While getting ready for tomorrow’s How to Rock a Craft Show class, I surveyed a bunch of crafters and asked them for their craft show questions.

The most-oft asked question:

Do you make any money at it? How much?
Did it REALLY help you quit your dayjob?

To answer this, I think it’s best to look at hard numbers.

What percent of last year’s income came from craft shows?
Could I have quit my dayjob without that income?

To figure it out, I added up all my sales both online and off of yarn + fiber + lessons.
Then I added up my craft show sales.
I divided my craft show sales by my total sales to get the percentage.
(Note to the more-math-minded…did I do this right?)

I got .48

48% of my sales came from craft shows.

I did the same math for 2008: 42%.

Considering I only did 2 shows in each year, I think that’s pretty significant!

To get a really clear picture, I looked at the months around the craft shows. In the month preceding Urban Craft Uprising, I had 1/5 of my normal online sales. In the month following UCU, I traveled  extensively (and didn’t reopen my Etsy shop) so I made about 1/10 of my normal online sales.

So while doing the show  made up for those two months, it’s clear that the percentage would have been different had I kept my online sales going and didn’t do the show.

In other words, I sacrificed sales before and after the show to make one big chunk of income in 2 days.
Had I not done the shows, my online sales might have made up for it.

But another consideration is that I prepared for the show during July, the slowest month for yarn sales (both in my shop and throughout the industry).
I probably would have low online sales even if I hadn’t done the show.

Is there no clear answer?

I’ve left one thing out of the equation: post-show sales.

And those blow everything out of the water.

The people I meet at craft shows become online customers at an incredibly high rate.

It’s a little hard to track, since I don’t have any way of knowing how many hundreds of people I talk to at a show.
But I do know when they come online, because I recognize their names or see it in their address.

And I do know that many become repeat customers, buying yarn every month for years after the show, because they become my friends. On Twitter, in the blog comments, in my inbox.

Post-show sales come as quickly as the night after an event, when people I met that day log-on to my online shop.
Post-show sales come from people who sign up for my newsletter and buy something after getting that first newsletter.
Or the fifth.
Post-show sales come from someone at the show blogging about what they bought.

In other words, it grows.
By meeting people, talking to them about yarn, sharing my passion.

This is the aspect that makes the answer to today’s question an unequivocal
YES.

It’s worth it, for the people.
It’s worth it, for the marketing.
And it’s worth it (as I wrote yesterday), for the fun.

If you want to learn HOW to get those fabulous post-show sales, check out the class How to Rock a Craft Show.

If you have any questions, ask them in the comments!

Craft Shows have been a part of BCB since I first knew I wanted to quit my dayjob. I got to talking about it last week with some other crafters on Twitter.

It got me  thinking back to my first craft show and thought I remembered that I wrote a post after that first show.

Sure enough, I wrote of the most popular posts on this site, 5 1/2  Shocking Facts about Craft Fairs.
I reread it and I’m delighted by my exuberance.
That feeling hasn’t faded in the last 2 years of doing shows; in fact, it’s only grown stronger (and has grown into selling at my own shop).

As I prepared for my second show (which was much bigger than the first), I wrote another post about preparing for craft shows.  In it, I link to a lot of great basic resources.

It’s funny to reread that post, because while I cover all the steps in preparation, I certainly don’t go into the details (like, how do you figure out how much to bring?). And the details are what people always ask me about!

Exactly 1 year and 1 day after that last post, I wrote about the Pain of Craft Shows. In it, I share all the agony (and exhilaration) that goes into pouring yourself into a show.
I think it’s the closest I’ve ever gotten to the WHY I do craft shows. I say:

I do craft shows because it’s the one place, the one situation in which being a full-time yarnie feels good, normal, accepted. The people get me. They get my yarn.
It’s a place to be me: handknit clothes, stripey knee-socks, pink-haired, yarn-making me.

And when I get home, back to my solitary studio, back to my online conversations, that afternoon of pure me-ness stays with me, buoying me, refreshing me.

Sounds fabulous, eh?

In talking to others about craft shows, I’ve been asked a lot of questions.
Specific questions.
Questions I don’t answer in the above posts, questions I couldn’t answer in a zillion posts.
To answer the questions and to help everyone branch out into this very satisfying experience, I put together a class, How to Rock a Craft Show.
If you’ve been thinking about doing craft shows or you’ve been wanting to them better, check it out!

If you have questions about craft shows, leave them in the comments!

I want to tell you all about Craft Attack, but my camera’s not cooperating and I can’t extract my pictures from it, so that will have to wait.

Instead, let’s talk about the doing of a craft show.

It’s a lot of work.

More than you think. Maybe more than you would sign up for if you really knew that ahead of time.

There’s the actual making of wares, on top of keeping a steady stream of new yarn into the shop.

There’s the packing and the planning (extra tags, a sign-up sheet for the newsletter, and on and on).

There’s the setting up (tent, tables, lifting, carrying – always UPhill!)

There’s the actual 6-8 hour show. The work of talking to people about what you do, why you do it and yes, why that yarn costs that much.
The standing for 8 hours without sitting. The lack of food (I hate to eat when I’m working a show, my stomach’s usually too tense and I hate to talk with a mouth-full of food). The excess caffeine. The blasted heat.

Then there’s the packing back up. Maybe driving (or flying!) back home. And the unpacking.

And finally, there’s the aftermath. Credit cards to run, emails to answer, names to add to the newsletter list, packages to locate (every time I’ve done a craft show, something has gone wrong with my normal shipping. EVERY time.)

So why do it? Why inflict the pain upon myself (and loved ones)?

Because it’s fun.

Sure, it’s stressful, but it’s the good kind of stress. The push-yourself-farther stress. The make-more-yarn-than-you-thought-possible stress. The talk-to-lots-of-people-despite-being-painfully-shy stress.

It’s the chance to hang out with other people who do what I do. Who make and sell what they love. Who are clever, funny and so good at what they do. Who don’t ask “Why?” but instead, “How?”

And oh! The customers! People see my yarn in person! And squeeze it! And talk to me about it! And then take it home and love it!

While writing this it dawned on me: I do craft shows because it’s the one place, the one situation in which being a full-time yarnie feels good, normal, accepted. The people get me. They get my yarn.
It’s a place to be me: handknit clothes, stripey knee-socks, pink-haired, yarn-making me.

And when I get home, back to my solitary studio, back to my online conversations, that afternoon of pure me-ness stays with me, buoying me, refreshing me.

To answer your questions and to help everyone branch out into this very satisfying experience, I put together a class, How to Rock a Craft Show.
If you’ve been thinking about doing craft shows or you’ve been wanting to them better, check it out!

Since starting my West Coast Adventure more than 2 weeks ago, I’ve been wondering how to possibly share it all here, with you. 14 days of travel, work, play and visiting is a lot to sum up but here are some of the highlights of the Seattle leg of my trip.

Urban Craft Uprising was unbelievable. Kim Werker’s post on the show gives a great perspective. I met so many customers from Ravelry, from my Adventure Club and from Twitter. I met Jenny Hart, Sister Diane and Tara.

I even met a couple that graduated from my alma mater (which is bizarre, since we were in Seattle and Lee is in Tennessee) and were interested in learning to spin.

Shows like this are big and fun and completely exhausting. It’s so refreshing to chat with people who get what I’m trying to do and exhilarating to meet new people who want to know more.

But at the end of the day, it was relaxing to go home to my college roomates who were hosting me for the weekend. They showed me around Fremont and Wallingford. I saw Stalin.

We ate cupcakes at Trophy.

I visited Hilltop Yarn and spent over an hour chatting with Jessica (of Rose-Kim Knits) at the Fiber Gallery.

I thought about reviewing all the yarn stores I visited and cupcake/chocolate/ice cream parlors I tasted, but decided I’d rather just tell you that if you’re in Seattle, see it all! Experience it all, eat it all, talk to all the supersmart fiber people. It is just an overwhelmingly awesome city filled with amazing people and fabulously cute food.

I’m a homebody. A real, honest-to-goodness, I-could-stay-inside-for-weeks type of homebody. I’ve built a home-friendly business (spinning and dyeing requires that I remain near my kitchen and couch!) and if it weren’t for the dayjob, I might never venture forth.
Which is exactly why I insist on applying to crazy-huge, far-away craft shows.

They challenge me and stretch me and, yeah, force me out of the house. The last two weeks, nay, the last two months have been consumed with preparing for Urban Craft Uprising. I made more yarn than I ever thought possible, created a new “mini-series” (yarn with jingle bells! yarn with pompoms! Holiday Happiness!) and packed it all up and lugged it across the country. Once in Seattle, I met customers, vendors, authors! I explored, I rode busses and ferries and planes, I consumed hundreds of cups of coffee (if you’d like a coffee review, I kept embarrassingly detailed notes, which I’d be happy to share here).

So fun and so worth it, but also a little too much. I was only gone for one week but for the two months preceding I allowed my entire life to be focused on preparing for the show, keeping the Boutique stocked and fulfilling custom orders. I love being that busy, feeling the crush, buzz, but the truth is, it’s not healthy. I promised myself that when I was done with the show, I would take a step back. But being away from what I love the most (you, the fiber, the color) isn’t healthy either.

When I returned, I eased myself back into it. I’ve been away from my dyepots and my wheel and the whole business for one FULL week. I thought it would be restful but I feel all at odds. So odd, I’ve actually done a lot of *gasp* cleaning. Like, my whole house. Obviously, I’m not well.

I need to work on balance: yarn time and personal time. Accomplishment and relaxation.
I’m going forward with that intention.

That said, I can’t leave Seattle behind without a second glance!
A quick sum up: Urban Craft Uprising was magically delicious. I brought NONE of my own display units, everything I could possibly need was donated by the wondrous Kayce, of World of Whimm.

My friends helped me at the booth (that’s Carissa above) and I met the most fabulous customers.

Like this one, who bought the yarn on Saturday and returned on Sunday, with it as her hair. Weird. and Wonderful.

The girls (3 of my college roomates) managed to show me every good thing in West Seattle.

I showed myself a bit of Pike Place Market:

On Tuesday, while they worked, I took the ferry to Bainbridge Island

It was here that I experienced the best yarn store of my life, Churchmouse Yarn & Teas.

All in all, a really smashingly wonderful trip.

It certainly consumed my life there for a while, so I don’t intend to do any more shows until next summer. But I AM on the lookout for more big shows like this one (I need to get out of the house, remember?) Big enough to sink my teeth into and to push me into adventuring places I never thought I would.
With that in mind, as I sneak back into my regular routine of dyeing, spinning and blogging, can you share your favorite craft (or yarn or knitting) show?
Do you have adventures in your town that I simply can’t miss?

Are you a crafty soul in Seattle? If so, you simply must come to Urban Craft Uprising this weekend! I’m at booth 56 with loads of BCB yarn and Cloudlover’s roving!

Here’s some more info:

Over 100 vendors under one roof for one stop holiday shopping that will make you feel good about the holidays.

Date: Saturday, December 6th and Sunday, December 7th
Time: 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Where: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall
Admission: Free!

What is Urban Craft Uprising?
- A craft sale by indie designers and crafters throughout the day beginning at 11 a.m.
- Swag bags will be handed out to the first 100 visitors each day with samplings from vendors and sponsors – so be sure to arrive early! Last year a line started before our vendors arrived!
- DIY wrapping station- recycled materials to make your wrapping unique and green
- Free giveaways every hour

For a preview of who else is vending, along with the EXCELLENT author singings (I most excited about meeting Alicia) visit www.urbancraftuprising.com.

After the show, I’ll be in Seattle until the 11th. After that, I’ll return to the blog with the rest of the Eco-Friendly Yarn series and lots of Seattle pictures! While I’m gone, the Boutique will run as normal, but with all orders placed after December 1st, shipping on December 12th. I’ll still be checking my email, so don’t hesitate to contact me!

Now, I ask you: what should I see in Seattle? Where’s the best coffee? chocolate? yarn?

The yarn, fiber and wooly goodness is taking over my house! I’ve been getting ready for CRAFT ATTACK, a craft show held in Charlotte, NC, this weekend. It’s only second craft show and I am overwhelmed and overexcited and swirling around trying to get ready in time. My mom and I are leaving Friday to take the scenic route, through Boone and Blowing Rock (3 yarn stores, right near a great coffee shop).
I met a few of the CRAFT ATTACK organizers at my last craft show and have since been Twittering with them. They’ve planned an excellent show that will have over 80 vendors in the lovely Independance park.
Since this is is just my second show, I’m still learning about preparation. Here’s how I’ve been getting ready:

1. Stock – trying to make as much as possible! What looks like “a lot” in my apartment, looks pitiful in the booth! I make a schedule a few weeks out and plan for how many skeins I need to spin a day that I WON’T list in my Etsy shop. Then I stick with my schedule (or try to!)
   As I work on creating, I add the “show stock” to my inventory list, just so I can know what I’m bringing, what sells and what doesn’t. This is also an excellent way of figuring out what the “value” is of what you’re selling. If you don’t bring $2000 worth of stock, you certainly can’t expect to make that much! I find this helps me have a much more realistic view of what I could potentially expect from a show.
2. Labels – When adding those items to your inventory, this is a fantastic time to label them! I believe EVERY item should be clearly priced, so customers don’t feel shy about asking the price. I print out my labels, on recycled paper and make little hangtag ‘books”. I fit 3 tags/sheet of paper and then fold them in half. The front has my logo, the back has my “story” and the inside left is printed with info about the fiber (so I have different labels for local wool, banana fiber, etc – each explains what makes these fibers eco-friendly). I then handwrite the yarn’s info on the inside right (name, yardage, weight, etc). It’s a much easier process when I do it once a week…instead of waiting until the night before the show!
3. Displays – there are lots of great examples of displays on this flickr group . You want depth, height and movement. I use baskets on tables, a 3 tiered basket thing (it’s about 5 ft tall) and a hanging sweater thing (made for folded sweaters hanging in your closet). I also have lots of clear glass jars (like at candy stores) with a pop of bright fiber. People like to feel up yarn, so I try not to pile anything up (or else they can’t get to what’s at the bottom).For my sign, I sewed a simple rectangle that folds over a dowel (or can be used as a table cloth), the bottom half is the actual “sign”. I cut out and sewed on my name (in the font from my logo) with my logo next to it (overlapping rings) in both fabric and handstitched yarn (ok, so far the yarn hasn’t worked so well, so I’m still experimenting). It’s super bright and I love it! Pictures to come after this weekend.Oh, and tablecloths! Cover each table all the way to the ground so that you can store stuff under them! As for the tables themselves, I like a rectangle table for the back of the booth (with business cards, newsletter sign-up and my cashbox on it) and a round table near the front of the booth.Because so few people have actually seen yarn being created, I bring my wheel and spin. This is really a major part of the “display”, so I have to make sure I have room with it (and that I bring plenty of fiber to spin. It draws people in, and I can talk and spin at the same time (I have a little explanation I do about how the wheel works, if they look interested and start asking questions). But once they start to look at the yarn, I stand up to talk to them. If your craft is small and fiddly (I’m thinking earrings), you’ll probably turn people off by being focused on something they can’t see. Knitting and crochet is similar…is it interesting or do you look bored? It’s a fine line!
4. Marketing – I bring so many business cards I think I’ll never give them all out. And yet I do. Bring all you have! And pens! I also have my newsletter signup sheet on a clipboard. The wind was really blowing it around last time, so I tied a length of yarn around the whole thing with solved the problem perfectly! I offer 10% off to anyone who signs up and if you’re already on my list (and you tell me that!) you get 10% off. This time I’ll have a little bowl full of giveaways (and something to hand kids who try to touch everything else) – felted baubles, tiny bits of yarn, etc) and stickers. I’m still trying to figure out a way to tag the little free balls of yarn, so that they remind the customer of my business, but they’re too round to tie a business card to. I don’t want to put them in a little bag, because then you can’t feel them! Any suggestions?Also be prepared to answer the “Can you make this in ***” question. Know how long it would take you and how you’ll handle payment for a custom order. If you don’t want to do custom, come up with a nice way of saying no, so you’re not taken by surprise in the moment.
5. Packing the car – Obviously you need your stock, your tent, table, display units and cashbox. As for what else, this is the most comprehensive list I’ve ever found!

When planning for the show, I found the following articles to be super helpful

• Red Marionette’s Mojo
• Dif-fraction’s general advice

What do you do to get ready for a show?
Will you be at CRAFT ATTACK? If so, let me know!

If you’ve been thinking about doing craft shows or you’ve been wanting to them better, check out my How to Rock The Craft Show class!

I am so excited to do my first craft show this weekend! I’ll be selling yarn and fiber at the Crafting Patch Market at Independence Park in Charlotte, VA on Saturday, September 6. Visit the Crafting Patch website for more information (here’s a map). If you’re in the area, I’d love to meet you, so come by my booth or shoot me an email and we’ll plan to meet up while I’m in town!

Won’t be in Charlotte this weekend?
In preparation for the craft fair, I am emptying the Boutique and bringing every last skein of yarn with me. It will look a little bare from September 5-7, but don’t worry! On September 8th I’ll be restocked with new yarns and old favorites (a big shipment of Banana fiber & yarn has just come in!) I’m offering a 10% discount to my newsletters subscribers, so sign up for my newsletter and receive the discount! Because it wouldn’t be fair to ONLY offer a discount to the locals without extending it to all my lovely readers, ANYONE who makes a purchase from the Boutique from today until September 13th AND mentions the newsletter (put it in the “message to seller” or shoot me an email after you make the purchase but before you pay) will get 10% off the entire order! This isn’t just for you readers, feel free to pass the newsletter on to your friends, or blog about it or post it in forums or, well, you get the idea! Tell anyone that might like some yarn that they can get 10% off just by signing up for my yarny little newsletter.
(not sure you want a newsletter? Well, check out the last (and first) newsletter to assure yourself that it’s not annoying or spammy or unwanted. I’m on a roll if I get out once a month, and I will ONLY send discounts, free patterns and notices of upcoming events.)