Two More Days For Free Shipping This Season

 If you haven't ordered online from us yet, then you may not realize that shipping is one option to receiving your products.  The other is pickup. During the Community and Farmer's market season, a third option is available: free 'shipping'.

When ordering online, I encourage everyone to choose PICKUP and then tell me what they really want in the notes section. Why? After all this time, I still haven't managed to get the program to calculate reasonable shipping rates. For instance, did you know that it costs over $300 to ship eight skeins of DMC floss from my address in Lacombe to another address in Lacombe?! In reality, eight skeins of floss fit into an envelope and can be sent at regular letter rates - but my program doesn't believe that. Hence, you must choose pickup or die from a heart attack because of sticker shock. I promise, waiting a day or two longer for me to visit the post office and email you the options is the healthier choice.

If you live in the Lacombe area or know you will be visiting it, pickup is a great option. Place your order, wait for the confirmation email, then follow the instructions in the email. Sometimes those instructions include calling ahead so that multiple customers don't show up at the same time. Since physical distancing is still a thing, I strive to help keep my customers healthy and only place one order in the dropbox at a time.

Now these two options are available year round. The third option is the one alluded to in the title of this blog. During this market season, the pop up store has been in six different communities, one of them twice a week (in two different locations). If you order something online and you know you are going to be at one of the markets, you can let me know to bring your prepaid product(s) to the market of your choice. Many people have already taken advantage of this option and you only have until Thursday of this week to take advantage of it for the last time this year! (Lacombe and Red Deer locations only) Why is it the last chance, you ask? Because market season is over Thanksgiving weekend and my pop up store is too big to fit indoors at any of the Christmas markets that will be taking place.

So remember, online ordering is available year round but free shipping comes to an end this weekend!

written by Lori, happy TCL owner, who is looking forward to being kept busy this winter with your help :)

Winding Down the Season

Fall is definitely in the air which means the outdoor Farmer's (and Community) Market season is winding down. Because the first final day is coming up shortly (Sept 16 for Camrose), I've decided to do something a little different for the next few weeks. (My valid excuse for this blog being late this week.) Instead of just swapping out last week's yarn for this week's, I am also putting the following week's yarn (or at least most of it) in the overhead cabinets as a way to preview the yarn, especially if the customer won't be there the next week. That means that you can shop the cotton, silk flax and hemp this week as well as scope out most of the sock yarn.

I will continue this until the end of the season. And, who knows. That may become the new normal in the pop up store.

The final market days are as follows:

Ponoka Community Market (outdoors) Sept 27

Stettler Farmer's Market (outdoors) Sept 28

Ponoka Farmer's Market Sept 29

Wetaskiwin Farmer's Market Sept 29

Lacombe Farmer's Market Oct 8

Red Deer Downtown Farmer's Market Oct 9

If you are wanting to take advantage of the free shipping (aka delivery to the market) make sure to place your order no later than the Monday before the final week. Any order placed during the final week may not be able to be picked in time to be delivered and then you'll either have to pay shipping or make arrangements to pick up at the warehouse.

As for the pictures of the sky, God was out with his paintbrush leaving beautiful brushstrokes in the air on Saturday when it was still bitingly cold. When I was taking these pictures, one of the other vendors offered to take my picture for me. He thought I was trying to take a selfie in front of my motorhome so I pointed out the beautiful show the clouds were performing that he'd been too busy setting up to notice. Sometimes it's the little things in life that make things alright.

And right now we need those little things. With the mask mandate back in full swing, I will be layering up in more ways than one.

There is a new sign in the store.

Since the mask rules are for indoor venues, along with the door being open, I will be keeping open all vents and windows to allow for outdoor style ventilation, which means it may get pretty chilly in the pop up store. During inclement weather, I will require masks because only the door will be open those days. So pray for beautiful weather until Thanksgiving!

written by Lori, TCL owner, who has thoroughly enjoyed the market season so far - meeting new people, reconnecting with others and actually getting a tan in the process. 😀

 

Pluff Will Keep Us Together by The Captain and Chenille

Flutterby Animal Print, regular Flutterby and Dolphin

Bella Chenille and Pluff

 Please tell me you groaned at the title. That would mean you are old enough to understand it and I won't feel so bad about using it. Besides its not the worst earworm you will have ever had to deal with. 😉

It dawned on me last week that most of the markets end around Thanksgiving weekend. That means from now on, every yarn on display will be the last time you get to pet it before it goes back into the warehouse for the winter. Then its online ordering only for the next six months!

I am working on setting up classes at LPAC (Lacombe Performing Arts Centre) this fall/winter and will post details as soon as they are confirmed so there will be some yarn petting/purchasing available at the classes. In the meantime, have fun playing with the yarns of the week with some fun patterns from Ravelry.

Pluff is a great alternative to Bernat Blanket and will make these slippers or adorable Yipyips for storage.

Flutterby (regular) can make a squishy receiving blanket with just two balls. Bella and Dolphin would require three. This cute sweater will fit up to a size 10 child using the same amount of yarn. 😊

The Animal Print Flutterby is super chunky and one ball will make a super quick cowl if you need a last minute gift for someone.

One thing to note about all chenille yarns: put a knot in the yarn at the end of the tails (beginning and end). You can't feel the knots once they are woven in but without the knots, the yarn will unravel and there will be no saving your project.

written by Lori, TCL owner, who is looking forward to seeing how many more people take advantage of free shipping before the markets are over.