Last week I spoke about affordable crafts and such you can do with paper... this week I'd like to focus on yarn. Yarn (like paper)... can be fairly affordable... with skeins at local craft stores and such starting at around $4. Of course... they can get more pricey pretty quickly... but there are other alternatives.

Thrift stores generally have a "craft" sort of section... and lots of items can be re-purposed and salvaged... for mere pennies. Some good deals can also be found on Craigslist.com..

Another source... can be Freecycle.org. Freecycle is a wonderful on-line connection that hooks up people with extra stuff... with people who can use it... and everything is FREE.

I started crocheting a long time ago. I only know about 5 stitches to be honest... but that is enough to make alot of things. Several years ago when my sister lost her hair due to chemotherapy... I made her a grazillion hats. Not being able to read a pattern very well... I winged it. But ... they did (for the most part) turn out pretty cool... if I do say so myself. But mostly... I have made really simple baby blankets.... or scarves.

My mom and my paternal grandmother made tons of lovely crochet items... and I was always inspired by their creativity. A quick search on Etsy. com will prove however, that this is not a craft of the past... but definitely one of the here and now... so go grab some yarn and see what you can do!

*photos and crafts by Elaine A. Russell