I lovvvvve thrift stores!!

Finding new life in someone else's cast-off is actually quite fun. You just never know when you are going to come across a treasure that was on it's last stop before the landfill. Some days, you may find nothing but picked-over junk. And other days can be filled with gems.

Today was a great thrifting day. Just take a look.

This Wagon Wheel blanket is in excellent condition, and was obviously made with love. It's crocheted with fingering-weight yarn and I can imagine it took the artist a very long time to complete.

Just look at all those colors. I'm so happy it came to live at my house!

And how fun is this?! Two tubes of linen. It's rather fine...probably 10/2. Since I don't weave, I'll need to find the perfect crochet pattern to show it off. Each tube was marked $2.99 and I had a 20%-off coupon. Yipppeee!!

This partial skein of yarn had obviously been looked over. It was hanging out by itself, while most of the other yarns were grouped in bags. This is the type of yarn I grew up with...this and Red Heart WOOL. Feeling a bit nostalgic, I had to bring it home, too.

Happy thrifting. May your day be filled with gems!!

Hats in All Sizes

It's been Hat-Making time around here. Following is just a sample.
More to come!!

Very Small
(set for a baby shower gift)
Hat Pattern: here
Socks Pattern: my own
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Delft

Medium
(for an 8-year-old friend)
Hat Pattern: here
Yarn: Mostly Lion Brand Wool-Ease

Extra Large
(for Zak)
Hat Pattern: my own
Yarn: my recycled wool in charcoal with a touch of burgundy

Button, Button

A number of times recently, I have had my project all finished except the buttons. Then the hunt begins. Good, affordable buttons are getting harder and harder to find. There are fewer fabric shops around. And their selection is often lacking. More than once I have set my project aside due to "lack of closure." I have also been known to purchase buttons first, then design the sweater, or what have you, around them.

A couple of yarn shops in my area have some nice buttons, but I've also had difficulty finding the right size or quantity. Then there's the price...those lovely little tokens often cost more than all the other materials put together.

Shopping online hasn't netted me much either. I spotted a couple of Etsy shops that had some fun buttons for sale. Then the shipping costs were almost double the cost of the buttons, themselves.

So, here's one of my solutions. Since I'm already out in thrift shops and yard sales watching for sweaters to recycle, I'm now checking lots of other garments for buttons! Occasionally I find a rather ugly jacket or sweater that has terrific buttons. I feel no guilt in purchasing that item, stripping it of the buttons, and either re-donating or recycling the fabric. The example shown below was an ill-fitting, poorly made sweater. And yet, it had a zillion (not quite) colorful buttons around the yoke, cuffs and bottom! Aren't they pretty?!

More!

Check out these beauties!!! Available here!


Lace-weight wool/silk blend
(SOLD)


Worsted-weight wool/mohair/angora blend
(SOLD)


Worsted-weight 100% wool
(SOLD)

T-Shirt "Yarn"

I've been playing with "Calamari Knitting" (and crochet) as shown in the Mason Dixon Knitting book. I love the idea of using old T-Shirts for knitting and crochet, but the double strand of fabric makes a very thick "yarn," precluding its use for most items. While it is wonderful for a cushy bathroom rug, I would not want to wear it.

Instead, I have been cutting the torso of my worn shirts into single long strips.

After trimming off the hem, I cut a 1/2" to 5/8" continuous strip (around and around and around...) up to the arm pits. As I wind the resulting "yarn" into a ball, I slightly stretch the strip. This causes it to roll back on itself (it's stockinette stitch), and make a more rounded yarn (rather than a flat ribbon). Depending on the width of the strip, the yarn is a bulky-weight gauge that can be knit or crocheted into a dense cotton fabric.

And the sleeves??? They certainly could be used to make something else fun (patches? pockets? bag linings?). I like to use the soft cotton for cleaning cloths. No waste!!

Silly me!

I printed up some Jan-Knit business cards this weekend. Then I needed a case to protect them in my big bag. I found myself looking at some in the nearby office supply store, and being disappointed in the selection. Then it hit me (oww)...make your own, silly girl!!! So a couple of On-Demand movies later, here's my new card holder...

It's crocheted out of recycled gray wool, embroidered with some of that thrifted crewel wool I found a while back, lined with a bit of cotton scrap from a sewing project, and fastened with a leftover blue mother of pearl button. Ta-dah!! Beat that, Office Max!!