Wyoming Breezes

Pelham Lake September 2012 This photo was taken on a four-wheeling trip with some friends. The previous post can be found here .

vintage advertisement Wheatland, WY circa 1978 Advertisement painted on the side of a building in downtown Wheatland, Wyoming in the late 1970s.  I wonder if it's still there?

Posts will be infrequent for a bit. . .

John S. and farm cat South Dakota approximately 1934 This photo makes me wonder what happened next - did my oldest brother pet the cat? Did the cat run away or stand its ground? Were there tears? When I was teaching, I often used photographs as prompts for writing assignments. One observation can ignite a story.

Sue O. adds dyes to the large tray of water June 2017 Yesterday, I shared my experience of Suminagashi Dyeing , and today, I will show you how the large panels of fabric were dyed. I did not dye a large square, but Sue did. once Sue had added all the ink that she wanted, the fabric was carefully placed on top of the ink-covered water making sure the fabric is straight and in the tray allowing the fabric to take up the ink  revealing the dyed panel The panel was rinsed in plain water after it was removed from the tray. It's a fun technique - I would like to try it again. Important Note: our instructor purchased cotton sheeting for the class and treated it with alum before the class so that it would take up the dye and so that the dye would adhere to the fabric. The fabric MUST be pre-treated. the ink, purchased on Amazon

Lorre H. demonstrates the technique of adding ink to the tray of water June 2017 Sue and I took advantage of a Suminagashi class (also known as Japanese Marbling) last week at the Lander Art Center. It was a lot of fun and resulted in some interesting results. adding layers of color on top of the water The marbling ink is placed on top of the water in layers. The layers can carefully be manipulated to create swirls or pools of color. ink floating on top of the water fabric placed on top of the ink-covered water dyed fabric after rinsing and pressing The colors were quite vivid when they were wet, but once dried and pressed, they became muted. my collection of suminagashi dyed fabric squares June 2017 Others in the class were more artistic with their squares. rinsed dyed fabric squares  completed squares large panel of dyed fabric Of all the fabric that was dyed that evening, this piece was by far my favorite. More photos tomorrow. . .

twelve blocks June 2017 The June clue for the Two-Step QAL was released last Friday, resulting in twelve blocks. All the previously prepared units have been used, and next month will include yet another step with more background yardage and scraps. twenty-five blocks ready for the final clue June 2017 Earlier Two-Step Mystery posts:      April      March      February & January

Half Circle Pi Shawl June 2017 A work in progress: EZ 100th Anniversary Pi Shawl: Camping (half circler version) . I'm currently working on the "Slanting Twigs" section - row 67, with many more rows remaining to knit. Needles:  US size 8 Yarn:   Heritage 150 Sock Yarn (Cascade Yarn)            Color: 5631 I've always wanted to knit an Elizabeth Zimmerman Pi Shawl, but I'm not keen on full circle shawls, nor do I want to knit one until I'm 80. When I found the Anniversary Shawl patterns on Ravelry, I quickly downloaded the one I like the best: Camping . Notes from Ravelry: Elizabeth Zimmermann was born on August 9th, 1910 (8/9/10), so this year 2010 is the 100th anniversary of her birth. This shawl is one of a set of SIX shawls designed as a tribute to EZ and a celebration of all she has done for us. They are based on her PI Shawl which can be found in her book Knitter’s Almanac . Three of the EZ 100th Anniversary PI Shawls (Gull Wings, Hearts, an

actual advertisement in Riverton Ranger June 2017 This announcement was in the local paper recently (last name and location have been obscured), and the last line caught my attention.  The couple has lived and worked in the area for years, and to my knowledge, they certainly do not strike me as being camera shy. While it's their celebration and they have every right to set restrictions, it seems odd to ask guests NOT to bring cameras.  I've never seen anything like it before.  Have you? What are your thoughts?

before wrap around batik skirt circa 1970s - 80s Readers may remember the wrap around batik skirt that I disassembled to salvage the fabrics. That skirt has been transformed into . . . five 18 inch batik table mats and . . . two rectangular table mats The longarm quilter called last week and said the mats were finished. I was eager to see them finished, so I trimmed and added a golden batik binding. The skirt and fabric have found a new use, and I'm happy about that. Previous posts:     Travel Treasure     Trimming and Squaring

28's Cousin 53 June 2017 This is the first time I've knit this pattern, but it won't be the last. The pattern is very easy (only 53 rows); however, the last ten rows seem to take forever to knit because at that point the shawl has over 500 stitches. The pattern said blocking was not necessary; however, I recommend blocking the shawl. Without blocking the shawl is barely four inches wide; with blocking, 9 inches. I loved knitting with this yarn, and the silk it contains adds drape and softness to the shawl. Pattern:          28's Cousin 53! by Lynne Ashton (Ravelry link) Yarn:         Charlemont Kettle Dye - Valley Yarns (60% merino, 20% silk, 20% polyamide)         100 grams - 439 yarns  (I used all but 9 grams)         Color: Whipple Blue (photos reflect color pretty accurately) Needle:         US size 7

June 2017 Last Fall, the front door of my home was replaced, but the days soon turned too cold to paint. Throughout the long Winter, I pondered what color to paint the door, and green kept nudging its way into my subconscious. The siding on my house is a pale yellow, and the area around the entry is brick. I needed a color that would complement both. Does anyone remember the song, "Green Door" - it's a catchy tune and may stick with you all day if you click on the image below. What color is your front door?

Stephanie Logan presents a Quilt of Valor Wyoming  QOV coordinator May 2017 The Wyoming Quilt of Valor coordinator posted some photos last week of a QOV presentation at the Little Snake River Museum in Savery, WY.  As I looked through the photos, I recognized one of the quilts presented as Cheerio . Richard Lee Dunckley This gentleman was awarded Cheerio - QOV # 91 on May 28, 2017

six knitting projects cast on and started June 2017 Last week, I prepared several knitting "kits": shawls, cowls, and house socks to work on while recovering from a total knee replacement later this month. Perhaps I will not feel like knitting, but these projects are cast on and ready should I want a diversion. I chose easy and intermediate patterns and may even fall back knitting simple dishcloths. My iPad and Kindle are loaded with audio books and ebooks, and I purchased a few word search pads from the Dollar Store. I've added some movies and documentaries to my Netflix account. A jigsaw puzzle is handy, and after a few weeks of recuperation, I'll probably feel like working on it, too. I will not be driving for six - eight weeks; thus, I'll be sticking close to home other than catching a ride to physical therapy appointments. These diversions and projects should keep me from getting cabin fever.

12 grams of yarn remain May 2017 The cashmere Hitchhiker shawl is off the needles and blocked, and I have 12 grams of yarn remaining. I probably could have knit another "tooth" but didn't want to chance not having enough yarn. Tip to tip, the shawl measures 84 inches and has 40 "teeth." finished and blocked cashmere Hitchhiker May 2017 Previous posts:       Cashmere Transformation - plying the two-strand yarn       Cashmere Hitchhiker - a work in progress and knitting notes This shawl is light and extremely soft. Thank you to Julie W. for gifting me the yarn and Briana F. for plying the skeins.