Selling Knitted Items On Etsy -Step by Step Plan [2024]

Are you finding it hard to sell your knitted goods on Etsy? Selling knitted items on Etsy can be challenging, especially with many sellers offering all sorts of knitted products.

I’ve been slowly figuring out how Etsy works from a business perspective as lately, I have been helping my sister to set up her Etsy store. 

You can check out her new Etsy store here!

As I was doing my research, I realized many people face the same struggles when they first start their Etsy journey. 

I ALSO noticed that knitwear is a thing! There are some gorgeous knitted products out there on Etsy!

Since I was coming up with tips and tricks for my sister’s store anyway, I thought I would share them with you as you embark on your Etsy journey, too! 

Standing out can take a lot of work, but don’t worry because you can always find your space on Etsy and give your beautifully designed knitted product the limelight it deserves.

In this article, you can find tips and guides to help you successfully sell your knitted goods on Etsy. 

There is also a section on how to do product research to see what knitted items sell best on Etsy.

So, let’s dive right in.

Summary

• Tips And Guide To Successfully Start Selling Knitted Items On Etsy
• How To Do Product Research For Your Etsy Knit Shop
• Best Knitting Projects To Sell On Etsy
• FAQs On Selling Knitted Items On Etsy

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Tips And Guide To Successfully Start Selling Knitted Items On Etsy

1. Show What Makes Your Etsy Shop Unique

When selling hand knit items on Etsy, remember to highlight what makes your store unique. 

Are you knitting cute lookalike pets for your customers? Then, build your brand on this! People love animals, and they love their pets even more.

Include your story of how you started knitting and what it means to you to create these custom pieces. Put your personal touch on your About page and listing descriptions. 

You can flaunt your work in your photography, where you put side-by-side pictures of your knit and the pet that inspired it.

Making your store stand out can take you a long way. Creating a unique brand that feels personalized to your craft can help you sell hand knit items online on Etsy.

2. Invest in Photography And Styling 

Another big tip is taking great photos! Gone are the days of having awkward low-res product pictures that get pixelated and blurry. 

High-quality photos with an almost editorial style will increase the knitted product’s perceived value, making it more appealing.

Here are some pro tips for good product photography:

• Utilize your smartphone’s powerful camera lenses and settings.
• Use a tripod for photo consistency.
• Take photos with good lighting.
• Use a bounce card to soften the shadow.
• Emphasize the product with a sweep or portrait mode.
• Take a variety of photos.

You can still take simple product photos with a good background. Just make sure not to clutter the pictures with unnecessary things. 

This way, shoppers can see the product clearly and know what they are purchasing.

High-quality knit photos can help you stand out in a competitive marketplace like Etsy. Investing in better product pictures can attract more viewers and increase sales.

3. Plan Ahead

It might be weird to start knitting warm and cozy sweaters in the heat of summer. I know you are thinking, who even needs an alpaca wool blanket in an 80-degree summer, and can you make money knitting in the warmer months? 

Well, it’s about planning your inventory and ensuring you have enough stock for the colder season. 

Also, do not limit yourself to just your location’s current season. 

If you offer international shipping, you have opened up your market globally that has different seasons from yours, so your knits can be sold throughout the year.

Planning ahead and securing your stocks will save you the headache of rush orders, especially during the holidays. 

So make sure you plan an entire season ahead when offering hand-knitted items for sale on Etsy.

4. Details Matter

I love shopping online. It’s the best! You get to sit on your couch and scroll all the items you need and want in a big baggy shirt at home.

But the flip side is I can’t feel, touch, or try anything I want beforehand. And I have to rely on limited details provided by the seller. 

So, when listing your knitted items on Etsy, be sure to load up on all the details.

Describe the fit and feel of your knits, including the type of yarn you used, put in measurements (local and international sizing), and care instructions. 

The more details, the better, as shoppers will have a clear idea of what they purchase.

5. Follow Etsy’s Advice 

When selling knitted items online on Etsy, be sure to follow the house rules. 

Meeting the platform’s service level standard means you are providing excellent customer service and thus maintaining trust with your customers.

Etsy will always return the most relevant matches to its users on Etsy search. Take advantage of the different factors that Etsy uses to rank on its site. 

This will organically attract more viewers and potential buyers to your store. 

So make a checklist, and be sure your knitting store follows Etsy’s ranking factors:

• Relevancy
• Listing Quality Score
• Recency
• Customer & Market Experience Score
• Shipping Price
• Translations, Location, and Language
• Frequency Capping
• Context Specific Ranking

6. Connect With The Etsy Community

The knitting community on Etsy is huge! You can promote each other’s shops, collaborate, exchange expertise, and even solve problems.

Joining a community will not only expand the reach of your store, but it will also make your knitting journey less lonely. 

Here, you can discuss anything from the pain points of your business and how to solve them, find rare yarn, share knitting patterns, and more.

You can also reach and engage a larger knitwear community on social media to support your Etsy store.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

7. Be Honest About Your Materials

When selling your knits, it is important to disclose and stand by the type of yarn and material used. 

Never mislead or short-sell your buyers with anything less than what you disclosed.

Explain the reason behind the materials you use, whether from bamboo fibers, animal fibers, or acrylic. There will always be a market for knits from all sources of materials. 

So, just be honest with your materials and highlight why you use the yarn to attract your audience. 

8. Title Your Listing Appropriately 

Titles can improve your search ranking on Etsy. Go with a short and easy-to-understand title. 

When you place your important keywords first, you will get more clicks and sales as it will quickly match a shopper’s query.

A short and clear title makes it easier for shoppers to see when scanning for things. 

You can be descriptive, but don’t make the title too long or repeat the same words repeatedly; this is spammy and will confuse your buyers. 

For example, a long title is “Personalized monogram for special occasions and gift knit sweater for buyers personalization.” 

Instead, go for “Personalised Monogrammed knit sweater gift”. You still have important keywords, and buyers can understand the title quickly.

9. Fill In Your Tags

You will see a tag option under the listing details when creating your listing. 

Tags can be used to match a shopper’s search, so make sure to use all 13 tags to describe your knits.

Use your tags to answer questions like who it is for, what style and size it is, what material is used, the main color of the item, and the technique used to make it. 

You can also use synonyms and regional phrases. Avoid repeating tags for the same description. All 13 should be unique and describe different things about your item. 

You also want to spell-check your tags before listing your knits and use the same language chosen when setting up your shop.

10. Reach Out And Accept Feedback From Your Customers

In a competitive marketplace like Etsy, you must provide excellent customer service. Good reviews from your store will build up your reputation on Etsy.

It is also important to reach out to your customers to get feedback. 

In their package, you can insert a note thanking your customers for their support and asking for feedback and a review of your shop. 

If you have the budget, add small gifts like stickers or coupons for your store as a gesture to your customers. 

Excellent customer service will always encourage repeat customers and give your store a good reputation for new ones.

How To Do Product Research For Your Etsy Knit Shop

If you are starting a new knitting project to sell on Etsy, you need to do some product research. Let’s say you want to sell knitted blankets with cat-shaped hoodies on top. 

Before you start pouring your heart and soul into making those blankets, see if there is a market for them on Etsy. 

After all, the project’s main purpose is to sell it and how to make money selling blankets if no one buys them. 

Step 1: Researching Target Keyword Phrase 

Keywords are words and phrases that describe your product. You need to research this to analyze what terms people use to look for things on Etsy or any other search engine. 

You want to target keyword phrase that is highly searched on Etsy. Some of the SEO tools that you can use to do this research are:

• Sale Samurai
• KeySearch
• Maramalead

Step 2: Analyze Successful Listings

After you find your target keyword, go to Etsy to analyze the successful listings under that keyword.

To do this, you will need to type the keyword in the search bar and filter for best-sellers. 

You will want to observe sellers with popular now or star seller badges, which means these listings are selling well. 

The goal is to take inspiration from these listings to create a project or listing with best-seller potential. 

You want to keep an eye out for the elements that make these listings best sellers. Look at their style, material, and colors, as well as the photos that work well for these listings.

Step 3: Learn From Best Selling Listings

Take a closer look at one or two listings and click on them to see how many photo slots have this seller used. 

Most likely, the seller will use all of them as buyers will want to see the products from different angles.

Observe the lighting, background, and surface used to take photos of their products, and see if some pictures are stage or simple. 

Staging helps buyers imagine and visualize how it would look in their lives and may intrigue them to buy the product.

Again, you want to be inspired by these buyers rather than flat-out copying them. Always add your own twist to your listings.

Step 4: Title And Description

Examine the listing’s title to see the keyword phrase used. Commas should separate long titles to make it easier to read and for Etsy to register what the listing is for.

Also, look at the description to see which keywords were included and details about the product, such as dimension and size, and other useful information.

Step 5: 5-Star Reviews

Look at the 5-star customer reviews. Here, you will get an idea of what customers look for when searching for items. 

It will tell you what you can do to make the customers happy, like improving the quality of the product, adding a unique style, or offering fast shipping and secure packaging.

After you have completed these steps, you will be able to determine what knitting project and product you can sell on Etsy and start knitting to your heart’s content.

Best Knitting Projects To Sell On Etsy

If you are looking for knitting projects to stock up on your Etsy shop, I have just the thing for you. Here is a list of the best knitting projects you can start selling on Etsy. 

1. Boot Cuffs And Toppers 

Something quick and easy to knit is Boot Cuffs. 

They can be made with straight knitting needles using basic knitting stitches, but you can use other techniques like a lace pattern or double-pointed needle cabling techniques to make boot cuffs. 

2. Hats and Headbands

Hats and headbands are popular knits on Etsy. 

They are favorites among women and moms who buy them for themselves or as gifts. They are fairly easy to make, and you can whip one out in under two hours. 

Photo by Meg MacDonald on Unsplash

3. Home Decor

Home decor items like pillowcases, placemats, and throw blankets are great products to stock up on in your Etsy store. 

The patterns are more straightforward to make compared to clothing.

4. Kitchen Items

Kitchen clothes are aesthetically pleasing and can be sold as a zero-waste solution. Other kitchen things that can be knitted are kettle cozy, oven mitts, and coasters. 

5. Scarves

Another Etsy favorite is scarves. You can make these in all sorts of patterns and design them to fit your Etsy shop’s niche. 

6. Small Toys

Great for gifting for baby showers or people of all ages. I love myself a cute handmade plushie. 

These pieces may take longer to knit, but you can put a higher price on these handmade items as buyers will be willing to pay for high-quality hand-knitted toys.

If you need to figure out exactly how to make these knits, you can always follow patterns from other people. 

There are tons of free and paid patterns that you can use, and you don’t have to worry about copyright. 

Selling knitted items from patterns is legal because instructions have no automatic copyright. 

FAQs On Selling Knitted Items On Etsy

Do Knitted Items Sell On Etsy?

Do knitted items sell on Etsy? Absolutely! Knitting and crochet sellers on Etsy offer a wide range of products, from simple potholders to elaborate machine-knit masterpieces.

Sellers are able to sell all sorts of unique handmade pieces on Etsy, from baby blankets and woolly hats to mug coasters and even knitted dolls.

What Knit Items Sells Best On Etsy?

Are you starting a knit project and want to know what knit items sell best on Etsy? Here is a list of best-selling knitted items on Etsy:

• Knitted Mermaid Outfit
• Knitted Hat With Large Pom Pom
• Neutral Chunky Knit Hat
• Chunky Knit Neck Scarf
• Cozy Black Knit Cardigan 
• Winter Poncho 
• Ruana Wrap Shawl 
• Kimono Jacket

How Much Should I Sell My Knitted Items For?

When figuring out how much I should sell my knitted items, you should know that professional knitting is charged per stitch or yards of yarn, not per hour.

A common way to calculate the retail price is by doubling the cost of making the knit with the materials used.

Can You Sell Knitted Items From Someone Else’s Pattern?

Want to know if you can sell knitted items from someone else’s pattern? 

Yes, you will probably be able to sell items based on a knitting pattern, as copyright law only applies to pattern distribution. 

There is no automatic copyright on instructions, as it would be useless to buy a pattern and not be able to use it.

Selling Knitted Items On Etsy – Time To Knit Away!

Now that you know the tips and tricks for getting your Etsy shop noticed, your wonderful knits will have a better chance of being discovered and bought. 

Selling knitted items on Etsy can be a challenge, but with the right strategy, you will be able to make those sales in no time.

Remember that you can find your space on Etsy, so keep working on your unique knits!

I hope this article has given you some helpful pointers and made you feel more pumped to continue your Etsy knit store.

Wishing you the best of luck!

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