Too wet for the market today

 

So I am up at 5.45 am, my car was packed the night before and I'm ready to head off to the market, but the weather is wet and cold, it doesn't look like it's going to let up, so the decision is made and I won't be going.
 

So onto my other love, I'll surf the net for inspiration, but I'll just play a few online games first. My hubby snaps a shot of me from behind, the birds nest in my hair is revealed.
 

Now this is a project I've thinking about for a while, to replace the cushion covers I knitted some years ago.
 

This is the beginning of one cushion, so far I like it and it is making up fast with 2 strands of 8ply and a size 6.00mm hook, I designed the stitch pattern before I started. Considering I have not written many patterns of late, I might write this one up to share. I've also got a lovely bolero hat pattern I want to write up and share. So stay tuned for more to come.

Pattern here.

Display stands

A simple yet effective way to display hats

A candle stand I was not using
The hats hung ok this way, but I wanted to fill them out a bit more.

So I cut cardboard circles out to achieve this.

Now they sit fuller.

I bought some stands that pull apart for transport and thought they would be perfect for my bags and ice-cream cones. But how do I hang them on then take them off easily for viewing or selling?

Oh, I can finger knit a length of cord that I can hook the items onto, A bit of heavy duty tape on the ends of the cord secured the cord for transport.
They are also attatch more securely in an anti theft way.
The stand cost $12.00 and it can be raised or lowered, the market table fit's perfectly in between the upright posts so it displays it's self with in all of my other products.

Market Day week 3 and 4

Week 3 picture (my best week so far)

I write about my market for those of you who are considering to have a stall of your own.

There are alot of things to consider, presentation playing a very major role.

Transportation of your goods.

The weather plays another major role, unless you are selling indoors.

Plan ahead, windy conditions saw the purchase of occa straps and big clips to secure my goods (sort of look like this but plastic), wet weather saw the need for water proof covers.

Too many small stands can take up precious room in your transport vehicle and on your stall table.

Your timely arrival at the market is also important, arriving late may see you in a long cue of stall holders, wasting valuable time from the setting up of your stall.

A small float of coin and note's, clearly marked pricing, the wearing of your product if applicable, a companion, be prepared to answer all questions about your items, such as the materials used, "can you make more, how long will it take, will you be here next week?"

A nice bright table cover.

A thermos of hot coffee, food and drink.

Get to know the rules of the market you are selling in.

A positive and friendly approach.


Week 4 picture, and my daughter Casey, she was a great help. (Another good week, but it did rain. Week 3 still the best.)

Previous market post's.

Market day 1.

Market day 2.

More market ideas here.

What Makes Your Crochet Stand out In A Crowd?

Individual style and flair, would most probably be, what makes your hand made crochet items stand out.

I ask this as I once again return to the market tomorrow, Sunday 06.07.08.

A lady 3 stalls down from my stall last week, was selling scarves made with that fluffy type yarn you can buy for nick's. I didn't look to see if they were crochet or knit, it wouldn't make a difference any how.

But what I am getting to here is that her scarves were priced at $7.00 each and I am selling my neck warmers for $10.00 each, I originally wanted to sell them for $15.00 each, as they have buttons and use a 50 gm ball of yarn to complete.

So with the thinking cap on for idea's to keep on improving my stall from week to week, I realised that I had to be different and to stand out from other stalls. I feel I have already made myself unique, as I am a one of a kind stall where I am selling.

I did not want to make cheap fluffy scarves as every other stall can have those, I'd rather spend the same amount of time on a unique item with quality yarn.

What I have come up with can still be sold at the bargain price of $10.00, there is a little room for profit, but once a matching hat is sold along with my new scarves, the profit becomes larger.

Here are some pictures of my latest scarves with matching hats.

Market Day 2

I believe that this week-end at the market was a better out come than last week, with triple the sales and no rain, how ever it was very windy! Regular stall holders said that numbers were down, so when I was asked if I wanted to book for next week-end, of course I said yes.

When I got home I looked up the fore cast for next week-end and it is going to be a fine winters day!

Keep reading for an eerie vision.

This was the first photo I took, I could not believe the eerie mist type shape I saw in the picture preview, so I took another straight after which is below. What do you think the mist is? I have no explanation for it, but the shape seems to me to be a giant skull. I usually crop and make my images smaller before posting them, but this time I didn't, just so I can't be accused of playing around with the image. I'm not into super natural stuff, but who knows?

As you can see by the picture, I have some novelty and apparell that I am selling at very cheap prices. I used to have a shop and still have contacts for cheap products.

This is a classic, the wind was blowing things away and over, one way to combat this was some old jumper leads that were in the van I borrowed, along with some big plastic clips and occa straps we bought on the day. I layed the occa straps across my goods on the table, you could still see the goods clearly, but they were held securely down onto the table.

I must thank my husband Terry for making up a wooden stand I can place my display heads onto. It's a simple horizontal flat board with cut down broom stick handle's, secured into a vertical position, I can take the head models off for transport and storage.

Market Day

To market, to market

to sell something

rain again, rain again

jiggid'y jig.

All was well at 7.30 am.

Here is a view of my stall from the right.

And here is a view of my stall from the left. My youngest daughter is in the back ground, she actually got up early to halp me after she had a late night.

A close up of the left side of the stall.

A close up of the right side of the stall.

The rains came down and the brellies came up.

My second eldest daughter came along with 2 of my beautiful grandsons.

Not selling much at this point in time, can you see the puddle of water in the plastic?

My grandson Cooper loved the puddles.

I sold 3 beret type hats to an elderly lady, who would have bought more if I had more to suit her.

I sold a hat and neck warmer set, a few single scarves, a single neckwarmer and a few variety items from my bargain box.

I was in profit after I paid for the stall.

There was so much interest in what I was selling, that I couldn't resist booking a stall for the following week.

No body knew what the ice-cream cone or cup cakes were, they were clearly marked, but this is not some thing one see's alot of, here in Australia.

The neck warmers were a first time see for many, I can see that people need to be educated, we wore my product and I had display heads and a picture in a frame of the neck warmers, but people still seemed uaware of their purpose.

I know that I need to specify that what I was selling, was adult wear.

I was impressed with the males who liked the neckwarmer, but alas I did not cater for them.

I am back to the drawing board this week and I will focus on improving certain area's which may help with more sales next Sunday(Weather fore-cast is windy but dry). It was also a fun day, even though we got rained out. The market closed a half hour early and I had my stock covered for an hour previous to that. 3 of my daughters, 2 grandsons and my Husband turned up for support, so it was a wet family fun day.