I’m preparing for my first fiber festival this year, and it has me both excited and nervous at the same time! I wish I had the time and budget to dye and card up one of each of my colorways in yarn, roving and batt form before the event. Heck, I’d love to do two of each! But that’s definitely not a possibility; I’ve got way too many colorways. So instead, I’m hoping to bring the ones that are the most likely to sell. The problem is, as the person who created those colorways I love them all. I definitely play favorites, too, and I have the colorways that call to me more than others. I know, however, that just because I like something doesn’t mean everyone else will.
For instance, one of my favorite colorways is The Other Mother:
On the other hand, Phileas Fogg is a colorway that just isn’t my favorite, but it sold relatively quickly when I listed it:
So the problem is, which colorways to dye/card before the fiber festival?
That’s where you come in! Please head over to my Flickr Available Colorways set and pick a favorite – or two! Tell me WHY that item is your favorite if you don’t mind, and I’ll read over them and try to get a better idea of which colorways people like the best. As a bonus entry, leave another comment with some helpful fiber fest vending advice for me! If you’re a veteran vendor, what advice do you have for a newbie? If you’re a shopper, what do you like to see when you go to a fiber fest in terms of booth setup, customer service, or whatever?
Here’s the best part: I’m going to dye up a skein of 2ply Superwash Sock yarn for one random commenter to this post! As long as your comment involves one of my colorways and why you like it (or fiber fest advice – limit to two total comments per person), you can be randomly selected to win. When I choose your comment I will dye up a skein of yarn in YOUR favorite colorway, so choose wisely! Also, please leave me a way to contact you in your comments (e-mail, Ravelry ID, Etsy ID, etc.).
No purchase necessary to win. Simply look at photos of my colorways and pick a favorite, then tell me why (or give me fiber festival advice). I will mail you the yarn free of charge, it doesn’t get any better than that!
The contest will end NEXT Thursday, September 1, at Midnight CST. The contest is open to US/Canada and International participants.
As a thank you to everyone who participates in this little experiment of mine, use code FAVORITES to save 15% off your order in my Artfire Studio or Etsy shop. The code is good through 9/2/2011. While you’re there, if you happen to be sale 100 in Etsy or sale 110 in Artfire you’ll find an extra surprise tucked in with your order!
Here are the newest items I added to my shops yesterday:
Thanks for browsing, and thank you in advance for your helpful comments!
When you’re finished with all of that, head on over to Wonder Why Gal’s blog and check out the rest of the Fiber Arts Friday fun!
Storied Yarns 
The one I kept going back to was ‘Flower Drum Song’. I love the show and I honestly think you have captured it beautifully. The gorgeous flecks of gold in that deep luxurious red – it’s just perfect.
I really love the Phileas Fogg! I tend to go for soft, muted – but not dull – colors.
In general, when I buy hand-dyed (or when I dye my own), I avoid colorways containing white. Just my own preference.
Good luck with your fiber fair!
quinn on rav
As far as fair vendor advice – make it accessible. Most of us crafty folk are tactile people and we want to feel welcome to fondle the wares, as it were. I would group it differently than most though – I would group by color families instead of weight. I know that I have bought yarn, a lot of my yarn, simply because it is gorgeous and I buy enough for the largest project possible.
I know most vendors group by weight and color is an after thought but then I get lost trying find the colorway I like in a different weight. Go for the visual impact and the rest will take care of itself.
I really like one fish, two fish. And the one I spin for TDF that I entered in the places category…. Nucky Thompson?
Also, I really like being able to pay by credit card as a shopper. And it is helpful to have the prices of everything clearly marked. I hate having to ask the price. Good luck!!
I love how -Camp Half-Blood Mystery 3 spun up. The colors work really well together and it is beautiful.
I also love Calliope- I plied this yarn and the colors blended really well together. (I may need to get more of this colorway)
Another favorite is Little Boy Blue- The rich blue colors are to (dye) for! If you like the color blue this is for you! These are my top 3 colorways. I chose these because of the way the colors blend together and the richness of the colors. They are just beautiful.
I would choose Little Boy Blue. Good luck! Rav amchart
As a customer that goes to these types of festivals, I would recomend having some drop spindles for sale to sell as a kit. Some people may be there for just the yarn and see your beautiful rovings and think “I may want to try spinning” This will give them a great option to do so. I am also always on the look out for other types of spindles at these events. Especially unique ones. Some people don’t mind investing in a spindle to try spinning. Investing in a wheel is a big decision. I know I would want to try spinning if I didn’t know how to if I saw your rovings at a festival! Another big selling point for you is the STORY behind all of your colorways! Oh and cute little project bags for the fiber and drop spindles to go in, is a plus.
i really like the “sirius black” colorway……..though the “auoda” and “nobody owens” ones are really pretty too!!
good luck at your show!!
-oonaghfibersmyth on ravelry
I LOVE Phileas Fogg!! It’s so deep and saturated and earthy.
My vending advice: don’t skein up the handspun! It sold much more quickly at OFFF when the skeins were all just hanging from hooks rather than hanked up. I think it allowed people to really see the whole skein and also the feel of the yarn was more true when it wasn’t all twisted up and “tougher.” Oh and be sure to have lots of different price points – maybe mini batts or braids for cheap so for people that just have $5 they can come away with something of yours. Be sure to have lots of business cards.
Good luck! You’re a rock star!
i’ve never vended a fiber festival, but i do medieval reenactments, ren faires, the occasional steampunk con, the NC state fair, etc…………we’re blacksmiths.
for advice?? keep smiling. even if it sucks, don’t think about the money (or lack thereof), just keep working. have something to keep your hands busy for if you get a slow moment (i knit in the booth, for when it’s dead). dress like they expect to see you, probably in something just a little quirky (my mode at the state faire is “artist’s GF, sorta preppy/artsy), preferably wtih an accessory made from one of your colorways (sweater, scarf, shawl, etc). always have more business cards than you think you need.
massive good luck wishes!!!
-oonaghfibersmyth on ravelry
My fav colorway is aislinn. I like it because it so bright and cheerful! Yellows and reds are my fav colors. I would love to win some yarn in this colorway. Yummmmm. Debbie H
Also…Sirius is a great colorway too. And what Sally said about credit cards and having prices clearly marked. Good advice 🙂
I haven’t been to too many fiber fests, I just recently moved to MN from Alaska and there weren’t any there. But I would like to see a rack with the yarns or fibers hanging, rather than dumped on tables or bins. Thanks, Debbie
I really like Artemis Fowl and Swamp Thing.
I haven’t been a fiber festival before, but at other trade shows it’s always a crowd pleaser to have some freebie, even if it’s just candy. People love free crap. 🙂
Although the bright colors attract me the one that makes me want to wear it is Phileas Fogg- the earth tones are gorgeous and seem so special that one could justify buying it.
I like Aouda because I love the hint of dark red in the otherwise blue mix. I also like Guinan because I think it would make a lovely shiny yarn.
Fiber Fest Advice- back in the days when I did Farmers Market we made sure our display always looked overflowing not sparse, so kept rearranging and putting false bottoms in our baskets so it never looked like a lonely only was waiting for someone to buy it. Give me a reason to stop at your booth like let everyone come knit a row on a charity scarf from your gorgeous yarn.
Vending tip–I’m a shopper, not a veteran. I like to be able to get at the labels easily, or otherwise have the information about the fiber displayed in an easy to access way. Especially with your fibers, there’s specific inspiration behind the colorways, and sometimes that inspiration will sway me. It’s also nice to be able to know what fibers and weights I’d be buying.
I love Phileas Fogg because it feels peaceful. It’s definately along the lines of the colors and tones I gravitate too.
I think my favorite tho is Sirius Black because it reminds me of Stevie Nicks. 🙂
I agree with the advice to be tactile and accessible. Being able to feel free to touch everything is very important. I also agree with displaying by color and then sorting by breed or gauge within the color. 🙂
Also there should be room in your booth for the shoppers to move around. I get very frustrated when there are a couple of people in a booth and I can’t get to what I want to look at. Also as the shopkeeper, you should be accessible, but not in the way. Often times the shopkeep’s space is in the way of product I want to look at.
Enjoy your preparations!
I love anything red so one of my fav’s is Flower Drum Song. Wow love that deep red with specks of yellow.
amyknit40
Forgot to mention… the link from WWG goes to a photo of your favorite colorway and not this post.
. . . and The Lorax
amyknit40 on rav
My favorite color would be Absalom–the caterpiller in grey, blue, green, hot pink, purple, and orange. I tend to gravitate to bright colors when I look at yarn. I also like Swamp Thing in black, green, teal, and purple.
I can see where Other Mother is one of your favorite, I love it, too. All of the shades of blues and the little bit of lime green to give it that little extra poof.
my two favorites are probably Flower Drum Song and Bananach. I love rich colors. (granted i’ve worked with a lot of your yarn and some of your fiber and it’s all so pretty!).
As a shopper i like to be able to use my credit/debit card, i don’t like to carry cash, granted when i got to cons and events like this i make sure i have cash. I also love samples! both of spinning fiber and the little mini-skeins. Tie them to business cards and have someone give them out elsewhere at the festival, it will bring people in to both the booth AND the online shop =D
HAVE FUN WITH IT!
I love the Little Miss Muffet colorway. I have two little girls, so I could totally see knitting one of them something with it. I like that the colors are similar in intensity and mix well together – variegated without being too crazy. I like variegated yarns to be more similar in color than batts which you can spin to be longer patches of self-striping color.
I have to say my favorite colorway of yours is still Jacob from Water for Elephants, followed closely behind by Camp Halfblood mystery colorway #5 (I think that is Alethia if I’m not mistaken). Good luck and have fun! And Robert hasn’t forgotten about your spindles. He is going to work on them this weekend. He has the wood and everything, just needs to get out to his shop and work on them lol.
Advise for the fiber festival… hmm well I’ve never vended at one before and I’ve actually never even been to a fiber festival so I’m not sure what to all say other than have fun! Have your available fiber visible for everyone to see. Maybe since you can’t bring all your colorways with you, bring a binder with full size pictures of the various colorways that you have done in the past so that browsers can still see them.
My favourite colourways are Little Boy Blue (because I like to knit with semisolid or subtly-variegated yarns that show off patterns well) and Ensign of the Week (because I really love the colours and it would be worth picking a simple pattern that would show off this yarn).
ikkinlala AT yahoo DOT ca
You have so many beautiful colorways, I can see why it would be difficult to choose just a few! I had a hard time picking a favorite, The Sneetches, Aouda and Leslie were some of my favorites, but I think my very favorite would be Sirius Black. It’s dramatic without being loud and a garment/accesory knit from it would go well with many colors.
As a shopper I know that I am more likely to buy if the person selling is friendly and helpful, without being pushy. If possible you should definitely make credit and debit cards an option. Good luck!
Fibre festival advice, from a shopper’s perspective: I like to be able to touch the different types of fibre and yarn – I understand when people don’t want every item handled a lot, but there should at least be samples to touch. I like it when the prices are clear. I like having a bit of extra space so I can spend some time choosing without feeling like I’m in other people’s way, so if there’s a way to spread out your wares vertically rather than horizontally it might help with space considerations.
Octarine is probably my favorite, with Sirius Black a close second. Aislinn is also very pretty. I find myself drawn to colorways without drastic contrasts; I like knitting lacework which doesn’t show up well with a highly variegated yarn. I also shy away from neon colors and just about anything pink (neon pink = kiss of death for me!).
lindaran (on Rav)
Also, as an attendee of fiber fests, I tend to gravitate to the vendors who are willing to engage me in a discussion. The people that are too busy talking to each other to do more than nod at me really have to be something out of the ordinary to get my business. I like knowing the story behind what I’m buying – what was the inspiration, where are the fibers from, how did you get started – and if I can learn something from it, all the better! Good luck – and have fun!
lindaran (on Rav)
p.s. Thumbs up on the credit card sales!
While I lean towards purples . . . I really like this colorway: Twilight Junkie. My grandkiddos attend Kenai Central HS and the colors are Kardinal Red and Black. 🙂 Plus the oldest granddaughter IS a Twilight junkie. 🙂 So – guess who would get THOSE socks. Thanks for the fun.
You also asked for tips: I think my best tip would be to display your fibers in an unusual, but classy way. Don’t hide your pretties in a deep basket or box. Display them in a shallow (locally made perhaps) ceramic bowl – thus giving that artist a plug as well. Or if you have some Circus glassware (I have a really pretty bowl only used for display) arrange like-colored fiber in those. Best display tip? SMILE and enjoy yourself. 🙂
Inkheart2 and Harry Dresden, but wish you didn’t make me pick! So many good choices, don’t think you can go wrong. Aldo, green seems to always be a big hit with people.
I really love the Daenerys Targaryen colorway! I look for colors that you don’t normally see together.
I think the best thing for you at a fiber show is to stand out. You have an awesome setup with the way you name you colorways. So make the names of your colorways very prominent! Print pics of the characters or shows or books that you have named the fiber or yarn after and have it there for the display! That way people will see something they recognize and like!
I love Guinan — it puts me in a starry sky mood. Just lovely!!
I like Finding Nemo. Blue is my favorite color and the orange adds a little punch to the colorwayl
ouada or sirius black get my vote! I am usually a blue sort of person but these two caught my eye! I tend to stay away from primary colors tho.
As for festival advise, think vertical! Think about ways to display your yarns and fiber that are eye-catching from across the room. Maybe you could string up a clothesline across the top of your booth, or bring several coat trees. Having a variety of price-points is a good idea too. It’s good to have some small stocking-stuffer/sample items available for people who only want to spend a few dollars.
Good luck at the sale! I hope it goes well for you!
MrsCollinHobbs on Ravelry
Love the Lorax and Flower Drum Song.
lotsofhermies on Ravelry
I have shopped at several shows and agree with lots of peoples comments, Smile, display yarn differently, prices clearly marked, I love the idea of the binder with pics and descriptions,definitely take credit cards, lots of business cards maybe with a hole punched and a piece of yarn tied on it to remind shoppers what they wanted to buy again, spindles handy to buy or to try a scrap of your fiber. I love to talk to the vendors and find out about their fibers and yarns.
lotsofhermies on Ravelry
First, check out my blog and look at the first photo. Click on it and enlarge it. It shows you my booth. I had a very open floor plan this year (plus a wider booth) which gave my customers plenty of room to shop. Make sure you have lights. Barns can be very dull. As it was, I needed more lighting and brighter lights but I made notes for next year. Always take notes. You will constantly be improving your booth.
Finally, after visiting your flickr, I like The Lorax and Absalon the best. If I were visiting you at a festival, those two colors near the walk way would certainly catch my eye and draw me in to shop.
Good Luck xoxo
what a lovely giveaway! id have to say that Absalom is my fave colorway..the reason?..isnt it obvious 🙂 its the most gorgeous color saturated beautiful fiber/yarn ive ever laid my eyes on…seriously its gorge! 🙂 thanks!
make sure you bring lots of sock yarn….sock yarn does not count as stash, therefor is more likely to be purchased! =D
I love the little boy blue colorway! I am a mom of 2 boys and I SEARCH high and low for beautiful colorways that are not too “girly” and are not plain. 🙂 Yarn that appeals to guys is pretty rare!
Love Katniss!! I loved her in the books and I love your color choices for her fiber! =}
These are colors that could easily be paired with something for the office or just a pair of jeans.
Rav: brighteyesjessy
I also love Sirius Black. These are very elegant colors that’ll be great for fall.
My advice (basic, but important) is to smile and clearly label prices. I know if I don’t see a smile, I tend to keep walking. If I don’t see prices, it sends the message that if I have to ask I can’t afford it! =}
The one I like the best is “Sirius Black”. The dramatic look of the deep purple-red with the pale green and grey is really striking. It’s also very different from a lot of the colorways I’m used to seeing, which is a good thing. I also have a weakness for colorways that are named after favorite fandom characters, though I picked this one before I saw the name or noticed any of the other names 🙂
I’m wickedsharp on Rav.
As for advice, be sure the names of the colors are clearly visible. I know I’m not the only one that will pick fiber based on geekiness 😉 And sock yarn is always a good thing.
The Jungle is beautiful! I love how the colors set each other off.
Advice: Visible prices! I don’t want to be embarrassed by having to ask.
I really like Phileus Fog, and thanks so much for your nice comments!!
My advice (as a fiber-fair-goer, not a vendor): have really awesome colorful business cards with your online shop/site/etc to give away. I keep business cards from fiber festivals, and will look them up online later.
Personally, I love Flower Drum Song, because it looks like the colours would blend harmoniously when they were spun. I tend to prefer multicoloured yarn with colours that are similar shades, like various shades of blues or greens, just because I like the way they look knitted better.
My favourite colourways are Little Boy Blue and Sirius Black
Beautiful colorways
Well, I might be the rogue one of the bunch, but I love Rose Hathaway and Bananach. 🙂
I adore Ani partially because I love pinks but I love the way there are so many shades in it. I also love Aouda. The blues are beautiful and the dark and light variations would make for a wonderful piece.
They’re all so gorgeous! I love your vamp-inspired colorways. I’m most drawn to Katniss, the Girl Who Was on Fire, I think because the charcoal makes it classic while the spectrum of colors balances it, color energy–wise. This colorway carries the energies of all seven chakras — and it will look great with my new Namaste Monroe bag in RED! 🙂
My favorite is Flower Drum Song. I’ve never heard the song, but it’s the colorway I kept wanting to look at again and again!
You have beautiful colors! I’ve never been to a fiber festival (been knitting for less than a year), so I’m not sure what advice to give, other than to be yourself! I can always tell if someone who’s trying to see me something isn’t really passionate about it. So exhibit your passion and enthusiasm and I’m sure you’ll be fine!
I really think Absalom is perfect for socks – the colors are wicked cool!
nhsarab at yahoo dot com
Marketing tool: With the popularity of the Hunger Games – you might consider having a bunch of that – it might work who knows…
nhsarab at yahoo dot com
Flower Drum Song because I love yellow and red. Looks like this would be so nice to spin up.
I like to see a selection displayed so that it looks inviting to go over and start looking at everything. It is nice when the vendor is friendly, but gives you space too look.
Prices clearly marked is a must.
See I like Phileas Fog, it is all muted and steam punky. Good luck with your first fibre festival, I have been trying to find a craft show to go to but they are all booked up, I totally know what you mean about wanting to have loads of stock in all the colours though.
re the colourway, my favourite is Guinan, it is suitable for a number of patterns, when worn as an accessory it will go with a number of outfits. Its just “classy”!!
re vending: Its important to me that if I want to buy some more yarn later that the label/receipt is really clear where more can be bought, this info can also be useful on a “how to care for your yarn” leaflet. Like most shoppers I like to think I have a bargain, so am often tempted by “buy 2 and get 5 per cent off ” type offer. And if you have any hard to shift stuff towards the end of the event, a bargain bin is sometimes a good idea. I also want my yarn put in a paper bag for me! I am prepared to pay for a paper bag rather than just to shove my precious purchase in my shopping bag.
As an English teacher, I love the literary references! I tend to go for visual impact. Not necessarily brightness, but the tonal blend. When I look at color, I see my friends and family as represented by color. I love Little Miss Muffet, which reminds me of a friend who is particularly down right now and could use a bright little pick me up.
As a customer, I like to get up close and personal with a product. Some vendors tend to have their products on display behind a counter/barrier and I can’t really see or feel the product. I like pulling two items from different areas and putting them together to see how they compare, etc.
I love the Aouda colorway. It makes me think of the rich colors of a medieval court.
My favorite colorway is Aouda. As a veteran sock knitter who loves indie sock yarns especially, make sure to have a number of different colorways and/or bases available to touch. When I am shopping for yarn, if I can’t touch the yarn, I’m probably not going to be buying the yarn. Also make sure to have plenty of business cards available–if I’m at a fiber festival and don’t have much cash/card on me, then I will go home and purchase online if I can. Hope it helps! You have beautiful yarn!! suzieknittingmama on ravelry
Cersei Lannister is stunning. I love the colors – they just seem to work together…
I really like Catelyn Stark because I’m partial to blues and greens, and the grey compliments it nicely. I also like Sansa Stark because of the color mixture and the sparkles; makes me think of a princess 🙂
I’ve looked through all the colorways several times now. And each time I discover a new that I like. Hard to choose!
But I have decided to vote for Grapes of Wrath 1 because I love that combination of blue-purple.
Your colourways are gorgeous 🙂 I can see why Phileous Fog would be popular, the muted colours are really pretty. I think my personal favourite is Aouda, it’s rich and dark and interesting. Plus, the colours are likely to go with a lot of things because they aren’t too different from each other.
I love Flower Drum Song, it looks like one of those outstanding shots Hubble gets of galaxies or nebula. Beautiful!
I like Josh Lyman the best, with Auoda a close second.
I love the way Artemis Fowl looks spun up in the photos. Perhaps it’s just the power of suggestion, with Fowl in the name, but it kind of makes me think of pheasant feathers.
I think I’d also like Danaerys Targarean. It’s similar but with pinks instead of blues/grays.
They are all so vibrant! I really love Son of Poseidon. The color is electric!
knitterlydesigns on Ravelry
My favorite is Phileas Fogg. The colors seem to come straight from nature.
Sadly, my advice is to watch out for shoplifting… it happens even at fiber fairs, as several vendors have found out to their dismay. While it’s important to have your wares accesible for customers to handle, set yourself up to be able to keep an eye on things even when speaking with a customer, or if possible have a friend keep an eye on the booth while you work it.
Also discuss security with the organizers, so you know what to do if you think someone is stealing. Don’t make a scene – that’ll clear your booth out in a flash! If they can give you a vendor list with contact info you might get advice from other vendors before hand, even form a watchdog partnership with the booths nearest you. Sorry to have to comment on such a downbeat aspect. I hope your first fair great fun with no mishaps.
My favorite is Flower Drum Song. I like color combination of red and yellow.
I am a great lover of pinks and usually gravitate to any yarn solid or with some pink in it. However, this time I was stopped in my tracks by “Katniss, the Girl Who Was on Fire.” I think it’s the richness of the colors and the “bursts of rainbow color shining through” that make it such a gorgeous colorway. Love it!
I am a shopper, not a vendor, and I like a booth that is open enough to easily move around in it. I also like knit samples to give me an idea of how some of the colorways knit up, as I often have difficulty determining that, so will not purchase it. If possible (not too busy to do so), it’s nice to be greeted, but not followed around commenting on everything I may look at or pick up. Be available for questions and give as short an answer that is appropriate. A friendly smile is always a plus! I’m sure with all of your beautiful colorways, you will do well. Good luck! 🙂
I love Phileas Fogg, but I also really like Josh Lyman (inspired by “The West Wing”). I personally like earthy and natural tones, so my eyes are always attracted by those colours first. I also like when the colours “go together”, so for example to my personal taste the neon green and pink in The Other Mother are not appealing, although I love the rich blues in it.
It was the Sirius Black colourway I kept going back to. I’ve always like greys, and plum-purples, and sage greens, and I’ve noticed plum and grey has seemed to be a trendy (but classic looking) colour combination in fashion lately. The sage green gives it extra depth. Love it!
Selling advice: Please tag everything with fibre content information and price. Small signs are also useful (especially for people who may have trouble reading small print on tags), but if there’s a crowd around your booth, it may not be so easy for everyone to read the signs.
I’ve passed on by booths with things that really called to me because prices weren’t marked and the vendor was busy with someone else — often I meant to go back later, but then I find something at another booth that uses up my budget, or I just get tired or walking and don’t want to double back through the crowd, so it’s very very rare that I’ll return later just to find out if the prices fit in my budget at all.
Good luck!
I’m loving Aouda. Josh Lyman is also very good. I generally go for the blue/purple jewel tone colorways and the green/blue watery colorways.
Vendor advice. Mark everything clearly — fiber, weight, price, and all where people can see it easily as they walk by. Make sure each skein of yarn and each hank of fiber carries your label with all the information on it, including the name of the colorway. Set up so that your goods are easily seen and easily accessible. Lots of folks use those wire mesh squares to create open racks to put the yarn in, which gets at least some of the goods up around eye level. A system to hang braids of spinning fiber for easy accessibility is good, too.
Have a range of colors. Some dyers are known for muted tones, some for saturated colors, but whichever direction you go, create colorways beyond your own favorites. There’s a predominance of cool tones in the pictures you showed, which is fine with me because that’s where my tastes are. But consider also some warm tones — sunset colors, with golds, reds, and oranges.
A distinctive banner can help draw people to your booth wherever you go. You can make it yourself from fabric, but make sure it’s large enough to draw people in and has your business name on it. Since you have a literary theme going on, good reproductions of classic book covers could add to the decor of your booth. Set up a rack of business cards next to where people check out, and drop a business card in the bag with their purchases. If people ask them, “Where did you get that fiber?” they’ll have a card to pass on.
If possible, be prepared to take credit cards if you aren’t already. There are little card reader devices that plug into smart phones that function pretty well. You just need to set up a merchant account to go with them. If you can’t take credit cards, have a sign set up that says, “We accept cash or checks.” Or if there’s wireless access, bring a laptop to access PayPal as another payment option.
My favourite is Swamp Thing, partly because my favourite colour is green, but also because I haven’t seen those particular colours blended that way before, and I really like. The green’s not too bright, and the grey is not too dull.
There’s lots of good advice from shoppers already. 🙂
Mine would be to make sure that your website/etsy store name/URL is prominently visible, so that people know where to find you if they don’t have time to stop and chat (or if you sell out of what they’re looking for, etc.). Being a geek, I’m a big fan of QR codes that you can scan to your smartphone – they make saving contact info easy! 🙂
I really like Ensign of the Week! I think the vibration the darks create with the oranges is great.
As far as advice goes, greet everyone as they come by your booth and be available to talk about your work/chat if they want, but let them browse in peace if they don’t seem like they want to talk. It seems simple, but it’s frustrating as a shopper when either (1) the seller isn’t available at all/isn’t friendly or (2) the seller talks my ear off and I can’t even browse.
I like the “Ophelia” because of its semi-solid nature.
bookwormdjibouti on Ravelry