Police tape and element spectrum scarves

Over at our new Boing Boing Bazaar in the Makers Market, crafter Becky Stern is selling fun, hand-knitted machine-knit by hand police tape scarves for $75. She also makes custom "Emission Spectrum" scarves of any element, starting at $100 for basic spectra like oxygen. Above right is hardware hacker Limor Fried sporting a Silicon spectrum scarf. Sternlab at the Makers Market

• [Anonymous]

  @Snipeyhead: Handmade is always more expensive because it’s more worth the money. Someone actually spent their time making it, and making it well. Things made by a machine will always be cheaper and of lower quality.

  In any case, it’s important to note that Stern is still rediculously overcharging, and it’s not even her original idea. I can make scarves of that same difficulty level for much cheaper than that. But on the other hand, props to her if she can get people to pay $100+ for a relatively uncomplicated knitted scarf.

  • [dculberson]

    “I can make scarves of that same difficulty level for much cheaper than that.”

    I should hope so! Or do you mean you would be willing to make them and sell them for cheaper than that?

• [bekathwia]

  Thanks for sharing my scarves, David! I make these on my knitting machine, so it’s fair to say these are “machine knit by hand.”

• [BookGuy]

  These scarves are so warm you can go out in the snow wearing a sleeveless top!

• [Anonymous]

  I think the spectrum thing is pretty cool.

  I wonder if you can submit organic molecules and they’ll GC/MS them to produce a scarf based on idk, your DNA or something. That’d be boss.

• [Cildar]

  Oh my god… Ron Weasley stole police tape!

• [unicornsfillmewithdread]

  prior art for police tape:
  Crime of Fashion

• [Moriarty]

  I like the emissions spectrum ones. Low key nerd signalling.

• [snipeyhead]

  @Anonymous, @David_Pescovitz – I’m all for supporting artists (I am one, and so is my spouse), but $75 for a scarf is just not gonna happen, especially these days. I personally think the ones on PK look nicer as well, but was posting the link as an alternative for folks that want one but just can’t afford the handmade version. Readers are obviously welcome to choose which one they want to buy, but knowing there are other options is important.

• [insert]

  Pardon me for knitpicking (haha, sorry), but what does it mean to be “machine knit by hand” as opposed to “machine knit” normally…?

  • [bekathwia]

    It means it wasn’t machine knit in a factory by overseas garment workers, like the ones linked in the first comment. My knitting machine is sorta a relic, it’s from the 80s and not the easiest thing to use. Props to y’all for proposing I drop my prices, but there’s more to it than just the work. There’s the ordering and shipping of supplies, the cut that paypal/makers market takes, there’s the upkeep of my equipment, etc. And then there’s the idea that it should be worth my while to make them without becoming a sweatshop laborer in my own studio! =] My goal is not to sell millions, so if it’s out of your range, just don’t buy it. If you want to check out the machine in action, check out this CRAFT Video: http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/03/craft_video_machineknitted_qr.html

• [Caroline]

  Consider the value of time when thinking about what these scarves are worth, too. How long would it take you to knit it? What is your time worth? And would you have come up with these designs? How long would the designs have taken you?

• [Sijay]

  As I was clicking thru another link, the corner of my eye read this headline as being about an elephant speculum.

  So, there you go.

• [bekathwia]

  True that, Caroline! I also have been releasing PDF patterns of the elements I knit, so you can make your own if you wish! http://sternlab.org/2010/02/emission-spectra-scarves/

• [Anonymous]

  http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/09/how-to_knit_caution_tape.html

• [kpurcell]

  Thanks Becky. That is a manual machine in my book! Bet your arm is tired.

• [snipeyhead]

  Or you could spend $15 at PerpetualKid.Com:
  http://www.perpetualkid.com/fuzz-crime-scene-scarf.aspx

  • [David Pescovitz]

    Sure! Or you could support an independent artist who is making one, that looks way better, just for you.