Back to craft fairs!

So beeptwo and I ventured into craft fairs again last weekend and displayed buttons, ribbons, card making goods and dolls house knitting.

We were really lucky that the weather was kind with no rain although it was very windy and we spent a lot of time holding onto things.  There was an initial tussle with a gazebo that I won't go in to but we got set up eventually.

 

It wasn't perhaps the best time of year or venue for our goods but there was enough of a profit to call it a success.  Will we be doing another one later in the year?  We will see.

 

Anna has a knitting pattern coming out in Knit Now at the end of August (on the cover this time), with another due for publication later in the year, so she is busy as always.

Classic Car Show and Craft Fair this Sunday in Flitwick

My goodness it's many years since I did a craft show, life got in the way.
When the kiddies were little I used to make salt dough pieces (anyone remember those???) and made some pin money selling them locally at craft shows, but my interests changed.

Now to pass the time I knit tiny little garments, dolls house 12th scale size, and my main selling platform is ebay.  I flirted a bit with etsy but it isn't a success, I think my customers know where to find me. 
Mostly I sell things like this:

 although recently I branched out for a change into bigger doll garments.  This one sold this week on ebay:

 

 

It's a long story, but this weekend beeptwo and I will be selling at a craft fair to be held in Flitwick, Bedfordshire. 

Anna (as beepbeepdesigns) will have loads of crafty items at bargain prices, including cardmaking stuff like stamps and card blanks, and also some lovely buttons and ribbon.  A selection of miniature knitting items for the dolls house like yarn, needles, patterns, kits and ready made items will also be there.

We are really looking forward to meeting everyone and just keeping everything crossed that the weather is kind to us!

If you are in the area please pop over and say hello.

 



I have opened an Etsy shop

As I am no longer running the bitstobuy business in the sense of selling kits and needles, yarn etc, I decided to concentrate on the knitting side.  I love making the tiny sweaters and accessories suitable for dolls house or tiny bjd but I also wanted more time for knitting for me!

My main selling is on ebay and I have several very loyal customers who snap up anything I list there.  But I wanted to do something different, and decided to dip my toes in the waters of Etsy to see what happened.

I am lucky enough to be the guardian of a couple of lovely antique dolls passed down through the family, so had a go at designing a dress pattern for the larger, 18" tall one.  I sweated blood a bit over the design but I got there eventually and this is the result.

It is a very fine lemon cotton-like yarn, and is trimmed with ribbon and flower buttons.  I really enjoyed the challenge of making it and was very pleased with the final result.  I have also knitted some lacy cotton socks for the same doll and depending on how popular this size is, have plans for lots of other designs.

These are currently for sale on Etsy in my bitstobuyknits shop.  I am not yet into all the ins-and-outs of Etsy but the dress has been favourited several times so someone has found it.

Meanwhile ever onwards and upwards with tiny sweaters.

bitstobuy miniature knitting patterns is changing

I have been running the bitstobuy business for about 10 years now.  It all started when I wanted to expand my knitting hobby in some way, but really didn't need any more garments for myself.  A book from the library about knitting tiny items for the dolls house really inspired me, and when I found some oddments of laceweight yarn in my stash I started knitting some tiny sweaters which were snapped up immediately on ebay. 
Eureka!  Something I loved doing and was of use to others. 
I have to admit that my interest has always been on the knitting side, and I do not own a dolls house or have any interest in doing so.
I searched the internet and books for patterns, but all the ones I found were very complicated and took a lot of knitting, in fact would be very difficult for someone who just wanted to produce something quickly and easily.  So I did the obvious thing and started designing my own.
My first pattern was for this bedspread and cushions

For some reason this really captured knitters' imaginations and this is probably my most popular pattern ever.  From there I quickly developed patterns for all kinds of tiny furnishings and garments, and miniature toys.

For a few years I just sold patterns, but developed into kits (so that the customer didn't have to deal with the difficulty of getting hold of small quantities of fine yarn), needles and haberdashery.  I have since written three pattern books, each of which have about 25 easy to knit designs.

I have sold through ebay and my own website, and have had patterns published in the dolls house press and online.
I am slowing down a bit now, and decided I just wanted to carry on with the knitting, and move on from the business.

So I am proud to announce that the bitstobuy webpage business has been passed on to another wonderful miniature knitter, my daughter Anna!

Anna has put in many hours over the years in setting up and running the webpage for me.  She is really into knitting, with designs published in the main knitting publications (two patterns out this very month in Issue 19 of Knit Now) and on Ravelry.  On the miniature side Anna has concentrated on patterns for 6" bjd but also has other crafty things going on such as selling beautiful buttons and ribbons.

The www.bitstobuy.co.uk webpage will continue as at present for the moment, selling all the same lovely things, but it will now be Anna who is managing it and despatching stock.  Eventually she will be redeveloping the site and moving it over to beepbeepminiatures .  We will make sure that the old webpage address still stands though and will transfer to the new one.

Thank you to all my previous customers and I hope you will support Anna in the new business.

I will continue to knit and sell the tiny garments (I still need to keep my fingers busy) on ebay and a new shop that I have opened on http://www.etsy.com/shop/bitstobuyknits.

Free gift with website orders in April - cotton tweed polo sweater kit

Here is the free offer for April.   A kit giving instructions and yarn for you to knit this lovely soft cotton tweed sweater for a 5 to 6 inch doll, very easy to knit in just a couple of hours.  It will fit all dolls house dolls such as Heidi Ott and similar, also suitable for other similar sized dolls such as Pippa, Dawn, and (if you are able to remove head to fit) Strawberry Shortcake, and other tiny bjd such as Lati Yellow and Pukifee.  Will be oversized on Hujoo Baby and smaller dolls.  You will need a pair of 2mm knitting needles.

To obtain the free kit just send an order to the webpage www.bitsotbuy.co.uk during April.

Why not have a look at the kits and extras available from the site and start knitting soon!

Free gift of yarn with all webpage orders in March

Don't forget, two free skeins of 2 ply knitting yarn with all orders from the webpage in March.  Nearly last chance to claim them!
http://bitstobuy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/two-free-skeins-of-knitting-yarn-with.html



www.bitstobuy.co.uk

Two free skeins of knitting yarn with all webpage orders in March

This months free offer is for two 50m skeins of yarn, rusty brown and yellow, with all orders from the webpage during March.

Enough yarn to knit at least two tiny sweaters.

Check out the webpage at www.bitstobuy.co.uk

New haberdashery on the webpage - buttons and more in 12th scale

 

I have listed some new haberdashery items on the webpage - these are all in 1:12 scale so are suitable for dolls house (for example Heidi Ott), and other small dolls such as tiny bjd (Hujoo Baby, American Girl, Rosen Lied Monday child, Lati Yellow, Pukifee, Bobobie Tiny, Ellery Kish, PukiPuki, Lati White, Yoshi).

I have buttons in lots of colours and sizes from 2mm to 4mm, snap fasterners (press studs), hooks and eyes, and tiny buckles.

These items are also suitable for use when making garments for other 5 -7" dolls such as Pippa, Dawn, Bobobie, Kelly, Ginny and Ginger, and Strawberry Shortcake, or for larger dolls such as Barbie and Sindy.

 

 

All available now on the webpage

http://www.bitstobuy.co.uk/