Knited Kitty bottle cover

by | Usefulness (↓) | Craft (↑) | 0 comment | 1 question

This item is a new, hand knitted cover for a bottle (eg wine or cordial bottle) It has been knitted in two parts - the head is a separate piece from the body so you can insert the bottle. the cover has been given cat features, a tail, ears and embroidered eyes and whiskers.
It had been knitted by a volunteer for the RSPCA charity shop on Paris St Exeter where I bought it from.

Where and how is it used?

It was given by me as a birthday present to my aunt who likes cats and bottles.

What did you or someone else pay for it?

I paid £3.00

Why do you want to add it to the museum?

I've added Kitty to the museum as that shopping trip hi-lighted some interesting perceptions around the value of hand made items and makers. The sales assistant who sold me kitty felt that the item was over priced, she suggested that £1.00 would in her opinion better reflect the value of the item, pointing out some of the 'defects' of this hand made item. This contrasted with the comment from a shop keeper and independent, designer- maker from whom I later bought a hand printed card . The card was also £3.00 but she on the other hand felt she needed to promote the card's hand - madeness as a justification for it's cost.


How was it made?

Is made in a factory

Is farmed

Is mass-produced

Is produced by local cottage industry

Is made to particular specifications

Is craft / hand-made

Is foraged

Is found

Is colonised

Is a service


Materials & Making

Who made or produced your commodity?

A volunteer for The Little Valley Animal Centre (RSPCA)

Who was paid to make it?

no one

What skills does it take to make it?

to be able to knit and follow a pattern

Where was it made?

Locally in or around Exeter

What does it cost to make it?

made from left over or recycled yarn so negligable cost

What is it made from?

Buying & Owning

Who decides how much it costs?

The charity shop manager

Who or what assesses its quality?

The charity shop manager and other staff

Where is it sold?

RSPCA charity shop Paris St Exeter

Who or what sells it?

RSPCA charity

How did this thing arrive from where it was made to where you got it?

A volunteer knitted it in her home and then took it into the shop

Where is it used?

It is used by my aunt as a fun bottle cover probably on a bottle of wine when she has friends over.

Where is it kept?

Not sure

How and by whom is it cared for?

Kitty is probably very low maintinance but if my aunt needed to kitty could be washed

How long will it last?

it should last at least a couple of decades

Where will it go when it's finished with?

When my aunt has finished with it it will probably go back to a charity shop

What is it worth?

every penny of the £3.00 I paid for it


How do you and others value this commodity?

See the values contributed by visitors and those of the donor. And add your own values to this commodity.

Total times valued1
Positive (↑)Craft
Negative (↓)Usefulness
Overall Positive122
Overall Negative-18
Controversy70 (0 = most controversial)
  

What do these numbers mean?

This data that we have collected over time in our database means nothing without interpretation. A relational database, which we are using here, is technology that enables designers of websites and software to compare, contrast, interrogate and infer relations within data. The act of designing a database is not objective but driven by the agency of its creators and owners.

Within the MoCC Collection data is used to help think through the relations between values, commodities and data. Can we describe our values using sliders and numbers? How do we infer meaning such as controversy from data?

Below is a brief explanation of the some calculations and how these help make decisions about what is shown on the site.

  • Controversy Score:
    (Total Positive Values) + (Total Negative Values)

    The closer the value is to zero the more controversial it is in relation to other commodities. Used to infer that values associated with one commodity divide opinion more than another.

  • Average Value Score (used in the sliders):
    (Total Positive for Value + Total Negative for Value) ÷ Total Times Valued

    Used to infer a collective value associated with a commodity.

How do you value this commodity?

To add your own values click VALUE THIS COMMODITY and move the sliders left and right to add your own values - then click SUBMIT
show donor's original values
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Questions and answers

Help to reveal unknown quantities, properties and uses of this commodity by answering this MoCC curator's questions.

Question: Why did the sales assistant in the charity shop question the £3.00 being charged for Kitty when it would clearly have taken her colleague a few hours to make and deliver the item to the shop?

Answers:

Yes, it probably works out at about 10% of minimum wage if you're lucky. People don't value the time it takes to make handmade things. Perceptions of value seem to have been eroded by mass-production and inhumane labour markets around the world.

by dcarpenter on April 25th at 2:06pm

People see charity shop as a cheap option and forget that it is for charity. I once witness a woman (in Topsham) try to haggle on the price of a mirror... the hag

by charliecoldfield on May 5th at 2:13pm

Conversation

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