England 2014 - part 1
An assortment of photos I took while in London with Jason. I just realised I forgot to post them.
More photos will be on the way, just as soon as I find them in my mess of files.
6 ways to not die while selling at craft shows
A couple of shots from the Summer Craft Fair at Two Elephants in Chatsworth, CA.
I've been exploring the world of selling in person recently (recently meaning since last winter, but the 6-months in England sort of put the venture on hold). My set-up has been modest at best currently, but it's still been a joy to meet people who like my work and want it as a part of their lives. Not every in-person selling experience I've had since I started has been a billion percent positive, but there's always some learning to be done here. Here are a few things about craft fairs I've learned since my 'debut' last September--
Say hello to everyone. EVERYONE.
I'm glad I learned this one early into my first show. You can go ahead and stare into your phone while at your table, but that isn't going to help much (and if you're in a short chair behind the table you'll just end up looking like you're mesmerized with your crotch--not attractive).
With the amount of stuff going on at most every craft show or con you're at, a little human opening goes a long way. I've had responses ranging from 'oh man, hey. this place is crazy!' to appearing relieved that they're not ignored at the venue (both often leading to sales).
If you happen to be situated near the bathroom, take that advice with caution. I recently learned that people don't necessarily like being addressed after taking a crap.
A few lighting fixtures helped with my outdoor night shows--just beware of beeeeeeeees.
Have something to do.
I didn't think this mattered until I went to a show empty-handed. Turns out, many people won't readily assume that you made all of the stuff on your display. Bringing your craft with you to work on goes a long way to get it across (provided of course, your craft is in any way portable). If you're shy around people, your craft can be the opener. "What are you working on?" is a great chance to talk a little bit about what exactly you sell. "How long does this kinda thing take you?" is a chance to explain the labor and love behind your price tag.
In Long Beach, I was working on an Etsy order for someone in England. Letting someone know who the piece is for is really impressive to some people, and open up some good conversation about custom orders.
It's important to make sure to work on something that won't have you too deeply in concentration. Having your head down at your table might deter some customers who would have otherwise been attracted to a smile and eye contact. Lucky for me, I've knit so many things that I can do it while in conversation.
Print clearly.
Guy asks for business card. I pass him one, he squints. Lesson: PRINT BIGGER. Bless small batch production. If I had to print my business cards 250 at a time I would be massively screwed from the get go.
Signage. USE IT.
As much as I love answering questions, hearing someone ask what exactly my scrubbies are or what they're for10+ times during a show can be exhausting. Especially if the question can be answered with a little sign next to the product.
I'm personally still working on letting someone know what the price of one of my knits is in just the right tone (something along the lines of 'take it or leave it' but...obviously less hostile). Having price tags help let that sale go on a little more smoothly.
Also it's probably a lot less daunting to people interested in your work! An absent pricetag might instill the expectation of an unaffordable product in the mind of your would-be customer. I'd argue that the feeling they can't afford it is still there even if you attempt to quell it with your spoken-word price.
For the love of all things holy, have a helper if you can.
I've been solo-ing all of my shows up until recently, thanks to the kindness of a friend. He helped me set-up and sort out my display. We tag-teamed bathroom breaks. He even reminded me to hydrate and eat before and during the show (something I almost always forget to do on show-days). I was also lucky enough to have him be a happy Bapsicrafts fan as well, so the extra little testimonial helped when informing passersby about my stuff! It's all a win-win-win to have a partner to help when possible. Just be sure to show your appreciation to your kind and caring volunteer.
And HYDRATE. FEED YOURSELF.
I'm terrible for this. My expectation when preparing for shows is to forget at least one thing. And when it's food or water for myself, I breathe a sigh of relief because it's not my sign or knits.
Like, sure, you can probably do okay anyway if you're near food trucks with fantastic (and often pricey) meals at the ready. But the food can really be a repellant if you're eating at your table.
With better time management (read: throw the shit in your car the night before so forgetting it in the rush is impossible), you can save a bit of money and have one less reason to have to abandon your table.
Also, with sustenance, you won't die. Not dying surprisingly helps.
Got any tips and lessons of your own? Feel free to share them in the comments!
loop
Just days before having to board my flight back home, I was determined to visit London and find Loop, the gorgeous LYS I’ve heard just too much about on Ravelry. We bought our London Underground day passes (which I highly recommend if, like us, you’re prone to getting a little lost), and checked every map on the way to make sure we were on the right track to Camden Passage.
And there it was! We picked the right day to randomly bus to London, as it was International Knit in Public Day, giving me 10% off my yarn purchase (which meant I really had to make my souvenir purchase)! You’ll find whenever I make the time to upload the rest of the London trip photos, that other neat events coincided on this day too, there was a lot to see and do!
I just don’t know what it is with the rain and finding yarn shops— Jason and I were wet from the brief shower while walking the small streets of the passage, so walking into this nice warm shop felt wonderful. I’m proud of Jason for being such a great sport about it, and had no blame to place on him for dozing off a little in this warm peaceful little yarn shelter. :]
It was tough to keep my suitcase capacity front-of-mind, but I made my stash-addition choice. Two balls of Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball in Domino and River Bed. Domino will become some nice socks for Jason, and the other ones for me. :] I'm a little against keeping much of a stash, especially after having gotten new yarn from Ippikin just a few weeks ago, but as long as these become socks by the end of the summer it'll be okay I think! A little stash should be fine anyway.
Before leaving for California I casted on Anne Campbell's Show-off Stranded Socks with that Regia Hand-Dye effect yarn I bought from Ippikin. Unfortunately they didn't grow much as they would have, since I decided against risking confiscation at the airport, but they're steadily growing now that I'm home! I've had the pattern sitting in my queue for a while, waiting for the right skein. The pattern is tedious for me, but easy to understand and to remember (just simple yarn-overs and pulling them over stitches). I also have mixed feelings about how fun the new heel design's going to be, but the gorgeous look of the socks have been keeping me going. :] I'm looking forward to having these on my feet.
If you remember my Botticelli socks--I finished them in just two days! Problem is, I think I worked too many gusset rows, leaving the heel much too wide and saggy, and the foot much too long for me. The plan today was to frog, rewind and just make some regular heel flap nilla socks, but the yarn winder's busted AND I think I might have left one of the finished socks in England. They will have to wait. For now, I'll enjoy my growing souvenir WIPs and the hot cali weather. With time I'll be a tourist in my own town and visit some more LYS's (and make more stash acquisitions to share with you all--I'm thinking sweaters in the near future.)
Some unrelated but wonderful news--I had an unexpected but very thoughtful package from my older sister waiting for me here in Cali! A Knitter's Pride size 9 circular needle, and a skein of this very soft baby Llama yarn by Mirasol Peru. I hear the Knitter's Pride yarn is very similar in quality to Knitpicks Harmony needles, because of the same manufacturer (?), so I'm looking forward to using them. The yarn itself is just gorgeous. It looks like the perfect yardage for a nice pair of little wristwarmers, but I think they'll be better suited to a nice slouchy beanie like Opus Spicatum. I'll keep an eye out for another skein of this lovely yarn. 1000% excited to knit with this once my sock projects (and Bapsicrafts pieces) are bound off.