Part Two - Change is Good!!

Yes, at this time I can definitely say the changes The Crafty Lady is making are Great (in my opinion - and not just because she is standing behind me or that she is my employer)!

In reply to yesterday's blog, a reader asked if there would be a frequent shopper rewards program replacing the points?

YES! If you are in our system, the new rewards program is even simpler and more immediate. All existing and new customers added to the system will receive a 1% discount at the till at time of purchase automatically. If you are carrying your bag, at the time of purchase (or purchase a Crafty Lady bag for $3.00) you will receive 5% off at the till.

I am beginning to wonder how my sanity is after 3 days of constant change. Every-time we learn a new skill on the computer program, we have to find a better report to include this information while still conserving paper. When we started we could only print on 8.5" x 11" paper, so every receipt for every customer (and a copy for the accountant) was on letter sized paper. Then we were able to install the new till printer! Hooray!! Smaller receipts, easier to file for us and we learned we could print sales information on the till printer!! Hooraay!! It gets easier and easier.

Then . . .  we sold out of the Hap'i during store hours on Monday and I learned a new Crafty Lady rule "If we sell out of the 75% Off Sale before the doors close on the Monday - we must offer a different product for 75% off."

So sorry, we can no longer try to make our customers Hap'i. We are now offering:

Big Softie

51% wool / 49% acrylic; 45 m/50 gram ball

Was $5.50

75% Off

$1.38 

Posted by Anne, a Big Softy, grandma, great-grandma and happy knitter

Change is good . . . ummm . . . Maybe

The Crafty Lady and her staff had a most interesting week as a new software till program was installed.

On behalf of all of us here at The Crafty Lady, we would like to say

We have had a bit of a steep learning curve. There are many bonuses to our new software and a few challenges. We will no longer be collecting points - as this software does not allow us to. All current customers will have their points converted to an in-store discount. The conversion will take a some time, as Lori points out "We have over 6,000 existing customers and we must do each one manually."

Again, thank you - we do appreciate your understanding and patience.

When the program was first installed, we had a hiccup with Visa - we have resolved this issue with three phone calls to our support line. Finding all the products and bar codes, as well as learning where to look for various reports, well let's just say - that may take a little longer.

The patience and support of all customers to-date, has been little short of awesome. Everyone has been so understanding.

One change we are not making is to stop the 75% Off Weekly Sale, and this week we hope to make some of our customers Hap'i . . .

Hap'i

100% Tanguis Cotton/132 yards

Reg. $10.00

75% Off

$2.50

Posted by Anne, happy employee who is Hap'i with the changes - and looking forward to seeing all our customers

Three-in-One!

This world is a colourful place, and (for the most part) people love colour.  We colour our hair, we colour our bodies, we wear colour (even if you have a zebra wardrobe, don't tell me you don't have a pop of bright red, a slice of orange, a zing of yellow, a gem of purple or a wave of turquoise in there somewhere among the fifty shades of black-and-white!)  

And we love to create with colour, to whit...

Woman in a Garden - Claude Monet, painter - 1867

Duet #4 - Carol Bryer Fallert-Gentry ,
art quilter - 2015 

'Memory Blanket' - Georgie Nicolson;
knitting designer - 'tikkiknits'

This week The Crafty Lady, in its ongoing efforts to bring beauty, colour and comfort to the world (or at least our corner of it!), offers you three -- count 'em! -- three 'Super Sale' opportunities to make it even easier for you to create something colourful.  We have 3 yarns -- in 1 colour each -- suitable for cozy hats, scarves, cowls, vests...it's up to your imagination.

Kodiak from Berroco
Regular Price: $19.00
Sale Price: $4.75
114 metres (125 yards) per 50 grams
64% Alpaca
21% Nylon/Polyamide
15% Wool
12 stitches = 4" on 6.5 mm needles

Sundae from Berroco
Regular Price: $13
Sale Price: $3.25
57 metres (62 yards) per 100 grams
50% wool, 50% acrylic
10-11 stitches = 4" on 9 - 10 mm needles

and

Classic Shades Big Time
from Universal Yarns
Regular Price: $18
Sale Price: 4.50
78 metres (85 yards) per 150 grams
6 - 11 stitches = 4" on 8 - 15 mm needles
or on 9 - 19 mm crochet hooks

Note: colours in above photos do not reflect colours of the yarns on sale.

No pre-orders -- no returns -- and once they're gone, they're gone!

Posted by Margaret, happy TCL employee whose work and  stashes carefully curated textile collections ensure that she lives a colourful life!

Dog Days of Summer

One of the very special things about living in Central Alberta is being able to get away from bright city lights and find places to watch the sunsets and the stars. Thanks to one of the new apps available on smart phones, you point your phone at the sky - and your phone will tell you which constellation and which stars you are looking at. How cool is that . . .  and it works wherever you are, city or country. Winter and summer stars are slightly different as the earth turns annually. 

Ancient Romans called the hottest, most humid day of summer "diēs caniculārēs" of "dog days". The name came about because the associated the hottest days of summer with the star Sirius. Sirius was know as the "Dog Star" as it was the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). 

Sirius also happens to be the brightest star in the summer night sky. The Romans thought it radiated extra heat toward Earth, causing summer to be hotter. For the ancient Romans, the dog days of summer occurred from about July 24 to around August 24. (Information quoted from: www.wonderopolis.org)

Over time the constellations have drifted and today the Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of the dog days of summer as July 3 to August 11. 

So are our dog days of summer just starting or on the way out? Are your children or grandchildren starting to complain about being bored? Do you need a head start on getting them ready? Or create a cute topper for the emergency "I do Not know where I lost it" box?

We have a limited collection of kits to create to bust the boredom, reducing what your children can  "bark about", starting with a dog scarf or backpack and moving to your choice of toques. 

Nova Topper
Reg $12.00
75% Off
$3.00

Katia Dog Scarf
Reg $35.00
75% Off
$8.75

Sirdar 
Head Start
Reg $15.00
75% Off
$3.75

Posted by Anne, happy Crafty Lady employee and dog lover, and lover of the dog days of summer

Need a Hug?

Sometimes life gets us down.  Political turmoil, natural disasters, accidental injuries, family discord, illness, job disruptions or losses, delayed or altered vacation plans...or simple loneliness -- any or all of these can grind down our spirits.

There's research out there that indicates that -- in addition to a few good belly laughs -- people need at minimum, four hugs a day for survival -- and at least eight (8!) to maintain health, especially for soul and spirit.  For growth, opined Virginia Satir, we could do with a full dozen -- each and every day!

What if, like me, you're single, or alone much of the time?  What then?

Well...you get your hugs were you can...from friends in your Yarn Crafting Group (like mine here at Knit Night every Thursday from 6 - 9 p.m.) or in a place of worship (some congregations can be very 'huggy'!)...from the kids in your life (your own or borrowed!)...

And yes, you can get a hug from your yarn -- well, this week, anyway!  😉

This week for our Super Special we're offering up...

A bulky yarn, knitting up at 9 stitches to 4", it's perfect for a quick, soft, embraceable  project, like a hat -- or turn it into a cozy cowl for a hug you can wear -- or share with a Special Someone!

Embrace

from

Diamond Yarns

65% Alpaca

35% Acrylic

100 grams

55 metres (60 yards)

Regular Price: $15.00

Sale Price: $3.75

No special orders!

When it's gone it's gone!

Written by Margaret, happy TCL employee who gets her hugs from yarn every day!