Tag Archive | craft fairs

Just keep making, just keep making!

Well, tomorrow is craft show day! It’s a full day affair so I’ve got my fingers crossed that it’s a good one. I just keep making new stuff to sell, like this red cotton tote.I like the shimmery gray buttons a lot. They’re just decorative of course, but they add a nice pop of style to the bag.Then I whipped up this mini market bag. It took all of an hour at the most, and it was a great way to use up the last ounce of Berroco Weekend left over from the slouchy hat. I have no idea what it’s good for. Little yarn bag to hang on your wrist, so you can knit while you’re out and about, I guess. Hang it in your bathroom and fill it with hair scrunchies and headbands. Put some bubble stuff and plastic sand toys in there for a child to carry to the beach. Heck, I don’t know. But it’s little and it’s cute and I like it.I’ve got one more hat to finish today and then I’m calling it quits on making all the things. I’ve got to get the car loaded up so I don’t have to do it early in the morning. I’m so grateful I’ve got a good friend helping me with this show! She’s got a great visual eye, so I’m thinking my table will look pretty darn good. I’ll be sure to take some photos for you.

Puppy photo: Jack loves to nap on the couch next to me, and I thought it was so cute, with his head on the pillow. See, they’re not destructive *all* the time!

Thrift Store Finds

Apr14

Today, while I was running errands, I hit two thrift stores in search of good fixtures to use as displays for my craft shows. One was a bust, but the other yielded several goodies. Check them out:I don’t really know what most of them are, except the taller metal one in the back which I can tell is a candlestick. But now, they will display my handknits!That gold one on the left will be great for purses and scarves. I’ll set it up on a box, higher than the table, so the pieces can hang down nicely. The others aren’t perfect hat stands, but I think they’ll show the hats off better than just laying flat. I can’t wait to do my next table display now!

I also stopped by the LYS to get some yarn. I had a good reason, I promise! My sister has commissioned a lined project bag with wooden handles, and I needed to get the yarn for it. I have the perfect handles and the perfect closure and now I have the perfect yarn! I wish I could show them off, but she reads my blog (I think) and I want it to be a surprise, so you’ll have to wait along with her. I’ll do my best to knit fast, but it won’t go as fast as these hats:I have two more I want to make, a red and a blue, and then I’ll be ready to move on to something else. This is the first pattern I’ve made so many times. Guess it must be a good one!

Another Craft Show Done

Apr12

Yesterday I had a little craft show, another Etsy at the Exchange for local Etsy vendors. Here’s my little table display:I want to start hunting for display options at some thrift stores. I need some height variation, some visual interest, and if I could find a good way to hang purses, I’d be thrilled. These shows are short, just four hours, but they’re free and I think it’s going to keep growing into something big and cool. I sold a couple of things, gave out several business cards, met some interesting fellow vendors, and the local paper was there taking photos, so that could lead to some good exposure. Both my Etsy traffic and blog traffic were up yesterday evening. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I also bought something. I just can’t resist Wonder Woman.This was made by Rosete’s Thread, and she had a ton of neat stuff made with pop culture fabrics: potholders, dish towels, baby sets, dog bandanas. There was Walking Dead, TMNT, lots of superheroes, and some other stuff I didn’t recognize. She also had really cute ruffled scarfs and fleecy shawls. If you’re interested, you can find her on Facebook or on Etsy.

After the show, I found some solitude and worked on a hat, a custom order from Etsy, and this morning I finished it, except for closing the top and weaving in tails. This is a pattern I’ve made before, and I found it much easier this time around. I even managed to do some of the cabling without a cable needle! It was a little scary, but it sure made it simpler.

But the best thing about yesterday’s show was it helped me find my short-term focus. I need to build my inventory of warm-weather knits. I think a lot of people walked past my table because it was 70 degrees and sunny, and they didn’t want to think about hats or cowls. My next show is in two weeks, so that’s how long I’ve got to make some spring hats, skinny mesh scarves, a market bag or two, maybe another purse. I’ll display fewer items and make sure they’re all perfect for higher temperatures. I better get busy!

Etsy, Again

Feb27

Wow, my post yesterday about Etsy generated some great conversation! I got some solid feedback and have already made some changes: I updated my profile, filled out the Policies page and de-activated all promoted listings. Best of all, I figured out how to add an Etsy widget to my blog page. I’d been waiting, thinking I’d get my techie hubby to help me, but decided I could do it myself, by golly. I’m not sure I did it exactly right, but hey, it works and that’s what matters.

I have more changes in mind: I want to update the photographs by using my daughter as a model, outside with better lighting and interesting backgrounds. Once I get those done, I’ll be adding more pieces to my shop. I have several things made but don’t want to list them until I have great photos for the listing. Once I get more pieces online, I want to create categories so people can just look at Hats, or Bags, or whatever.

But I’m still pretty sure that Etsy won’t be my main focus. I want to be more active in craft fairs, where I can talk to people about what makes each piece special, where they can actually *feel* what makes each piece special. With that in mind, I know I’ll be participating in the monthly Etsy at the Exchange events at our local downtown. I’ve got the big 2-day Oktoberfest coming up, and I’m hoping to be a part of a craft show held by my husband’s company this fall too. So I have options, and I have time to make more pieces.

Some of the comments made me realize how important it is to be patient. I need to put myself out there as much as possible, and then keep it going. So I’ll keep on trucking, trying to get my name out there a little at a time. I’m so grateful for everyone who chimed in; thank you for the kind words and encouragement and advice and suggestions. This is partly why I love the creative community so much: we support each other. We want each other to succeed, and we’ll do what we can to help. I love that. Thank you.

“You should sell that on Etsy!”

Feb26

I love yarn in all its fibers and colors and weights (except fingering and lace weights which are terrible). I love knitting needles and crochet hooks in wood and metal and plastic. And most of all, I love to knit and crochet things with yarn and hooks and needles. I love the process as much as, if not more than, the finished products. It’s so relaxing when I get in the groove and my hands automatically make the motions and out comes this smooth fabric. I can make attractive, useful things out of string, and that’s awesome to me.

Because of all of that, I end up with a lot of knitted and crocheted things. My kids have a lovely assortment of hats, a few scarves, some fingerless gloves. Even the husband, who doesn’t typically wear these things, has some. I have some, my siblings and mothers and nieces and nephews, they all have been on the receiving end of my yarn-loving habit. I love it when I wear my knitted items out in public and get compliments, especially the surprised look when I say I made them myself. What usually follows is some variation of “You should sell those on Etsy!”

Well. Yes. Believe me, I try. I know these people mean well, and I do take it as a compliment because they’re saying they think people would pay money for something I’ve made, and I appreciate that. But it’s also frustrating, because it implies a simplicity that’s not there. I’ve been on Etsy for several months now, with 22 items currently listed. I’ve paid for promoted listings, not a lot but some, and in that time I’ve sold a whopping two items. I’ve made $3 more than I paid to promote the listings. I know there are a lot of factors at play here: am I listing the right kind of items? Am I tagging well enough? Is my ad budget high enough? Am I not being patient enough? I don’t know the answers to any of those questions. All I know is that it doesn’t appear to be the right business model for me, at least right now.

I’ve done several craft shows, and all of them have been more successful than Etsy has been. For my stuff, it’s about the colors, touch, the feel, the fit–those are the things that make my pieces sell. I use high-quality fibers that make my prices a bit higher than things made from acrylic, but it’s hard for someone to see the difference on a computer screen. And even in craft shows, my booth is different than a lot of the other yarn booths because there’s so much variety on my table. I don’t pick two things and make them in every color. It’s rare for me to have even two of anything. I create based on the yarn, and very few yarns want to be the same thing. I know I would probably benefit from some duplication, and there a few hats I want to make in other colors, but I’m never going to be the booth with stacks of the same hat. I’m not disparaging that, don’t get me wrong, it’s just not how I like to work. I don’t want to make stuff based on what I think people want. I want people to want what I make.

So I’m a little discouraged right now. I’m struggling to figure out where to focus my business energy right now. There’s a handmade market in a really cool downtown area that’s looking for vendors, and I’m seriously considering submitting an application. You set up the booth and they man the store and process sales. The monthly fee, plus commission, is less than I’d pay for the average craft show. Really, the only hitch right now is that I don’t have any furniture to set up in a booth. But I can see that in my future. You sign a three-month contract, and based on the traffic I’ve seen out there, it would totally be worth it. And today I signed up for a big, well-known, three-day craft show in October.

I guess I’ve got my answer. I need to step back from Etsy and focus on the personal connections. I’ll keep Etsy open, but I won’t do more promoted listings. Instead I’ll invest my money in booth fees where I know people will actually see my pieces. But for now, since I’ve got a little time, I think I’ll spend a little more time making stuff for me.

What are your tips for a successful knit/crochet business?

Etsy and The Art of Hat Knitting

Nov21

Wow. I got more views and comments from my Etsy post than almost any other post I’ve done. Sounds like it’s a big concern for a lot of people! I also got a lot of views on my Etsy page–thanks to those who followed the link! None of them have resulted in a favorite or a sale, but it’s a start. I really want to give it my best effort, but I’m still not convinced Etsy is going to be my focus going forward.

I think next year I’m going to put a lot more time and energy into craft shows. Based on my limited experience, it seems like hats, headbands and boot cuffs are hugely popular, and if you’ve got a variety of colors, you’ll sell them. It’s a philosophy I struggle with quite often, because that’s not how I craft. I prefer to find a yarn that calls my name and make the one right thing with it…and then move on to a different project entirely. Headbands and boot cuffs are fun and fast. But, if you’ve been following my blog at all, you know I LOVE hats. They’re my favorite thing to make. And I can get so much variation in patterns and types of yarn that I think I could easily specialize in hats without getting bored to tears.

For instance, I posted about the red cloche hat last time, and it’s been extremely popular. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on it, and I even got an order for another one the next day! I got to knit this one in some blue-green wool, and I really like how the style works with the stiffness of the wool. I like this version even better than the red one. So yeah, I think I could be a hat specialist. I’d still make other things, bags and purses and cowls, but I want to built up a solid inventory of hats so I can be ready to do more shows next year. Need a hat? I’m your girl!

I just realized: I don’t have a hat on Etsy. Oops. Not the best move for the hat specialist. I better work on that today!

Craft Show Success

Oct13

My first craft show of the season is over, and I think I can call it a success. I didn’t sell everything, but I sold enough to make table and then some. My SIL, the one who got me into this awesome yarny hobby, shared the booth space with me, and we went up together Friday afternoon to set it all up. I really like how it turned out.

It looked interesting and eye-catching. So many of the crochet booths focus on multitudes of the same item in different colors, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you don’t want any of that one item, you walk past that booth. I like to think we have variety to appeal to more customers. Or maybe it’s just not how we work. We get bored working the same thing over and over, so we make what we want and hope someone likes it enough to buy it.

It started at nine, and I was a little worried because by noon I had only sold one hat. My SIL was with me, and we’d both browsed the other booths. There were two other crochet booths. One was full of headbands and earwarmers, and the other focused on character hats for kids. Both were using the cheaper acrylics, and I hate to say it: I’m a yarn snob now. I have used, still use, acrylic. It’s affordable, it’s washable, it has its place in the yarn world. But once I started using natural fibers, feeling them against my skin, I’m so much more picky about what I use. Even now, when I use acrylic, I make sure to find soft acrylic for anything that will touch the skin. I couldn’t help but think that the alpaca and merino blends in our pieces would be more appealing, even if it meant our prices were higher.

A few people had come up and admired two of my best pieces, but then they’d look at the price and walk away. Most of my prices were very reasonable, but those two were made from expensive fibers and had taken a lot of time and I wasn’t willing to mark them lower. Instead, I moved things around and shifted the focus to middle-of-the-road pieces. Thankfully, by 12:30 the rush began, and over the next hour and a half I sold around ten items.

I sold the blue/green newsboy caps, a set for girl and doll. I sold my purple faux fur cowl (kinda sad about that one). I sold a $30 Brio cowl to a woman for her 5yo daughter (yikes. I cringed thinking about what would happen to my gorgeous cowl). I sold a gray slouchy hat and the gray crochet newsboy. At the very last minute I sold my purl ridge cowl, the one made with vintage Malabrigo in gorgeous shades of purple and blue. That one was hard. I kind of wish I’d kept it. But it went to my MIL, so at least I’ll get to see it sometimes.

I also passed out a lot of business cards and connected with some awesome people, and I hope those lead to good things. I had a good time, really. It made me want to do more shows. We have another one scheduled for mid-November, but I might look for some more. I’ve only done three shows but they’ve all been at least mildly profitable. And each one I do, I learn what to do next time (and what not to do).

I could have sold more slouchy hats in different colors. I could have sold owl hats if I’d had girl/doll sets in more colors. My most expensive pieces won’t go at the front. I know I’ll bring a mirror so people can see themselves when they try things on. I’d like to get purple tablecloths instead of red. I’m not sure what else I could/should do. What are your tips for craft show success?

Finding My Happy (i.e. going to the LYS)

Oct7

My craft fair is this Saturday! Eek! I’ve been so busy getting ready—I think I’ve made at least ten new hats in the last two weeks. I went through my for-sale items and pulled out a couple of older pieces I’m not as proud of anymore, and I pulled out all the things I’ve made since my last craft show, i.e. all the things that need tagged and priced. It was a bit daunting. Since I took that photo, though, I’ve gone through and tagged almost half of it. Of course, I’ve also made two earwarmers , a pair of bootcuffs and worked on a hat order. Like I said, I’ve been busy. And yesterday, a couple of flowers I ordered from Junie Balloonie arrived, and they got added to my bags. I love them! Speaking of flowers, I also knitted a new one yesterday. The craft fair asked for a donation, so I’m donating a purple and green beanie made with some gorgeous sparkly Berroco Brio. It should make some girl happy. It was originally unadorned, but since it was going to be a focus item, I decided it needed a bit of flair. And quick! Thank to the Rose Pin pattern, I had a little dusky-purple flower to sew to the hat. I like it. Today I needed a break. I needed to do something I wanted to do, not something I thought would sell, not something that was an order or a suggestion. I needed to make something that came completely from me. Of course that means a trip to the LYS, right? I came home with some rainbow Mochi plus, and it’s going to be a simple beanie with a ribbed edge. I love rainbow yarn, hats, ribbing, and working in the round, so this project pleases me. And I even learned a new cast on for it: the German Twisted. It’s so simple and fun; I can’t believe I haven’t done it before! I’m sure the hat will end up at the craft fair, but right now it’s serving its purpose: knitting as therapy.

Never too busy for hats

Sep30

This last weekend was full of physical labor, so very little yarning got done. We’re so close to being done with our flagstone patio, which we’re doing all by ourselves and I can’t wait to show off, but it meant that I spent Saturday shoveling sand and Sunday laying stones. But late last week and during the evenings the last few days, I did manage to work up a few more hats for the craft fair next month. I used up the last of my purple Caron for three more Princess Anna hoods, and I got one newsboy done. I want to do a matching doll newsboy with the last of the variegated yard. That might be all I get done before the show, and that’s okay. I did these hoods plain, no flowers, because that’s what Anna’s hood actually looks like. (And because the embroidery and sewing on of flowers was too time-consuming.)

Hopefully the patio doesn’t distract me too much, because I’d still like to get a few more hats done!

Crochet for a craft fair

Sep26

I’ve gotten some good feedback about the upcoming craft fair, so I’m feeling much better about it, thank you! I’ve decided to leave my prices as is: they’re more than fair, and I’d rather hang on to my projects than sell them at cost or just above cost. If I don’t value my work, how I can expect a customer to value it, right?

With that in mind, I’m trying to think of a few fast projects I can make before the show. Hats seem to be a popular suggestion, so I’m aiming for three of the Princess Anna-inspired hood. I’m going to try to make at least two sets of owl hats, matching ones for girls and 18″ dolls. I’ll sell them separately, though. If I have time after that, I’d like to make another newsboy like this one. I really liked how the yarn and pattern worked so well together.And then, if I have any *more* time (I’ll pause here for the laughing to subside. Okay? Okay.) I want to make some boot cuffs. I made some last winter and not only were they fast, but they were super cute and very popular. These were my faves. I think that’s all I can even dream to finish in the next two weeks, and I know, that’s stretching it. But a girl’s gotta dream. And if I focus on these projects only, I should be able to get a lot done. I can crochet a lot faster than I can knit. Now, I’ve got my yarn, my hook, and my wrist brace…I’m ready to get going!