Testing a couple new ideas for Market tomorrow!

We are very syced to once again go to the Market!  We have had updated dialogue with the market manager and this makes me excited!

A very kind soul at the recent crank-in in Ontario, gave me an apron. I envisioned it having on it our name, "SOCKS MADE ON 88"   So I came up with an idea to use some of my left over felt from making stockings and cut out letters and sewed them on this afternoon.  This is the final outcome and I am pleased with how it looks :-) Thank you very much Miss EL from CC, my vision has now come to light.  I will be able to use it at the Markets and also at any future crank-ins.  I think they look very neat at crank-ins wearing attached buttons, name tags and whatever else one whats to attach it giving it some decor or flare!  Now I will have some flare too.  Flare for MsB is always good.  Here are a couple of the pictures I wanted to share of my new apron.  The apron is an artist apron so it has places that I can put a pen, a notebook, my mamagnifying glasses, and my money float.  This way I will have all I need right at my finger tips.  I like to walk around and not sit too much or stand behind the display....I like to see the people, watch them touch the socks and oo and ah but also keep a watchful eye in case anything goes aray or a stray. It never has....but we have had one close encounter.  The idea that I tested out at the Open Farm Show worked very well having a collapsible stool instead of a chair so I am repeated that idea and transferring it to our market set-up.  I have also got my duds all picked out and awhile back, made an I-cord flower.  I am going to wear the flower on my socks and see if anyone notices it tomorrow. That's actually an old idea but I wore in on my sweater once not on my sock cuff. I also came up with a new idea to take some yarn with us tomorrow in a basket.  Sometimes people talk about having us make an custom order and they say they will email us and then they don't do it.  By having a basket of yarn at the market I can show them some not yet knitted or cranked out and it may appeal to them.  I bought the basket on sale at Michael's at the end of the summer and have not a chance to use it yet.  I have also come up with some new print outs that will be useful when both MrB and I engage in conversation with potential customers.  One is all about our custom orders and the other is to promote CSM contacts and their whereabouts  for interested CSMers in our local area.  This will help us educate customers and parties who want to know more about Circular Sock Machines and even obtain one if they so desire.  I have also printed out a little notification of the dates that we will be returning to the market each month.  If they can not remember that we plan to be at the market the 4th Saturday of each month, then they can grab the piece of paper and refer to the dates so that they know where are are available each time.  The Market also did some advertising for us today to toot our horn and that is always a plus.  It will be a very early morning to be at the market and be set up by 7am but I am pumped!  And I must stop typing and go for supper now as MrB is bellowing my presence.

MsB from Socks Made On 88

part 4 PL's Pumpkins

These are PL's pumpkins that she was busy making at the crank-in!  I bought a couple for my kitchen table as you can see our kitchen is ORANGE!  While at the crank-in also in Port Elgin, I bought the orange trimmed doiley at the antique store at the motel.  They all look great for Halloween soon approaching us.

MsB from Socks Made on 88

Part 3 what did MsB learn in Ont Crankin?

I  learned that I am a part of a super duper kind of group!  Although I am not a cranker, I am associated with them and they are a very unique group of CSMers.  MrB and I met some awesome people and I hope they cross my path again more than once.

I made some notes as who is who and I have to go and see if I can find some of them over on rav as it does get confusing sometimes real name and rav name and now a real face to connect all the dots.

I have invited some people through ravelry to join my ANCHORS group also.  

A special thanks to ND...I now have a new source to go to and make some shiny more impressive business cards to order.  Thats on my to-do list soon!  

I learned too that my kitchenering is good to go!  I got one of the guru CSMers to check it out and I got a PASS mark!

I have always been extremely organized and I learned that this is a valuable tool for me.  I just dug out all the papers MrB needs to file for his records from the crank-in.  I dug all the cards I received and collected and will somehow add them to my collection as now I have two crank-ins in which I have cards from.  I have a big email list....looks like I have more organizing to do later.  Put on my thinking hat....I love organizing ...it's a project for me and I love projects too!

Oh I learned also that some people do appreciate my felt appliqueing work also, as I sold two stockings!  HURRAY for MSB!  I can toot my own horn too!

Now I need to learn how to put pictures on rav as a project so that MrB can assist me with that, and get those up on the ANCHORS group.  Those will be the pictures that have special people in them as on my blog they tend to not have people in them in case they dont want their mug pictures splashed all over the world.

OK I have been here this morning like it seems forever and I need a cuppa!  Oh I learned that from my new friend EM or in ravland NN!  She said you only say cuppa when it refers to tea so I need to get my cuppa!!!!  Catch you all again real soon. 

MsB from Socks Made On 88
PS
Special hugs going out to Moe today, hope you enjoyed my blog entries 1 and part 2 and 3 as I said I would, and its only Thursday as I promised to check in by Friday :-)     

some gals were working on these

This is MS's creation!
It was very cool to see these crunchie scarves made on a CSM!

Pictures from Port Elgin Crank-in part 2

Jm's Treasure Chest or Tickle Trunk!

Ontario Trip

Good Morning to all my blog followers!  Special hello to Miss E of CC and CC Moe....I am home, I am back into blog-swing!

Our trip to Ontario was great!  It was a long long drive and that part sort of sucked at times, but the CRANK-IN was wonderful.  We met so many very nice people to add to our CSM friends!  MrB learned what he wanted to learn, practiced the techniques before he left, and added new notches of learning to his (kilt) belt! He didn't wear his kilt to the sessions as I suspect it was a tad chilly this time of year.  

Even though I am not a cranker, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, talking to everyone and meeting everyone!  I was thrilled to know that most people already knew of me because of my blog.  It was exciting to meet the organizers plus MOE.  It was great to have met 3 geru instructors, Miss JD, Miss GM, and Miss JM and the Erl representive, Miss GE!  They are all very talented CSMers who were gracious in sharing some of their CSM knowledge.  And to note also, some other CSMers gave presentations as well, Miss EL, and Miss MC. And you can't have a Crank-in without having a machine person in house.  We all appreciated having Mr. GM there to assist and socialize with daily.

The Demonstration schedule included:Troubleshooting Issues While Knitting, Creative Beading on Your Socks, Learn how to Kitchener Stitch your Socks, Lacemaking instruction, Production Knitting on Your Circular Sock Machine, Flatknitting on Your Circular Sock Machine.....and constant intermingling and sharing of ideas and techniques throughout the weekend.

There was also The Cafe Marketplace for items to be sold.  We bought some yarn and I am getting the itch for MrB to crank out some socks to see what it looks like.

I met two other special people Miss JM and Miss EM who truly became instant friends.  We had lots of laughs!  Thanks to Miss EM who gave me a ball of yarn for MrB to crank me a pair of socks.  And Thanks to JM and AM for taking time to give us a tour of their Alpaca Farm on the back enroute to Toronto.  

We sooo enjoyed the Alpaca Farm, as I am always intrigued with those animals.  It was awesome to see the beginnings of JM and AM's store and mill plans.  We wish you all the best of luck, and there will be more updates on that into the New Year!

On our hand-out sheet, it is printed on the bottom of the page:
Crank, mix, mingle, share ideas and have fun the rest of the day and the evening.....well I have no doubt in my mind that that was accomplished!!  

MrB and I went to CJoe's 3 nights in a row plus one lunch for meals, and always had a following of crankers with us.  The food was great and the company was great, what more can we ask for?  Oh the odd drink here and there was great too!

The only thing we did not do was drive around the area and see the sights.  We did not want to get into a car again until we left and that we did NOT!  Next time if come again we will see the sights.

Well that is Crank-in # 2 under our belt!  Was it worth the drive?
ABSOLUTELY!!! 
Would we come again?
In a heart beat if we lived closer!
So on that note, I do want to say.....all of you who live in Ontario you dont know how lucky you are to have so many crankers in your province.  We unfortunately are not that lucky in our neck of the woods.  But we are very happy to have the Good Karma Crankin to have to drive to.  If any of you want to reconnect or make new CSM connections you are more than welcome to come to GK Farm in Belfast Maine June 2013.  We will be there!  MrB and I will definitely be there, as its the closest Crank-in to us that we will call HOME!

A BIG THANKS To Miss EL and to Miss MP for organizing the Crank-in and doing a fabulous job!

Now to check through my pics and add some in a part 2.

MsB from Socks Made On 88            

Quick note

We are home!  Home Sweet Home!
I will blog more tonight, tomorrow or next day......I got so much to do now, it's called laundry!
MsB