Honeymoon Bay Market...

Here are some images of probably the cutest Market I've ever seen (if not my most successful...)
I went there on Sunday, which in Canada is like the US Fourth of July, sorta..it's Canada Day, and I thought I'd take a drive and check out a new Market...this place is only open on holiday Sundays, the rest of the time, it's just a regular Saturday Market.
It was all built by the same man, little individual rustic spaces with a lot of personality.
The 'church' one has it's own bell, which kids love to  ring when they walk in..although it was hard to get the perspective of the little buildings, the church was the size of a large walk-in closet (not too large) and all the other buildings were small but sweet ..all had shelves and 'windows' for display..unique in my experience..guess, though, if I wanted a decent (financially speaking) market I should come on Saturday, when it's sunny, not overcast and cold like yesterday..apparently, vendors there are quite successful.
The last two pictures are of my temporary spot..wish I'd known ahead of time that I wouldn't need my tent and tables..could have made the inside more inviting...live and learn...

A good lesson for anyone trying out a new Market for their handmade goods..believe it or not, it is always a risk..I have two weekly Markets now, and even though I'm an established vendor in my area, sometimes I do great, other times, no matter crowded or not, I sell nothing..you never know.
I had about an hour's drive (admittedly, scenic...) and really enjoyed meeting many new people and loved the look of the Honeymoon Bay Market, but, financially, it was a total write-off...still, I will probably go back sometime when the weather is better, and on a Saturday, which is supposed to be a better experience.

Some Newer Baby and Toddler Hats

Here are some of my latest "kids' lids" to be sold in my new Etsy shop..trying to upload a few every day until I have as many as possible listed...of course, I always seem to sell them at my Saturday Market when listed, but since I will only go to my Market about twice a month until mid-March, they will hopefully be available for online purchase for a little while longer.
Cheers!

Everybody Wants What Won't Work For Them..Even Me (Inspired By Bunny)

The Fall Market at Duncan (my weekly Saturday Farmers' and Crafters' Market that is) is in full force, and I've put the jewelry away until Spring, concentrating strictly on hats and scarves, in keeping with the weather..
A woman came rushing into my booth, first thing, and told me that she had been searching for me, since I wasn't in the spot I was last time (they move me around all the time) and that she was surprised I was there, because it was 'raining' (just spittin' a little, I don't come if it's heavy rain) and immediately bought a hat for her baby son who she said had a huge head, although I told her it would probably be too small.
She came back, son and 11 year old daughter in tow, and told me, sure enough, the hat was too small, didn't ask if she could exchange it, assumed she could (of course she could, still, would have been nice to have been asked) and then fussed over everything else that did fit him, finally settling on something, and trying a bunch of hats on her daughter who really wanted a bunny hat (didn't have one her size) while Mom thought she should be getting into something less childish...
I wondered at that, is 11 now considered no longer to be a year in childhood? So many parents complaining about their children growing up too fast, but what do I know?
All kinds of teenage females love animal hats, it's a 'thing' and has been trendy for a few years..I tried to explain this to Mom, who finally let her daughter settle on an adult sized bear hat, which I can't keep in stock..
Then Mom turned to me and said that she had no more money, and told her daughter that if I still had the hat next week, she'd get it then..
I have a feeling that this Mom will be returning to my booth next week, and have her son's exchanged hat in tow, because it won't be "quite right".
Well it sure beats the other little girl, her Grandma distracted in the booth next to mine, who was carefully picking her nose, scrutinizing it, then trying to grab my hats....
But then, these are the joys of selling what you make, yourself.
I don't mind, really, it's sort of part of the entertainment to explain their children to these often bewildered parents, and I'm childless...
As I was packing up to leave, two (count 'em, two) young dads came by, seperately, just a few moments apart, looking at the hats, picking up everything sort of randomly, saying nothing, and finally I asked "What gender and how old?" They were each so relieved, I pointed them in the right direction and within two minutes both had bought a hat, almost grateful that I hadn't needed an explanation beyond my two questions..I love it when men shop my booth, they don't waste a lot of time second-guessing themselves and just want to get the right 'something,' pay, and get out as quickly as possible..
I had another Mom come in with three little girls in tow, first one tried on a hat, after asking politely if it was okay (that almost never happens, especially with kids) and then the second daughter wanted to try one on too, so I picked one that would fit her, and the baby, one of the most beautiful, sweet little girls I've ever seen, about two years old, was tugging on her Mom's skirt and looking at me beseechingly, saying nothing, so I asked Mom if I could put a hat on the little one, I did and showed her what she looked like in a mirror, she gave me the greatest smile, took off the hat, handed it to me, and as they left each one said "thank you" unbidden by Mom...No purchases, didn't care....
And, not for the first time, I realized that these lovely, polite, well-mannered children would have been a great asset in my life.

Random Thopughts, Burps, and Lamentations for Autumn..

Can't help but notice that I am close to the oldest person I blog with...in the sense of who reads my blogs and responds, and those whom I read.
I used to be the youngest person around, but my height and looks made folks assume I was much older, so I teneded to get away with a lot of things, that, in retrospect, may have done me not much good. But I wouldn't have it any other way; our experiences, good and bad, make us who we are...
Thinking about a blog I always read - and my friend was writing, as she has before, about the shock and sadness inherent in Empty Nest Syndrome..As a childless person who had to pretty much run away from home to escape my 'family', I find it oddly reassuring that there are parents out there who care in a positive, and not a possessive way, that their nestlings are flapping their wings and ready to fly, perhaps not completely away, but further afield.
As Autumn comes sauntering along, I often take stock of what I'm up to and where I seem to be going...the Canadian economy certainly hasn't suffered the same way the Yanks' has, yet it affects us in things like food prices and a lack of tourism numbers like the past years, which, of course, directly affects my weekly Market business.
At the same time, Autumn means that folks will start seriously considering keeping warm in the future months, not to mention holiday prezzies, so, it seems to balance out.
Just because I spent an exhausting, frustrating morning trying to photograph all the new stuff I've been making for the upcoming season, I am going to inflict on my reading public pictures of hats and scarves I haven't even listed...this will motivate me to get them listed, in case someone actually likes something I've made enough to buy it...
Enjoy this beautifully-coloured transition period, before Winter sets in with any seriousness..kick a few piles of leaves and think of me...

Home is the Sailor, Home From the Sea...

Don't know if anyone has noticed, but I have a real penchant for being near or on the water- preferably salt water, but fresh will do..
I decided to play with this idea a bit in my children's hats, and have made a few that live under, or spend a good deal of their time in, water...and thought I'd share'em as a group with you...enjoy!
I present an octopus, a blackfish (local name for an orca, or killer whale, who is really a dophin) and a starfish..and for those of you who, like me, love traveling on land and sea, a little duckie, complete with a ducktail!

Waiting, Hopefully Not For Godot...

I have been remiss in posting here, but that's because I'm waiting..
Waiting for the Post Office lockout to be over, waiting to be able to finally draw a name for my give-away, waiting to open up my online shop again on ArtFire...and waiting for a decent day selling at Farmer's Markets, just to have something to be happy, and blog-chatty, about.
Problem is, it's been dreary here for everyone, and the weather is matching up wih the economy in general.
No one I'm talking to who also vends at these Markets is doing well - seems like hard times are catching up with us, and, when you have a mostly seasonal range, it is doubly hard.
But, thankfully, babies are born in every season, no matter what the weather is doing, and they truly have been the only thing selling - not babies per se, baby hats - ...not in great numbers, but at least they are keeping the groceries in the cupboard..
So thought I'd share with you what I did yesterday, since I was a bit astonished at myself..the crochet hook went into overdrive, for some reason, and the pictures around this posting are what happened after that...
a new-style ladybug hat to replace another one I sold last Saturday, and an idea from a potential customer.
She is a photographer, and was asking if I could do cocoons..I never had, but they're just a step away from a really long slouchy tube, so I said sure...and she said she'd send some "examples" of what she is looking for. I'm really not interested in copying someone else's work, plus, she says she wants a really plain, basic brown..not the most interesting thing to make for this colour junkie..well, haven't heard from her (that's normal) but it got me thinking about cocoons..so I made this little pea-in-a-pod coccon and cap..it's really newborn-sized, and my 'model' is more like a 4-6 month old, but you get the idea..
What do you think?

A Weird Day at the Market in the Square

Granted, yesterday wasn't my first day back outside, maybe my third or fourth, but the weather was so strange that it seems the average shopper thought better of it and stayed home..
It started out gray and chilly, but here on the West Coast of Canada we dress for that, this time of year, and a very grim Spring made us wary of throwing on the shorts and sandals just yet...
Later it was cloudy, windy, with the odd peek of the sun, lasting maybe five minutes, maybe less..and then it got downright epic.
The fun started- hail, and plenty of it, impossible, in an open canopy, to dodge or protect against it..what had already been a not so great day, financially, got worse by the minute, as everything was soaked..remember, I sell crocheted stuff, and it sucks up moisture in the air like a thirsty sponge, and rain and hail don't help either..great for keeping you warm and mostly dry, but...
I am currently sitting here surrounded by hats, on every available surface, that had to dry out overnight..just one of the many joys and sorrows of outdoor selling.
Because I sell alone, I can't always wander around and see what's going on, but it was slow yesterday, so took a few pictures to bring to you so you can get a sense of the people who create things to sell..a bit too early for the farmers to be here with their vast bins of produce, but i will produce more images as the season progresses..happy creating!
The first image is a side view of my little booth, no point in boring you with details of that. The next is Danusia and her wild mushroom booth - we are kinda famous here for having a wide variety of wild and edible mushrooms on this Coast- and she picks, dries and sells these in a dizzying variety.. the next is a booth of the woman who makes beautiful dyed silk scarves..and if you look to the left, you can see, besides their smiling faces (Mum and daughter) little whales and some other toys- so cute!
On to the main stage, where musicians, some good, some loud, regale us at every Market Saturday..then the woodworker behind me, whose little 'stove' would have made my heart sing as a child..love his stuff..
More later, as the season and the variety progresses.

Check out my Sale Pieces...

Here's my Collection of some of the hats and neckwarmers currently on sale in my ArtFire studio-the ones marked "Sale" are all going to be discounted by $5 each when purchased..just put "miz5" in the coupon or message area and I'll refund the $5 through Paypal..if you buy more than one item, just add X2 or whatever the number is, and you'll get a $5 refund for each item purchased.
Starting outside at my Farmer's Market this Saturday, and the discount applies there, too, so make sure and get your order in as soon as possible..

Being Creative in Bad Weather

We were just gifted with a freak snowstorm lasting a couple of days and for dessert we were given an icy Arctic outflow that, although the skies are crystal clear now, lends a fierceness to the air you breathe...
About the only advantage to this sort of stuff is that I seem to get an awful lot done when I absolutely can't go anywhere..
Made lots of new jewelry and a couple of hats, which I'll show here, but the thing that I like the most was a little photo I took this morning during breakfast. It's a beautiful sunrise reflected in the next door neighbors' patio window.
I've often nticed this over breakfast, but most of the time I'm too sleepy to get up and get the camera..not today!
This shot was taken across my houseplants, who live on my dining room table..and it's kind of a neat effect to have the plants inside, taking a picture of a reflection outside, and all of it through glass, too.
My hanging art glass things are in there, too, and I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out..tell me what you think?

DO Try This At Home...

I was attending the opening day of one of my local flea markets, strictly as a potential customer, and my favourite Tarot card reader/organic dry dog food maker was there..yes, it is an interesting combination of careers, but her little bags of doggie treats are proving quite popular...and I know, from personal experience, that she's a good card reader, too..
We were talking about local Farmer's Markets (she reads cards at mine) and selling venues, etc., when she mentioned something that I just had to share. Don't know if you all are aware of this, or if it's done in your area/State/Province/County/Country or not, but until today I was totally unaware.
I live on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, as many of you know..it's the central part of the Island, called Cowichan, where I live, and sell in-online, of course, and the location of my weekly Duncan Farmer's Market.
My friend is sending me to the Cowichan Tourist Bureau, because they like to promote local businesses, especially colourful ones that tourists would enjoy, and the promos are FREE!!! Free..that is a biggie..they go to trade shows and give out your cards to those attending from the cruise industry, bus tours, travel agents, etc. etc. And my friend is sending tiny little doggie bag samples..
Pretty hard for me to afford that, but figured I could give them a couple of hats to display..also, they have a roll of 500 free stickers to use on your goods that say "Cowichan Made"..too cool!
This kind of literally International publicity would be impossible for me to afford in real life..but who needs reality when the Tourist Bureau is able and willing?
So, think about this for your own businesses - even online businesses that are locally owned and operated, are of great interest to most Tourism agencies..I think it's a fabulous idea, and hope some of you out there can benefit from it, too.

How to Measure For My Hats

Hello! Welcome to the blog for my ArtFire studio..mizdarlin's hats and jewelry...which I thought I'd post here too..
Because I sometimes have problems with buyers and sizing, I thought I'd explain a bit about how to know if a hat will work for you, or whoever the hat is going to.
I have provided, as an example, a medium sized brown earflap hat..
This hat measures in at 23" (58 cm) at the opening, which is what I call the area at the very bottom of the hat body, before the earflap braids...
In this particular case, the 23" is also identified as "before stretching", which means that it can and will stretch comfortably within a 1" range.
If you are have a 22" head circumference, don't worry, this hatwon't be too big, but I wouldn't go any smaller.
Now of course, the question is, where and how do you measure?
Use a soft cloth tape if available, or a piece of string that you can measure afterwards, and, starting at mid-forhead, measure around your head going across your ears, not behind them, and finish again at mid-forehead, snug but not tight, ...this will give you a general idea of your 'size'.
The reason I do not use typical hat size measurements, e.g., 6 1/2, 7 5/8, etc. is because they don't have meaning in stretching hats..
The average adult female has a head from 19" to 22"..if you are someone who can walk into any store and try on a "one size fits all" hat and it fits, or is even too big, you fall into this range..and most of my hats are labeled as Small (19"-20") in this range, or Medium (21"-23").
Children's 'sizes' can be problematical..believe it or not, most kids from about 2 years old have heads only 4" to 6" smaller than an adult, around..
So, when I list the measurements for a child's hat, a newborn comes in at around 12", 3 months to 6 months is 14", and from one year onward, I usually list from 14" to 16" and up..many girls, for instance, from 3 or 4 years are wearing 19" hats..(please remember that these are "averages", and most of the hats have 'give' within a one inch range.)
It is a difficult question to sometimes find the exact size in the exact hat, I know, which is why I do custom work..if you love a hat that is the wrong size, let me know, and chances are that I can do a version just for you at the same price.

Taking a Moment to Consider..

As the craft fair season winds down, and I'm back outside for my Farmer's Market for 2 more Saturdays, I have noticed an odd thing..I keep selling camouflage patterned hats and scarves..
I try to consider that this is nothing new, and like animal prints, camo has been trendy for a few years..but never so much with women as now..
I've illustrated this posting with my 'tools', and two types of camo yarn, as well as some finished pieces, available from my Artfire shop or at my Farmer's Market on Saturdays, but I would like to spare at least a thought for what camo represents..in reality.
This season, as so many before it, my country and other countries are at war; now I really hate everything about war, but with just as much passion, I support the women and men who go and serve in our Forces..
This year, let's make it stylish to think about our troops, and hope against hope that we bring them all back, alive and well..
Now that would be a Christmas present worth having...

The Wages of Guilt..more Random Rants

I admit that I'm feeling more than a bit guilty about neglecting my blogging duties; normally, I have to control myself and not go on and on here, but lately, the frustration with life's little zingers has temporarily got me down..
This weekend there is a wind and rain warning, so no Farmer's Market for me..
I do love selling outside, but the weather can play havoc with your capnopy, your stuff, and your temper..not to mention the fact that almost no one comes out for the Market in bad weather. It's doubly frustrating because my hats are seasonal, to say the least, and I only have a four month window to make any sort of sales...and the weather takes away a good half of those...and summer? Well, some jewelry, but really, can't take the heat and it gets very, very hot here, believe it or not (and doesn't snow much, usually - there, all your illusions about icy Canada shattered once and for all!)
So I'm left with a 'free' weekend, and that means I need to straighten stuff out around here, maybe take some stuff to the flea market..yes, my name is Wendi, and I'm a stuffaholic..
Every few months, I get brutal and wander around my place, picking out the stuff I know I can, and should, live without, and take it to whatever swap meet or flea market is going on..luckily we have a few, though usually I'm a customer, not a seller..
I usually try to go to sell there alone, because it keeps me from wandering around, finding things to buy...what is that about, some bizarre need to acquire stuff? True, I use most of it either for my home or to improve my selling space at the market, but...it really does get out of hand, sometimes..sound familiar?
I'd like to at least wish for fair weather and wonderful finds for my readers, since I cannot hope for either...♥

Hugs and Kisses, and Interpretations Thereof...

Last winter, my pal Dana, a great jeweler in her own right, was preceding herself through doorways, and having to stretch her little tees over an increasingly large mound in front, aka, a big ol' baby bump..
In due course, Brodick was born (I'm callin' him Brody for short) and I saw his teensy self at one of my Saturday Markets..proudly ensconsed in Mom's arms..
Dana apologized to me because he wasn't wearing the little hat I'd made for him..she could have fit the entire baby in the hat at that point..
Now, a few months have passed and Dana sent a photo of sweet Brody in his new hat, so I'm gonna share it with you!
By way of explanation, it's a Kiss hat, no, not the rock group, the candy..and because I didn't want any nasty letters from a certain chocolate company whose name begins with an H, I stamped kissing lips on the white 'paper' twist at the top.. look up...♥

My "new" Etsy Shop..hats4moppets..

I always felt that my baby hats were a bit overlooked, in amongst the adult hats..a bit chaotic and a bit too 'rummage sale', so I decided to open a new shop just for the wee hats I make, also all OOAK (one of a kind) and, as usual, I'll be doing custom work as well..
I'm not currently vending at my Saturday Farmer's Market; it's a great time for buying veggies..hats, not so much, but the baby hats always seem to sell-they are such a great shower gift, and babies are born all year long..
Come the Autumn season, I also get buyers who want a hat colour-co-ordinated with winter coats for children, so, back to the Market in late August.
Meanwhile I am making and listing, making and listing..and hoping for the best.
If you have the time or inclination, drop by! The new widget is just to the right...