Wyoming Breezes

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decorated pumpkins Laramie Plains Credit Union Laramie, WY October 2019 A local credit union sponsors a fun contest for its employees at various holidays. This month, they decorated pumpkins and encouraged patrons to vote for their favorite. Some of the displays were cute . . . Others were whimsical . . . and some were clever . . .    (note the pins used for the cactus spines) Which decorated pumpkin is your favorite?

scrappy Sockhead Cowl October 2019 Last week, I spent some time in automotive shops, and my knitting bag went with me. One day, the oil in the car was changed and the car was inspected for the winter. Another day, new tires and an alignment allowed me to get a lot of knitting done. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the other individuals (young and old) in the waiting areas with me  amused themselves with their phone, laptop, and tablets. The yarn slid through my fingers and the striped rows were quickly added to the cowl. Every knitter knows that waiting and knitting go well together. The body of this Sockhead Cowl consists of four rubber-ball sized remnants of sock yarn. The brown ribbing is an odd skein of sock yarn (Root Beer) that I found in my stash.

trimming excess batting and backing  Last Wednesday, Cheryl B. from Elk Mountain, WY delivered three QOV that she quilted. On Thursday, I trimmed off the excess batting and backing, and sewed on labels and the binding. I'm happy to have three finished quilts to send to Riverton for the November QOV presentation. Three more veterans will be awarded a QOV, and that makes me very happy.

sample blocks donated by Marty S. October 2019 Marty S. from TN contacted me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I could use some star blocks that her mother had made. She had fifteen of the large blocks and 24 of the smaller stars. I gladly accepted Marty's offer and look forward to turning them into a Quilt of Valor. When the blocks arrived, I gently hand washed them, gave them a good press, and then squared the big blocks to 12.5 inches and the small stars to 6.5 inches. While squaring the blocks, I came up with an idea and look forward to creating a QOV with Marty's mother's blocks.

section of mural at First and Grand Laramie, WY August 2019 This mural is across the parking lot from the Gill Street fish mural . Matthew Shepard , a University of Wyoming student, who was beaten, tortured and left to die near Laramie in October 1998 left a lasting impression on the community. Since that tragic event, the community of Laramie has focused on public awareness and tolerance.

natural plywood covering a broken window Laramie, WY September 2019 This natural and unpainted plywood, covering a broken window on a building near the Eagles Hall in Laramie, caught my attention immediately.  In the woodgrain, I see "eyes" lots and lots of eyes - some that look like frogs and others that look like elephants and even humans. Do you see what I see?

another scrap Sockhead Cowl October 2019 The body of this cowl used scraps from four different sock yarns, and I'm thrilled those small balls of wool are out of my stash. Soon, I will have five cowls to donate just as the weather is starting to become cold. The black, ribbed sections literally made me want to give up and throw the whole project into the trash. I frogged more rows and stitches on this cowl than I have on all the other knitting projects I've made this year.  Dark yarns are just too difficult for me to comfortably see and knit, even a simple 2 x 2 rib. Does anyone want two skeins of Cascade Yarns,  Heritage 150 Sock Yarn (both are color # 5601 but different dye lots) 75% super wash merino and 25% nylon? If so, tell me in the comments. I'll gladly send the two skeins of yarn as a gift to that brave soul.

186 bonus "waste" HSTs will result in nearly 47 pinwheels October 2019 Recently, I rearranged some bins in my sewing room and discovered the bonus/waste half square triangles from three QOV ( American Wildlife , Buck Fever , and Oh, Deer ) that I made in February. I considered using the HSTs for star points but decided to turn them into pinwheels. I don't have a plan for using the pinwheels, but I'm sure I'll get an idea once they are sewn and squared. I remember picking up windfall apples in the orchard this time of year. Most often the fruit had bruises and some worm holes, but my Mom turned the fruit into delicious apple butter, apple sauce, and apple cakes. Just because something is damaged or considered "waste" by some people does not mean that it can't be useful. Have you used any "windfalls" lately?

Oops - how did I miss that! Regan left a comment last Monday alerting me of two flipped blocks on the finished Lone Rider top. I had not noticed the error, even though it is very obvious now that I look at the photo. Thankfully, it was a relatively quick fix because it was on the outside edge. the flipped blocks were removed from the quilt top the blocks were flipped into the correct position  and sewn into place the lattice chain is complete now that the error has been corrected Thank you, Regan for spotting the flipped blocks and drawing it to my attention.

proof of a successful quilting retreat September 2019 From the posts this week, you can see that the last week of September was spent at Marilyn's house. We sewed nearly every day: our sewing machines were humming, and we had a good time. Her husband prepared most of our meals, which allowed us to sew even more. In the evening, we worked on other projects: Marilyn cross-stitched and I knit. We also took a couple of evenings off to play bingo and to attend a musical production, and we played games. Marilyn finished one quilt and started two others during the retreat. It's great to share a quilting passion with my sister.

Patched Stars 58 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor # 168 Patched Stars is the third quilt I finished during the quilting retreat at Marilyn's. I had no idea that all the four patches I made in my chain-sewing frenzy would result in FOUR Quilts of Valor:       Sixteen Patch Stars       Bubble Stars       Scrappy Stars      Patched Stars Thirty-four of the four-patches were not used and were returned to the scrap bin to become "seed" for future quilts. Update : January 2022 Patched Stars was presented to a veteran (front row, second from the left) in Lander, WY

Scrappy Stars 58 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor #167 No, this is not the same quilt that I posted yesterday, but it is the same pattern. Scrappy Stars was also  made while I was at Marilyn's for a quilting retreat. On closer inspection, you may see stripes on the red star point fabric. Those stripes are actually words that pertain to sailing. I'm sure this quilt will find its way into the home of a sailor.

Bubble Stars 58 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor # 166 Bubble Stars may seem like a strange name for this quilt, but the red star points have polka dots and the border fabric contains blue bubbles. The blue star point fabric is part of the fabric donation I received from Sharon F. , This is one of three quilts that I made at Marilyn's house during our quilting retreat. Update: September 23, 2022 Bubble Stars was awarded in Lysite, WY (second quilt from the right)

Lone Rider mystery quilt 63 x 80 inches Quilt of Valor #169 Alycia's mystery (Lone Rider) wrapped up last Wednesday when the last clue was released. I changed the final layout a bit, turning four of the on-point squares into pinwheels, to add some visual interest. image from Alycia Quilts Lone Rider - clue #5 This quilt is larger than the ones I typically make for Quilts of Valor - I'll prepare a wide back for it this week. Finished quilt tops are hung by the patio door so I can enjoy them for a couple of days and are wrapped with the backing and binding. I fixed the flipped blocks soon after they were drawn to my attention. (Thanks, Regan!)

running pronghorn antelope mural Laramie, WY August 2019

Autumn's Glory  cowl made with scrap yarn September 2019 I used the scraps of two separate sock yarns for the body of this cowl and knit using the helical striping technique. The photo shows the variety of colors, but they are more vivid in person. Pattern:  Sockhead Cowl  by Kelly McClure (free on Ravelry) Needles: US size 6

cast of the musical 9 to 5 take a bow at curtain call PACE Center, Parker, CO September 2019 I spent the last week in Colorado visiting family: my sister and I try to have a quilting retreat each year. I took three QOV quilt kits to work on, and Marilyn finished a project that she had started and began another one. The last evening of my visit, Marilyn, her husband, and her daughter, and I attended the stage performance of 9 to 5. It was very well done, and we all enjoyed ourselves. (The photo was snapped during curtain call - no photos were allowed during the performance) Photos of our finished quilt tops will be posted soon.