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What Will Sell at My First Crochet Market?

 

How I’m Deciding 

I’m planning an in-person market, preparing for my own crochet booth, working on multiple projects, and trying very hard not to turn all of that into one extremely long, rambly video. So instead, I’m breaking things down and sharing the process one piece at a time.

This post is part of my ongoing series about participating in a market with a crochet booth...specifically, how I’m deciding what to sell as someone who has never done a market before. Click here to read the first BLOG POST in this series!

And yes… I’m also helping organize the market. Which is a little nuts. 


Thankfully, I have an amazing co-host, and we’re both really passionate about doing this right. We want it to be worth our time, and worth the time of every vendor and shopper who shows up.

Why Target Customers Matter (Even for Your First Market)

One thing I touched on in my last video, and something I can’t stress enough, is knowing who you’re making things for.

There are a lot of crochet booths out there. A lot of crochet businesses. And if you try to appeal to everyone, you often end up appealing to no one in particular.

For me, this is an in-person, rural market, not an online one. So I’m picturing my target customer as someone local, probably Millennial or Gen X, maybe a lot like me. From there, I asked myself a really important question:

What does this person actually need or want?

Cohesion Over Chaos

One thing I’ve learned from watching a lot of market and crochet business content (shoutout to channels like A Crafty Concept and Crochetpreneur) is how important cohesion is.

Too many random products - even really beautiful ones - can accidentally make a booth feel cluttered or unfocused. Not like your work belongs at a garage sale, but more like there’s no clear story being told.

Ideally, I want:

  • Products that support each other

  • A general color palette

  • Items that feel intentional and branded

That said… this is my first market.

So I’m giving myself some grace.

For this one, I’m allowing a slightly wider range of products and colors because:

  • I want to use yarn I already have

  • I don’t want to overspend before I know what works

  • This is a trial run, not a final version of my booth

Seasonal Matters: Spring Into Summer

This market is happening in late April, heading into summer, so I’m keeping seasonality in mind.

That means:

  • Mostly cotton

  • Very little or no wool

  • Minimal acrylic (with a few intentional exceptions)

Some acrylic pieces like Mandala vests made with ombre yarn fit my brand really well visually, even if they’re not what I’ll focus on long-term.

Around here, summer means outdoor events, fairs, music festivals, bonfires, and lake days. But instead of leaning into a boating aesthetic, I went with a music-festival-inspired vibe, because that’s what feels most natural to me.

Letting Go of “Good on Paper” Products

I originally planned to make crochet can koozies. I found a great pattern. They turned out well.

And I hated making them.

They were boring for me, and I knew I wouldn’t enjoy producing them in bulk. That was my sign to stop. Just because something sells well or makes sense on paper doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

Once I let that idea go, it opened the door to better ones.

Accessories, Add-Ons, and Experimenting

Accessories have become a big focus for my booth:

  • Bandana-style cowls made from cotton

  • Crocheted earrings 

  • Smaller items with lower price points

  • Pieces that can be mixed, matched, and layered

I’ve made many versions of earrings: testing fibers, weights, shapes, and finishes. I’ve cut some apart. Frogged others. That’s part of the process.

I’ve also been exploring semi-homemade ideas, inspired by the old Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee concept. For example:

  • Canvas crossbody bags with crocheted granny squares sewn on

  • Trucker hats with granny square accents

  • Ready-made bases that allow me to add crochet without overcomplicating things

These options keep costs down, save time, and still result in sturdy, functional pieces I feel good selling.

This Is a Trial Run. And That’s Okay

I’m not going into this market expecting to get rich.

My goals are simple:

  • Learn what works (and what doesn’t)

  • Introduce my business to local people

  • Build confidence for future markets

  • Gather information for next year

If something doesn’t sell, that’s data...not failure.

If something surprises me, even better!

Final Thoughts

If you’re new to markets too, my biggest encouragement is this: just try.

Get out your hook. Try things. Frog them. Cut things apart. Change your mind. Nothing has to be perfect right out of the gate.

I’ll be sharing more updates soon, including specific projects I’ve been working on and what I’d do differently next time. Thanks so much for being here and letting me talk yarn with you!

Watch the YouTube video HERE!



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