How to Make Money with Knitting in 2023

Are you looking for knitting-related side hustle ideas or perhaps you are dreaming of making a full-time income from your hobby? Below I have listed the top 9 ways to make money with knitting.

1. Sell Patterns

One of the easiest ways to get started with making money with knitting is to sell pdf-knitting patterns. Places you can sell your patterns are for instance Ravelry and Etsy.

You can also sell your patterns to different knitting magazines or yarn companies such as Pom Pom, Laine, Making Stories and the Fiber Co. Usually these companies have a call for submissions a few times per year. Check out their websites for more details.

2. Write a Knitting Blog

The idea behind earning with your blog is to get traffic from Google search, Pinterest, or Facebook for instance, and then you can monetize your traffic with display ads or affiliate marketing.

• Display advertisements are typically one of the first ways bloggers monetize their blogs. The best-known ad network is probably Google Adsense, but I recommend you to get started with Ezoic because earnings via their network are much higher. Getting started with Ezoic is completely free and currently, it’s one of my best sources of income.
• The basic idea of affiliate marketing is that you promote other people’s products, often through an affiliate network, earning a commission if people actually end up buying thanks to your marketing. For instance, if I publish a pattern I usually make a list of recommended yarns and put links to places where one can buy those yarns. If someone buys I get a commission (usually a certain percentage) from the webshop owner at no additional cost to the customer. Here you can find the best affiliate programs for knit and crochet bloggers. You can also do affiliate marketing on social media.

3. Become a Technical Editor

A technical editor is a person who proofreads knitting patterns and checks the math behind them. There are online courses that help you to become a technical editor. You can be a freelance technical editor or you can work also for yarn companies or knitting magazines.

In addition to technical editing, you can also translate or grade the patterns.

4. Write Articles for Knitting Magazines or Websites

In addition to patterns, knitting magazines such as Vogue knitting as well as some knitting-related websites such as Knitty also buy articles related to knitting. Check out the websites of the magazines for more information.

5. Knit Samples

Some knitwear designers and many yarn companies are using sample knitters. It means simply that after they have designed a pattern they give it to the sample knitter who then makes the item for the designer. That sample is used in the photoshoots.

You can find more information on the websites of the yarn companies or by contacting your favorite designers.

6. Start a Youtube Channel

Start a youtube channel. After you have more than 1000 subscribers you can monetize your channel with ads. You can also monetize your channel with affiliate marketing.

A few successful youtube channels to use for inspiration: Knittingtraditions, VeryPink Knits and Fruity Knitting.

7. Sell Finished Items

You can sell your finished items online for instance on Etsy, eBay, or via your own website. Or then you can attend craft shows or ask some local store to take your items for sale.

Check out these successful Etsy shops for inspiration: ArtchyCompany, BigStuffed

8. Teach

You can teach online or locally. You can collaborate with local yarn stores or craft shows.

You can sell your courses online via your own website or via online course platforms such as Udemy or SkillShare.

9. Sell Supplies

Of course, you can always start your own yarn store and make your own hand-dyed yarn or you could start manufacturing your own knitting-related supplies such as stitch markers or sock blockers.

Some Etsy shops for your inspiration: AliceRCrafts, TheZippyZebra, TheYarnJarShop