Hello! There are lots of yarn festivals going on at the moment (anyone off to Yarndale this weekend?) and I thought I'd take the opportunity to share my 9 top tips for attending a yarn festival, helping you to make the most of your experience.
1. Plan ahead. Take a look at the list of vendors in advance and if there are any you're especially interested in check out their website or social media platforms to find out what they're currently up to. Similarly, if any new vendors jump out at you, go and follow them online, find out more about what they do. Some vendors have special offers, exclusives or advance orders that you can pay for in advance then pick up at the show - again, worth checking out!
2. Set yourself a budget. Attending a yarn show can be a bit like going into the world's biggest sweet shop, so it's a good idea to be realistic before you go about how much you will spend. You can always support small businesses you admire but don't buy from by taking photos at their stalls and sharing them on social media or adding them to your list for the future.
3. Go with projects in mind. It's a good idea to look at the patterns in your Ravelry library, other downloads or books and plan which yarns you need to buy. If you go armed with "I need 6 skeins of BFL fingering weight for this jumper" it gives you focus and helps prevent you from coming home with a skein of this and a skein of that.
4. On the day have your ticket handy on your phone or printed out. This saves you from faffing around looking for it when you're at the front of the queue (and gets you in faster!)
5. Stay hydrated. Take plenty water with you, these events can get very hot & sticky with all the people in one building!
6. Don't be shy! Talk to vendors, ask questions, show them things you've made from their yarn or patterns. Also if you recognise anyone else on the day from the yarny community don't be afraid to introduce yourself - build connections, you never know where they'll lead!
7. Have a fairly swift look around first before commiting to any purchases (unless there's something exclusive you know there are only limitted numbers of). Go round and simply soak everything in - perhaps even go outside for some fresh air before heading back in for a closer inspection.
8. Bring a notepad & pen! There will be items you want to take note of, email addresses and websites to swap ... all sorts of things! This one comes from experience - I didn't take either and really needed them!
9. Take lots of photos! There's so much inspiration at a yarn festival, so snap away so you remeber it later. Ask people if they're happy for a selfie with you or ask someone to take your photo. Share online too to help the event and whoever/ whatever is in your photo to gain recognition.
What about you? Have you got any tips you'd like to add? Leave me a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!
I'll be back next week with more tips and crochet news - if you'd like to receive these posts straight to your inbox, consider subscribing to my mailing list.
Until then, happy crocheting,
Marta xx
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