How Much Should You Charge for Your Hand-Knitted Items in the UK?
Do you sell your knitting to make a living or to supplement your income? Or maybe you're thinking about starting a new side hustle by selling your hand-knitted creations?
If any of these apply to you, you've probably already asked yourself: **How much should I charge for my knitting?**
This is one of the most important questions for any knitwear seller. It can be difficult to price handmade items fairly—especially when you’re used to gifting your knitting or being modest about your skills. But if you want to sell your work (and enjoy the process), your pricing should reflect your time, your talent, and the cost of materials.
Let’s break down a practical and fair method to price your hand-knitted items in the UK.
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Step 1: Calculate Material Costs
Start by tallying up everything that went into making the item:
✅ Yarn: Include the full cost, even if you didn’t use an entire skein.
✅ Buttons, embellishments, zippers, etc.
✅ Packaging: Tissue, tags, boxes, postage.
✅ Shipping materials: Envelopes, labels, postage if you're covering it yourself.
Keep a small notebook or spreadsheet to track these costs for each item.
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Step 2: Calculate Your Labour Costs
Your time is valuable. As a minimum, you should aim to pay yourself at least the UK National Living Wage—which, as of 2025, is **£12.21 per hour**—though charging more is absolutely valid based on your skill level.
To calculate labour cost:
1️⃣ Track how many hours it takes you to complete the project. (did you know the fastest knitter in the world knits 85 sts a minute- truly amazing)
2️⃣ Multiply that by your hourly rate.
👉 **Example:** If a hat takes 9 hours and you're charging £12.21/hour, your labour cost is £109.89.
🧶 A Note on How Professionals Price Their Labour
Many professional knitters charge by the yard or metre knitted, rather than by the hour. This approach bases pricing on knitting output and average speed, which helps avoid the risk of someone intentionally knitting slower to earn more on an hourly rate. Charging per yard rewards efficiency, better reflects actual productivity, and helps standardize prices across projects and knitters of varying speeds.
That said, if you’re just starting out, hourly pricing as outlined above is often easier. It gives you a clear baseline for valuing your time and helps you build confidence in charging fairly. Once you gain experience and improve your knitting speed, you might consider switching to a per-yard pricing method.
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Need help estimating time? Here’s a general guide based on skill level:
***Did you know an average small sized Jumper contains around 60,000 sts ? ***
| Project | Beginner | Intermediate | Experienced |
| Hat (DK yarn) | 11 hrs | 9 hrs | 5hrs |
| Hat (Chunky yarn) | 5 hrs | 3 hrs | 2 hrs |
| Scarf | 20 hrs | 15 hrs | 12 hrs |
| Basic Scarf (Chunky yarn) | 15 hrs | 10 hrs | 8 hrs |
| Basic Small Jumper (Aran yarn) | 100 hrs | 85 hrs | 65 hrs |
| Basic Small Jumper (Chunky yarn) | 60 hrs | 40 hrs | 20 hrs |
| Socks | 30 hrs | 22 hrs | 15 hrs |
| Mid size Blanket | 55 hrs | 50 hrs | 45 hrs |
*These are just an average, it of course all depends on your own individual knitting speed, the yarn you use, the complexity of the pattern, your tension. Even, how hot or cold your hand are - too hot and the yarn sticks to your hands, too cold and you lose some of your dexterity.
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Step 3: Don’t Forget Overhead Costs
If you're selling online or at markets, include:
🛒 Listing fees (e.g., Etsy)
💳 Payment processor fees (e.g., PayPal or Stripe)
🛍 Craft fair stall fees
🌐 Website hosting or domain fees if you sell through your own site
To put this is perspective with Etsy you have the listing fees which are currently 0.20p for each item which renews every 6 months. You then have all the other fees, In total not including the listing fee's the rest of Etsy's processing fees come to 18.5% of each item you sell. This figure does not include any Advertising fees- they are on top of that !!
You can add these to the cost of each item or spread them over multiple products to get an average per-piece overhead cost.
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Step 4: Set Your Final Price
🔹 **Wholesale Price**
Materials + Labour + Overhead = Wholesale Price
Example:
* Materials: £10
* Labour: £109.89 (9 hours x £12.21)
* Overhead: £6
* **Total wholesale** = £125.89
🔹 **Retail Price**
Most sellers apply a markup of around 75% to their wholesale price to account for profit, growth, and unexpected costs.
* Retail = £125.89 + (75%) = **£220.31**
This can feel like a big jump, especially if you’re used to seeing hand-knitted items sold for £20–£30. But remember: you’re selling hours of skill and high-quality materials—not factory-made goods. If a potential customer isn’t prepared to pay fairly, you don’t have to sell to them (unless it’s a special case or a gift).
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Step 5: Research the Market
Before you finalize your prices:
🔍 Look at what other knitters are charging for similar items
🛒 Explore Etsy, Folksy, or local craft fairs
✨ Factor in design uniqueness, materials, and finishing quality
Your prices will be higher than mass-produced pieces—and that’s perfectly fine. Handmade is different and should be priced accordingly.
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Final Thoughts: Value Your Time and Skill
It’s easy to under-price handmade items, especially when you’re starting out. But remember:
✅ You’ve invested time learning your craft
✅ Knitting takes Weeks/Months of YOUR TIME
✅ Materials cost money
✅ Each item you make is one-of-a-kind
Enjoying the process is important, too. If you’re not making enough to feel good about your work, it can take the joy out of knitting.
So here’s a friendly reminder: **charge what your work is worth.** Start with at least £12.21/hour and build from there. Your time, talent, and creativity deserve fair compensation.
When you build a little more experience and speed you can start to charge like to pro's and charge per yard/metre (this may lower the sale cost of your products but will also give you the incentive to finish pieces faster, so you can start the next piece).
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**Do You Need Help Pricing Specific Items?**
Drop a comment or get in touch—we’re happy to help you work out pricing for your projects. And remember: the right customers will gladly pay a fair price for your beautiful hand-knitted items.
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