Holiday Craft Fair Preparations

I've been busy making a few last minute items for the Holiday Market at the Farmer's Market for BlackFriday and Saturday.......Friday looks like good weather so I have high hopes. Saturday looks like it'll be really cold. It's an outdoor market so folks don't always come out when it's in the 30's or below.

Anyway....I got out my Weave-It Loom and designed a couple pairs of Fingerless Mitts. I'm calling this design Misty Mountain Mitts.

I haven't named the red pair.....Red fingerless mitts???? No imagination this morning.

They are both made out of With Love Yarn by Red Heart....The yarn isn't too bad. It's softer than supersaver and the colors are pretty.  

I also made this pair in all crochet:

And, another Cotton Hat out of I Love This Cotton from Hobby Lobby:

The hat is on top of one of my table top displays at the Relay for Life Christmas Bazaar in Creton nc. That was one tough place to sell! But it was a fun Saturday and really I consider it a donation to a good cause. I sold one paper quilled snowflake, 3 crocheted flower pins, a crocheted coin purse and two sets of crocheted dishcloths....That's it....That's all.....Thankfully it was indoors. I enjoyed talking to the other vendors and the few shoppers who came around. 

I'm hoping for better luck tomorrow! Last year I had several requests for 100% cotton hats, so we'll see if people will actually like them enough to purchase them. And, to pay the slightly higher cost of 100% cotton versus acrylic.

I didn't sell any of the market bags I made last year ( or was it the year before, check my previous posts). I made them because I had had several folks request a market bag that they could use in the grocery store; rather than my tote bag design. So I made a bunch based on the demand... I didn't sell a one until this summer when I did a close out two for the price of one sale ($10 each)....I had priced them at $20 because they took 10 hours each to make.....

Well, what I learned is to look at what folks pick up and look. What color items they go to first, what shape, what size, what item.....and I ignore what they SAY they want.....Sometimes I wonder if folks really know what they want. I'm finding I can figure out what will sell if I watch what they do rather than listen to what they ask for....Which is why I'm a little nervous about the cotton hats...But, I  like them. So if nothing sells I have plenty of holiday gifts for the nieces and nephews this year!

I made a shrug a few years ago...for folks who don't know what that is it's sort of a small sweater or bolero. Whenever I put it out folks like it until they ask the price $20; then they walk away....It has two skeins of Lion Brand Homespun which I bought at about $6 per skien...so $12 in yarn and two hours of work......

I find it curious how folks will pay $17 for a hat but won't pay $20 for a sweater that's 3X bigger than the hat? I'm not complaining here, I just think folks are a HOOT!!!!  It's amazing to watch....there is something about hitting the $20 mark that folks here think is too high. Maybe i should ask $19.99.....LOL!!!!!!

Well, I gotta go and finish up a few more projects...I hope you all have a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Designed a few new hats this month and I've been hunting for craft fairs that I can get into for $50 or less

More hats and fingerless gloves this month. I got myself the book Textured Crochet by Helen Jordan from with my Birthday gift certificate from Borders....I love the stitches....I translated the aligned knot stitch into this hat. I did the sc's into the back loop to give it a bit more interest.

  I used a K hook so it worked up fast and yet is good and thick to keep your head warm. It uses 1 full skein and a wee bit of a 2nd one...I made it out of Loops and Threads Charisma in the Bouquet color.  The colors look much better in person, not so pastelly......Lets see, guess I should name this hat: How about Bubblegum Baubles?

This headband and fingerless gloves use the "Wedge - short to long" stitch in the textured crochet book. and the yarn is Loops and Threads, ummm not charisma...can't remember the name....Impeccable???? and the color is neopolitan. Hmmm...guess I'll call it a Neopolitan Headband.

Hey! is anyone reading this?, let me know what you think and if you'd like me to add more patterns.

Now, for those craft fair sites. I saved em on hubby's computer so gotta see if I can find them again....

Here are some of the sites I found with lists of local festivals: VA and NC and TN.....Then I look one at a time and see if I can find a vendor application......

I've only just barely made the booth fee on the fairs that charge $100 or more, so I'm sticking with the under $50 ones....especially like when I find the little church or community fairs that only charge $20 to $40....

http://www.blueridgemusic.org/VenueSearchReturn.asp?region=2

http://www.sprucepinefestivals.com/mineralcity.html

http://www.autumntrips.com/festivals.htm

http://yadkinvalley.org/festivals-events/pumpkin-festival/

http://sparta-nc.com/mhf.aspx

http://www.graysoncountyva.com/graysoncountyvahiking.aspx

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The sites that actually list festivals for craft sellers all seem to have only the high entrance fee events. Please share any good sites you have found! I'll try to figure out if I can create a list somehow on a sidebar on here. But I really don't know how to do much on the computer, so I can't guarantee I'll figure it out! LOL!!!