This is not a democracy -- it's a yarnocracy

I swatched for Thermal, and I think I will knit it after all -- but later. I really do have a ton to do in the next three weeks, so it's just not a good time to start a sweater. Instead, I need a project I can easily pick up and put down, and one that involves lots of quick gratification. And I have just the thing...

While thrifting a few weeks ago, I came upon something very exciting: a giant collection of old tapestry yarn. You know -- those little 15-yard bunches of colour-fast, moth-proof 100% wool. (I don't even know what it's meant for. Needlepoint?) If it had been a proper thrift shop, the whole pile would've been in a garbage bag for five bucks, but it was V@lue Vill@ge, so the huge amount of wool had been separated into a hundred separate little overpriced bags. I spent about fifteen dollars on five different colours.

I knew I wanted to crochet another blanket, this time with a vintage (1940s-ish) palette. Lots of bloggers have been crocheting granny squares, but I didn't want to use my 1930s/1940s colours in squares that make me think of the 1970s. I looked online at various afghan squares and settled on a pattern called Cluster Flower Square. I was very excited to find fifteen little skeins in the perfect shade of Depression-era jadeite green, and I want that to be the main colour. So I crocheted a few squares, using the green as the border around the centre circle. I think if I also use the green to join all the squares, it'll look a bit like a green blanket with multicoloured polka dots.

So far, I'm very excited about this. My first crocheted blanket -- which is this close to being done; it just needs a border -- was a great project for using up leftovers, and it's bright and colourful and cheerful, but I adore the colours of this vintage tapestry yarn. However, each crocheted square uses just over one little skein of green, and I only had fifteen. Only one thing to do: I went back to le boutique V.V. hoping there'd be more.

Good news: there was plenty of my green left -- about twenty wee skeins, plus (jackpot!) a big ball of the stuff. So I'll be able to make a green blanket after all, plus I grabbed a bag with single skeins of pink and a darker green, which I can throw into a few of the circles. Plus, I had a visit from the thrift fairy, who confirmed my crafty choices by leaving a special treat for me in the kitchen aisle:


Yep, a little FireKing jadeite bowl ($1.99), which is filled here with the contents of another $1.99 bag: a dozen nice old wooden spools of cotton and silk thread, and two strips of antique crochet tatted trim. Oh, I love it when a thrift comes together.