Here's the Whole Thing
I think I need to make a flying leap and leave you in the dark of the last couple of weeks because I just haven't kept up very well. I haven't taken pictures of everything and there's so much I wanted to blog about that it's now getting too long of a list and I'll never get to it all. It's been craft show season and I have one more aka THE BIG one to go. In my mind it's the big one because it's 3 days long and I'm deatly afraid that I don't have enough inventory. I sold a lot this past weekend so I'm feeling the pressure to make more stuff. Here is my set-up at the first show of the year, which was a bit of a disappointment:
I've changed things a bit since then since my Dad made me a few more really cool earring stands and stuff. Last weekend was my most successful event to date and I hope that the 3-days in Abbotsford will also be very successful. I really do enjoy doing these craft and art shows even though there's a lot of work involved in getting organized and set up.
So let me think, what have I learned from show. I think first and foremost, you just never know. One day one thing will be your big seller and the next day nobody will want that item even if you gave it to them for free. You really can't walk into it with any sort of expectation as to what will sell. Usually earrings sell very well for me and the first two shows, I didn't sell any earrings at all. Last weekend, I sold every single bookmark I had and I sold earrings, too. At one show, my stretchy bracelets were a great seller. The next show, nobody barely looked at them.
Another lesson is that if I'm going to offer more knitted items (because I sold almost everything I had knitted up last weekend), I'm going to have to do it all throughout the year. Make small stuff between my own projects and tuck them away. Otherwise, I'll never have any selection to speak of. Mind you, my main thing will continue to be the jewelry because knitting for selling is kind of thankless.
And what else.......... I think the big one really is show selection. The first show is what I would call a "granny show" - and please, nobody take offense............ but my stuff, especially the chainmaille which is what I'm specializing in, is a bit more hip and young and the senior citizens that dominated that first event just absolutely did not get it. I had one lady pick up a copper bracelet and slam it (and I mean slam it) back on my table because it wasn't elasticized. And what's up with selling fun fur scarves for $3.50 each and earrings for $1/pair. I can't compete with that and I don't want to be mixed up in that kind of a crowd. My time is worty too much to do that to myself and I value my work more plus prices like that don't even cover material cost. I'm much better received at the "artsier" shows and shows that attract a greater variety of people. So that's my thing..... Even with one more show to go, I'm already planning ahead to next year to make sure I get into the shows that I really want to get into and hopefully I'll get a few more leads about shows during the year like some outdoor festivals etc. I'm thinking about some fibery things, too, where my shawl pins and things like that might be appreciated and well received.
Now, to our Sam boy................ he loves socks!!! At least 3 pair of handknits have gone down the tubes due to his very sharp little teeth. And no, our Sam doesn't leave them in a fixable state. He chews huge holes into them. I have now given him the sacrificial pair of socks........ one of my old faves..... a pair of Opals in one of the Rodeo colourways. He chewed great big holes into one of them so I have left them out in the hallway for him to destroy further. Of course, since then he hasn't touched them. Sam is also not afraid of bath water:
Nor does he mind hanging out with the kids (you'd never see one of the older cats that close to any one of the kids):
Among many other things, I have some Christmassy earrings in the shop:
I finished a little rolled brim beanie with a skein of yarn that was very expensive and that I've had in my stash forever. A bit of stashbusting is always good. I knitted most of the hat during Madagscar 2 which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. The yarn shop where I bought this ball of yarn has long since gone out of business.
It's an acrylic/wool/polyester blend and it's very soft. The yarn was kind of thick and thin. I just cast on and knitted round and round until I thought I had it tall enough and then I cast off, every second row at 8 decrease points.
I've joined a couple of fibre clubs. One is the Copperpot Woolies 6-month fibre club. The other one is the Sugarbee Studios Spin Up Pin Up Fiber Batt Club. I am also seriously tempted by the Naughty Girls need Knit Socks Too sock yarn club but I just can't justify the expense with the dropping $ plus shipping etc. I'll see if my resolve weakens as the days go by.
And just at the end, a feast for the eyes of some wonderful spun-up rainbow coloured merion from allspunup:
I have two skeins because when I was plying I got a little tangle and while I was untangling, Sam helped me by eating right through one of the singles. There are about 450 or so yards of fingering/sport weight goodness here. I must also add, that I was the lucky winner of a little contest over on Ravelry on the Allspunup discussion board - I can't believe that I was the lucky, lucky girl who won 2 4 ounce braids of this purple, purple loveliness:
It's just gorgeous and I am so thankful!!!
Better go now. Until next weekend (December 28, 29 and 30), I will be frantically making jewelry and key chains and such. After that, I'll be mellow and all about spinning and knitting with my handspun. Plus, I kind of made a commitment to do some UFO finishing over the holidays.
