I've been Brooding Over Yarn.
My Crochet For Charity project is still moving along. I have one afghan waiting and another one about 2/3 done. Not sure when the group's next trip out to a site is scheduled for, but I hope to have both of these ready by the first of the year.
I've been using standard commercial (Def. The cheap stuff.) yarn because it takes 7-8 skeins to make an afghan and I don't want to break the bank with this project, but I'm growing very dissatisfied with how coarse and rough it is. There are nicer yarns out there. Softer, plusher yarns, even without going for the hand-made, limited-edition sort of thing.
One drawback with the silky stuff is that you don't get the same color selection. I've been using variegated, which isn't available in the swankier yarns, and the brand I found that I really liked touching seems to run to single-color pastels. (No, it's not "baby" yarn.) I kind of had my heart set on something in fire-engine red, or even a nice maroon, next time.
I may have to spend some time searching different stores.
That's a painful thought. I tend to pick up my yarn at Hobby Lobby or Michaels, because the prices make those the sensible choices for someone buying eight skeins a month. If it's all the same to everyone, I'd rather not spend $100/month on yarn.
The task I've set for myself is to give more than money--I'm trying to donate some of my time. (Trust me to find a way to donate time that doesn't involve leaving the warmth of my easy chair.) If I'm going to spend $100/month, I should probably find something more worthwhile than hand-made afghans to spend it on. (People need food.) (Okay, people need warmth, too, right?)
Of course, when and if Bernie and I come to terms on my increased salary, I could go back to donating money and keep my precious time for myself, but the point is to do something that touches someone's life even more than a nice turkey dinner the third week of November can. From all accounts, the first afghan I sent along to this group was received with much appreciation. It made me feel, to be honest, very selfish indeed. I learned to crochet many years ago but it never occurred to me that it was a skill of any value to anyone. I could have made fifty afghans in the last twenty years, if I'd thought anyone would want them.
Why am I not allowed to just sit here at my desk and write blogs and post entries all day long? I feel amazingly chatty today (five shots of espresso), but I'm also well-aware of the fact that it's 10:19 and today's timecard is still a virgin blank.
I hate to say it, but I got a decent, soft-but-relatively-cheap yarn at evil Wal-Mart recently. :) [I'm making an afghan for the brother & SIL for Christmas. (Why yes, they'll be getting an IOU next week instead. *g*) They have two cats, so it's gotta be washable.] It was about $2.10 a skein (315 yards). (Caron Simply Soft is the brand.) Michael's also carries it, and the one near me carries different colors than WM does, for $3 a skein, IIRC. (7 oz. instead of 6 oz. skeins for about 80 cents more, go figure.) I'll probably end up getting different colors from Michael's to make the other afghans I need to make (one for the other brother & SIL as a housewarming present, a new one for the 'rents, and one for me *g*) because I want some of the brighter, less common colors.
posted by: Aithine on 12.13.06 at 10:44 PM [permalink]Also, what a fun way to help people. :) I shall have to see if anywhere here does that. (Though it'd be faster for me to sew stuff than crochet it. *g*)
posted by: Aithine on 12.13.06 at 10:45 PM [permalink]I don't think I can bring myself to enter the evil portals of WalMart even for a bargain in yarn. :) But I've seen Simply Soft and I agree that it's a lovely, soft texture. I'll have to check my two "craft" stores and see what colors they have to offer - thanks for the suggestion!
I don't know that there's any group here who is actively interested in things like hand-made products. I happened upon this couple (they work with the R.C.) whose church group makes visits to various Indian reservations at intervals throughout the year. It was quite by chance that I made them an afghan one time when they put out a call for blankets or bedding or anything people could spare.
The afghan was very well received, as were the ones my Mom sent along when she heard the story. And now I'm making them a couple more because that was the point at which I realized that something that seemed too common to think about to me (i.e., something handmade) was something special to others.
I think Meghan is involved in some kind of knitting for charity group, though? You might check with her. (Or, pass your work along to me and I'll pass it to my group. :) The more the merrier!)
posted by: Anne on 12.14.06 at 08:37 AM [permalink]Heee. Yeah. Sadly, they're the only place that sell the jeans that fit me correctly. (Though not any more, it seems, so I will no longer have to go there, will just order them online.)
I vaguely remember a story in the paper during last year's holiday season about a group here making things for all the homeless vets we have here, so I'll check for it and see if they had any contact info for donations. If not, I'll talk to Meg. :)
posted by: Aithine on 12.14.06 at 09:47 AM [permalink]