Nope, not my name. It was my grandmother's name, actually. Elsa is known as Grandma around here. A wonderful woman who died in the summer of 2003, she left me with all her knitting and crochet paraphernalia and huge shoes to fill. She was the inspiration for this venture and is dearly missed.
Going through old pictures of my father's this summer I found the following picture - my great grandmother knitting. It's all genetic!
So, how do I get in touch with you?
You could always call me, but I'm not taking applications for stalkers at the moment. I'd stick to just e-mailing me at EK@ElsaKnits.com.
Is everything really handmade?
Why yes, yes it is. Thanks for asking. Many things you see on the site have already been sold and are made once you order. If you're into "positive thinking" and all that jazz, you would see that it's actually to your advantage. Want a darker color? Different handles? Have a head that rivals Conan O'Brien's?
I can make all the changes you want.
.I think you're incredibly talented and so I ordered something. How long do I have to wait? I'm not sure I can live deprived of such artistry.
Easy now, young grasshopper. If you ordered something with the stamp of "ready to ship", you should receive your item in up to two weeks time. If your order was a custom order, it could be anywhere from two weeks to eight. Please contact me if you need it sooner rather than later. I do have a life outside of this, you know.
(please stifle all laughter)
I live outside the US. Where's the love?
Oh baby, there's puh-lenty of love - especially if you have an accent (Canadians need not apply).
I do ask that you contact me separately before ordering though, so we can figure out a date we're both free...er...the correct exchange rate.
Is S&H included or do I
have to figure it out on
my own like on e-Bay?
Stop reaching for the calculator, chief. If you live in the US, you can breathe easy; no difficult elementary-school addition for you today. S&H is included in all prices.
I got it! I got it! ...now what do I do?
You mean besides show it off and get showered with compliments? Send me a photo and a quote for the Flaunt It page! I love feedback and you get to be an Internet star, so it's a circle of winning.
I obviously love everything I see here, but I have an idea for something else. Will you make it for me?
Of course! Just submit your idea and I'll see what I can do. Because of my schedule, I'm unable to fill all custom requests, but I'll always get back to you quickly!
What do you use to make everything?
A variety of fibers. Mainly wool, cotton and acrylics. Here's the deal: sheep aren't treated the best in a mass production situation. At the same time, acrylics are bad for the environment and cotton isn't the best either. There's no relatively inexpensive yarn that doesn't piss someone off, basically. But I do take requests!
Yuh huh. I'll take your money any way you want to throw it at me - except personal checks. Concealed cash is sent at your own risk. Contact me if you need to use something other than PayPal. But seriously, get with the program, bud.
(Did you know? You can pay with a credit card through paypal even if you don't have an account.)
Though some who know me may say differently. They're totally just jealous, though.
What does "*one of a kind" mean?
It means that the yarn is crazy-expensive
or hard to get at and therefore unless you ask very nicely, the product will only be
reproduced in acrylic or an otherwise
different yarn.
How do you figure out prices?
It's simple math, really.
I get paid by the hour, just as if I was doing a 9 - 5 job. Only, I screw myself over on most products and don't even get minimum wage.
The basic equation:
(hours spent creating x $5) + materials + s&h = the price
And that is why you will never see a sweater for sale on this site. It would cost somewhere around $300, and that's if I used hugely bulky yarn and developed carpal tunnel whipping it off.
You may notice that this is probably the only serious piece on the site - that's because it's hard for people who don't do crafts to understand where the higher prices on handmade goods come from, and I want to make sure it's clear and not wrapped up in smartass-ery. You're paying for my time - quality time. If you're worth $5.25 flipping burgers, I should hope I'm worth at least $5 creating something of quality and providing good customer service. Many other knitters and crocheters I bop around with think I'm insane for charging such low prices.
Take Yo Ho Ho, for example - it took me more than ten hours to knit that, then more time to felt it, and because it uses wool, the materials are more expensive. So if I were to charge full price for it, it would be around $115. But this is no boutique in NYC, so I know there's not a Krispy Kreme's chance in Weight Watchers that I'm going to make that much off it. So I pretend it only took me seven hours to create in order to live with myself. If I were to charge what my time is really worth - give or take $10 an hour, factoring in my experience and skill level - you can only imagine what the prices would be like.
So, in conclusion - my prices aren't too high. They're too low. I recommend selling younger siblings for their livers and turning to a life of rodeo-clowning in order to pay for the items you simply must have. That, or wait for the upcoming sale page, from which I will sell my soul further.
