Today is the day that my first 'decent' handspun yarn makes it's debut appearance on my blog! I can't say it was easy... I went through about 100g of fibre before I got the draft-spin ratio right! The yarn is still a little bumpy, but I think that it's pretty decent for a week's worth of experience!

I always save cardboard cylinders to use for various craft projects, but the thing I do most is use them to wind yarn that I plied together, or yarn that comes off a large cone that's impossible to carry around. I generally don't like winding yarn into balls because:

1. I don't think I do it properly and I end up stretching the yarn

2. I don't like the 'squished' yarn that appears when I get to the end of the ball (the middle part where I started winding)... I definately didn't want to put creases in my new handspun! 

Life-Threatening Laundry?

Fabric softeners and dryer sheets may make your clothes feel soft and cuddly…  smell like a summer breeze in a lavender field, but you may be surprised at their constituents that may cause cancer, brain damage, and irreversible destruction to our waterways and environment.

• PENTANE – harmful chemical when inhaled
• A-TERPINEOL – research has shown that it can cause fatal edema, central nervous system damage, and respiratory problems
• ETHANOL – can cause central nervous system disorders and is on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste List
• BENZYL ALCOHOL – respiratory tract irritant
• CAMPHOR – shown to cause central nervous system disorders
• ETHYL ACETATE – a chemical narcotic and is on the EPA’s Hazardous Waste List
• CHLOROFORM – a carcinogenic, anesthetic and neurotoxin
• BENZYL ACETATE – research has found links to pancreatic cancer

[Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) Information taken from http://www.msdsonline.com]