What YouTube Paid Me: First Year Channel Stats & Earnings | KNITTING PODCAST | Episode 28

[@AliMakesEverything]

UPDATE: It looks like Canadian creators are actually able to get that tax withholding refunded and stopped on future deposits! In my previous research I hadn't found anything suggesting that it was possible to avoid, but a few comments encouraged me to do some more digging and I found a useful Reddit thread: www.reddit.com/r/PartneredKZbin/comments/qqos6e/canadian_youtubers_i_have_a_question_re_adsense/ Hoping to see a refund soon!

[@caillemac]

Thanks for being so transparent about financials. I find I really enjoy your content for that reason. Breaking down cost per wear and cost of equipment etc. I think more people need to be doing this.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thank you! I think financial transparency is important!

[@EmmaKnitsATon]

I love the acknowledgment that we’re all nosy ❤

[@madelineomeara7387]

This the first video of yours I’ve seen and loved it. I’m a numbers girl too; thanks for your candor. Can’t wait to watch your knitting content.

[@KnitCheek]

What a great informative video!!! I loved all the graphs. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@christybray8789]

NOBODY else shares this detail! Thank you!!! Very helpful. Especially about the consistency in production. Always love your videos. ❤

[@AliMakesEverything]

My obsessive data keeping pays off 😂 Thanks so much for watching!

[@carb101]

Knitty Natty definitely used to. IDK if she still does.

[@GaGaPete0825]

Thank you sooo much for sharing. I have zero interest in starting a channel but you,satisfied my curiosity of “wonder how they make money?” Thank you! I also love your style and all things about you and your channel. Keep th content coming please!

[@AliMakesEverything]

So glad to have found my fellow nosy people 😇😂 Thanks so much for watching!

[@efenwick8608]

Ali, thanks for taking us “behind the scenes” and being so transparent about your channel. I really had no idea but I suspected the earnings were terrible. My biggest shock was the 10 hours of production work for the video - that sounds really terrible! I usually hate the in-video advertising, especially if it has nothing to do with knitting (ie: make up or jewelry) but I guess I’ll be more understanding about it now.😅 It’s ironic because your “worst” videos I liked a lot (ie: vacation & fixing your dad’s socks bc I’m an avid sock knitter). Also, I found your channel later in the year & then after watching one video I went back to your first & binged them during a shorter period of time… I actually was thinking of you bc on the “Knitting Traditions” podcast she uses 100% wool for socks where as I always use a 75/25 or 80/20 wool/nylon blend for sock yarn. I know you like a chunky/heavy sock for your dad & I’m like - Ali’s in Canada! Just double up some Patons Kroy sock yarn & you’ll be fine! 😅 I will admit also that I stop watching for book reviews (but I do that with everyone - not just your podcast). I think you’re doing a great job & really enjoy watching you. I also love that you knit a variety of items in fun colors. I get bored watching someone knit a straight up brown raglan sweater - guess that’s just not my cup of tea. I want to knit something you couldn’t buy in a store - something that’s special & worth my time. Anyways, keep up the great work - hopefully for year 2 you’ll see a big uptick. Good luck! Erica 🇺🇸

[@AliMakesEverything]

Hahahahaha you absolutely have to enjoy the process of making the videos or it would be awful. Or you’d have to go with a much less edited format which I think can work but requires being REALLY naturally great in front of the camera! 😅

[@theshetlandtrader]

Fascinating! As someone who just started this vlogging/podcast thing here this is such valuable info!

[@DesignbyRyland]

So interesting. My favorite aspect of your channel is your information about costs per wear.

[@AliMakesEverything]

I’m so glad that part is interesting to other people too! 😄

[@anitaferguson814]

That was so interesting! Glad you enjoy what you are doing !!!!

[@gloriaahhh]

This was a really fun breakdown. You definitely make less than I thought you would, but I’m glad that you’re getting something in return for what you are putting out there, since they are so enjoyable for us to watch!

[@losingmyknit]

Dying laughing: ‘WHOA, I’m really accumulating yarn money.’ Also, love that you were like 5k would be if I were doing great and crushed it. My first full video did crazy and I got over 900+ new subs, and was like well there went the stress of no one subscribing or watching. So now I can just vibe. I started mine to learn more about the KZbin backend/publishing and video editing, but a few people mentioned monetiziation as soon as I hit 1k and I was like ‘wait, what?’ If it happens, it happens, but it definitely piqued my interest seeing your video pop up-thanks for sharing!

[@KnitsFromLincolnshire]

This is so interesting! Thank you so much for sharing all the valuable lessons you’ve learned and info ❤

[@17twelve]

It's fascinating. If you enjoy the process and making the videos and you can make a profit given you probably would have spent the same amount on yarn, then I think that's awesome!

[@kimfletcher7013]

I found your video about how u-tube works quite enlightening. I find all your videos interesting. Congratulations on your first year.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! 😄

[@janicemonkowski5329]

I just enjoy your vibe. Thanks for the transparency. I did wonder about Vlogmas. Look forward to your next podcast!

[@naomikatepp]

Thank you for sharing this information. You made me think about a few things that I need to tweak Ing my relatively new channel. Mine is weaving based rather than knitting, but it’s appreciated.

[@Practically_Inspired]

Love this! I think your channel is successful because of your bubbly, vivacious personality 😊 I’m interested to go check out the knits on vacation video now, pretty sure I skipped that one previously 😂

[@AliMakesEverything]

Aww thank you! ☺️

[@TheFearlessKnitter]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts in such detail. That helps a lot. The roundup strategy didn't work out in my case 🙄 I think it's more about consistency and regularly posting the videos. Keep posting your content, and have a great knitting time!

[@GabrielaVazquez-jc3pi]

To make you feel a bit better: A more accurate minimum wage comparison would be to deduct tax from minimum wage since you're using net numbers for your earnings. It might get you up to 50% of minimum wage!

[@jananderson7781]

I love the sweater you are wearing in this video. Did you knit it yourself? I looked on your ravelry account but didn’t see it. Either way it’s lovely. I do enjoy your videos thank you for brightening my day with knitting joy ! ❤

[@AliMakesEverything]

I did, thank you! 😄 It's my Magnolia Bloom-It's on my Ravelry but easy to miss because the main photo isn't a close up. Thanks so much for watching! 😊

[@lparkes5]

Congratulations on your first year 🎉

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thank you for the congrats and for being here watching! 😄

[@jacquelynjones6364]

Terrific video! Thank you for making it

[@hattyknitsalong]

Thank you for sharing this. I think it's very helpful. I started my own knitting channel in October and just started earning money from ads today! What you earned sounds about what I expected, but you should also be so proud! Not everyone who sets out to do this accomplishes as much as you did in one year. I didn't make any specific goals for my channel besides posting weekly for one year. I look forward to seeing your next video about the behind-the-scenes.

[@zm3839]

Thanks for sharing. That was fascinating. My kids are always saying they want to be KZbinrs so I was curious about the money part. Not because they will be allowed on youtube any time soon, but interested in the reality of it since they area always talking about it.

[@lieylegenine]

Love all the information you share, and the graphs as well! it's funny because the first video I ever watched of yours was the top 10 knitting podcasts one! And I think the views are in part that, I have gone back to that video several times to go back and see who you rec'd and why! (also, The Black Sheep Knitter JUST uploaded a video!!! she's become my fave because of you and her uploading shortly after you is like... I dunno some kind of amazing luck (I'm not as sick anymore but it seems I still can't word lol) Can't wait for part 2!

[@AliMakesEverything]

I’m so happy that you love her as much as I do! I was thrilled to see a new upload from her this morning 😄

[@mamasee3]

I found Black sheep knitter from this pod cast too.

[@celinefeyten]

This was so interesting! Thank you for sharing. I’m definitely going to watch some more of your videos.

[@CarolAttrux]

Hi Ali, I loved your video! I have often wondered how all of this KZbin stuff works so thank you for sharing! I am not a knitter but I would like to be so I will have a browse of your content! I have subscribed. 🇨🇦🌸

[@the_dapper_scrapper]

Very interesting, I knew most KZbin creators aren’t making a living off their channels but it is a sobering amount of income for the amount of work. HOWEVER, when you put it into terms of paying for your yarn and yarn related expenses, it started to sound like a better exchange. Knitters math. Love the channel.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Knitter math for SURE 😂

[@WanderandCreate.withEmma]

Thank you for sharing this! As someone on a much slower trajectory, it's really good to see what income can look like!

[@AliMakesEverything]

Congrats on sticking with your channel, I know you’ll get there! 😄

[@RachelCunningham-ut9ks]

this explains "vlogmas"es!! also you inspired me to pop on my magnolia bloom too, it was sitting on a chair next to me

[@AliMakesEverything]

It was a REVELATION for me when I learned this about vlogmas-I’d always been so confused by the phenomenon 😂

[@HeidiSpear-oz6rw]

So interesting! I didn’t even know I was curious about this topic but you knew! Cheers.

[@eleonorahof1001]

Loved this video. I subscribed early on thanks to the YT algorithm boost. I watch most of your videos but I skipped the "what you knit in a year" because I felt I already knew what you made since I watched your regular podcasts.

[@Meredith36]

Wow to the openness and honesty- these are also some of the things l love about your channel. Also the book wall is amazing. Thanks for a wonderfully informative/creative year. Happy knitting 🩷🧶💚

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thanks so much for being here! Your comments along the way have always been so motivating 😊

[@jsorensens2]

I love that you did this! I’ve been ruminating on starting a channel, to passively draw in supplemental retirement income four years from now (not knitting related). This was super helpful. I’d better get it started now so it’ll be earning what I want years from now! Your episodes are always very enjoyable. I love your projects, your thoughtful decisions and explanations, your simple yet professional editing, and your costs per wear, but most of all I love your personality! You make me smile!

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thank you so much! 😄 It definitely takes some time to build up and starting feeling remotely worth the time invested from a financial perspective, so I’d absolutely encourage you to jump in if you’re thinking you’d like to have a channel in the future! No better time to start 😊

[@debimckinney7074]

I love your videos! They bring much value to me as a relatively green knitter and fellow lover of books and tea. I'm so glad that the edu-tainment side of your knitting hobby is now essentially furnishing the actual knitting side. Love to sit and knit with you. Congratulations on your progress!

[@AliMakesEverything]

Yay, I’m so glad they can be helpful and keep you company while you knit! Thanks for watching 😊

[@eileen8481]

I loved this episode and found it very interesting. I think that it’s so great that it pays for your knitting hobby, and hopefully (for us) you will continue to enjoy making the videos for quite some time to come ❤

[@elizabethmarley]

Thank you for this video! I can’t wait to see part 2, but this has my wheels turning about starting my own channel ❤

[@AliMakesEverything]

I hope you do! 😍

[@comfycozytoo]

Its cool to hear you share how it all took off. I rememeber when youtube suggested your second episode. I think i saw it the end of Jan or early Feb. And i was so happy to discover you. And i did go watch your first one. Youve put a lot of time in and im glad it went so well! Your numbers dont surprise me. I think the initial success did but ive seen that wirh a few others too. It seems almost like a brilliant way for KZbin to encourage creators to keep it up. I am inspired. For sure. I have been inspired by you for awhile. I know this is something i want to do but i just need to save up (maybe hold off on more yarn for awhile) and get good beginner equipment. You saw some of my stuff. I was using an old Pixel off ebay (we buy all our devices cheap and refurbished) and no mic😅😅😅. I want to do better next time 😅. I'm used to just throwing stuff together and things working out all right. Writing for publications challenged me a bit. I see what you're doing as similar to that. Even though it's a hobby, you really need to put to the time to present something people will enjoy watching. For starters, they should be able to hear and you 😂 . You do so well. Good job Ali!

[@AliMakesEverything]

I remember your encouraging comments from the very beginning! Thanks so much for all your encouragement 🤗

[@comfycozytoo]

​@@AliMakesEverythingI just edited my comment to answer the question you asked at the end. I comment as I watch 😅.

[@HugginsKnits]

Ali, this is FANTASTIC! I am also nosy, and this is my curiously nosy brain's dream come true. Thank you for being so transparent and methodical in how you share information about your channel.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thank you so much! I definitely set out to make the video that my nosey self would want to watch 😂

[@handspunhannah]

Since this is a business making money/profit, are you able to write off any of the expenses you mentioned when you file taxes this year? Possibly even a portion of your yarn purchases or your tickets for events since they become content? I'd be curious to know after you do your taxes this year if that changes anything in terms of the numbers for you. Very interesting video, thank you! And the amount you made was more than I would have expected for a first year/your number of views and subscribers (knowing absolutely nothing about KZbin content creation).

[@ElyshaSkipper]

Really interesting. Thanks for sharing! For the record I really enjoyed your review of what you wore on vacation. Bump that one up people!

[@AliMakesEverything]

Hahahahaha you are in an elite group! 😍

[@shamszakhour6076]

Questions: - As a Canadian (or any non-US-resident), can you file to recover those taxes taken by the IRS? (It seems like you should be able to.) - For those who (like me) subscribe to KZbin (therefore I don't see KZbin-inserted ads), how does that factor in? Are you paid the same as if they had watched the ads?

[@gingerandthyme_be]

Wow, thank you so much for being so open about your income. I've only just discoverd your channel! I really enjoy your videos.

[@AliMakesEverything]

It’s only fair, I love hearing these things from other people 😂 Thanks so much for watching! 😄

[@operkili]

congrats on your first year😀 I am definitely one of those nosey people and enjoyed this breakdown.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Hahahaha I’m so glad! Thank you! 😄

[@chantalharris5785]

Will be watching your vacation knits video next

[@ThisPossumKnits]

I found you through episode 13 because it had "No Frills" in the name. I was looking for no frills specific tips but found a new podcast! (no not grocery shopping tips 😝) Thanks for the detailed breakdown! The charts were a great addition! Edit: You might want to look into "double taxation relief provisions." You might be able to get a tax credit for your Canadian taxes! Also if you're looking to save money on storage you can get a 5T portable hard drive for about $200 Canadian (if you don't need the cloud features)

[@AliMakesEverything]

I’m so glad you enjoyed the charts, I definitely spent too much time on them 😂

[@DianaL647]

I loved being ‘nosy’ today, thank you for your transparency and excellent analytics. I’m sure this podcast will be highly viewed and hopefully evergreen. Do you get anything extra when we “Like” your videos? or does that only help algorithms maybe?

[@AliMakesEverything]

I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 😄 Likes on videos don’t directly impact revenue but they do tell the algorithm that the video is being well received which tends to make it push the video out to more people and more views = more revenue, so likes absolutely help 😊

[@sabeaniebaby]

Thank you for this video. The algorithm goddesses sent it to me; I've never seen any of your videos before but will be subscribing as I enjoy your delivery. I am wondering whether you created a business YT account to create these videos. thx

[@threadsoftime6771]

This is very interesting ❤ I'm still not monetised after so long on KZbin, but I also didn't post for the majority of last year mostly cause it is a bit disheartening when the algorithm doesn't pick up the videos so they stay in the under 100 views.

[@AliMakesEverything]

I'm so impressed with you sticking with it for so long with so little help from the algorithm! I hope that there might be something helpful in my Part 2 video coming next that could help get you a little boost if you're interested in continuing it 😊

[@nikitinaknits]

I am under my first year on KZbin and I love it! It will be a year in July and I m excited to see where I get by then. I enjoyed listening through your journey and you have inspired me to work hard in December 2025 😃

[@AliMakesEverything]

Congratulations on all your hard work and success on your channel so far! I'll be rooting for you! 😄

[@nikitinaknits]

@ thank you very much 🤗 I m wishing you lots of joy and growth in 2025 as well 💜

[@TheWoollyBat]

this gave me the kick I needed to start editing what will be my first YT video! I love the cost per wear analysis you do (and have really enjoyed using stylebook too). Would you mind if I included that in my knitting podcast or would you prefer me to steer clear? Either way, was very excited to see a new video from you on my feed!

[@AliMakesEverything]

Oh my god, please do! I would love to see more people talking about cost per wear! Happy editing, please let me know when you post your first video 😄

[@TheWoollyBat]

@@AliMakesEverything Yaay, thank you!

[@lizalbolino4000]

This was very interesting! I would love to start a channel just to connect with knitters, I live in south Florida so I don’t have any knitting friends and my daughter keeps telling me to start a channel to find some of my people!

[@AliMakesEverything]

It’s absolutely a great way to do that! 😄

[@audreyh3809]

Really interesting episode 👍🏻

[@whiskyandwool]

That mug, tho! 🤩 I’ll be in the minority with saying you made MORE than I thought! I’m a knitting youtuber, too Just celebrating my 7th birthday 🎉 I had some bad advice about the algorithm at first so I wasn’t pandering to it for the first two years and by then I didn’t really care any more. Success here is alllll about whether the algorithm promotes you or puts you in the dumpster fire bin. I’m still not monetized! Do you know the difference between premium accounts and regular accounts payouts? I’m premium so I never see any ads but I think you get money still somehow. Thanks for an interesting take! ❤

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thank you! 😊 The way I understand it, your YT Premium subscription dollars (the ones that don’t go straight to YT anyway) get divided proportionately between the channels that you watched, and with most users’ viewing habits, that works out to Premium user views being slightly more valuable in terms of monetization than ad viewers 😊 Peeking at your channel, it looks like you should meet the criteria for monetization-you have well over the 1k subscribers you need, and with 1k+ views on so many videos I can’t imagine you haven’t hit the 4K hours of required watch time. Have you tried applying for monetization and been denied for some reason? 🤔

[@LilyMarsWrites]

Thanks, Ali! This was great. But now I want to know where I can get the pattern for your sweater.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thank you! 😄 It’s the Magnolia Bloom by Camilla Vad!

[@LilyMarsWrites]

@@AliMakesEverything Thanks!

[@mst7574]

very interesting!!!

[@jaimedill2467]

Here since vid 1, lovveee youuuuuuuuu

[@AliMakesEverything]

Thank you for being here from day 1! 🤗

[@nonnasstitchingloungewithr7281]

Excellent video. It is a great breakdown. I was monetized for years, and I don't think I made as much as you did in one year. Great job!

[@AliMakesEverything]

I feel like it varies so widely! I’m always so curious to see people’s breakdowns.

[@nataliepetcoff5865]

Omg windows movie maker!!... So many hours of my youth making...what exactly? 😂 No one will really know. This video was SO interesting. Fellow nosy person here 🙋‍♀️thank you for sharing!!!

[@AliMakesEverything]

LOL deeply relatable. What were we making? Who knows. But it was obviously very formative 😂

[@marilynsullivan4361]

I really wanted to hear this information. Is there a way to slow the sound down? It was simply too fast to understand

[@AliMakesEverything]

There is! If you click the little gear icon at the bottom right of the video player, one of the options you can adjust is playback speed 😊

[@thetoastyhen]

Very interesting for me! Just starting out sharing my knitting and sewing hobbies. Do you film on your phone or with a different camera?

[@AliMakesEverything]

I just use my phone! My next video is going to have more details on my filming setup though 😊

[@MoonyMcMoonykins]

This was so interesting! I’ve thought about trying out doing the KZbin thing, but I hate the sound of my own voice aaand I’m not sure I would have anything interesting to say 😅 I’ve also considered setting up an etsy once I get back on the dice making horse and stuff but everyone says the fees are getting ridiculous so I dunno if it’s worth it 🙃

[@AliMakesEverything]

I think it depends so much on the profit margins of what you’re selling, but Etsy can also be a good place to start out until you build up a following on IG or KZbin or wherever that you can then point to a BigCartel or something similar! But I suspect there’s a higher than average correlation between knitters and D&Ders so that cross-promotion potential might be built right in, just saying 👀

[@MoonyMcMoonykins]

@@AliMakesEverything Haaaa I do keep teasing Maya (Maya tinks) that sooner or later she'll want more than the single set of dice she's been knitting a dice bag for 😂

[@danitigges6105]

❤ Great video - I purchase the subscription w/ no commercials KZbin - wonder how that impacts the monetary calculations??

[@AliMakesEverything]

On average viewers with KZbin premium earn channels slightly more money than viewers with ads! 😊 Thanks so much for watching!

[@aude.en.amerique]

Very educational video. Makes me want to go check out this "on vacation" video ;-)

[@AliMakesEverything]

Hahahaha the dedication! 😂

[@aude.en.amerique]

@@AliMakesEverything or curiosity 😅

[@codenamebutterfly]

I really enjoyed this video! It’s so fun getting to be a little nosy-haha! 😆 I’m planning to start a KZbin channel myself, mainly to share my patterns rather than for monetization. If it happens, amazing-but that’s not my main goal. Keep up the amazing work! Your videos feel like little cinematic gems. 🎥✨💛"** This keeps it natural while making it even smoother. Let me know if you want any further refinements! 😊

[@mom2marcellus]

I would like to say I found you/subscribed becaue of your dogwalking gloves video. I was looking for similar gloves, lol

[@AliMakesEverything]

Hahahahaha this makes me happy 😄

[@jenikay8]

This was fun to see all the details! The federal minimum wage in the US is $7.25 😭 This is different from the Federal Employees minimum wage, which is higher but only applies to those working federal government jobs, not normal civilian jobs. It's honestly shameful.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Okay this explains why I was actually shocked by how relatively high the number I was finding in my searches was because I was under the impression it was very low-and it turns out that impression is painfully correct 🙃

[@ShanaH414]

Seems to me that any extra revenue should go to a Rhinebeck fund!

[@Elizkleincaz]

US Federal minimum wage is $7.25 lol. Many states (and even counties) have higher minimum wages. Where I live in California, it is $16.50/hr. In San Francisco, it is $18.67/hr, so it really varoes greatly, depending on where you live.

[@AliMakesEverything]

That federal rate is...ouch 😂

[@Pinnipedantic]

@@AliMakesEverything don't even asked about tipped workers...

[@patriciajans2831]

If the irs is taking money from you, they should send you a form at the end of the year. You can get that money back.

[@AliMakesEverything]

Hmm maybe! My prior searches weren’t promising but I’ll definitely do some more digging before filing my taxes this year 😊

[@Derya679]

👍

[@michelleheta9449]

thank you for the info but please slow down your talking as I found it so hard to understand what you were saying and keep up as you were speaking so fast.

[@AliMakesEverything]

On the KZbin video player, there's a little gear in the bottom right you can click that then gives you an option to adjust Playback Speed 😊

[@michelleweinberg8120]

Does it make a difference if viewers click skip on ads as quickly as possible? 😂

[@AliMakesEverything]

Hahahhaa I think it depends on the ad and how short or long it is, and some are skippable while others aren’t, so it’s all a bit all over the place but I would fully expect most people to skip most ads whenever possible 😂

[@GardenHouse2x]

You are very difficult to listen to. You speak too fast and the video jerks. Is that the way you edit it, or do you just talk really fast naturally? If you're giving quite a lot of technical information you should speak slower and stop waving your hands around.

[@Pinnipedantic]

There are controls to slow a video down. I do this sometimes with the french channels i watch.