The Market Countdown Begins! How I'm Prepping (and Freaking Out a Little).

I have three weeks until my very first market, and I'll be honest with you: I'm excited, terrified, and also kind of wondering if I should just crochet a blanket fort and hide in it until this is over. But since the blanket forts aren't exactly market-ready products, I'm doing my best to prepare... one stitch, one list, and one deep breath at a time.

The Juggle of Excitement and Panic

When I first signed up, I pictured myself with a beautiful booth full of perfectly arranged handmade bags and clothes, chatting with customers, and feeling like the main character in a cozy small-town movie. What my mind completely left out? the very real stress of figuring out what to make, how much to make, and whether or not I'll actually have the spoons to stand behind the table on the actual day itself. If you've ever lived with chronic illness, you know it's not just as simple as "you need to push through". Every ounce of energy has to be budgeted, and right now, I'm trying to budget mine across yarn, creativity, and logistics, all while still trying to heal from the procedure reaction of a lifetime.

Step One: Choosing Projects (a.k.a. the Yarn Rabbit Hole)

Here's where the panic set in: I want to make everything. Bags, hats, tops, little trinkets, maybe even a crochet loaf cat bandit just to "sell for ransom" or something. But the truthy is, I don't have the time (or energy) to bring an entire Michaels store to my booth. So I'm focusing on:

• Main pieces: Clothes and bags (The things I'm the proudest of)

• Quick Projects: Scrunchies, Coasters, and small household items that everyone needs one of!

The smaller things will fill in the gaps on my table and help me to feel less panicked about "not having enough."

Step Two: Breaking it Down by the Weeks

Because I know I'll crash (or crash out) if I try to crochet for eight hours a day, so I've mapped it out:

• This week: focus on my bigger projects. Gather my supplies, Yarn-Stash busting is in full-swing, and maybe mock up some table ideas.

• Next week: Make quick, small items. Again, I'm trying to stash-bust as much yarn as I can. That means I'm doing as many projects as I can complete with a ball of yarn, and then doing them over and over with different colors. While I'm making these items, I'm also going to be tagging and pricing as I go, so I'm not stuck doing all of my inventory at once.

• Final week: Assemble everything, finish last-minute pieces, and prep my "market survival kit" (signs, cash, snacks, water, chair, don't worry, a blog on that is to come!)

This way, even if I have a couple of bad health days, I'll still feel on track.

Step Three: Preparing for Low Spoon Days

I know there will be days where my body says "Nope, not today." Instead of fighting with myself, I'm planning tasks for these moments: weaving in yarn ends, tagging items, catching up some work on social media and blog posting, or even just writing out booth ideas. Small but important jobs that don't drain me but still move things forward.

Step Four: Talking About It (Even When I Don't Have it All Together)

One of the biggest lessons I've learned with Chronic & Cozy is that people don't just want

the polished, final product. They love seeing the messy, weird, and sometimes painful behind-the-scenes. The late night yarn piles, the "what am I doing? Can I even do this?" panic, the victories of finishing a piece. So, even though I'm freaking out a little bit on the inside, I'm showing you the journey, because we're all in this life thing together, right?

Final Thoughts for Today

Will my booth be perfect? Probably not. Will I forget something? More than definitely. But, will it be full of heart, hand made stitches, and the story of someone who's just trying her best while balancing a chronic illness? Absolutely. And maybe that's what matters the most.