The weather is getting a bit crisp, the foods are warmer and heartier, and I’m reaching for my cowls and sweaters with some regularity. This can only mean that it’s craft fair season. I am planning on vending at a few local fairs in and around New York City and Northern New Jersey. Other than knitting nearly non-stop to produce a robust, and thoughtfully planned inventory, I’m also working on presentation for my knits. The usual presentation at most craft fairs is to cover a long, folding table with a tablecloth and display the merchandise on it. This can be effective and lovely if done well. With knitwear, I’ve always found that this approach makes a table look untidy and mostly messy. I’ve never been thrilled with any of my presentations at previous fairs.

Creating an effective and visually interesting craft fair booth for knitwear can be tough; lots of surface area is needed for knits, and in a smaller booth this just isn’t an option. This year, I’m changing my approach. Out is the long table. Gone. In are simple shelving units and clothes racks. Makers who are lucky enough to take part in a fair or market where booths are large can enjoy the comfortable space and spread out their wares for customers to browse leisurely. But large booths aren’t always an option, and so my dilemma was to figure out how to best present my knits in a smaller booth space. Vertical. That was the answer: display vertically, not horizontally.

After making the decision to use vertical space, a list of demands appeared: Must be able to be built and taken apart on site. Easily, and fast, too. Must fit in car. Must be lightweight enough to be carried, yet not so light that it can be knocked over. Must be affordable. Must look simple and must look “right” with my cozy handknits. Everything must look like they belong together. I want my tiny little booth to be a tiny little shop. I want visitors to have the experience of being in a knitwear shop. To realize that goal, different types of display items will be used: shelving, clothing rack, dress form or mannequin.

There are some amazing and beautiful ideas out there. On a recent Sunday afternoon, I spent hours online just looking at craft fair booths and displays. I love all the iron piping DIY shelving units and clothing racks, and I almost went that route. Ultimately, though, the iron pipes weren’t for me for a few reasons: they are heavy as heck and would be tough to transport easily to booth area, and they cost a bit more than I wanted to spend.

I did ultimately find a great shelving solution. I don’t have photos of that shelving unit just yet, there are some adjustments to be made to it first. Photos will come soon. The photos I do have is of this clothes rack. It’s easily put together and broken down. It’s super lightweight and affordable. There’s a neat shelf at the bottom for additional merchandise.

And, the best part is I think it’s just lovely in its simplicity and fits in with the cowls just fine.

]]> http://www.bayleafstudio.com/2013/10/02/craft-fair-season/feed/ 0 http://www.bayleafstudio.com/2013/02/05/valentines-day-garland/ http://www.bayleafstudio.com/2013/02/05/valentines-day-garland/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:01:09 +0000 http://www.bayleafstudio.com/?p=389

Valentine’s Day is almost here, and what could be more fun than to decorate with a knit hearts and pompoms garland?

This garland is quick to knit and simple to assemble. And, you won’t have to worry about size or gauge. Just choose any yarn you like and the appropriate size needles. Feel free to change things, too, by using colors other than red, or making it as long or as short as you wish.

materials
Any yarn you like, split into 2 balls.
Knitting needles, in the appropriate size for your yarn. Because double pointed needles are shorter in length and the hearts in this project are smaller in scale, I tend to like them for these sorts of projects.
Pompom Maker.
Quilting needle for weaving in ends.

instructions

With first ball of yarn, cast on 2 stitches.
Rows 1-2: knit
Row 3: k1, m1, k1 (3 total stitches)
Row 4: knit
Row 5: k1, k1 then k-b, k1. To increase here on the second stitch: Knit the second stitch, then, without taking the stitch off the needle, knit another through the back of the loop, creating an additional stitch. (4 total stitches)
Row 6: knit
Row 7: * Knit 1, M1, K to last stitch, M1, K1
Row 8: Knit*
Repeat from *, increasing 1 stitch at each end of odd rows and knitting all even rows, until the end of row 20, with 18 total stitches on needle.
Rows 21-28: knit all
To begin upper half of heart, you’ll split the heart into 2 parts and use the second ball of yarn to knit one half of the heart. Knit 9 with first ball of yarn. Knit 9 with second ball of yarn.

Row 29-32: Continue as above with knitting each half with its own ball of yarn.
Row 33: One half of heart: K1, K2tog, k6. Next half of heart: k6, k2tog, k1.
Rows 34-35: knit
Row 36: One half of heart: k1, k2tog, k5. Next half of heart: k5, k2tog, k1.
Row 37: One half of heart: k4, k2tog, k1. Next half of heart: k1, k2tog, k, k4.
Row 38: One half of heart: k1 k2tog, k3. Next half of heart: k3, k2tog, k1.
Row 39: One half of heart: k2 k2tog, k1. Next half of heart: k1 k2tog, k2.
Row 40: bind off

Weave in the ends. Block the hearts, if you want to reshape them a little. Make the pompoms. Thread the yarn through pompoms and hearts. On mine, I threaded the hanging yarn through the middle of the pompoms and through the backs of the hearts, but you can also try threading through the tops of the hearts, or through only one half of the top of a heart and have your hearts hang on an angle. That would look beautiful.

Hang in a sunny and happy part of your home and enjoy.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

We’re thrilled to be a part of this year’s Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn. We’ll have hand knit hats, cowls, even baskets. Stop by, support handmade and say hi!

Tomorrow is the Etsy-themed Martha Stewart Show!

The show preview aired a bit ago. Alright… so I am in it for a millisecond, maybe less. I paused the preview and did get the teensiest glimpse of me and my kelly green cowl way back in the 4th row. Don’t forget to tune in to the Hallmark Channel tomorrow, April 26, at 10 am ET to learn about Etsy and see some great handmade goodies.

Yay handmade!

Yesterday, I joined an audience full of Etsy sellers at a taping of the Martha Stewart Show. What fun, an entire show about Etsy! I met sellers I hadn’t met before and caught up with a few I met at last month’s Etsy Symposium. Martha interviewed a couple of Etsy folks and featured crafts with 2 Etsy sellers as well as a fashion show. And, Martha was just lovely. I’ve been a fan of hers for so many years and it was such a treat to be in the audience while being an Etsy seller.

All Etsyans in the audience were asked to bring something from their show. I brought 2 merino wool cowls: one to wear in a kelly green and one to hold up for the camera in an undeyed flax.

The show will air on Thursday, April 26 2012 on the Hallmark channel. Let’s hope I get a second on camera!

It feels like Christmas morning around here… we’ve just received a thrilling gift by being included in Cool Hunting’s 2011 Gift Guide!

http://coolhunting.com/giftguide2011/

Oh, I can feel it. Can you? The air is crisp, flannel jammies are out of the drawer and sweaters are a must on mornings. I love all things fall: the colors, the changes in light, the foods. All of it.

In honor of fall, I just added this hat/earflap/scarf number to the etsy shop. See it here. I love that it can be worn by an entire family: big folks and wee folks. This was such fun to design and knit. I was giddy while working on it. (And yes, I certainly do realize that I say pretty much the same thing about all my knits.) I hope you’re enjoying the seasons change, also!

It’s been quite a while since paper goods have made an appearance around here.

They haven’t been in the shop for ages. Back when there were paper goods in the shop, they were A2 sized notecards with a felt-design front. Over the past few months, I’ve been working on word shapes. I didn’t even have a name for what I was doing, just a long sentence sort of describing what they were. “A collection of words or phrases to describe a person or event arranged in the shape of something that made a connection to that person or event.” Heh? Exactly. There was too much effort to explain and by the time I was done explaining, there was a faraway look in the other person’s eyes. I definitely lost them.

But, worry no more. They are here and they have a name: Word Form. There are ready to ship occasion cards as well as personalized prints that are perfect for a new baby, new home, or wedding gift. And, there is a set of notecards, too. Just the thing for family stationery. I’ve had an absolute blast working on these and hope you like them, too!

Last year, I saw a gorgeous sweater feautured on a blog. I didn’t flag the post so now I cannot remember where I saw it. It was a pale pink cloud. Gorgeous and heavenly. It’s been on my mind for so long. Recently, I saw Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri, in Pink Lemonade. Ahhhhh… dreamy stuff, that yarn. I knew I would use it for the sweater. I just needed to find the right pattern. The sweater is so simple: ribbed wrists, raglan sleeves, open neck, ribbed waist. The size is generous, without being oversized, lounge-y yet not too casual. Understated.

And then this morning… ta-da! Found it! Quince and Co.’s Fiona Pullover. I just ordered the yarn and downloaded the pattern. Cannot wait to start! I’ll change the pattern slightly, adding the ribbed wrists and waist, but the neck, raglan sleeves and shoulders in the pattern are perfection. Exactly what I’ve been dreaming about. If only we could download yarn, too.

There was a goofy smile on my face all last week. After the Etsy Shop’s front page makeover, wonderfully generous people emailed, sending the kindest comments and congratulations. My little shop hasn’t gotten this kind of attention before and it’s been so exciting.

Victoria, the very talented and lovely blogger, from sfgirlbybay, tweeted about my front page. I was at the movies, had just seen The King’s Speech (gorgeous, wonderful, beautiful, a must) and was checking my email. The “oh!” I let out made a few people near me jump slightly and move slightly further away.

And then, on Friday, Cool Hunting did a write up, which was another tremendous surprise. I kept walking around the house and coming back to the computer to look and make sure that was really my face on Cool Hunting and that I hadn’t been imagining it. Yep, it sure was. Me and my Dewberry Hat. I love Cool Hunting and am a loyal follower, and to be featured on it is indescribable.

I sit in my sunny studio, knitting all day long, sometimes wondering who’ll wear the hat I happen to be knitting at that moment. Or, I wonder if anyone will ever find that hat at all. I knit what I love, and I knit what makes me happy, so for people to see the work I do and respond to it in a positive way, well, it makes my heart pitter patter all the more. Big love to you, internet, and all the internet fairies out there spreading kindness!

I had quite a fun time turning an entire page of my Etsy shop into one product page. In the days to come I’ll write about it in more detail, but for today I just want to look at it and enjoy the result!

Check it out here. Be sure to look at it in grid view, not list view.

I made some changes to the Etsy Shop banner. The result is thrilling!

Here it is, folks! 2011! A brand new year. All shiny and lovely.

Beginnings are so exciting. I love the clean slate-ness of it, the endless possibilities-ness of it. This is the time when anything can happen. You can do anything. Anything. There’s a whole year ahead where we can do all sorts of things we always say we’ll do: exercise more, eat more mindfully, consume less, recycle more, read all those books in a pile on the bedside table, and of course, knit more. And we can really mean them and try our hardest to make this the year. And it can be, this can be the year. It doesn’t get old to me, these beginnings. The hope of what’s ahead, the excitement of what could happen. It’s like that first snowflake in the first snowfall of winter. It never gets old.

To me, the most exciting part is knowing there will be more family gatherings and celebrations: birthdays, weddings, simple dinners with everyone I love near me. 2010 ended with a wonderful dinner at my parents’ house with my parents, sisters and their families. It was a perfect way to end the year. We have yet to have our first gathering in this new year. But, it’s coming soon!

I hope your New Year is beautiful, meaningful and filled with love all around you.

Oh… and why the photo of Miguel? Well, I couldn’t find a fantastic and shiny New Year photo that I loved and that didn’t look too cliché. Plus, Miguel turned 6 on New Year’s Eve, so it seemed fitting to include a photo of my pooch. And the lovely one on the right? That’s Vouga, our other favorite Portie. Gorgeous, right?

This coming weekend, I’ll be participating in the Degenerate Craft Fair and I am so excited. It’s been an exciting time of knitting, tagging, organizing and planning.

The Degenerate Craft Fair features over 50 artists, designers and their work. Just in time for holiday shopping, most of the items offered will cost less than $50. For more info check out http://degeneratecraftfair.com

I’ve recently started curating Etsy treasuries. What fun! The experience is so enjoyable. The best news is that one of my treasuries was chosen to be on the front page. Thrilling!

Well, it seems I’ve somehow injured my foot. I’m not even sure what I did, but I’ve been advised to stay off it. And while that is much easier said than done, I’m making an honest effort to stay off the foot and rest it so it can heal properly.

That can only mean on thing. Knitting. Lots of knitting. After knitting very little for most of the first half of the year, the knitting bug has returned with a vengeance. I can’t knit enough lately. I only want to knit lately. And with a foot propped up, I’ve been given more hours in the day to do just that.

First up: Striped hats.

This neat little item was just added to my Etsy shop. I’ve made one for myself and have been wearing it non-stop. I see a pattern here with almost everything I make for Etsy… one for Etsy, one for me, once for Etsy, one for me…

It looks wonderful over a top with a contrasting color so the detail at the edge can show off (a bit of a taa-daa!). And, it fits easily under a winter coat so there is no need for a scarf. I’ll wear this over a light tee on warmer days when all that’s needed is a bit of warmth around the neck and shoulders. As usual, this is knit in wonderfully soft 100% merino wool from upstate New York.

For my birthday in October of 2009 I was given gift certificates to Purl, one of my very favorite places on earth. The gift certificates are quite generous—enough for a beautiful sweater for myself and maybe a scarf too! Since then I’ve been searching for my next project. I want something warm, with a good drape, not bulky and maybe kinda sexy, too.

I think I’ve found it!

I bought this Rowan book today and am just loving all the patterns in it. Most of the book’s patterns use Kidsilk Haze, which is absolutely lovely to work with. Anything I’ve ever made with it is always gorgeous. I’m going to make the Ghost Sweater, which uses Kidsilk Haze in 2 colors, Anthracite and Smoke, knit together. This sweater has a perfect length, it sort of wraps over and closes with a long knitted belt and seems to fall so nicely. I can see it worn with a t shirt and jeans or over a cami and long trousers, or pajamas on a Sunday morning.

Now all that’s needed is to get into the city to pick up my yarn and get started…

This weekend was devoted to Christmas decorating. It was so cold here which made it perfect for having a fire going all weekend.

I often decorate by the seat of my pants and this year was no different. The mantle could have used something new and as I was taking out last year’s decorations I remembered two wonderful designs that would be perfect. Then thought, why not make them now? So I dug out some wool felt that I bought in bolts years ago and got to work. The wreath design came from Wise Craft via Design*Sponge, and the trees came from Wise Craft. With both the trees and the wreaths, I played around with the shapes and changed them a little. For the wreath I used a holly leaf pattern that I found online by googling “holly template”. The garland on the mantle is a few years old and was incredibly simple to make. The string a is chunky yarn crochet chain and the pom poms were made with the same yarn.

This yarn arrived yesterday: lovely, all of it. Luscious and super soft merino wool came neatly bagged and packaged. I wanted to wind all the skeins immediately, put them into baskets and get to work. But instead, I waited until this morning to take pictures in daylight so they would look their best. They are now photographed and ready to be wound! The slate yarn will be made into the Long Cable Scarf, the Slouchy Hat and and the Tall Cowl. The red will be made into a new cowl that I’m working on. The aubergine yarn will become the Wide Cowl and the Cables and Pom Pom Hat. Can’t wait to start! The chartreuse, aqua and pink will be used for a new group of fun and colorful children’s hats that hopefully will be out for all to see in January. It’s a prefect day to stay indoors and knit. It’s 23 degrees and windy outside!