Craft Sale - The Aftermath

Well, what a wet and miserable day it turned out to be on Saturday. Enough to dampen anyone's spirits.

Here is my set-up at the hall:

I had some extra bits and bobs for sale - some drop spindle kits, knitting needles, a fulled bag made from Colinette Skye, and some jewellery from a sale I did a while ago. Also some spiral scarves made from recycled sari yarn.

Trade was ponderously slow due to the location and the weather, and I'd given up hope of selling anything after the first four hours, but then I had a small flurry and managed to sell 4 of my felted corsages. Hurrah! At least I wasn't totally out of pocket.

One lady buyer told me that I wasn't charging enough for my items (I know this, but people on the Island seem to want something for nothing, which is very disheartening for crafts people). The other buyer wanted to know if there was a discount for buying two items (!!!) and then asked for them to be wrapped (!!! x a million).

I always wrap my items nicely in tissue, but this is an extra little touch, not a given! It amazes me that people will take the shirt off ones back and still want jam on it - to totally mix my metaphors.

Bah!

My next plan is to start selling on Etsy, and I need to get to work on some decent photographs and list these articles in my shop which is: http:/fleece2fantastic.etsy.com although empty at present. I may also dip my toe into eBay, to sell some kits.

Lesson's learnt from Saturday.

1. Get organised earlier - pricing and labelling were a nightmare to do and I was still awake at 1am the night before trying to get it all finished.

2. Try and publicise the Sale more widely. Although I didn't organise the event, I'm sure that having just one ad in the local paper was reflected in the small number of people who crossed the threshold.

3. Stand firm on my prices/increase prices. Devaluing my work, just adds to the devaluation of crafting on the Island in general. Other crafts people have cut back so much that they are barely covering the cost of materials. I can't see the point in that at all. Yes, it allows them to continue with their creativity, but at what cost? I'm sure if they were asked to work at a regular day job for no wages, that they'd flatly refuse.

Take art, craft and design out of the everyday world and our internal surroundings and personal appearance would be very bland indeed.

Fibre Frenzy

I've been really busy over the last three weeks getting up enough stock to sell at a local craft sale.

Last night I very nearly fell asleep standing up after an arduous felting session which resulted in the creation of these:

They're currently drying out ready for the pins to be sewn onto the back.

I've also been knitting hats from my handspun, and creating designer yarns, wet and needle-felted some Christmas tree decorations, and have some old stock of recycled sari silk crocheted scarves and other bits and bobs including a wet-felted bag, and a knitted and fulled bag made from Colinette Skye which felts up excellently.

I'll try to remember to shoot some pics when I run a full inventory of items tonight.

First, some felted Christmas Puds:

A felted bag - Front: Back:
Inside:
Several Beanies - handspun and knitted:




A neckwarmer knitted in handspun 'Black Forest Gateau' - merino and beads - DK/Aran weight. Faux leather button as a closure.

Finally, my designer handspun yarn:

First up - 'Strawberries and Cream' and 'Jaded' - two-ply merino and silk - DK weight.


'Love-in-the-Mist' and 'Violas' - two-ply merino - DK/Aran weight

'Meadow' - two-ply merino - DK/Aran weight.

'British Marble' and 'Francophile' - two-ply merino - DK/Aran weight

'Passionelle' - two-ply merino & silk, and 'Forest' - two-ply English Wool - DK weight.

Hovis Deliveries and my latest output

Two weeks ago I succumbed to a bargain Ashford Tapestry Frame on eBay (early Christmas present) and went to Dorset to collect it from a lovely lady with an enviable purpose-built workshop in her back garden. After drooling over her lovely family kitchen and Aga stove, I eventually prised myself away and drove on into Dorset.

I ended up in Shaftesbury, an ancient Saxon stronghold, and this time actually found the famous Gold Hill, unexpectedly tucked just behind the Town Hall in the main street.

For UK readers, you may remember a Hovis bread advert where a young boy whizzes down a hill on a delivery bicycle. Believe me - he had nerves of steel!!!

Look at this breathtaking view - take in the steep incline of the hill - and then wonder like I did, how the people living in the cottages get into town in the winter on icy cobblestones at such an impossible angle....


In the town I visited the two lovely bead shops, rummaged in an antiques place, and popped into Little Red Hen, a charming gift shop that sells Rowan yarn.


Here I bought some lovely old fashioned cotton tape to dress up a Christmas gift for my sister.

......................................

On Friday I took another epic (and cheap) 10 hour round trip on public transport to visit the East Sussex Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers bi-annual show.

The exhibits were lovely, but I was too tired to remember to take any photos. There were demonstrations and a sale of work, an equipment sale, and stalls. I gazed longingly at a basket of vividly dyed silk which a lady was spinning on her Joy. I just wanted to sit down and join her. I had some lovely conversations with Guild members and stall holders, and came away with some modest swag.

Amongst it was this 100g of viscose mix fibre from Ewe Too Spinners - Firework - seen here in a ball of tops, and as the finished yarn on my noste.


This was quickly turned into a vegan-friendly beanie which I'm hoping to sell at a Craft Sale in two weeks time.


Here are some other beanie hats knitted in a wool and silk mix, spun some time ago.


My latest DK weight yarn, a merino and silk mix which I'm calling Strawberries and Cream.

and finally....... this evening's sunset from my office window at work.

The weather has been so warm and unusual for November, grass is still growing, and I still have geraniums throwing buds up in the pots in my garden. Long may it continue. The winters are wet, cold and dismal enough.