Your suggestion is duly noted, but my family is spread out all over the U.S. and a career in art is a sore subject between us.
I’m generally happy with my choice, but some family members think the trade-off is not worth it.
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Make portraits of the worst offenders, and send them as gifts next Christmas. I suspect the offenders won’t refuse - your skills are easily good enough. You might not be able to work from sittings you control, but you do know the personalities involved.
For what it’s worth, I think that you are doing the right thing. One of my biggest regrets is that I did listen to my family - I should have done my starving artist years when I was young. Nothing is entirely lost, I suppose. I think I am maturing very nicely as a composer… in my 60s.
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Crafters, I have a question.
I found a box of yarn today. Unfortunately, it’s absorbed a dusty/musty odor. Can any of you recommend how I could freshen it up? I’ve heard setting the yarn out in the open air might help. Febreze could be an option. Or I suppose I could put the skeins in a mesh bag and toss them in the washing machine… but I imagine drying them would be tricky. It’s 100% acrylic, if that helps.
Thanks in advance!
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Fresh air might help.
If it doesn’t: the skeins will tangle in the washing machine if you just pop them in as is (even if they’re in a mesh bag). Wrap the entire skein of yarn around the legs of an upturned chair, then loosely tie the resulting hank of yarn in 3-4 places before removing it from the chair legs. Then put that in the mesh bag in the washer.
Do not put the yarn in the dryer (seriously. My mum did this to a sweater I made myself when I was 15, and the acrylic yarn partly melted.) Just lay it out on a towel, or hang it over your shower curtain rod (if you have a laundry rack that works too of course). It should air dry in 12-24 hours.
You’ll have to rewind the yarn back into a skein once it’s dry.
Caveat: synthetics seem to absorb odours permanently more often than natural fibres (the standard advice for acrylic or nylon yarn that’s been exposed to cigarette smoke is just to toss it). Since yours is just dusty/musty it might be able to get rid of the odour, but there is a chance it won’t.
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When my father died, I inherited his photos. He was a heavy smoker. I found these activated carbon things that a librarian recommended. You put the item to deodorize into a plastic tub with one. It’s worked well on my dad’s photos.
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Thanks @gadgetgirl and @ChickieD! I’m not sure which way I’m going to go with that old yarn, or when, but I’ll update when I do to let you know how it worked.
For any crafters who crochet and read via Kindle or the Kindle app:
This is currently (at time of posting) $1.80 and it’s a steal. It’s rare to find a professionally done craft book at that price. I like the way the contents have a small picture of each stitch next to the stitch name (though the formatting occasionally strands picture on one page, stitch title on another.) I haven’t gotten all the way through yet, but so far, the instructions for each stitch are clear, with plenty of how-to pictures and a chart for each stitch.
(No, I’m not affiliated with them or getting money on this, I’m just amazed at the bargain and want to share. 
)
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I LOVE sewing books. It’s on my list of things to do once I retired to learn to sew as it seems so involved to really get good at it.
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I’ve never sewn any.
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I’ve pieced a book or two together, fun puzzle.
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I’ve pieced a book or two together, fun puzzle.
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Need food for me and the cats, some turpenoid for painting, etc.
I have another warm-up painting, 6"X8" on panel, of the northern Chiricahua mountains near the national park. This is looking out at dawn from the backyard wall of my acquaintance who’s lounging cat I painted a few months back. When I have time after finishing the ones I need to do, I’ll probably make a bigger one.
I was going to offer this one for $150, but dings in the upper corners tell me that I should make deal. A frame will cover them, though. Christmas is coming, and you could get this for a good price if it’s fair enough. Hit me up and let’s make a deal so I can make a sandwich. 
If I can get some food and turpenoid, I’ll finish @MarkDow’s this week, start on @kxkvi’s (which I should have done if my face hadn’t ballooned up), and then the other two before Turkey Day if I get source material. As long as I can feed myself, I’ll be okay. I’ve been feeling pretty good and productive lately, and I attribute that to eating enough.
Such pretty colors, though. I really should go back in the park’s open season and get more photos. The iridescence when the light hits them is really amazing.
Note: I think it helps to step back a bit from the monitor, to see better convergence.
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Nice!
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Love it!
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