Insect and Spider Identification: CLOSED: Large sandy potential cocoon, 1 by ls2382

ls2382 wrote:
Last summer, there was a mysterious cocoon-like object on one of the wood beams of our back deck. It was about two inches long and half an inch wide, with a spiral pattern going up it, light tan and appeared to be made of sand - especially odd since we do not live near a beach. It did not appear to move or change at all for a year, and then today it was gone but for a few specks of 'sand' and lighter wood. There was a new one (or perhaps the same one?) about a foot away on a metal pole, also on our back deck. This one, too, appears unstationary. Any ideas what it is?