Wyoming Breezes

sign from Pingora Yarns Lander, WY This sign was posted on the Pingora Yarns Facebook page, and I thought it was fun and timely. I borrowed  blatantly stole the photo and cropped out the sale information.  If you're looking yarn from the Mountain West , Carrie has a nice variety. 

Zeke & Maria July 2020 My nephew's wife brought Zeke (her grandson and my great-great nephew) and some flowers over for my birthday. I haven't seen Zeke since his first birthday party in early March, and he's turned into one busy, little guy. It was such fun to see him and Maria again. Zeke was spending the week with Maria (his TuTu) while his parents celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary.   Seeing him was the best birthday present, but the flowers were lovely, too. 

twining on the patio July 2020 I haven't done a lot of twining lately, so last week I tried to work at least two afternoons on the patio. One of the days, I called a friend to come over and visit while I worked. We chatted (social distanced) for a couple of hours, and I made progress on the rug.  seven inches to twine July 2020 Saturday, the temperatures were in the mid-70s, and it was very pleasant to sit on the patio and work on the rug for an hour or two. I now have only seven inches remaining to twine before the rug can come off of the frame. 

dishtowel knitting July 2020

forty-two blocks July 2020 . . . of a complete quilt top. These blocks were made during the last two weeks FaceTime calls, and I'm prepping fourteen more blocks to make during next Sunday's call. The blocks are made with 5 inch square from previous Quilts of Valor. The finished top will be seven blocks wide and eight blocks long, so I will need a total of 56 blocks.  * the bottom right block has been flipped to go in the correct direction.  

women's size 9 - 10 July 2020 women's size 9 - 10 July 2020 I'm still trying to reduce my sock yarn stash. I'm really surprised that the first pair (knit with Red Heart - Heart and Sole yarn) match because they are knit from two separate skeins. The Heart and Sole yarn has been discontinued, and these two skeins have been in my stash several years. The color way is Lake House.  The second pair that I finished this week is knit with one of my favorite yarns - Austermann Step. The yarn is infused with aloe and is a delight to knit.  My needles didn't stay empty long: I cast on a pair with a different color way of Heart and Sole and a pair with a Zauberball. 

ready to graft toe  July 2020 I enjoy grafting toe stitches with the kitchener stitch. Even though I have the process "mastered," I still avoid distractions while working with the six stitches on each of the circular needles. This week, I grafted the toes on two pair of socks 

Army Strong 60 x 78 inches Quilt of Valor #186 Army Strong was made with a panel included in the box of fabric I received last week from Jean F. in Iowa . I've never made a branch specific QOV before, so this one was fun and quick to make. The camouflage in the center panel made choosing border fabric a challenge, but I think the dark grey and gold accent the panel well.  The pattern was also in Jean's box - a Villa Rosa Designs pattern card called "Daring Spirit." Jean thank you for making this QOV possible. 

July 2020 I've listened to several audio books on OverDrive the past four months. If you like suspense and thrillers, you might enjoy reading/listening to books by B.A. Paris.  Behind Closed Doors was good (I finished it on Friday), but it was also one of the most disturbing books I've read. I forced myself to take long breaks because the narrator and plot were so believable. It deals with spousal abuse, and if you've known someone who has been abused, it can hit pretty close to home.  Can you recommend any authors or books that others might enjoy?

fabric and yarn from Sue July 2020 I received an unexpected package of goodies from Sue, a friend and former coworker. Inside the box, I found pillow panels, yardage, dryer balls, and three cakes of yarn. I'll use the panels to make some community quilts either for hospice or for the Prayers and Squares group.  In the enclosed letter, Sue said that she has worked hard to eliminate her yarn stash or acrylic, cotton and wool. She made 11 wheelchair; shoulder shawls with the acrylic and made hot pads with the cotton yarn. The three green yarn cakes in the photo were the end of her wool stash. Sue said the wool was too thin for her to crochet, and she didn't want to double it. I've got some ideas percolating for the yarn, but I'll probably wait until Fall before I settle on a project.  Thanks for the goodies, Sue, but most of all thanks for the newsy letter that was also in the box. 

fabric all prepped July 2020 Jean F. sent an Army panel in the box I received last week .  Not all Quilts of Valor are red, white, and blue; some are branch specific, and this will be the first one that I've made.  My stash didn't have any fabrics that would work with the camouflage print, so I made a quick visit to the quilt shop and found three that will work to enhance the panel. I'm using one of the patterns that Jean included in the box, so this one can be sewn together quickly. 

July 2020  . . .  curtains billowing in the early morning air            

fabric donation from Jean F. in Iowa July 2020 I received a treasure chest in the mail on Monday. Inside the box was an abundance of fabric to make numerous Quilts of Valor. This box was filled with possibilities and blessings: I am tremendously grateful for Jean's donation.  Pictured on the sides and bottom are folds of yardage; some large enough for backings. In the center are six patriotic panels, and below the panels are fat quarters. Jean also sent four patterns and Quilt of Valor labels.  Jean, my heart is full of gratitude for this generous gift. Thank you!

new mural on the Free Wall Laramie, WY June 2020 I spotted this beautiful, new mural on the Free Wall last week when I went downtown to photograph the additions to the COVID-19 mural.  The artist did an amazing job on this depiction on Martin Luther King, Jr.  

Ritzy Cracker blocks July 2020 In an effort to keep the 5 inch scrap bin under control, I pulled out some blue and red squares, cut some background fabric, and began making a stack of Ritzy Cracker blocks .  I have the pieces all cut and ready to sew together. Yesterday's FaceTime call helped me to get a good start on the blocks, and I put them up on the wall once they were pressed and squared. This quilt will have eight blocks across and nine blocks down.  nineteen completed blocks

from Facebook This graphic sums up my feelings perfectly.  Please wear a mask when in public to help stop COVID-19 from infecting you, your family, friends, and community. 

hanging kitchen towels and dishcloths June 2020 Marilyn brought several balls of Sugar and Cream cotton when she visited a couple of weeks ago. I decided to knit some kitchen towels and dishcloth sets.  The darker sets were knit with Desert Rising - two dishcloths from one ball and two towels with one ball each. Scraps were used for the hanging tab.  The lighter set was knit with Guacamole - two dishcloths from one ball and the towel from an additional ball. Again, scraps were used for the hanging tab.  I sewed buttons on the three towels before packing them for mailing. The towel sets should be at their new homes next week.  The towel pattern is available on Ravelry - Leftover Dishtowel by Stephanie Haberman