It's Our 25th Anniversary!!

In 1994, The Crafty Lady (aka Lori Nowochin) left her teaching career to create her own business -- the shop that we all know as "The Crafty Lady" -- in downtown Lacombe, Alberta.

She comes by both teaching and entrepreneurship naturally: her parents, Edwin and Muriel were both of these things by turns.  Ed taught woodworking and Muriel, piano.  Lori too is musical -- she plays piano and sings -- but her main love in life (besides her family) is what yours truly* fondly calls "The Shop".

Her love of all things crafty is celebrating 25 years this year, and no wonder: The Shop opened on Valentine's Day, 1994!


At first The Crafty Lady's store space was carved out of the basement of the hardware store owned by her family.  This lasted six years until 2000.  At the dawn of the New Millennium, Lori finally got her own space!  The plan was to have it adjacent and connected to the hardware store.

First, an old building on the site had to be demolished...

Then, bit by bit, the new structure went up!

Finally, it was time to cut the ribbon and open the new storefront!!

(L) to (R): Bonny -- happy TCL employee;
Lori, The Crafty Lady Herself;  Peter Bouwsema, architect;
and then-Mayor of Lacombe, Judy Gordon.

Whoo hoo!  We did it!
Especially proud (fellow in front with arms folded)
-- Loris' dad, Edwin, who played a major role in the
finishing and furnishing of the original shop.

But In the Beginning...there was not yarn.

Alas, knitting (and its sister, crochet) saw a decline in the late 1980s, and didn't resurface in a major way until...well...the turn of the 20th to the 21st Century.

So those first years when Lori and her staff were catering to All Things Creative in the basement of the hardware store, those Things included macrame; ceramics; fimo and clay work; tole painting; jewelry making; paint and drawing supplies; embroidery, tapestry and cross-stitch.  Glues and glitter and beads -- oh my!

And precious little yarn. Until...

2001.

No, not "A Space Odyssey"!  A return to yarn-crafting.

So then there was yarn.

As the other crafts (macrame, tole painting etc.) waned, yarn waxed -- for both knitting and crochet.  Embroidery still holds a place in the heart of many textile crafters, who might knit and crochet in the winter, but turn to cross-stitch or embroidery in warmer weather.

And even though quilting has also risen to be a lucrative industry, there are many quilters who knit and crochet, and knitters/crocheters who quilt.

It's all about what it does for us, don't ya know?  Crafting/making has been shown to aid humans in managing stress, trauma, anxiety, depression -- even chronic pain.

Repetitive motions such as knitting or crochet lay down patterns in the brain that play a role in circumventing dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.  Working with one's hands keeps those fingers moving, through and around the pain of arthritis.  There's immense satisfaction in creating something beautiful and/or useful through the work of one's hands -- especially in an age filled with highly technological items that might seem to do even our thinking for us.

And then there's the social aspect.  Crafters -- whether with fabric, yarn, clay or paint -- connect with each other online, using the technology to bring us together, sharing ideas, techniques, finished projects.  Commiserating with each other when a project goes awry.  Hooking up for retreats where we can meet and enjoy our chosen craft together -- in person!

Here at The Crafty Lady we have Knit Night (which really means knit, crochet, embroider, needle point, whatever you do!) every Thursday from about 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. -- when the shop closes.  The cost is $5.00 for food, beverages (coffee/decaf, tea/herbal) and goodies (potluck! Anything from veggies and dip to cheese and crackers to popcorn, or cookies or chocolate...)

Best of all there's Company.  Community.  The ability to 'show and tell' and ask advice.  No judgment.

How does it get better than that?!

Well...for our 25th Anniversary...it's a surprise a day!

FIRST, there's a daily special -- which is posted on our Facebook Page.  Not on FB?  Come into the shop -- it'll be a surprise!

SECOND, for the entire month of February, those of you who don't a) knit; b) crochet; c) have no desire to learn...but love the results...

We have STORE SAMPLES for sale -- and stay tuned, because sometime during this month, they too will be 25% off!!

We can outfit you from head to toe...

With tops and such for tiny tots...

And something for adults too!

Of course, we'd LOVE to show you how to make them for yourself -- or for those you love.  Ask us about our one-on-one knitting lessons.  Reasonable rates, and a discount on materials bought in the shop for the lesson(s) in question.

In June of 2018, we moved to a new space -- one with a basement for storage, better lighting -- and better parking!  Here's what we look like NOW -- at 5006 - 50 Avenue (aka Hwy 12) in Lacombe, Alberta:

Please drop in when  you're coming through town.  Check out our advert in the bi-monthly Country Register (Alberta Edition).  

And so...we thank you, all who decided it was a Good Idea to open in the basement of a hardware store (go figure!), all of our loyal customers and friends, all of our Knit Night attendees, all of those who stumbled over us in passing, all who came on a road trip, and all who followed that with a vision for What Could Be in a larger independent space...

Western Canada has a singer-song-writer who's celebrated the Psalms with his work.  In the piece he wrote about Psalm 90, Steve Bell of Winnipeg has referenced "the work of our hands".

May the work of your hands -- whether with yarn or floss, fabric or fleece, wood or metal, paper or felt -- be a blessing in your lives.

Join the celebration!  We'll see you in The Shop!

*Written by Margaret, happy TCL employee who is thankful not only for The Shop and Knit Night...but also for the blessing of the Work of Her Hands.

What happened to January?

This is the last week of January, can you believe it?

Speaking personally, I feel like January has come and gone really quickly this year. I am still working on 2018 projects (some of which were intended for Christmas, additional requests were added over the season) and I would really like to complete some of the projects which have been on hold for a longer period of time.

One of our regulars at Knit Night was telling me about "Stash busters" groups on Ravelry. I love Ravelry, it is a great way to find new/different patterns (w/apologies to The Crafty Lady who cannot get all of her ideas down on paper as quickly as I would like), provides information for customers when they forget their pattern, information on older yarns and gauge. The help section is very comprehensive when you come across a new term, wording you do not understand or new skills.

My personal library at home is fairly extensive, but over the years has become disorganized (plus my size and tastes have changed over the years). I need to reduce/organize my pattern stash as much as I need to reduce my yarn stash. I also need to live a very long time to get everything done. The first two, I have some control over - the 3rd, well, we will see.

As we head into February we will be celebrating - all month long according to one rumor dropped during Knit Night.

On February 14, 2019 - The Crafty Lady will officially have been in business for 25 years.

I started shopping at The Crafty Lady during it's first year of operation, down in a basement. I am not the only one who comments on the changes and growth! And how much we all appreciate her hard work offering good quality yarn at reasonable prices - for 25  years. 

Margaret and I have not been informed what, when or how much will be on sale - with one exception:

       For the 14th ONLY everything in the store will be 25% off.

Moving from 25% sales, to our 75% off sale . . . 

This is the last week week for our 75% Off sale for 4 weeks - as we celebrate!

Amplify
Uptown Bulky 

225 grams = 180 m.

100% Acrylic

Machine Washable 

Regular Price: $19.00

Sale Price: $4.75

Written by Anne, very lucky TCL employee, who is thrilled to be part of the upcoming celebrations. P.S. follow us on Facebook - daily. A "Little Birdie"  has hinted Lori will be posting her daily sales there. I hope I can trust the "Little Birdie". Drop in next month to find out 😉

Do You Like to Mix It Up?

From observing our customers over the years, I've decided that there are three loosely-defined "camps" into which yarn-crafters fall:

• The "make it exactly as shown in the pattern" camp;
• The "any colour as long as it's neutral (black or grey or off-white in particular)" camp; and 
• The "give me colour!" camp.

While The Crafty Lady aims to carry a wide selection of yarn weights, fibre types and colours (including neutrals), the trends in recent years definitely seem to favour the "colourful".  From variegated to self-striping, self-patterning to gradients, kettle-dyed to hand-painted and splattered, our yarn suppliers continue to provide us with seemingly endless opportunities to create the items we want in the colours we want to use.

Brioche Basic Beanie
Marilynn Blacketer

Fair Isle Tam - Patons North America

'Stranded knitting' is back in a big way this year -- meaning that knitters in particular are being treated to all manner of patterns featuring Fair Isle or Scandinavian motifs.   Others are exploring mosaic knitting or brioche, techniques that work with more than one yarn to create intriguing designs and textures.

Rectangular Wrap
Featuring Mosaic Knitting
Designer: Ann Morgan

Another way to introduce colour into your work is by plying two yarns together to create what's called a "marl".  There are some tutorials available -- like this one from Tin Can Knits -- and the range of patterns for garments using a marl you create yourself is growing.

But if you want this look...

Favourite Knit Hat
Premier Yarns Designs

without the 'do it yourself' component...

...you can also purchase yarn that's already marled for you -- such as the yarn on offer this week

for our Super Special Sale!

Premier 

Everyday Marl

and

Milano*

* a marl with a hint of metallic glitz

100 grams = 165 metres (180 yards)

100% Acrylic

Regular Price: $8.00

75% Off!

Sale Price: $2.00!

Written by Margaret, happy TCL employee who loves having colour in her life -- and who's

counting the sleeps till our 25th Anniversary Sale starts in February!

Is January "Advice-month"?

Is there one month of the year we get and give a lot of advice?

Is January THAT month? We all hear the radio/TV ads for weight loss; RRSP season; down-sizing; stash-busting, taxes; and more weight loss controversy . . . 

I am honoured be to be finishing my 2nd year working at The Crafty Lady. I am learning there is also a season when more people want to learn a new craft. Early in a new year seems to be the season. I just found this on the internet - and it also applies to crochet, cross-stitch - any creative repetitive craft.

This is a blatant exaggeration. If you can knit and purl - you can do anything with a little bit of help and encouragement. There are more stitches to learn for crochet, but if you are comfortable with a basic single crochet stitch, again - with some practice - you can do anything. From my limited experience - this is true for most skills. 

Please note: the staff at The Crafty Lady have a lot of knowledge for a number of crafts. We do lessons (not classes). We ask you to book in advance to ensure we have two staff on, one to teach you and one to help the other customers. We charge $15/hour (in 20 minute increments) and anything you purchase for the lesson is 10% off. I was going to say we have a combined experience of over 75 years, but may be understating our combined years of crafting by about 50 years.

We do have one common goal - to help you to the point you get excited to read a pattern described as "heirloom" and have the confidence to actually complete it, and comfortable owing that you did it! 

January and February are often the coldest months of the year, a great time for learning new skills, picking up a great book and or snuggling - either good yarn or loved ones. 

Speaking of January, until the end of the month - Margaret (one of The Crafty Ladies) and her friend Mary have a display of art quilting on at the LMC. Please stop in and explore their work from a trip to Scotland in 2017. 

And while we are snuggling on a cool/cold winter's evening, this week's 75% off special, will help you to keep to your budget while providing a great yarn for any number of projects (limited colours). 

Sirdar

Snuggly DK

55% nylon/45% acrylic - 50g/165m

Reg. $6.50 

75% OFF

$1.63

Written by Anne, who is learning every day at TCL, and warning you - we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the store opening - NEXT MONTH. Come in to see often as I have been led to believe the sales will be daily specials (not officially confirmed by the owner). Please help us honour a small, local, independent business. 

January Update

We sold out of the Baby Pure before the end of Monday - therefore we are offering a new yarn at 75% off!

Many consider New Year's Eve the time to close out the "Old" year and start the "New", but The Crafty Lady does not always think inside the box (as most of you already know). So we decided to reverse the concept and start with the baby and move to the party. (Very bad pun!)

Party Time is a very fun yarn! It is 100% acrylic and classed as a chunky! It works up very quickly and has lots of bright colours so you can start your spring knitting and not "suffer the February Blues" . . .

Party Time

153 m / 100 g

6 mm/14 st = 4"

Reg. $9.00

75% Off
$2.25

Posted by Anne, happy TCL employee who has almost finished her Christmas knitting!! 😁

In With The New?

A New Year's resolution is a promise a person makes for the new year. Regardless of the resolution you commit to, the goal is to improve your life in the coming year. 

Resolutions come in many forms. Some people make a promise to change a bad habit, such as quitting smoking, eating less junk food or reducing the clutter. Other people make a promise to develop a positive habit, such as starting an exercise program, volunteering or recycling more. 

The tradition of New Year's resolutions dates back to 153 B.C.. January is named after Janus, a mythical god of early Rome. Janus had two faces - one looking forward, on looking back. This allowed him to look back on the past, and then look forwards toward the future. 

On December 31, the Romans' imagined Janus looking backward to the old year and forward into the new year. This became a symbolic time for Romans to make resolutions for the new year and forgive enemies for troubles in the past. 

The Romans also believed Janus could forgive them for their wrongdoings in the previous year. The Romans would give gifts and make promises, believing Janus would see this and bless them in the year ahead. 

Thus the New Year's resolution was born!   according to wonderopolis.org

Okay, I hear you, enough of the Rah! Rah!! 

But Honestly - how many times would you really like a "Do over"? Life would be so much better if we did not put our foot in our mouth, react in fear, or "zone out" and knit too many rows. How many times do you see some one at a stop sign look both ways, look again, then look again as if they do not believe the road is clear for them to proceed? 

I for one, do appreciate a New Year as a new book to try and be a better person, to have faith - in God, Buddha, Higher Power and in others. Do they disappoint me? Of Course. This is an opportunity to try again. 

New Year's is also a time for us to take stock - clear out the stash, throw out or pass along that project you have been dreading for 20 years, complete one that you really want to finish . . .  The list is endless.This time of year is a fresh page and each day is a day to say "Thank You" and promise yourself to be happy, learn one new thing, complete one task. 

In a strange way, is this not the task we often assign to a baby? A new life, a new start and a 2nd chance for us to do better than . . .  name your ghost. 

We have new yarns arriving almost every week, so please come and explore old and new favourites. 

This week's 75% off special is 

Baby Pure

300 m. / 100 g

70% acrylic, 30% polymide

Reg. $10

75% OFF

$2.50

Come in to feel this really great baby yarn, machine washable - it can even go into the dryer on delicate or cool settings. We had a customer in last week, who said she really loved King Cole yarns as they knit up so beautifully and wear well. This is a King Cole yarn with a soft tonal effect which helps to create really unique and wearable items. 

On a different tangent, The Crafty Lady is celebrating 25 years in business next month, please plan on coming in sometime. As Margaret and I understand the preliminary plans, there will be ongoing sales all month long with the best on February 14, as this was the day the first store opened. 




Written by Anne, happy crafter who feels very privileged to be allowed to help celebrate 25 years along with The Crafty Lady as I first shopped in The Crafty Lady in the first summer in she was in business. She helped me convince my daughter knitting a valuable skill. Thank you 

Out With the Old....

December 31...time to bid 'adieu' to 2018.  Maybe it's been a terrific year for you, filled with new friendships, new opportunities, new projects, a new location or achievement -- so perhaps you're sad to see it go.

Or...maybe you've been challenged with illness or loss or just all the trouble in the world -- so you're glad to be rid of 2018, in the hopes that 2019 will bring a fresh start all 'round.

Maybe it's time to pick up a new skill, such as knitting, crochet, beading or embroidery.  Maybe it's time to refresh an old skill -- such as...well, you get my point!  😉

However you travel from 2018 to 2019, The Crafty Lady and her staff hope your journey will be smooth sailing -- blessed with health, perhaps a little wealth, and many, many blessings.  We'll be here to help you with your yarn and/or needlework projects, to show you new colours and introduce new materials.  We'll help you brush up rusty skills or learn new ones.

And we hope you'll join us in February as we celebrate 25 years in business in downtown Lacombe!

Meanwhile...please note the following IMPORTANT INFORMATION for this week!

Another short week = NO Super Special Sale.  😞

 New Year's Hours:

Monday, December 31: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, January 1: CLOSED.  Happy New Year!

Wednesday, January 2: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Thursday, January 3: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. -- Knit Night!

Friday, January 4: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, January 5: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

"Back to Business as Usual" on Monday, January 7! 

And in with the New...

So here's to our customers -- thanks for making 2018 a Very Good Year for The Crafty Lady!  Have a Happy New Year's celebration -- and we'll see you in the shop!