Wyoming Breezes

Marilyn and I are busy making three quilts.  Photos will be posted soon.

It was interesting to see labels  on the clutch and brake pedals on this vintage car . (click photo to enlarge) Can you think of a modern device that had labels when it was first produced?

I found this doily (nearly 24 inches in diameter) on the Sale Table at the Senior Center. Even though it had a large water stain, the intricate crocheted piece was worth purchasing. Fortunately, the stain came out with a good soak in sudsy water and a vinegar rinse. All it needed was some TLC.

Notice the "FFJ" emblem on this boy's hat I didn't know until I visited the Sanbongi Nougyou Agricultural School that the Future Farmers of America organization had an international component. Here is what I discovered online : "Recognizing diversity as a strength of an organization, in 1955, the FFA went international. As a result, there are Future Farmer Organizations in Japan, Brazil, Columbia, Korea, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines and Thailand." Future Farmers of Japan Sanbongi Nougyou Agricultural School Towada, Japan August 1979

Raspberry Delight , a Western Region Oddball Baby Blanket, is knit on size 8 needles. I used the Seed Block Stitch . The blocks on this blanket are five stitches wide. The needles for this blanket were donated by Julie, a friend in the Tuesday night, knitting group. I just discovered this site where stitch patterns can be sorted by stitch count, row count, stitch category, and offers thumbnails for a quick view of the patterns. Notice the other helpful links on the left side of the site.

Sweet Dreams , a Western Region Oddball Preemie Blanket, is knit on size 6 needles, using the Purled Ladder Stitch . I am requesting this blanket be knit with pastel-colored yarn. The needles for this blanket were donated by Julie, a friend in the Tuesday night, knitting group.

Reconstructed Guard Tower Heart Mountain Internment Camp August 2011 Saturday the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center between Cody and Powell, Wyoming was dedicated. Nearly 1,200 individuals attended, including internees and their families, from across the United States. It was a day of recognition and a day of healing. Heart Mountain was one of ten camps created after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Over 110,000 Japanese American citizens living on the Pacific Coast were ordered to relocate with as little as three days notice, taking only personal items that they could carry. Keynote speaker at the dedication was Sen. Daniel Inouye, president pro tem of the U.S. Senate. I was impressed with this humble and amazing man and the message he presented on this historic day. Inouye spearheaded an effort that eventually led to the passage of the Civil Liberties Act which included to a formal apology and payment to internees. "Few governments ...

Last week I made an interesting discovery: Amazon has a feature that allows Apple  or PC users to download Kindle ebooks on their computers, iPads, etc. I downloaded several free Kindle ebooks to read on my MacBook to see if I would like or even use the program. The reader has several features of the Kindle - bookmarking, annotating, highlighting, and setting up a library on Amazon and on the computer. If you don't own a Kindle, you might want to check it out.

Signing Hachinohe Horses was a custom in Misawa. After everyone had written their good wishes on the horses, they were presented to the students who were shipping out as a remembrance and a token of friendship. The Hachinohe  area of Japan has been known since the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333) for its breed of battle horses. Horses have played an important role in lives of those living in this area; thus, the art of Yawata-uma figurines, or carved and painted wooden horses become a regional art form. The horses are consider one of the oldest and most recognizable toys in Japan. They are also known as Yawata Uma, which comes from their relationship with the activities at Hachiman shrines. Traditionally the craftsman used only a hatchet and chisel to carve the wooden horses, then painstakingly painted them. The horses are still handcrafted and hand painted in a small factory in Hachinohe, Japan, which is close to Misawa. Hachinohe horses come in many sizes, from less than...

Monday was a disaster! After meeting two friends for lunch, I tried to leave the parking lot at the restaurant, but my car would not start: it was dead. AAA was called to arrange for a jump. I scrambled to find the phone number for my stylist, explaining that I may not make my hair cut appointment. An hour later, the guy AAA sent arrived and jumped the battery. All was well. I barely made my haircut appointment. Thinking I would need a new battery, I left the car running. I decided to go to the service station after my hair cut.  It wasn't meant to be: the car stopped and refused to start. Another call was made for a jump. This time the service guy was from a different business and was not as competent as the first. If it wasn't so stressful, it might have been funny. The guy fumbled around inside the service truck cab, came out and stared at the hood, went back inside the cab and fumbled around even more. It was obvious he was looking for a hood-release lever. ...

A quilt on display at the Dubois Quilt Show  featured this attractive and unique border. This border technique was also interesting.

 One of my sister's friends showed me a finished  Wonderful Wallaby in early June, and I knew I had to make one. It is a seamless sweater, but does require some interesting maneuvers; thus, the difficulty level of "Early Intermediate." As directed by the pattern, I knit the cuffs and bottom ribbing on a 24-inch, size 6 needle and the remainder of the sweater on a 24-inch, size 8 circular. The sleeves were knit in the round on two 16-inch, size 6 (cuffs) and size 8 needles, but double-points could be used. During the yoke decreases, I switched to a 16-inch, size 8 needle.  The pouch has an interesting construction, picking up stitches just above the bottom ribbing and knitting on a separate needle and then a three-needle bind-off to connect it to the body of the sweater.  The hood requires grafting with the Kitchner stitch. I use the technique all the time for grafting sock toes that are knit with stockinette stitch, but I had to practice the Kitchner for the ...

 Several months ago a friend gave me a skein of Noro Silk Garden sock yarn. I loved the colorway and started a pair of socks, but as the socks progressed, it became clear that the texture of the yarn was not right for socks. I found the Noro Wave Scarf pattern and was pleased how the yarn striped and created an elegant fabric. Since I had one skein of the yarn, I cast on 37 stitches on size 5 needles, and it blocked to nearly 7 inches wide. The sides curled making it necessary to block. If I made the scarf again, I would increase the side border to at least four stitches to eliminate the curl.  This scarf is a gift for a special friend. 

Japanese Tour Guides and Bus Drivers April 1980 Everywhere I travelled in Japan I was delighted to see the professionalism of the tour guides and bus drivers. They were always dressed in a uniform, and the bus drivers even wore white gloves. Often the tour guides would carry large colorful flags to identify themselves in the parking lots so their group could gather before going to or coming back from the attractions.

Last week I had the good fortune of seeing some vintage automobiles being unloaded from trailers in a local parking lot. Individuals from various states (I noticed Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona plates) were getting the vehicles ready for a road tour.  I don't know anything about the vehicles but wanted to share some photos. Just seeing these cars was a delight, but I would have loved to be a passenger for the pending road trip. Can't you imagine riding in one of these with a huge hat, a trailing scarf, and goggles? Want to hear what their horns sound like? Got to Horseless.com If this basic, black model doesn't interest you, how about one that is a bit brighter? I don't know if the trailers were left at the motel while the cars were on tour or if they were part of an entourage. I do know that wherever these cars go, they will draw an admiring crowd. More photos will be posted another day.