The Things We Do for Love

of WOOL that is!

Today I decided to venture out to that big box store "Costco" for necessities like toilet paper and paper towels and the like.  Near Costco is a thrift store that I used to visit weekly when I was working but do not get over that way too much anymore.

I have always found tons of 100% wool skirts to cut up there and if you wait for the right color tag on the right day you get things pretty cheap.

Today I was walking around and was quite disappointed.  It's getting harder and harder to find some good 100% wool to recycle.  I am thinking it's because people just don't wear suits and skirts so much anymore - things are way more casual.

So I'm over by the books and didn't find anything there either (another love of mine) and then walk down the last aisle to leave.  There they have hanging sheets and comforters and things.  I happened to glance up and saw large pieces of fabric on hangers.  What do I find but a large piece of wool!

As any of you rug hookers know your heart starts racing at a large piece of great colored wool (nice muted textured purple/gray - perfect to overdye!) but it just hanging there and not on a bolt,  you do not know if it's 100% wool or not.  So after a moment of fondling the wool, I sneak a few pieces of threads and go running out of the store figuring there must be at least one person standing out their smoking so I can light my thread to test it to see if it is indeed wool!

Wouldn't you know not one person loitering is smoking - and there were like 10 people hanging around! Grrrrrrrr

I go to my car - search the glove box - no matches - well what a surprise - I don't smoke!  (Oh and I used to carry a lighter just for this reason but it was dead last time we went to use it!)

So there I stand with my few threads thinking now what?

Wait a minute, there is a dollar store right there.  So I run in - buy a three pack of lighters for $1.06 and run out where I'm met by a homeless woman asking me for a smoke.  She was a bit rude so I said "What do I look like I have a cigarette (forgetting I'm holding 3 lighters - LOL)

Anyway - ran over to the corner and did the "burn test" - yep disintegrated and smelled like burnt hair.  So I ran back in and grabbed the hanger with the piece of wool (Phewwwie - wiping my brow it was still there - those people in that store didn't know a treasure was hanging there!)

It was marked $5.90 - Not a bad deal for this piece (measured it when I got home and it's 60 inches x 73" - I guess that's 2 yards????)  Get up to the cash register and find out my total is $4.19 with tax! It was 33% off - WOOHOO!  I just love a bargain!