Kneedles & Life

a little bit of yarn. a little bit of life.

best selling items for markets

Hey Maker! If you’re a small business owner, you know how hard it is to decide what inventory to offer and what your customers will buy, especially at markets. You typically don’t take orders at a market, so you need to have actual items available for purchase. I usually do one or two markets during the holiday season and I am by no means an expert. So I polled my followers on Instagram who do markets and asked them for their best selling items! I have rounded up my favorite patterns/designers in each category to give you a list that I hope will be helpful as you prepare for another successful market season. You got this!

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Hats

Hats is the obvious first category, right?! I selected a few simple, gender neutral patterns that would be great sellers at markets. If you live somewhere cold, you will most likely sell a lot of hats in a variety of sizes.

The first is my own. The Lazy Day Beanie is a bulky weight design written in 8 sizes. It’s quick and great for the whole family. You can top with a pom pom or leave it plain! I almost always use Lion Brand Color Made Easy for this design!

Next is The Dawson Beanie by Knot and Stitch Design. It is a super bulky pattern that is especially beautiful with luxury yarn! Geneva also has a baby, toddler, and child size pattern available here. This is a great gender neutral pattern with bigger yarn!

If you are a crocheter, you will want to check out Cozy Moon Designs. Her Juneberry Beanie and Linden Beanie patterns are both ones I have made and sold at markets in the past. Her Breck Beanie is also a great neutral design for anyone and it also includes a cowl pattern! I’m not a huge fan of crochet beanies so you can believe me when I say these are good ones. 😉

Another crochet beanie I have personally made and sold a lot of is the North Shore Beanie by Poppie Joe & Co. Megan’s pattern uses super bulky yarn and is SO quick. I can make one in 30 minutes. It’s also super flattering and cute when worn.

Accessories & Small Items

This is a category you do not want to skip because these are going to be your best sellers. If you’ve ever been to a market then you probably have wished you could support every single small business there. You will have a lot of people come by your table or booth who want to support you in a small way but either can’t afford a large ticket item or just don’t need one. They’ll most likely pick the cheapest thing on the table so they can have something they like but not break their budget. It’s a great idea to have some items like keychains, scrunchies, dishcloths, etc. that are quick for you to make and affordable for this type of customer!

I absolutely love Christina Ann Studios’ 1987 Scrunchie, Halcyon Keychain, and DayBreak Trivet patterns. I have made all three of these and they are exceptional patterns. I really just love everything in her shop so go check it out for tons of great market product patterns!

I just came out with a new dishcloth and matching towel pattern! You can find The Cali Color-Block patterns for FREE on my blog. Or you can purchase the ad-free and printer friendly PDF for $3 on Ravelry. I have lots of other free dishcloth patterns, including knit ones, on my blog as well.

Cozy Moon Designs has the CUTEST drink sleeve patterns. I always sell a lot of the Morning Hustle Cozy! I also love the Sunset Chill Cozy and the New Moon Cozy. People love drink cozies and it’s a great idea to display them on a cup so people don’t have to ask what they are.

I also have a blog post showing you how to make cute coffee sleeves with little patches on them!

Another one of my own patterns that is quick and great for markets is the Arcadia Coaster pattern. You could make sets of 4 or 5 and tie them with some twine! I used Billow cotton yarn from KnitPicks but you can substitute and try different things.

Another fun item to take to markets is ice cream cozies! These are quick to make and really cute with a logo tag on it. Make sure you have some way to display it that customers can tell what it is because most are confused by the name. This is an excellent pattern by The Pink Cedar.

Other winter items…

Unless you only sell hats or you don’t offer knitwear at all, you’ll want to have some other winter items to choose from. People like to buy these things as Christmas gifts even if they aren’t shopping for themselves.

My Hazel Headband pattern is great for scrap wool and quick to make. I sold more headbands than hats last year, actually. A lot of women like to wear their hair up or don’t need something quite as warm as a hat here in Virginia.

Christy of Farmhouse Knits designed these beautiful Essential Fingerless Gloves with super bulky yarn. They are a classic design that I believe would be a great seller at markets!

Cowls seem to sell better than scarves because they’re easy to wear and style. I designed the Stone Street Cowl with super bulky yarn and a big crochet hook. It has a knit look and is super warm and quick to make with exactly one skein of yarn. I typically use Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick for this one.

Larger Home Items

Pumpkins are super fun to sell at markets in the Fall and seem to be a great seller! Fit Food Art Shop has a GREAT pattern because it’s 5 in 1! Her pumpkins are goals.

The Madeline Wall Hanging is quick and easy to make with one skein of super bulky yarn. This is from my Madeline Collection and I usually take one or two to markets and it gets a lot of compliments and adds another level to your display.

I also always take a couple Rainbow Pillows. This gorgeous pattern is from Poppie Joe & Co and the colors are endless. They add a nice touch to your display as well!

Baby Items

I am not recommending any baby items for markets and suggest you sell them at your own discretion. Some larger markets may ask if you are CPSC compliant and if your products have been tested for safety hazards. You can google all of this to answer your own questions, but I just want to bring your attention to it in case you do sell baby or children’s items!

Need tags and poms?

Looking for good quality logo tags or poms? I get my faux leather tags here, and my poms here. Both are great shops with quality customer service, bulk discounts, and quick shipping.

Madeline Beanie Pattern by Kneedles & Love

So tell me, do you sell at markets? What’s your best seller?! Feel free to leave any item recommendations in the comments too! And as always, if you liked this post, please pin on Pinterest. 🙂

XO, Kalley

ten easy things i do to save money

Something you may or may not know about me and my family is that we live on one income – a teacher income. We have been blessed in many ways, including my small income on the side, but we are also smart with our money and make sacrifices each day. We are able to live an enjoyable life and say “yes” to most things we want for a number of reasons that I want to share with you.

You may wonder about my income. Blogging and designing pays for our groceries and any personal shopping (more yarn lol) I do, but my husband’s income pays all the bills, big purchases, traveling, etc.

I want to share this list with you incase you’re trying to make the switch to a single income, or you’re living paycheck to paycheck and can’t figure out why. Nothing here is really profound or unique, just personal ways we save money each day in our own lives. We are fairly minimalist in how we live and don’t have a lot of stuff (besides kids toys now haha). I’m sure many of you can relate to a lot of these!

So here’s what has been working for us. Like I said, we are very blessed in many ways. Also what works for us may not work for you and that’s the beauty of life. Everyone is different! Comment and let me know a way that you save money each day that may help me or someone else!

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little obsessions bringing me joy in 2020 quarantine

I made a short list of some of my favorite things (besides family, obviously) right now that have been making me happy! Comment and let me know if you’ve tried any or there’s something currently bringing you joy!

Disclaimer: This post contains some affiliate links. This means if you purchase through my link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog in this way and helping me create more content!

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how to make the most of your mornings as a mom

I write this to you at 10:33 on a Saturday morning. I have about 20-30 minutes before my daughter wakes up, and I feel like I’ve had a fairly productive morning, especially for a Saturday. I am a mom and do not work a conventional job so I have the blessing of staying home with my daughter, but I won’t lie, those nap times are super special and important. I am a wife, homemaker, blogger/influencer, and small business owner on top of being a stay-at-home mom. Since having my daughter, it is a daily challenge to get things done, but being her mom is my first priority and everything else gets done around caring for her.

If you’re anything like me, mornings are your most productive time of the day. I know that if I don’t do certain things in the morning (like cleaning) they won’t happen at all. But the time feels like it FLIES by too quickly every. single. day. Something that helps me is having the same routine. Every day we wake up at the same time, eat breakfast at the same time, play, nap, etc.

In this post I will walk you through MY morning routine. The things I get done are sometimes different but the general flow is the same. I hope it helps you organize your mornings too!

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Toddler Food Ideas

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, peas and hummus.

Ever get bored feeding your toddler the same food every day, but can’t think of fresh ideas? There’s so many options out there but sometimes my mind just goes blank. I asked my mom friends on Instagram what their kiddos have been eating and loving lately and put them all together in a list! I loosely organized them by food groups so it’s easier to sort through and find what you’re looking for.

Hope this helps you and your littles find some new favorites! If you have ideas that aren’t on the list make sure to leave a comment below!

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my top 5 favorite youtube workout channels that are totally free

Anyone else love a good home workout? I don’t like to get ready and drive to a gym only to have people watch me awkwardly workout LOL, and I also don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for a class or trainer. If you’re on a budget but don’t want to sacrifice your health, I’m sharing my favorite YouTube accounts that offer awesome, doable at-home workouts and classes for FREE.

I have used all of these at various points of my life and highly recommend them. Some also have paid content but there’s plenty of free videos to last you forever.

These are in no particular order – enjoy!

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easy peasy squeeze pouch recipes

Hey moms (or dads too)! This one is for YOU. Do you have a picky eater? Want to sneak a few more veggies into your kids diet? Need a snack on the go? My daughter will eat most of what I give her, but sometimes it’s hard to get enough variety in her diet, especially with veggies. We spent 2 weeks “introducing” carrots before she would swallow one, but I mixed carrots with applesauce one time and she sucked it down.

I want to emphasize that these pouches are a great supplement to what your child is already eating. They are not a meal, and I am not advocating that they should be the only way you feed your child fruits and veggies. 😉 Phew, glad we got that out of the way.

Just a heads up – this post is for parents who don’t really follow recipes and “just eyeball it” like me. You won’t find any measurements or special prep with these recipes! Just simple, quick, throw it together combinations for the busy parent who still wants to make sure what they feed their kid is healthy and clean.

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I used Furls Crochet hooks for a month and here’s what I think

A little over a month ago I received three crochet hooks from Furls Crochet. Up until now, I have only used the thin metal hooks you can buy at most craft stores. I have not used anything ergonomic, squishy, or wooden. I had been wanting to try something new for awhile, so I reached out to Furls and they generously sent me a few hooks to try in exchange for my honest review! I used them for awhile before sitting down to write this post, so I could give you a genuine opinion of them. These thoughts are my own and not persuaded by Furls Crochet or anyone else. I truly want to help you decide if these hooks might be a good fit for you!

THIS WEEK is a great time to try Furls Crochet because the whole site is 25% off in celebration of their birthday! Just use the code FURLSDAY25 at checkout to take 25% off your whole order. 🙂

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. This means if you purchase through one of my links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog in this way!

Grip

To be 100% transparent, I had to significantly change my grip to use these hooks and it took me time and patience to go slowly and get used to it. I usually hold my hook high up close to the tip, and my right pointer finger does a lot of work helping with the yarn. To fully reap the benefits of an ergonomic hook, I have to grip it lower and also looser, and hold my pointer back from being so extra LOL.

What’s the big deal?

Okay so you might be thinking “why bother going through changing your grip just for a pretty hook?” A few years ago I started experiencing really bad arm pain after I stopped teaching and started crocheting basically all day. The pain got so bad it would wake me up at night, and hurt when I tried to workout. I read a lot online and apparently it’s a common problem. Annoying, right? Who injures their arm crocheting? LOL. I’ve been able to manage it by knitting more but my arm still hurts pretty bad if I crochet for long periods of time.

I can honestly say, once I got used to the grip, Furls hooks do not cause arm pain. I can be using a basic hook, especially in a small size, and my arm will start hurting. I switch to a Furls hook and it’s gone. THIS alone is worth every penny!

Weight

The pattern in this picture is the Summer of ’77 Collection Rainbow Pillow by Poppie Joe and Co.

One of the hooks I received is the Rose Gold and White Odyssey hook you see above. The Odyssey hooks are metal and a bit heavy, but not TOO heavy. They come in a lot of fun colors. They are super smooth and the weight is balanced so it should increase your speed. I already consider myself a pretty fast crocheter so I didn’t see any increase in speed, but I also didn’t see any decrease once I got used to it. I like the pointy tip and since I’m already used to using metal needles, I love this one the most.

The second hook I received is the tan one you see below which is the Streamline hook in the color Camwood. The regular Strealine hooks are the most lightweight and come in three gorgeous colors. This was my first time using a wooden hook but I really like the feel of it and how lightweight it is for an ergonomic hook. These are also the most affordable hook option so if you’re wanting to try Furls for the first time but are on the fence about price, I suggest the Streamlines.

This pattern in this picture is the 1987 Scrunchie pattern by Christina Ann Studios.

The third hook I received is the Streamline Swirl in the color Cafe. I love how the swirl hooks look the most! They are a tiny bit heavier than the regular Streamline because they are made with resin, which results in them being a bit smoother as well. I have my eye on the Cream and Cookies N’ Cream swirl hooks when the size I want is back in stock.

The pattern in this picture is the Arcadia Coaster pattern by me!

Tension

For me personally, the wood Streamline makes my tension looser. I think this is most likely because I am used to metal hooks and I was using cotton yarn, so over time it will tighten up. I saw the same result with the resin Streamline Swirl. The Odyssey hook is metal and matches my tension perfectly!

Cost – is it worth it?

Furls Crochet hooks come in a range of prices depending on the style and color. The Streamline hooks are the most affordable, and then the prices go up a bit with each style. The ease of pain is 100% worth it to me, but having a beautiful tool that is enjoyable to look at and work with is also worth it.

Furls also has a no questions asked return policy. If you for any reason aren’t happy with your hook, they will exchange it, replace it, or give you a full refund within 90 days. They have a LIFETIME refund policy for broken hooks which is amazing. My Odyssey hook came with some blemishes on the white paint and rose gold tip, so they sent me a replacement immediately.

So yeah, I’d say you’re in good hands when you choose to purchase a hook from Furls Crochet!

Really freakin pretty

The pattern in this picture is the Dogwood Dishcloth by me!

Last but not least, we can all agree these hooks are just really gorgeous. I love the minimal, sleek designs and colors. When I crochet with a Furls hook I feel better about what I’m making, and they’re pretty to take pictures with as well. 🙂 There are so many different styles, colors, and tools on the website that I didn’t even cover in this post, so go take a look!

I hope this post was helpful. Because of the range of prices and materials, I think anyone can find a hook that works for them. Let me know if you have any questions about these hooks that I can answer!

XOXO, Kalley

the arcadia coaster crochet pattern

Hey friends! I’m back with another FREE crochet pattern and this time it’s coasters! I received some beautiful yarn in the mail from KnitPicks and one was a bulky cotton. Yes, you read that correctly. BULKY COTTON. It’s soft and thick which makes a nice and sturdy coaster. Click here to check out this yarn for yourself. I am using the color Turmeric for this pattern.

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