FIBER ARTS ECONOMICS: WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A HOBBY CRAFTER?

While all fiber arts require tools and, as the name suggests, a type of fiber to manipulate and create with, the cost of investment to begin and maintain a fiber arts practice varies wildly. Depending on the type of fiber art a person wishes to pursue, the type of projects they want to undertake, and the speed at which they complete and pick up new projects, how much they will need to spend on their craft will naturally differ. Physical constraints also play a role. The space needed to house a loom differs greatly from the amount needed to store embroidery needles or crochet hooks or even a home sewing machine. But looking at three of the most popular home fiber arts – knitting, crochet, and cross stitch – where would someone get started?

After selecting what type of craft you want to create, your first step is to gather the materials you need to get started. That in and of itself can be daunting, prompting questions about whether it’s better to shop online or in-person, how to decide which fibers are best for which project, what tools you need, and how much you should spend. Like the selection process for the type of fiber art you want to practice, those decisions are personal to you and depend on several factors, but there are a number of things that can make these decisions seem less overwhelming. There are several key advantages to both online and in-person shopping for fiber arts materials, and your priorities when crafting can help guide which option is right for you.

Shopping in person gives consumers the opportunity to physically feel the differences between two different types of yarn or get a true idea of what an ergonomic crochet hook feels like in the hand when compared to the standard variety. While an experienced crafter might already know the differences between a cotton yarn and a wool yarn, or between a wool yarn and a synthetic blend meant to mimic it, a beginner likely does not. In-person shopping allows a new crafter to see and feel the materials they’re considering purchasing rather than taking the chance of ordering a tool or material online, only to realize it’s not at all like you expected. Shopping in person also provides a fiber artist with more control over the consistency of their materials. Tools, whether they are purchased in-store or online, have a guaranteed consistency fibers do not. Even yarns and threads produced by large corporations run the risk of deviations in color based on one key factor: dye lot. The deviations created by a difference in dye lot can be slight, but to many people, that difference should be avoided at all costs. Shopping in person gives you the ability to examine the packing of skein of yarn or thread to ensure you’re purchasing all units from the same dye lot. Online, you run the risk of receiving skeins from different lots and chance a visible difference in your finished piece because of it. Shopping in person also provides a new crafter with the ability to ask questions directly to the experts, especially when shopping in a store that specializes in fiber arts materials. These specialized stores are typically small businesses where the staff have firsthand knowledge of how the products they’re selling perform in real-life scenarios and are able to provide personalized recommendations tailored to your specific project needs.

Shopping online also has its own distinct advantages. Online retailers, especially larger companies that operate nationwide, can stock an incredibly large variety of materials. Specialized tools, unique and hard to find fibers, and vast color selections are all made possible because online stores are typically not limited by the same space constraints as their in-person counterparts. Some yarn brands produce 45 or more colors of each of their yarn options, and oftentimes in-person retailers are unable to keep all these different colors stocked. Online, a customer can order precisely the colors they want without worrying that they may not be stocked at the physical location of whatever retailer they’ve visited. Online retailers may also be the right choice for a person who has limited fiber arts retail options in their area. The in-person options of a large metropolitan area like New York City differ greatly from those of a significantly smaller city or town. When reaching a store in person isn’t possible, online retailers can serve as an equalizer in the fiber arts space when it comes to materials.

Once you determine which option is right for you, you can narrow the field even further. Passionate about keeping money in your local economy? The internet is your friend when it comes to finding small businesses near you where you can feel proud to spend your money. Need a specific color of baby alpaca yarn you can’t seem to find anywhere nearby? There’s a specialty online store out there that has exactly the shade you need. Being informed is ultimately the greatest tool you have when starting a new fiber art, so don’t be afraid to explore all the options you have at your disposal to find the one that best fits your needs, budget, and goals.

This gallery shows the interior of Rittenhouse Needlepoint, a local Philadelphia retailer that carries supplies suited to crafters completing embroidery, needlepoint, and cross stitch projects. With an expansive selection of threads, patterns, and tools, as well as a knowledgeable staff equipped to provide detailed recommendations on different products, this retailer falls into the category of an in-person shopping experience like ones described in this post.

PHOTO CREDIT: Talia Pugliese