I hate to say it, but I got a decent, soft-but-relatively-cheap yarn at evil Wal-Mart recently. :) [I'm making an afghan for the brother & SIL for Christmas. (Why yes, they'll be getting an IOU next week instead. *g*) They have two cats, so it's gotta be washable.] It was about $2.10 a skein (315 yards). (Caron Simply Soft is the brand.) Michael's also carries it, and the one near me carries different colors than WM does, for $3 a skein, IIRC. (7 oz. instead of 6 oz. skeins for about 80 cents more, go figure.) I'll probably end up getting different colors from Michael's to make the other afghans I need to make (one for the other brother & SIL as a housewarming present, a new one for the 'rents, and one for me *g*) because I want some of the brighter, less common colors.

Also, what a fun way to help people. :) I shall have to see if anywhere here does that. (Though it'd be faster for me to sew stuff than crochet it. *g*)

I don't think I can bring myself to enter the evil portals of WalMart even for a bargain in yarn. :) But I've seen Simply Soft and I agree that it's a lovely, soft texture. I'll have to check my two "craft" stores and see what colors they have to offer - thanks for the suggestion!

I don't know that there's any group here who is actively interested in things like hand-made products. I happened upon this couple (they work with the R.C.) whose church group makes visits to various Indian reservations at intervals throughout the year. It was quite by chance that I made them an afghan one time when they put out a call for blankets or bedding or anything people could spare.

The afghan was very well received, as were the ones my Mom sent along when she heard the story. And now I'm making them a couple more because that was the point at which I realized that something that seemed too common to think about to me (i.e., something handmade) was something special to others.

I think Meghan is involved in some kind of knitting for charity group, though? You might check with her. (Or, pass your work along to me and I'll pass it to my group. :) The more the merrier!)

Heee. Yeah. Sadly, they're the only place that sell the jeans that fit me correctly. (Though not any more, it seems, so I will no longer have to go there, will just order them online.)

I vaguely remember a story in the paper during last year's holiday season about a group here making things for all the homeless vets we have here, so I'll check for it and see if they had any contact info for donations. If not, I'll talk to Meg. :)