Surprise!!

In Alberta we have an old saying: "If you don't like the weather - wait 10 minutes!". Summer weather is full of surprises. We can go from a heat wave, setting record temperatures (and records for power usage) to the most spectacular lightening and thunder rainstorms -- and back --  all in less than an hour. After the storm - the clouds clear off and the stars shine brightly. Even better, it is cool enough to sleep comfortably.

The farmers are hoping for rain, as they need moisture after all the heat. The pounding rain of our recent storms leaves surprise damage to their crops. The animals do not like the lightening and thunder, however they do seem to appreciate cooling off and the respite from the mosquitoes. 

I am sure it is not great if you are tenting . . . The rain would soak all the firewood - ruining your bonfire,

Some surprises are good things - some not so much. Recently I was trying to organize a surprise for my husband's birthday. Note: he is ex-military, Ukrainian male . . .  trying to surprise him is nearly impossible. The original scheme was to take him to a Blue Jays game (as this is a significant year). The policeman in my husband uncovered our scheme. We did manage to surprise him with an extra grand-daughter! This resulted in a tizzy over "did we have enough food?";  "where were we going sleep everyone?". You know the story. 

He did admit (later) he was really pleased she was able to come, be part of the event and we had enough beds and food. 

As a rule, The Crafty Lady does NOT like surprises. We all know her as an organized, well-planned store owner. This week she surprised her happy employees, she has decided to break her pattern - and write a new one. 

This week's 75% off special is a SURPRISE!  Margaret and Anne have no idea what she is planning!!  

This in and of itself is a surprise as our boss works very effectively to communicate where she is at and where she would like to be going with the business. She plans well in advance with what she purchases to supply her customers with good product they can enjoy creating wonderful things with. 

So Surprise, Surprise!

This week,

you have to come into the store

to see our

75% off Surprise Special

Posted by Anne Homenuk, happy TCL employee - amateur at creating surprises

A Taste of Italy

Church of San Giacomo di Rialto,Venice, Italy

"What news on the Rialto?" asks Shylock, at the opening of Act 1, Scene III of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.

Before, during and after the time of Shakespeare, the Rialto area of Venice has housed everything from an abbatoir and courthouse to a variety of markets -- and it does so still today.  You can still find fish and seafood at the pescaria, and buy veggies to accompany il pesce and flowers for your table decor at the green grocers.  Stop for a coffee break at the Drogheria Mascari, or pause for a light lunch of cichetti accompanied by crostini and a sparkly wine cooler called spritz.

Can't travel to Italy?  Want to hold a bit of it in your hands?

Some of our loveliest yarn offerings are spun in Italy, including this week's special sale offering, the chunky version of the Rialto line of yarns from British designer, Debbie Bliss.

Composed of 100% Extra-fine Merino wool, treated to be "superwash" for easy care, Rialto Chunky will delight your fingers even as it knits up quickly on 6.5 mm (U.S. 10 1/2) needles or hooks.  Two balls will make a cable hat with gorgeous stitch definition.  Add a third ball, and you can made a soft scarf; five will make a lovely baby blanket.

Enjoy a taste of Italy -- and a bit of Bliss -- this week only at 75% off!

Rialto Chunky

by Debbie Bliss and Designer Yarns

100% Extra-fine Merino

Superwash

60 metres (66 yards)

50 grams per ball

Regular Price: $9.50

SALE: $2.38

No special orders...

When it's gone, it's gone!

Posted by Margaret, happy TCL employee who's been to Italy...but not to the Rialto.  Bucket list!!

Time to Sparkle?

Canadians travel more over the three or four months of spring/summer/fall than we do over the winter months. We travel to family gatherings, summer weddings, holidays - even a weekend getaway. This past week the staff of The Crafty Lady have had a couple of people looking specifically for a project to work on while travelling. 

Families volunteer to host a gathering when most of it can be outside and informal. While travelling is a great time to visit craft shops outside your area and some airlines are now allowing people to take projects along on a flight.

While someone else is driving - crafty people finish projects or make great headway on a current project. These create fabulous opportunities for you to display your newly completed project and show off your skills. 

These are also great opportunities for the shutter-bug the family to take those photos you do not want posted to Facebook, or displayed Period.

People love to see the picture of a grandfather teaching a youngster to make a willow whistle, how to recognize deer prints versus dog prints or a grandmother playing with the grandchildren, or making the cookies as grandchildren spill something all over the last batch of cookies.

Several years ago, as I was taking the last batch out of the oven - counters still covered in flour - my granddaughter jumped onto the counter to get out the glasses for juice . . . kicked the jug of orange juice - Well you can image whether or not I can even read the page in that cookbook. Getting the glue created with orange juice and flour off the counters took weeks. I found it in the most unusual places and it was so easy to remove. 

Family photos create memories we treasure for generations. Having inherited a number of photos of ancestors I cannot put a name to, please carefully label all of your older photos. How many of you had a child or grandchild say "That's not you, Grandma, it couldn't be - you sure have changed." Not the most flattering thing to hear as we all tend to think we are aging very well. 

As a grandmother, I have been told this is the year of the sparkle! There is sparkle nail polish, sparkle hair clips, sparkle flipflops, sparkle dresses, sparkle eye-shadow . . .  wherever someone can put sparkle, there it is. I am surprised at the amount of sparkle some brides want on their wedding dresses. 

Some projects with sparkle are very complex, others are quite simple. This week's special would make a really easy project for any person who loves needle work - and sparkles!! It is a cotton acrylic, polyester blend, so cool and easy to work with.

75% off 

Cristallo

by Filatura Di Crosa

42% cotton, 41% acrylic, 17% polyester

Regular price $13.00

Sale $3.25

Posted by Anne Homenuk, very happy employee who loves sparkle and sunshine

Celebrate Canada

Fifty years ago, Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of confederation with a world fair.  Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau promoted the world exhibition theme, focusing on "Man and His World". Women of the World: How would you react today celebrating "Man and His World"?

Expo '67 was the first international celebration in North America. Many of the countries of the world created pavilions/displays representing part of their culture and heritage. If you were lucky enough to be able to attend, it was a wonderful and diverse experience. Do you appreciate the adaptation of the 100th logo to create the logo for 150? 

Do you also remember we celebrated our diversity and our heritage? Do you remember learning every province is different - and you can tell the difference in each one. The differences include: climate, scenery,  wildlife - as are the people. All our beautiful, unique with stunning scenery - diverse and very different culturally. 

Enough of the lecture and history lesson . . .  We have a very avid birder living near Gull Lake, who is following the offspring of a pair of Northern Owls who successfully mated and had three chicks. At present, he is aware of one of the fledglings.

Which leads us to this week's 75% off special. This would be a great starter project as the eyes, beak and tassels are completed. The pattern is easy to read crochet. Most of the work is either single or double crochet. The end project is very wearable 

Katia Kid's Cap Owl 

100% acrylic

Regular Price: $13.00

Sale Price: $3.25

Posted by Anne Homenuk, knitter who would like to improve my crochet skills

What's Better than Heavenly?

That's a tough question.

I'm writing this on the far end of Canada Day -- Canada 150, that is -- and know full well that tomorrow will be Just Another Day.

The morning after the day before, when the day before is Very Special -- like Christmas, or New Year's Eve, or your wedding day or your birthday,  or even the first (or last) day of school.

And it's July, so it's been hot and unpredictable...thunder clouds rolling in...and rolling out again.

How to recover the sense of anticipation, the excitement, the surprise, the delight of a holiday?  How to inject a bit of Heaven in your day?  How about a light, fluffy, colourful yarn (with a little glitz)?

Something more than Sublime...something Divine!

Booklet #466 - front cover

This yarn can turn into light and loft cowls; cozy slippers, ponchos or shawls; pretty finger-less gloves, hats and scarves.  Even with it's slight halo, it shows off a lacy pattern -- like the popular 'Feather and Fan' -- with aplomb.

A note of caution: it's a bit 'thick-and-thin' which may slow down the process...but that can be a Good Thing in these lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.  :-)

Booklet #466 - back cover

Need more good news?

While we may have been closed on July 1 for the Canada Day celebrations, WE ARE OPEN today (Monday, July 3) at 9 a.m. as usual, so you can drop by and view this Weekly Special -- and all the other goodies we have to offer!

75% OFF

Sirdar Divine

72% Polyester
28% Acrylic
160 yards - 150 metres
in 50 gram balls

Original Price: $9.00/ball

On sale this week

for $2.25/ball

Now that's what we call 'better than heavenly'!

Posted by Margaret, happy employee who thinks pretty much any and all yarns are 'divine'.  :-)