Foreign Friday

John Hedberg, Nancy Vandenberg, Peggy Vaughn
Hong Kong
December 1979

John, Nancy and Peggy were also teachers in Misawa, Japan for the Department of Defense, and we travelled together over Christmas break in 1979. The tour covered several countries and cities - Hong Kong being the last. Most of the tour group became ill with the flu in Hong Kong and were confined to the hotel. I was fortunate and did not get sick, so I wandered the city alone for a couple of days.

John and Nancy were married and were a real hoot. They had an agreement that either could purchase whatever they desired on a trip, but whatever it was they had to carry it. John would see Nancy admiring something and would not so subtly remind her that she had to "carry her own brass lamps." It is a phrase that I now use whenever I go on trips with my sister. We each have to "carry our own brass lamps."

Anita's Displays

Note the hangers made out of tree branches

October's Fiber Guild meeting was held at Anita's shop in Dubois, WY. She had some interesting displays and craft ideas.

Simple loose pom pons tied to branches added
a fun and interesting display on the window sills.

Isn't this dresser beautiful. I loved the drawer pulls.

Simple trees and fluffy sheep add a holiday accent.

Visual Treat

Maren's and Lauren's Land of Cockaigne
by Justin Hayward
oil on canvas
displayed at the Nicolaysen - Casper, WY

I could have spent hours examining this fun painting at the Nicolaysen in early October. It was amazing and filled with so many interesting details and objects. The painting was difficult to photograph because the sun was streaming through the windows to the left and the display lighting created a glare.

Grandpa's Visit

Grandpa Eberle
near Pavillion, WY
taken sometime in the mid to late 1950s

Grandpa Eberle was the only grandparent I knew, and he was a character. He did not like having his photo taken and would often run from the camera, which is why I cherish these two photos taken when he came to Wyoming for an extended stay.

He smoked cigarettes with a cigaretter holder, which he is holding in his left hand.

(The building over Grandpa's right shoulder was the chicken house which my brother Rich converted into a game room in the late 1970s. Barely visible to the right of the tree is the front of the school bus that Rich drove for several years. He had a regular route but also drove the pep club to regional and state tournaments.)

Grandpa Eberle and grand daughter Evelyn

Grandpa Eberle loved to play canasta, but he couldn't always be trusted: he sometimes passed cards under the table to his partner. Grandpa also loved to play the Mill Game.

He was born in Grosliebenthol, Bessarabia (southern Russia) in 1877 and died in Edgemont, South Dakota in 1962 at the age of 85. He immigrated to America with his wife and young family (3 1/2 year old Emily, 1 1/2 year old Margaret, and a baby Otto in the womb) in 1906. Grandpa Eberle homesteaded in South Dakota in 1911 and became a US citizen in 1921.

Thanksgiving Knitting

Socks given to Marilyn for her hospitality
knit on size 2 needles with 2 skeins of
RH Heart and Sole (Watercolor Stripe)

I celebrated Thanksgiving in Denver with my sister and her family.

Before the trip, I had one sock knit just past the gusset, and fortunately I had some quality knitting time on the way to Denver because I caught a ride with my nephew and his family. On Wednesday's drive, I was able to knit until the sun slipped behind the Rockies. I also knit on Thanksgiving Day and Friday evening and grafted the toes before midnight on Friday. I slipped the socks on Marilyn's feet while she tacked the binding on one of her most recent quilts and snapped a photo with her iPad.

Marilyn, thank you for the invitation to celebrate the holiday with your family. I had a great time.

Foreign Friday

Life on the Chao Phraya River
Bangkok, Thailand
December 1979

My Top Five

source: Debbie Mumm

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, and families are gathering to celebrate their blessings. Even though many have suffered from wild fires, hurricanes and other natural disasters, and health-related issues, they have much for which to be thankful.

I am thankful for:
   • my faith and my church family
   • my sisters who always make me feel welcome in their homes
   • friends and knitting buddies who offer encouragement and support
   • my home and good neighbors
   • my hobbies

What's on your top five list?

Baby, Oh Baby

Baby, Oh BabyWestern Region Oddball Baby Blanket
started September 2012

Another all garter stitch blanket. My section is on the left. I used some scraps to complement the first section, shown on the right.

Update: January 2, 2013

Serene Sunrise

Sacajawea
by Henry Jackson
Central Wyoming College
July 2012

This sculpture on the Central Wyoming College campus always speaks to me. I like how the sculpture's mood changes to reflect its surroundings. 

Just Peachy

I am having a lot of fun knitting with Kathy's scrap yarn. The body of the sock was knit with two yarns, alternating every two rows.

Knit on size 2 needles with 56 stitches - women's size 9/10.

Foreign Friday

Bangkok, Thailand
December 1979

Note the temple in the background with the river entrance covered in bright orange/gold cloth.

This earlier post has more photos of the temple.

While the river looks pretty in this photo, it was actually quite polluted.

Say What?

My eye is often drawn to the unusual and obscure, and when I spotted this manhole cover in front of a sandwich shop on the way to Reno, I snapped a quick photo. All of the manhole covers in my town are stamped "Sewer."

Clearly, the term "Sanitary Sewer" is an oxymoron, but what is the intended meaning? Curious readers can find out here.

What's stamped on the manhole covers in your town?

Northern Lights

Northern Lights
Western Region Oddball Baby Blanket
started November 2012

This blanket was started using Around the World's empty needles and is ready to travel to five more Oddball knitters.

Update: March 23, 2013

Almost Twins

I finished another pair of socks, using Kathy's scrap sock yarn. The first pair can be seen here. This pair surprised me by being nearly identical even though they are knit with three different yarns.

Knit on size 2 circular needles and alternating yarns every two rows.

Accept No Excuses

Knit Rocking Chair
designed by students at Swiss University ECAL

No doubt you have heard, "I don't have time to knit" from your friends as many times as I have. Like me, you probably try to knit while watching TV or in a waiting room; thus, using time that would normally have been wasted.

Still our friends insist that they don't have time to pick up their needles. Clever inventors have created the means for those individuals to knit with minimal effort.

Now those who want to relax and read the evening paper before dinner can actually knit a few rows to a stocking hat. (Note the red object about the man's head. As he rocks, the chair knits a stocking hat.) A video demonstration can be seen here.

For those whose day simply doesn't have enough hours to squeeze in some knitting time, this clock might be the solution. However, even the clock has its limits and knits only one stitch an hour.

Clearly, knitting can be done by those who have motivation to create: accept no excuses.

Foreign Friday

Private home on the Chao Phraya River
Bangkok, Thailand
December 1979

Around the World

Around the World
Western Region Oddball Baby Blanket
all garter stitch
started September 2012

The colors represent the Olympic rings.

Update: November 15, 2012

Say What?

Women's restroom door sign
Wendy's Restaurant
Cody, WY
October 2012

The Management should have thought a bit more about the wording of this sign. The restroom contained a single stool with no partition, so ladies who did not press the button on the back of the door would be exposed to the hallway and other guests, creating an embarrassing situation for everyone.

The sign should have read something like this: "Please do not press the button on the back of the door when you EXIT. This action will lock the door so that other guests can't get in. Thanks, Management"

Scrappy Cowl

 My basket of scrap yarn has been over-flowing with odd bits of Caron Simply Soft from Oddball knitting. I needed to find a project that would utilize some of the yarn and help me to find the bottom of the basket.

When I saw this free cowl pattern, I knew it would put a sizeable dent in the pile of scrap yarn. I was not disappointed.

The arrangement of stitches makes an interesting texture and is reversible. The pattern calls for four repeats, but I only knit three because I did not want the cowl to be too bulky.

I'll definitely make another cowl from this pattern.