Along with all the bad chintz and ugly crochet baby blankets, sometimes you find really interesting things at thrift stores. When I have time to kill, I sometimes go just to see what’s there. Several times I’ve found little towels that were obviously woven by hand, with overshot borders and neatly done hemstitching and everything.
Today I found a blanket made of dozens of little woven squares. It was obviously done with one of those little square frame looms, something like a small version of the plastic potholder loom. This one is in purple and green frosted acrylic. Pretty nasty yarn as those things go, but firmly woven and well put together. It was $4. I got it to add to the travel gear, as short of melting the thing there isn’t much that is going to hurt it. And it’s sturdy enough to put up with a fair bit of abuse. As long as it stays dry, acrylic is a fine insulation layer.
I also found a pillowcase made from the exact same obnoxious polyester fleece (lime green with blue flowers) that I made a bathrobe out of some years ago. It took me a while to like this kind of “fleece” but I’ve learned to appreciate warm layers. Just don’t get near it if you are the least bit sweaty or it will feel like you are wearing a plastic bag. (That’s not too far off, really.) I had to get it, just because. From the slightly crunchy texture of one corner, apparently somebody tried to iron it.
Another recent shopping find, not from Goodwill, is a clothes moth trap. I’ve seen a few moths around, at times uncertain of the type but not willing to hold them for questioning. They appear to be coming from outside, as it’s never far from one of our horribly drafty windows. The baited glue trap is basically an early warning system, as it’s not the moths that cause trouble. I put one in the textile closet so I can monitor the situation.
Leave a Reply