My reclaimed yarn stash so far

Not counting the green wool I reclaimed myself, this is the sum of my reclaimed yarn. I got the last one today, so now I can share a complete picture.
I got the purple, red, and tan from Spots Corner on Hyena Cart, from a woman who bought them on eBay and was dissatisfied with them one they arrived. Great deals there sometimes! The purple is a lace weight and a slightly deeper color, more concord than grape candy. Next comes the tan sock weight with a twist of a golden thread and cream tweedy bits throughout. SO soft and fuzzy, I love this yarn so much. After that is the vivid red. It really is that bright, lol. This yarn is somewhere between fingering and sport weight and I suspect it's lambswool. The dark colored yarn is a worsted weight, deep, dark, navy blue that borders on black. It has a nice plump squish to it that I adore in a wool and I found it on Yarn Again on Etsy. Last, but by no means least, there is a lovely couple of skeins of merino in fingering/sport weight. It's two shades, a plum red and an apple red twisted together and I found it on Spiny Norman Knits, also on Etsy. Oh, the things I envision making with these yarns!!
I would be happy to consider suggestion if you have any. I may reject them outright in favor of naming and snuggling them for the rest of my days. It could go either way.

My Nanny's present has begun

A few days ago I stumbled across an ad in Craigslist Bend. 30 skeins of yarn in Aran for $1 each of $25 for all. EEEEEE! Acrylic is great for washing and the colors is exactly what I was looking for to make a couple of throws or 'ghans for my Nanny. Her old ones are falling apart, stiff and scratchy, and bad colors. I bought the yarn for less than a third of what I would have paid in a store or online. I admit, I was curious why someone would charge so little. Two reasons came to mind. Either they had no idea what it was worth, or there was something wrong with it.
It turned out to be in the original bulk-purchase plastics bags and in good condition. The seller knew what it was worth. He explanation made so much sense. She had entered a contest hoping for the cash prize and won 60 skeins of the same color. She used 30 of them before, she cheerfully told me, she simply couldn't look at it any more. She was moving, too, and wanted it OUT.
I have the first of 5 panels finished for one of the afghans. I am using the pattern Crochet Aran Afghan from Jo-Ann's. It's a PDF. It's a little more time consuming than the other pattern I plan to use but it's pretty and simple. The other i liked for her was Berroco free afghan pattern, Andalusia. Squares are always fast. I think she'll love it.

Recycled and Reclaimed

Last year during a March Madness contest I was searching for a way to recycle or reclaim something and make it into something else.. something new, better. I became intrigued with the idea and even after the contest was over, I couldn't completely stop thinking about it. I wanted to make a difference or at least lessen my personal impact and offer buyers a chance to do the same. Since my forte is crochet, I started with the fibers I use in Melanie's Closet.
I've found a handful of Etsy vendors who carry recycled and reclaimed yarn. I love the prices and Oh, some of the yarn is pretty enough that I want to reach in the screen and squish. I've got two orders coming so far, one is a lovely two-tone red merino from Spiny Norman Knits. I've discovered a deep satisfaction in working with light weight yarns, the delicacy and minute perfection of a finished item is worth the strained eyes and tender fingertips.
The second is a deep navy blue wool from Yarn Again. It's weight wasn't specified, but I am always up for a surprise. Especially a wool surprise. I suspect it's a sport or maybe worsted and I love working with those as well.
Lastly, I got such a great deal that I have to share. On Spots Corner, I found someone auctioning off 15 ounces of lace weight wool. I won it... for $5. You read correctly. Two skeins of concord purple that's oh, so soft, one of a wheat/pale brown with a smooth sheen and silky feel to it, and one more of a vivid red that I think is lambswool. The red is most certainly reclaimed as it still has the waves in it from being knit/crocheted and then frogged to make a skein once more. I'm so inspired by the idea of giving new life to once-loved yarns. I even reclaimed a sweater I found at a local thrift store. I got it for a steal, it was $4 I think and it was 50% off day. It was a pale mint color and needed some TLC to get it smelling fresh and wooly-clean. But it's a heavenly soft angora/cashmere blend and I love it.
Melanie's Closet on Hyena Cart is back open and I am so happy, but I think I could be happier when I start using mainly recycled yarns. With a few vendors on Etsy and various thrift stores in the area, I think I could really make a go of it. I'm excited to try out the yarns that are speeding to me right now and then I want to move on to some cotton and possibly silk.

Stocked and Running!

I'm SO very pleased to be up and running again. Take a look at Melanie's Closet on Hyena Cart and while you're there, peek around at some of the other shops and what they have to offer. There are so many talented crafters, you won't be disappointed.

Today's the day . Here's what I've made