Craft Business

1st – 8th 
The Halloween window is ready to come out – though I really like the pumpkin and bat garlands, so maybe just another day! It's only four weeks until the Christmas bits and baubles take centre stage and the festive season gets into full swing. I have completed my orders and some stock has already arrived – knitting bags and card-making materials with Santas and snowmen. I have a feeling that people will be more cautious with their cash this year so we have to promote and encourage to the best of our abilities. However it does appear that many folk have decided to make personalised gifts such as knitted socks, gloves, scarves and hats – craft work is benefiting from the credit crunch in some small way.

9th – 15th 
Big chunky knits are proving really popular for both adults and kids. King Cole has produced a fantastic plain and multi-coloured range called Comfort Chunky which is selling well. Sirdar Big Softie has some very fashionable easy-knit designs and a good colour range with instructions for beginners included in the pattern booklet supporting the range. This is a great idea as it means new knitters have advice at their fingertips when working on a project. Friday 14th is Children In Need day and once again King Cole's pattern for Pudsey bear has proved popular – hopefully helping raise more cash than last year – how about other spinners coming up with charity leaflets? It's a great way to get knitting groups involved and put something back.

16th – 22nd 
There seems to be no end of knitting related novels in the bookstores these days. Divas Don't Knit, The Friday Night Knitting Club and The Shop On Blossom Street to name but a few. It's great to have our industry hit the chick-lit highlights! I recognise some of the characters from real-life retailing – maybe I should put pen to paper?! Knitting magazines are also very popular and we seem to sell more every year. My favourites are Simply Knitting and Let's Knit! but any means of encouraging the craft is to be applauded.

23rd – 30th 
In this computer-crazy world it is heartening to see Grandmas busy knitting doll's clothes with the same delight as in years gone by. I struggle to find new patterns in my suppliers catalogues – take note please, and bring dollies up to date! Alan Dart has produced some great knitted toy patterns (particularly with a Christmas theme) often found in knitting magazines, for example a knitted Christmas tree complete with knitted decorations. However I have a Jean Greenhowe tree and decorations from years ago which gets pride of place in my window display year after year, and the accompanying booklet always sells well. I'm not a big Christmas fan but the window displays definitely get me in the mood.

Jenny Carlisle runs Jeans Wool Shop in Belfast