Show Update

My visit up to Charlevoix was really nice, I didn't mean for it to sound so bad yesterday.  The weather couldn't have been better for setting up or tearing down my tent.  I had lots of help from my neighbor vendors which I surely appreciated.  They were folks I've been seeing there for years now. 

 My home away from home for three long days....

One super sad moment was when I approached the fish pottery maker about getting some more fish for my son-in-law and he told me I better hurry because he probably won't be there next year -- he'd just been diagnosed with lung and kidney cancer.  I felt so bad for Mitch.  Of course I bought more fish and told him in a firm voice 'I'll see you next year'.

My sales were so slow on Friday -- two measly hats sold in 8 hours.  I did get plenty of knitting done, including a beret that was one of the two hats I sold that day.  

This was the second skein of Malabrigo Rios -- love it!  The true color is much deeper and saturated but I'm afraid it got washed out in the crazy tent lighting.  I was hurrying to take the picture because the customer was on her way back to my booth to pick it up!

Saturday was much busier traffic and sales-wise.  Lots of people were admiring my embellished coats and it was great to actually sell two of them.  A few people expressed an interest in having me update coats they already own so I encouraged them to send me an email.

Once again I heard tons of comments from people who 'got an idea' from looking at my pillows for sale.  Um, the point was to make them and sell them not inspire other people to run home and copy them.  There was a group of sisters who approached me about making pillows out of what was obviously their all-to-recently deceased father's shirts.  Sunglasses hiding their eyes, their sorrow was so close to the surface.  Again, I said send me an email in a few days and we can make it happen.

One of the interesting things that Charlevoix had for kids was a little corral with pony rides and beside it some farm animals:

I think that goat was trying to make a run for it!

I was delighted to see some friendly faces while I was at the show:  Diane and Gary, Holly and Fritz, and a customer from NYC named Tina, who I've been trying to connect with for a couple of years.  I had sold her a felted purse years ago which she gave to her friend in Denmark (I'm international!) and the button flap had worn out.  I fixed it for her but couldn't seem to get it back to her.  I kept carrying it with me for the last two years, hoping to see her and finally -- there she was!  I had also made a new replacement bag for her to send to her friend so now both bags are on their way to Denmark.

By most accounts my show results were reasonably successful:  18 hats, 2 embellished coats, 2 felted bags and a camel/wool scarf.  I think I am disappointed because I knit with reckless abandon, bringing nearly 100 hats.  On the bright side, it means I don't have to knit like a mad-woman to get ready for the next show.  I do need to knit up 10 or so felted hats since I'm down to one lonely red hat.  Time to search the stash......