12th December.

Discouraged is the word of the day.

Yesterday at the Christmas Market was a resounding failure.  I sold £6 of stock - a wee coin bag, a snowflake and a lipstick holder.  The stall cost me £30, taxi there and back cost £9.50 and dinner £19.50.  sigh.

I also spent the 48hrs beforehand crocheting, with only about 3 hrs one night and 2-3 hrs of sleep the next.  I want to dramatically declare it a waste of time - in truth, it means some stock to add to my Etsy shop, which I really need to fill up more if I'm ever to be ranked better on Etsy.

The more expensive items really aren't much cop at the markets, I had a few folk look at the wrist warmers, but the £35 price tag had them quickly walking away.  :-(  I really don't want to reduce them either, the yarn itself is not cheap, and these took hours and hours to create.. really considering the time £35 is a steal!

I have another pair of wrist warmers, but annoyingly I ran out of yarn and it's discontinued.  I can unpick the warmer I finished, and use a second yarn... maybe I'll uses the same 2nd colour as the hood, they will match then... could be a set?

I shouldn't really be that discouraged, the markets were rubbish - but I have sold a few bits, and I do have some orders - one is a trade with a friend - I'm making her a dragon for her nephew, in exchange for some of her lovely bath bombs.  And another friend has bought one of my pixie hoods and has ordered a bavclava for her daughter, and wrist warmers for her brother.   So yeah, ticking by.

Saturday is my last craft market.  I may never do another.  I'm really looking forward to it being over now.  Creating new stock for them has dominated this month, and apart from putting up the Yule tree, and today encouraging Rye to colour in some festive window sun catchers, I've done sweet FA in terms of Yule activities and outings with Rye.  Yet he is incredibly excited and squeals constantly when he talks about Yule and the Winter King.  I am somewhat amazed he still believes, he is almost 10 - one of the perks of home ed I guess, kids can remain in that magical innocence a wee bit longer.   I sometimes wonder if he does know, and he just likes the "game" and the magic of pretending?  Either way, I'm happy to continue being the spirit of the Winter King.