Craft Fair Success

Yesterday saw me attend a craft fair for Preston Guild. I met some really lovely stall holders. The lady next to me made the most amazing cakes - my favourite, cherry bakewells were to die for! Fresh cherries with almond icing, and jam in the centre of the sponge....

Another stallholder traded home made marmelade for some yarn - and oh boy was that a great breakfast this morning...

The craft fair was good - I sold a reasonable amount of stock, but I now have to replace it furiously! After all, I have British Wool Weekend in Harrogate next weekend.

I've added some more yarn to my stock. Beautiful fibre dyed by Wildfire Fibres and handspun by me available from www.knattersknits.co.uk

 

 

 

Washing fleece

My long term plan is to only spin and sell British Wool. To that end I am searching for local farmers willing to sell me fleeces.

Once I have them I prepare them by removing vegetable matter, washing, drying, and grading them.

Removing vegetable matter

Washing and rinsing

Before and after shot - so clean!

The final result is clean and dry fleece. Once it's clean and dry, it needs carding to make it suitable to spin.

Watch this blog to see how the fleece turned out - and what colour it eventually ended up as!

Chipping Craft Fair

Well, I did my second craft fair today. Set in a beautiful village and equally lovely village hall, this one was much busier than the last. Sadly no. of visitors did not convert into an increase in sales. Perhaps it was the weather - it precipitated like only English weather can.
Perhaps it was unseasonal to buy woollen items in July
Perhaps what I'm knitting doesn't appeal - but then I did get a lot of 'oohs' and 'aahs' so I don't think this was true.
I'm not giving up that easily though - I did make  some good contacts today and I  have learned that some of my stock appeals very much.

As usual, watch this space