that same joy to others! I’ve never seen myself as a teacher, but after doing this little event it’s all I want to do. With crochet I mean…No way I’m capable of being a Real teacher 🤣
But seeing the excitement and joy on those faces when something finally clicked…ABSOLUTE BEST FELLING! Pure happiness, joy, excitement for them, adoration…All the words.
I feel like I might’ve finally found my place in the crochet world, and I really hope things keep looking up moving forward. With all that said…This Saturday November 15th is my first official day of classes!!
Crochet 101 begins at 11am Crochet 102 following at 1:30pm and rounding the day out with Amigurumi Basics at 4:30pm!
It’s going to be a long and busy day but I am so ready for it!! So if your in the Battle Alley (Holly, MI) area with nothing to do, come take a class!
What’s a stronger word than chaotic? Cause I think we’ve moved into a new realm beyond that! But in the best way! Let’s update on the past couple weeks!
In the midst of all the things I’ve now got on my plate, I did get Jack finished! It’s been a year since I made him originally and I honestly forgot how time consuming he actually is to make.
Even with a sewing machine, those stripes took FOREVER! But always so totally worth it!
To hand stitch those stripes with yarn just isn’t the right look. They look way too chunky and not the “pinstriped” look I want. So using a sewing machine to get the nice crisp lines is the only way!
Moving on from Jack, I’ve now got 3 NEW customs I’m working on!
Natural Toned Hexi CardiWhat will be a Goofy DragonYep! Another Falkor!
I’ve been requested to make a dragon I previously made SEVERAL years ago! It’s a pattern I’ve had in my archives from quite a while, so I’m unsure if I can find the original links to share. I’ll do my best to find them so I can share!
Falkor honestly speaks for himself!
The cardigan request comes from a client that saw a different one I’ve made that I currently have up in a shop! But she wanted some more neutral/natural tones, but also wanted long sleeves (original one was short sleeved.) But THAT being said!… Onto the BIG UPDATE!
I have teamed up with a local shop in my area and not only do I have some of my physical items up in her shop…I’M OFFERING CLASSES!!
This is a HUGE deal for me, and so exciting and nerve wreaking and just all the words in between..
I love sharing my knowledge and all the things I’ve learned. So many things I didn’t know when I first started, tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. I’ve become a vast wealth of knowledge and now I can finally share it!
This Friday Nov 7th, our downtown area is hosting a Ladies Night and I’m doing my first Pop-up event! Kind of like a “Meet Me” orientation ish setup. I’ve got “wanting to learn”/beginner level crochet kits ready to go for making scrunchies! Cause how is that not perfect beginner option for ladies night!
So if you find yourself in the area of Downtown Holly Mi, the night of the 7th…come check out all the happenings going on for the ladies from 5pm-8pm!
IF you are planning to come and want a kit, I highly recommend signing up early!
I have a limited number of kits premade, and I’m hoping they all sellout!
Check out my Class schedule for the month of November, and signup for your Ladies Night kit here!
I don’t crochet much anymore. But if I did sign up for a class thing I would want to learn to make would have to be the fused shadows from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. That would be very hard, but I would love to see it done.
Not everyone loves interchangeable hooks, and I totally understand that. Keeping track of the “small” individual hook heads can be a pain.
And honestly printing them and making sure everything fits and works perfectly has become quite a pain in the neck for myself as well. Which is why I haven’t put them back into the shop since my vacation months ago 🫣
But I do know that several DO love my hooks and how comfortable and lightweight they are.
Sooooo…. With that said! I’ve gone and done a new thing!
I give you my now fully solid/single piece hooks! Still the same weightlessness, pointed tips, and the happy mix between tapered and inline hooks.
And like before, the sizing is still clearly labeled. Along with the 2 color option being a thing to keep them custom to your liking!
My original interchangeable hook files are available to download and print yourself at the link below.
I will be adding the listings on Etsy TODAY. You will be able to choose individual sizes, and not need to get a whole set all at once, but the option will be there as well. As before, you will pick your colors! So if you don’t already, go favorite the shop at the link below and turn on notifications so you know when the listings go live!
If you’re wanting a book that is truly going to break your heart into a million pieces…THIS is the one to do it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read all day long!
I picked up this book after the utter failure that Under Your Scars was and it DID NOT disappoint!
This was definitely a change of pace compared to Fourth Wing (also LOVE) and a much needed pallet cleanser.
I loved everything about this book and story. Very Nicholas Sparks kind of vibes if that’s what you’re into.
This story had me wrapped the whole time! I cried several times throughout. And the ending…OMG THE ENDING!! Literally soul crushing. Like so much so I needed my husband to just hold me while I screamed and sobbed!
So if you found yourself let down with Under Your Scars after all the recs to read it. THIS is the one you need to read if you’re needing a good sob fest heartbreak!
I am severely behind on doing my book reviews…I’ll catch up eventually with everything I’ve read so far this year. But first! I NEED to complain about this one right here!
⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book WAS NOT IT!!!
I was looking for a book that would have me emotional and just all in my feels. Rollercoaster, heartbreaking, sobbing. I needed all of it…
This book has been all over booktok and highly recommended to hit all the “requirements” I was looking for…
IT DOES NOT!!! This book 100% should not be at the top of your TBR if you’re looking for the same things I was.
I almost DNF this book, and really wish I hadn’t. If you find yourself struggling like I was, don’t listen to everyone else and “power through”…WALK AWAY!
The “big moment” is literally THE END of the book. Like the very end. And sure it was a shockish…but also very predictable. Hell this WHOLE BOOK was predictable.
The FMC is annoying AF! Like Elena Season 1 Vampire Diaries annoying. The MMC is okay, but legit is Bruce Wayne as the Punisher instead of Batman. Honestly that’s it. Take Elena from Vampire Diaries and throw her into Gotham City falling from Bruce Wayne with the Punisher as his alter ego.
Very predictable…Very irritating…NOT AT ALL THE HEARTBREAKING STORY EVERYONE SAYS IT IS!!
Ok…That’s my review. Don’t Read It if you’re looking for that same things I was.
After such a large project like Falkor was, I usually tend to go into a crochet slump of sorts. A little lost in the sauce with no real direction so to speak. So if you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, that’s it. Just needed a bit of a break. But break is over!
Last year I was requested to make a custom Jack Skellington, and this year apparently is no different!
So he is what I’ve been up to recently!
This is exactly why when I design something custom from scratch I write down everything I do. So I can easily go back and do it again and again if needed.
So far I’ve got the head and body done on this remake.
His Legs, Arms, and Jacket are all done in several different pieces in order to do the pin striping on his clothing.
This is because I actually use my sewing machine to get nice clean and legit looking stripping! So once I get that part done I can meticulously put him all together!
Then after he’s together I just need to give him shoes and hands and he’ll be off to his new home!
I’ve got about 7hrs of work into this guy so far. As I do have the pieces for his arms, legs and most of his jacket done. Just didn’t get a picture!
Well lately, yet again, I’ve been daydreaming about having my own brick and mortar storefront. Not necessarily to sell my finished makes (cause duh of course!)
But a place for all crafts and hobbies. A place for ONLY handmade items to be sold from other local artists. A place for meetups for different crafts. A place for workshops. A place for sharing, learning, and loving the different ways to create art.
A local place for all hobbiests, with paper and paints. Stickers and beads. Printers and sculptors. And of course yarn and fabrics. And all the tools that go with them.
What’s stopping me? Well the kids is the biggest hurdle honestly. And secondly it’s a HUGE financial risk and that’s not a burden I’m will to rope Hubs into. And it definitely not something I’m capable of taking on myself 😅
So yea, that’s what’s on my mind. My biggest Pipedream ❤️
In case you missed it… I have decided to remove all my 3D files from Etsy and will be slowly adding them to Bambu MakerWorld!
It’s going to take me some time to get everything moved over, so please bare with me.
I’ve decided to make the move as Etsy really isn’t meant for files, and well, MakerWorld is full of users with printers! So the reach is to get more of my work out there is better.
YOU CAN STILL ORDER FINISHED PRINTS ON ETSY! My Etsy is still fully running for those that need Eyes/Addons printed! I have simply just moved the files for those that would rather print things themselves.
This is going to be a long winded breakdown of how I go about pricing, and since I just finished Falkor…We’re going to use him as an extreme example. I’ll go through a few different ways I’ve heard/seen how many do their pricing, plus my own way. So strap in…Cause here comes lots of math and of course, more Falkor!
Next to, above, or below (however you view this post) you’ll see the photo with the pricing for all my materials used. Only thing not listed is the small amount of tulle I used. I had the tulle on hand and honestly have no idea where or what brand it even is to get a price, so we will just ignore that 🫣 I also never include stuffing in my pricing, as I buy this in bulk and just don’t care to weigh out what I use.
Beyond the tulle, I used 65.22g of TPU filament, 2.92g of White PLA filament, 5.12g of Black PLA filament, one full 3.53oz skein of Nako yarn, and a total of 13.5oz or 2 and 1/4 skeins of Big Twist yarn. Also not pictured are the specialty safety eyes from Darkside Eyes that cost $3.
Now here is where I see a LOT of people say to charge 3x the cost of materials going off their retail values. Basically as if I had to buy everything initially. So if I follow this rule, the “price” for Falkor based on what other’s believe would be…$227.55. Now while that does sound reasonable, it’s really not. Remember I spent 56 hours making this guy. Not to mention, I don’t really find it fair at all to charge full retail cost of the materials when I didn’t use every last bit of them. I personally only include actual USED material cost when it comes to my pricing. So I’ll break that down for you on the chart below in how I figure that out.
White PLA filament=$15.99 for 1000g… I used only 2.92g
$15.99/1000=$0.02 per gram… $0.02 x 2.92g Used=$0.06 actual material cost
Black PLA Filament=$13.99 for 1000g… I used 5.15g
$13.99/1000=$0.01 per gram… $0.01 x 5.15g Used=$0.05 actual material cost
TPU Filament=$24.90 for 1000g… I used 65.22g
$24.90/1000=$0.02 per gram… $0.02 x 65.22=$1.30 actual material cost
Big Twist Yarn=$4.49 per 6oz skein (x3 =$13.47)… I used 13.5oz or 2 and 1/4 skeins
$4.49/6=$0.75 per ounce… 2 full skeins=$8.98 3rd skein=$0.75 x 1.5=$1.13 $8.98+$1.13=$10.11 actual material cost
Nako Yarn=$4.50 per 3.53oz skein…I used a full one Safety Eyes=$3
$4.50+$3=$7.50 actual material cost
Following “Usual” Rule…Cost=$75.85 $75.85 x 3=$227.55 “material cost”
Following “My” Rule…Cost=$19.02 actual material cost…and even if I x3 that’s still only $57.06 which 100% does not cover the work put in.
Hopefully my breakdown chart makes sense, I know not everyone enjoys doing the math. Yet, I really feel it necessary to STOP people from doing the 3x material cost “rule” because it’s just wrong.
In my opinion you’re OVERcharging your clients for materials you don’t use all the way. I still have plenty of filament for several other prints, and more than enough of the big twist yarn for quite a few other things depending on what I choose to make.
It’s not right! So stop doing it this way…please! Just do the math. It’ll honestly keep your prices more affordable in the long run, and people more than likely to buy. ESPECIALLY for the quick makes that almost never use a full skein and you can make several of something from just one skein!
Anyways!! Moving on…Now that we’ve figured out my true material cost ($19.02) it’s time to figure out pricing my time to actually make him! This again I’ve seen several different ways of going about it. Charge by your local hourly minimum wage, minimum hourly tipped wage, or by number of stitches. So lets break each of those “rules” down shall we?
Where I live the Hourly Minimum Wage =$12.48hr. Hourly Minimum Tipped Wage =$4.74hr. As for by number of stitches, most I’ve seen that use this rule charge $0.01 per stitch.
Let’s first start with the $0.01 per stitch. By my math…Which took forever to add up By the way 🥴…Falkor has a total of 17,930 crochet stitches.
$0.01 x 17,930 =$179.30 total JUST to crochet him. That doesn’t include my time to attach his nostrils, eyelids, the scales or the time to brush all of him out.
That is strictly just crocheting him…
This method could work for simple things or no-sew items, but simply does not really work for the more intricate makes that take more than just crocheting. Which takes us into the next two methods. One I see a lot, and the one I use personally.
I put 56 hours and 18 minutes of work into making this beasty (I did NOT include my 3D Printing time separately as it was running on it’s own WHILE I was crocheting.) Based on the “wages rules” and again where I’m personally located with Full Minimum Wage being $12.48hr and Tipped Minimum Wage being $4.74hr.
That would be $702.62 at full minimum wage or $266.86 at tipped minimum wage.
Now many people will tell you to “charge your worth” or “don’t work for free” yadda yadda. While Yes I do agree with charging your worth, however I do NOT agree with charging for More than its worth.
And charging a Full Minimum wage just doesn’t work in my opinion. While yes, I do consider this my job…It is not very demanding by any means.
Which is 100% why I personally go by following my local Tipping Minimum Wage. I’m not sitting in an office answering phones, or a mechanic working on cars, or any other job you would consider a “normal 9-5” job. I am in my opinion providing a service with the skills I have available to me. So I will price my things as such, and I’m sure there will be several that don’t agree with this way of thinking. Which is totally fine by me, I’m not here to please everyone, just here to spread help and awareness.
Anyway, everyone loves a good chart, so here’s another one to put all these different methods into perspective and hopefully help you decide on your own way of pricing things in the future.
Method Used
”Retail” Material Cost $75.85×3 =
$227.55 Total
“Actual” Material Cost $19.02×3=
$57.06 Total
+”Retail” Material Cost ($75.85)
+”Acutal” Material Cost ($19.02)
17,930stiches x $0.01 per Stitch
=$179.30+$75.85=$255.15 Total
=$179.30+$19.02=$198.32 Total
Local Minimum Wage $12.48hr x 56hr18min
=$702.62+$75.85=$778.47 Total
=$702.62+$19.02=$721.64 Total
Local Tipped Minimum Wage $4.74 x 56hr18min
=$266.86+$75.85=$342.71 Total
=$266.86+$19.02=$285.88 Total
With all that, we’ve reached the end! So what will it cost to order a custom made Falkor of your own? $285.88 (Plus shipping as that changes depending on your location.)
If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to ask! Either in the comments, message me on Insta, or email me directly at C3Fiberarts@gmail.com
I’m always happy to help, or explain something further ❤️
Now if you’re wanting your own Falkor you can reach out to me in the same way! As he does take quite a bit of time I won’t be going through Etsy for this one. Only direct requests to me via email or Insta will be accepted.
If you’ve made it this far…THANK YOU! Figuring all this out took far more time and effort than I expected it to and I really hope is does help someone!
C3Fiberarts 
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