When starting a home knitting and embroidery business, equipping yourself with the right tools of the trade will make all the difference to your success.
One of the most important tools is your needle. For needlepoint, you want a blunt, tapered needle with a large, elongated eye for easy threading. The larger the needle size the larger the canvas holes it needs, so you may want to keep a variety of sizes on hand if you are doing many different types of projects. A properly sized needle will accommodate the thread size needed and easily pass through the project.
For knitting, you will also want to have a variety of needles on hand depending on your project. Needles come in a variety of different shapes and sizes depending on the project needs. You can also choose a needle material that is most comfortable for you. Some of the most popular are wood, plastic and metal.
At this time, it may be helpful to decide what type of finished projects you plan to use. Do you plan on specializing in and selling the same exact product with only color variations or do you plan on offering a variety of styles and letting the client custom order what they want? This will make a major difference in the materials you need. If you are planning to do only color variations, your money will be better spent on thread or yarn in a variety of colors. If you plan on offering a variety of styles, it may be better to buy a variety of patterns now and then purchase materials on an as needed basis.
Next, you will need to choose the type of thread or yarn that you will use for your project. These can range from the super fine used for tiny details to course, springy thread used for making rugs, to fancy ribbons used in embellishments. Keep colors simple in your projects for best results since too many colors may cause the finished project to look too busy or cluttered. When purchasing thread and yarn, make sure to check the lot numbers and buy enough yarn in the same lot to finish the project. It may be prudent to buy some extra as well, to use in the case of errors or repairs. Colors may vary slightly from lot to lot, and using two different lots may cause noticeable imperfections in your finished project.
You will also want to get any patterns necessary for multiple projects. For example, if your business idea is to knit ponchos, you will want to get patterns in different stripes or designs. If you plan to embroider throw pillows, you will need a variety of patterns or designs to stitch. Pattern books can be purchased at many craft stores or online with many websites offering free pattern downloads. You may have to resize patterns to make them appropriately sized for the project you choose.
Along similar lines, you will also need to have on hand any additional supplies that you need to complete your projects. For example, you may need extra canvases for needlepoint projects. If you are planning on embroidering sweatshirts, you will need a supply of sweatshirts in multiple sizes.
Once you have the craft supplies down, you may also want to think about the business end of things. Many people find it helpful to separate their business from their personal life. This may include getting a separate bank account or Paypal account for purchases, a separate email address or telephone number for people to contact you with, and/or a separate mailing address or P.O. box to ship things to and from. This will make it easier to keep items separate and organized. You may also consider creating a home office space where you do your work and process orders. The neater and better organized your space, the smoother things will run. Another helpful option is to get some record keeping software for your computer. This can be used to keep track of earnings and expenditures, as well as create invoices and receipts for purchases.
With the rights tools of the trade together with a little work and a lot of organization, you can have your home knitting or embroidery business set up in no time at all.