Handmade by domesticat

Monday, July 10, 2006

Last weekend while Duck and I were in western Mass., we took his mother out for a lovely al fresco dinner at a restaurant in Lenox. Afterwards we took a stroll among the quaint little boutiques and finally ducked into one of the many antique stores lining the pretty, manicured streets. The store was empty, save for the owner who was reading a magazine on the couch. As we said a polite hello upon entering, she took one look at me, fell hopelessly, madly in love, and pounced!

WHY?

Because I was wearing Butterfly! HA HA! (And funny, it was the first time I've worn it since October. I'd forgotten about it, for shame.) She seriously couldn't keep her hands off me - or the hem of Butterfly at least, and followed me around the store while I tried to browse and not feel incredibly self-conscious and embarrassed. But oh I was flattered.

We fellow knitters know how beautiful Butterfly is, how fabulous ALL of our knitting is, but don't you find that strangers are strangly immune to all of it? So to have this person's Good Taste Radar (heh heh) go off as soon as I walked into the room...She knew immediately that I had made it, was so enamoured with it, that she asked if I would make one for her store - where she also sells a little clothing and shoes - on consignment.

"But of course, it must be in a more average size," she said, illustrating the point by grabbing her own bosomy bosom, and I was like Ha ha ha! Then, Boo hoo hoo, yes I know I don't have any of that, stop comparing!

We didn't get into specifics besides size and color (neutral only, to keep it "simple and sophisticated"), so I have no idea what she would charge if I were to make one for the store, and how much of the cut I would receive. Materials for three skeins of KSH would already be at least $35-$45 depending where I buy them, and let's not even talk about labor, or I'd have to charge about $1,000 for Butterfly. (She also talked about making "neck and wrist ruffles." English is not her native language so I was a little unclear by what she meant, but I bet she's thinking of a ruffly scarf like this, or a wrist cuff like this.)

But as everyone later reminds me, you get a certain kind of shopper in the town of Lenox...The kind that would be willing to be buy cashmere legwarmers for their dogs for those chilly nights by the lake when they go to Doggie Summer Camp. $$ Kaching kaching! $$

In any case, I'm only talking about making one Butterfly, and it would really be for the pure enjoyment of it. And it would give me a fun reason to design a label. Plus, the novelty of having your handknit be displayed in a store, for actual sale and not for show. Handmade with luuuv by domesticat! Buy me!

Addendum: Well no, I should not like to be sued by the scary Rowan lawyers for selling a copyrighted knitwear design. The thought did cross my mind, but it was trumped by the other thought that it's one tiny Butterfly, made with tiny yarn, by one tiny girl, for sale in a tiny store in a tiny town. Can evil exist in such tininess? Now that word is starting to look weird.

Comments [8]
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Monday, July 10, 2006 12:29:55 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
your butterfly IS lovely, and that woman has excellent taste, but please don't forget copyright. it's explained on the very first page of the rowan magazines ... and in the issue with butterfly, the statement is right next to the picture. do some research, find out how much you must change a design to call it your own. i'm not trying to be a party pooper, and i don't know if westminster fibers would actually take action against an infringement, but i do think there would be more satisfaction in selling your own design vs. some else's.
Monday, July 10, 2006 1:21:22 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I was thinking that too...regardless... your butterfly is sooooo pretty!!!
Monday, July 10, 2006 2:14:15 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Ohh I'm so glad she was over the top for your Butterfly. It really is lovely!
Monday, July 10, 2006 3:57:12 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Why is it that non-knitters are normally immune to the beauty of hand knits? It drives me crazy. But butterfly...well, butterfly is special.
Monday, July 10, 2006 10:23:23 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I was in Lenox yesterday!! A friend and I made a special detour off the thruway to visit Colorful Stitches on Main St.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006 2:15:01 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
It really is beautiful...sigh. I want one.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006 6:36:33 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
I must admit, I have been eyeing Butterfly for a while. I am still scared of socks, but strangely, not scared of lace, and all sorts of scarves and shawls and tops like Butterfly entice me. This may just put me over the top. Lovely!
Saturday, July 22, 2006 9:49:23 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
You have inspired me to start the buttefly. It's goin well I hope it come out as pretty as yours.
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