Recently I acquired these 13 hanks of handspun yarns from an eBay auction. Each hank is approximately 120-140 yards, and the fiber content ranges from mohair, alpaca, cotton, silk, wool, linen, angora, rayon, and bamboo. I paid $39.99 plus shipping for all of this fibery goodness. I know that just one of two hanks could go for that much at retail prices in a yarn shop. The only problem was that when they arrived and I opened the box, I could detect a faint cigarette smoke odor to the yarn. So today I placed them outside on a towel, where I lightly sprayed some extra strength Febreze and let them air out. Much better now!

I do have a plan for this yarn, but since I don't have a swift or a ball winder, I'll be slowing winding (and no doubt untangling) these by hand, so it might take a while for that project to get started.

I'm such a rebel, I can hardly follow a pattern anymore. More and more often, I use patterns of all sorts like I use recipes....as a general guideline, or jumping-off place to explore my own possibilities. Luckily, knitwear designer Jane Thornley understands "free range" knitting, and encourages people to experiment and do their own thing with her patterns. I bought this pattern, the Feather & Fan Organic Wrap, at Stitches West earlier this year when I saw it featured in the fashion show. I made mine more like an apron; it has long ties that can be thrown over the shoulder or tied in front. Knit on size 13 needles in the easy feather and fan stitch, it was a quick project. It has languished for several weeks, needing only a single crochet edging. I finally finished it tonight because I want to wear it at an upcoming event. I want to eventually make another one (in different colors) in the more conventional way....the way the pattern is written. Do you like it?

This looks so much better in person! (I took photos both with and without the flash, and these are without.) I just finished (at least I think it's finished) this mixed media work on artist's canvas. I used so many recycled materials in this piece. The canvas was first texturized with unprinted newsprint paper that came as packaging in a mail order box, which was glued down. Then it was coated with gesso and painted in layered succession with purple, dark pink, and black acrylic paint, all blended with matte medium. I painted large bubble wrap with gold paint, and pressed that on. Then I dabbed some purplish-pink glitter paint on with a small natural sea sponge. The center piece was made from an old sheer rayon/acetate shirt purchased from a thrift store. (I used to wear it until it started to shred.) I layered bits and pieces of sheers and chiffons, some from ribbons salvaged from gift wrap, on top of black felt, and topped it all with the shirt scrap into a sandwich. I stipple quilted the layers by machine, then I used a soldering tool and a heat gun to melt and distress the top. I placed three different interesting novelty yarns on diagonally, stitching them down by hand with gold tinsel thread. The gold lace piece is some type of bridal beaded lace scrap I had, which was white, but I painted it with gold metallic textile paint. The three purple pieces were also white, and I painted them with purple metallic fabric paint. The piece in the upper left is a freeform crochet piece I crocheted out of various perle cotton threads and a thin gold metallic cord. I could keep adding, and I was tempted to sew on more beads and/or buttons, but I don't want it to get too busy. I've titled it "Life's Tattered Remnants". I have shows coming up this fall, hence the new work.