Ella of Red Bean Dream
A designer talks about the yin and yang of selling her crochet and knit garments
By Anna Hou
Red Bean Dream Online Shop | Ella Hou | Instagram | Anna Hou Instagram
Red Bean Dream is a passion project run by sister duo Anna and Ella Hou. Anna oversees the vintage and secondhand side of the brand, while Ella focuses on fiber arts. It all began when Anna encouraged Ella to start posting her crochet projects on social media during the pandemic. Ella’s Instagram account has garnered 28.5K followers to date, and she now sells her original crochet and knit garments and patterns. She has a lot to say about the challenges of assigning a price to handmade work!
Anna Hou: What is the inspiration behind the name Red Bean Dream?
Ella Hou: The name Red Bean Dream was inspired by one of your favorite novels, but for me, it signifies good luck as the color red is lucky in Chinese and other Asian cultures. Amongst other things, red bean is a common ingredient in Asian sweets (it appears in buns, moon cakes, mochi, taiyaki, etc). Sekihan (red bean rice) is a celebratory dish in Japan. These elements all convey the message of my work: to celebrate supporting ethical and sustainable slow fashion while looking like a little treat and carrying luck around with you wherever you go. It's kind of cheesy, but that's the raw meaning.
The back of an earlier iteration of Ella’s ying yang sweater, inspired by Chongyun from Genshin Impact. In this version, the character on the back（紅）means “red” and comes from Red Bean Dream.
AH: What inspires your work?
EH: My work is mainly inspired by games and anime. For example, the yin yang vest and sweater were both inspired by a video game character named Chongyun whose idle animation shows him configuring a yin yang symbol using talismans. In the latest version of my ying yang line, the Chinese character on the back of the vest and sweater is the second character of Chongyun’s name: yun (which means cloud). Other than that, my work is inspired by cute things: a patch of strawberries, characters from my childhood (Sanrio charas), and cute motifs (e.g., hearts). I’m also super into cottagecore so some of my other works have been influenced by that style.
Ella’s first dress design, the Picnic Dress.
AH: Considering your heritage/ethnicity and your interest in ethical fashion, what are your thoughts on people in the US and other Western countries referring to things made in Asia as poorly made?
EH: There is an obvious stigma around items made in Asia, and the “Made in China” tag comes with the preconceived idea that the item is low-quality. However, this is not entirely true. Fast-fashion and luxury brands both take advantage of low labor costs by manufacturing their products in China. The consumer assumes that something made in Asia is low quality based on labor costs, without considering that these items are made by highly skilled workers who are not being paid enough.
It’s best not to assume that everything made in Asia is of low quality; there are plenty of brands within the US whose products are made in China (e.g., Chunks) and also indie brands based in China whose practices yield high quality products.
AH: How did you get into crocheting and knitting?
EH: Red Bean Dream started off as a quarantine hobby when classes were put on a hold for a few months. Back in high school, I learned how to crochet a scarf from one of my teachers, and when I found the same unfinished scarf and crochet hook, I decided to reuse the yarn to make something for my furbaby out of boredom. Fast forward a month, and I thought: Why not try making clothes for humans? I started off making the classic granny square cardigan by watching a Youtube video, and now I make my own designs.
The structure and methods of crochet and knitting are quite different, so the idea of knitting was daunting to me at first. But after a bunch of practice (and trial and error), I was able to make my first patchwork knit sweater before branching out to cardigans, hand warmers, etc. I really enjoy both fiber arts now.
Pickle in an anime-inspired crochet sailor sweater designed by Ella.
AH: Is it possible to reuse the yarn multiple times if you don't like the results? What was your specific process when learning?
EH: Yes! You can definitely reuse yarn. Whenever I don’t like what I’m making, I end up “frogging” (i.e., undoing) the entire thing. At first, it was super painful because, for example, frogging an entire sweater can take up to five hours! However, it’s inevitable even when you’re more experienced. The good thing is that you end up learning different techniques and skills when it comes to construction.
AH: What have you learned about these two arts that surprises you the most?
EH: The amount of time it takes to crochet and hand-knit something is surprising. Making your own knitwear (or making knitted items for others) is a true labor of love. Most people outside the knitting community would balk at a $100 wool sweater, but, in reality, if you were to hand-knit that sweater yourself, that money would probably only cover the cost of materials. Now, assuming it takes you at least 20 hours to knit a sweater from scratch and your labor cost is $10/hour, that would add another $200, for a total value of $300.
That’s partially why I stopped buying so much fast fashion; there is no way a sweater should cost less than $30, even if it’s made of cheaper materials like acrylic and it’s machine knit. There’s still someone operating that machine. Human labor goes into everything. All clothing is practically handmade, but not everything is made with ethical practices and sustainable materials/fibers.
AH: What’s one common misconception within the crochet and knit community that you want to shed light on?
EH: I’m just going to say it: People expect patterns to be less than $5 (or even free!) and this makes me fume, haha. My patterns range from $6 to $20, depending on the complexity of the project. To me, patterns are blueprints, and you learn so, so much from them. You learn how an idea and a design is translated into a tangible object, from the step-by-step construction to the specific styles and techniques the artists employ. Also, the stress of wondering whether a garment will fit is significantly reduced when you follow a graded pattern, because sizing has already been tested. So, in my opinion, the work that goes into making patterns shouldn’t be devalued just because you aren’t getting a physical product (right away).
A recent version of Ella’s ying yang sweater which also has a pattern
AH: Could you walk us through your process for designing a pattern?
EH: Some designers prefer writing their patterns solely made-to-measure. People reading them will have to take their own body measurements, find their gauge, and do the math to figure out how many stitches they need to knit/crochet for every part of the garment. I prefer grading my pattern (giving exact stitch counts for multiple sizes), although I also provide made-to-measure instructions. This is because graded patterns are more beginner-friendly and leave less room for error, and I don’t want those who purchase my patterns to have an exceedingly difficult time while working on their project.
I also follow a testing process where I send my pattern out to crocheters or knitters with different body types so I can be sure my design works for everyone (I am only one size, unfortunately, haha). They give me feedback on things like the readability of the pattern (e.g., format, wording, typos, technique, math errors) as well as whether or not the design fits them well. After testing, I fix issues with the pattern’s format and aesthetics as well as issues with the fit if there are any.
What I just described can mean months of trial and error, so, overall, the effort it takes to create a pattern exceeds the effort needed to make something. It’s an arduous process but every minute is worth it!
AH: Some pattern makers specify in their terms of use that commercialization of the physical items based on their patterns is restricted. Additionally, they may request to be credited when customer's share images of their work on social media. Many customers regard these terms as courtesy and debate whether the pattern maker should share credit for their handmade work/labor. What are your thoughts on this issue?
EH: There’s much discussion within the fiber arts community regarding patternmaker’s terms of use (the comment section of this article is a great example), but a common thread is that most designers request to be credited for their design work, even if they didn’t make the final “tangible” garment. Legally a patternmaker’s terms of use are difficult to enforce, but I think that honoring them goes beyond a mere courtesy. It is important to give visibility to the time and work behind the original pattern. Buying a pattern and hand making the item does not make the design yours.
If you don’t agree with a designer’s requests, it’s better to not buy the pattern. There are so many other patterns out there that you may purchase with terms of use that suit your needs and principles.
AH: Have you experienced people using your images or designs without permission or honoring your terms?
EH: Yes, including those who have copied my work (to the point where it is very obvious) and mass-produced it. One major fast fashion brand has done this multiple times. It’s frustrating because I am only one person, so there is no way I can control all of this.
Left: Ella’s check vest. Right: A screenshot of a suspiciously similar vest from a fast fashion website.
AH: A lot of artists don’t like to talk about their pricing structure. Could you talk us through your price breakdown and explain how you arrive at the retail price for your crochet or knit garments?
EH: There are three main things I consider when pricing my items, which I believe is the bare minimum: (1) cost of materials, (2) time it takes to make something (i.e., labor), and (3) transaction fees (e.g., stripe, PayPal, website hosting fees, website commission fees). I can give you a quick price breakdown for my yin yang vest:
Cost of materials = $20 (for 10 skeins of 100% cotton yarn)
Time it takes to make the item = 10 hours. I charge $10/hour
Transaction fees = (very roughly) $5 per item
Of course, this is literally the bare minimum. Should I charge for packaging? Yes. Should I charge for the realization of the design? Yes. Should I charge for skill? Yes. Should I have some kind of profit margin? Yes. But I don’t do this (which, by the way, is mean to myself and not self-love), because I already realize that my pieces at this bare minimum price ($125) are very, very expensive to many people. That is fast-fashion’s fault; the industry makes people believe that every item of clothing should be dirt cheap. It’s an ongoing struggle with pricing.
AH: How common is it for people to buy your items at the set price without haggling?
EH: When I first started my account and experienced my first drop, almost every person who showed interest in the items sent me an offer to buy a piece at a lower price. Which is really discouraging! I used to sell sweaters that took me over 20 hours to make for $100 or less. I was paying myself less than the minimum wage where I live. Now, I don’t accept offers. The only physical items that I sell at a lower price are sample pieces that I’ve created during the design process of a particular item.
In general, though, I understand that most indie brands are inaccessible to those who are not financially privileged. Most designers, small businesses, and indie brands aren’t trying to be classist, ignorant, or entitled. They’re just trying to make a living, which you can’t do if you are paying yourself way less than what your art is worth. Unfortunately, we live in a capitalistic society and we need to make money in order to live.
I personally don’t ever shame anyone for shopping fast fashion. The only issue is if you’re blowing, for example, $200 on Shein every season just because you can. That is overconsumption. Try, instead, only purchasing items that you need (e.g., a suit for an interview or your job, or a set of new tees because the ones you have are threadbare, stained, or too old). Or try shopping second hand online or at your local thrift. I also recommend saving to purchase from sustainable and ethical brands. In my opinion, there’s a more sustainable and ethical way to shop for every budget.
AH: How do you feel about capitalizing your hobbies after running Red Bean Dream for about 2 years?
EH: Crochet and knit is definitely not something I do for a living. Making it my job would lead to lots of burnout, stress, and potentially hating my hobby, which would be quite sad because then something that acts as a catharsis ends up being the opposite. However, I don’t have any negative feelings about capitalizing off of my hobby. Taking commissions is always very taxing, so I haven’t taken one in over a year, but I enjoy writing patterns to some extent. Selling patterns is something I see myself doing for probably the rest of my life.
AH: Considering how much work, creativity and generosity is involved in writing and selling patterns, what is it about pattern making that you find particularly rewarding?
EH: It exposes other people to slow fashion! Beginner crocheters have messaged me to share that after using one of my patterns to crochet for the first time, they're shocked at how much time and effort it takes to make something. Also, I feel super happy when someone makes something from one of my patterns. It's satisfying to see a design that was once an idea in your head come to life multiple times.
Last updated: May 26, 2022
[Slow Notion credits]
Editor: Iris Aguilar | Designer: Haley Burson | Photographer: Ella Hou and Anna Hou | Social Media Strategist: Elise Nye | Copywriter: Karrie Witkin | Copy Editor: Katie Frankowitz | Proofreader: Meg Chellew
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