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Showing posts from October, 2013

Here's a Treat

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source Happy Halloween No tricks here today. If you want some cute desktop artwork for all seasons,  Debbie Mumm's  website has a nice selection. Check out the free projects page , too, with a variety of craft projects: quilting, sewing, scrapbooking, cooking, home decor, etc.

Where's George?

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This is the second " Where's George? " bill that I've found in my wallet. The first one came into my possession in 2009. The bill shown above was discovered this year. I got it in Dubois when Sue and I went to Jackson to meet Bev and her husband Brian for lunch. This bill hasn't travelled very far. Have you found a "Where's George?" bill in your wallet? Update : January 10, 2014 Looks like the bill decided to go to Canada for Christmas!

Scraps No More

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I used the last of Katheryn's scraps to make three additional hats. The body of these hats are knit with Lamb's Pride (Sandy Heather, shown top left, and Aran, shown top right. The bottom hat was knit with both colors). The stripes in the hats shown at the top were odd bits that were also used in the earlier hats, which can be found here and here . Pattern link was given in the earlier posts.

Did You Know?

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Whenever I unwrap a Tootsie Pop I always look for the Indian shooting at a star. Do you look for him? I grew up with the story that if I was lucky enough to find the icon on a wrapper that I would get a free sucker. This summer, I treated myself to a Tootsie Pop when I wanted something sweet, and a good number of the wrappers had the Indian shooting at a star on them. So I decided to check out the legend. Here is what an online search at  snopes.com revealed: The rumor that Tootsie Pop wrappers featuring an Indian can be redeemed for free candy has dogged the Tootsie Roll company since shortly after the introduction of the chewy-centered lollipops in 1931. Although Tootsie Pops has never held any kind of promotion involving the collection or redemption of their wrappers, the "Indian wrapper" rumor has persisted for over sixty years. The story probably got its start because of the prevalence of contests and prizes connected with the packaging of children's produc

Foreign Friday

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Nature Trail Northern Japan Autumn 1979 It was fun to explore the nature trails in the areas close to the base.

Scrap-knitting

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I'm continuing to knit with scrap sock yarn. These short-cuffed socks are quick, easy, and a great way to bring the scraps under control. Clearly, these are fraternal twins, but they will make great house socks. Update : October 24, 2013 My neighbor brought over some vegetable soup for me. I gave her the socks as a "thank you." I hope she enjoys them.

Quilt Show Original

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Japan Revisited by Char Dehnert & 7 Row Robin Friends 88 x 96 inches For sale $750.00 Last month, I attended the Popo Agie Quilters show in Lander, WY. While several quilts in the show caught my eye, this one tugged at my heart. Paper-pieced Origami cranes I wish my photos of this beauty were better, but it was difficult to get clear photos of the dark fabric.

Susan's Woven Stripes Blanket

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I finished knitting Susan's Woven Stripes blanket last week. The edges of my blanket were quite ruffled (probably due to the acrylic yarn I used); however, I followed  WoolWinder's tip  to "kill" the acrylic. The blanket now has a nice drape and shape. Directions on how to kill acrylic can be found here . Thank you, Bonnie for helping me set up a Google Document page to share the pattern. Your directions worked perfectly. Update : at WoolWinder's request, here is a view of the back.

Fall Color

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A surprise package arrived in the mail last week. Isn't this fabric pumpkin cute? I don't have a lot of Fall decorations, so this cute pumpkin helps to bring some seasonal cheer into my house. Thanks, Doniene !

Foreign Friday

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Nancy, Peggy Vaughn, Nancy VanDanberg, John Hedberg Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Last week's Foreign Friday photo , was taken following this traditional Thai meal. * * * * * * As shown in the photos above, most of the dinnerware in Asia is blue and white pottery. I purchased several pottery cups (without handles) in Japan and use them occasionally. In Japan and other countries, most of the cups for hot beverages did not have handles. In Japan, these tea cups are called yunomi .

Rhapsody in Blue

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Rhapsody in Blue Western Region Oddball Baby Blanket started September 2013 Another boy-friendly blanket. Stitch for my section: Checks and Ridges Yarn: Caron Simply Soft (Light Country Blue) Update : January 20,2014 Even though it looks purple in this photo, this is the Rhapsody in Blue - completed

Fall Swap Scarf

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I love everything about this scarf - the yarn, the colors, the knitting , and the pattern. I was dreading all the 1x1 ribbing, but it actually went fairly quickly. Pattern: Jared Flood's Noro Scarf Yarn: Noro Silk Garden (Color 349 - two skeins), (Color 381 - one skein), (Color 297 - one skein) Needles: size 7 straight needles I love this scarf so much, I may knit another one.

Back in Time - Childhood Friends

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Cathy Rohn Pavillion, WY approx. 1968 Cathy and I went to all 12 years of school together and rode the same bus to and from school. Her house was about a mile and half to the east (near Ocean Lake), and sometimes I rode my bike or walked to her house to work on 4-H projects. This post has a photo of Cathy and me when we were about 5 years old. Cathy got her driver's license long before I did, and she drove a bright red, Chevy pickup with a short box. We were both in the Pep Club, and Cathy would often pick me up and take me to games or to Pavillion to catch the bus for an out-of-town game. Besides Pep Club and 4-H, another activity we had in common was FHA (Future Homemakers of America): Cathy was a State Officer when we were seniors. She also played in the band and sang in the choir. Mrs. Rohn was one of my 4-H leaders, so Cathy and I worked on a lot of our projects together. One summer, our club was canning cucumber relish at Cathy's house and somehow, I sliced my

Scrapbuster Mitts

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My scrapbuster mitts are finished and have already been put to use. The longer tops are going to be nice as the temperatures continue to dip. Last week, the overcast sky provided lighting that was perfect to capture the true colors of the Noro. Yarn: Noro Sock scraps Pattern: Fingerless Gloves (Ravelry link) Needle: size 2 circulars Cast on 55 stitches (45 for a small hand) I adapted the pattern to suit my tastes: on my mitts the bottom 2 x 2 rib cuff is 3 inches long and has an inch of stockinette to the beginning of the thumb gusset. Top 2 x 2 ribbing is also 3 inches. Thumb from picked up stitches is 1.5 inches and a 1 x 1 half inch rib at the top.

Foreign Friday

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Traditional Thai dancers perform for tourists Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Our tour group was treated to a performance of traditional Thai dancers. The music, the dancing, and the long metal finger tips the dancers wore made an impression on me.

Wooly Warmth

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Katheryn's scrap yarn resulted in four more hats. Since this batch of yarn did not have labels, I am assuming it is wool from the texture.  Since the hats are a quick knit, I've been casting on whenever I need a break from my other knitting projects. I've discovered my Japanese vase makes a great "head" for photographing the hats.  Needle: size 8 Pattern:  Simplest Cap of All Yarn: assorted wool scraps What have you recently made out of scraps?

Back in Time - Muncie, IN

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Name Badges International Thespian Society Conference Ball State University Muncie, IN June 1976 Theater education was my college major; English and Speech education, my minor. Eventually, I would become certified in Journalism as well, but theater was my passion. I taught theater and directed plays for 8 years. When I returned from Japan, the school where I was hired already had a theater and speech instructor, and that is when I became the yearbook advisor; thus, resulting in becoming certified in journalism. During my six years of teaching in Wheatland, I directed four or five three-act plays yearly, and a musical every other year. The three musicals I directed were: Oklahoma, South Pacific, Godspell, and each production presented a unique challenge. I was blessed to work with two strong music teachers who handled that part of the productions. My theater students were dedicated and talented, and the Thespian Society was a vibrant organization at the school. I became the Stat

Over the Rainbow

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In an effort to bring the scrap sock yarn under control, I began knitting another pair of rainbow socks: this will be the third pair knit with the kit I purchased from Simply Socks Yarn Company . I knit the first pair for myself and the second pair for a friend. Note: The first two pair began with red and progressed to the blue, resulting in more green, purple, and blue yarn remnants. By casting on with the green, I should have enough for final pair of rainbow socks, albeit a backwards rainbow. Thanks to a snowy weekend, these socks are finished and ready to be gifted.

Seasons Come and Seasons Go

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Friday, October 4, 2013 Late afternoon This is the second snow storm to hit this area in as many weeks. If these two storms are any indication of what's ahead, it could be a looooong Winter. The first storm dropped about 5 inches, and last week's storm about 8 inches of snow and even more moisture fell on Thursday in the form of rain. Each drop and flake makes a tiny dent in the drought that has plagued Wyoming the last decade. The green tomatoes were purchased Wednesday at the area's final Farmer's Market. They will eventually turn red and be my last taste of local produce for another year. Throughout the growing season, I purchased fresh lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, green beans, turnips, kohlrabi, cabbage, squash, raspberries, jam, kettle corn, and baked goods - all from local producers. What item(s) do you typically purchase at a Farmer's Market? Seasons Come and Season Go Amazing how quickly 8 inches of snow melts when the sun shines! Late afternoo