Wyoming Breezes

JoAnn Conwell Wind River High School Kinnear, WY approx. 1985 When I returned from teaching overseas, I got a job teaching Language Arts and Journalism at Wind River High School. The school sat adjacent to the highway between Kinnear and Morton. The staff was young, and we eventually worked together for over 20 years.  JoAnn was the high school secretary, and she kept things running smoothly. JoAnn always called the staff "kids" which looking back made sense because most of us were young. The staff lounge/workroom was adjacent to the principal's office and had a connecting door to the front office where JoAnn worked. One day, JoAnn came into the staff lounge via the principal's office with her hands in front of her, and the first words out of her mouth were, "Now kids, don't laugh." She sat on the arm of the ugly, celery green sofa and sheepishly explained that she had superglued her thumbs together. Despite her warning, we all laughed and wondered how o

nearly finished sock March 2022 After some success with the newborn hats, I searched the bottom of my knitting bag and worked on this man sock. I will knit the toe by the end of this week and cast on the second sock. With any luck, I might have a pair by the end of the month.

Newborn Baby Hats March 2022 It's no secret I haven't knit much lately, so I thought maybe I needed to jump-start my mojo by knitting some small projects. I literally started knitting some really small projects from scrap sock yarn. I searched my digital files and found four patterns that looked promising. One was much too small; one, much too large. Those hats were frogged, and I settled on two patterns that were the right size for newborns.  The top left hat and the one on the needles was knit using Bev's Baby Ribs Hat by Beverly A. Qualheim. It's basically a 2 x 2 rib sock cuff (72 stitches on size 3 needles) with a few decrease rows at the top. The pattern is also on Ravelry. The hat on the top right used Basic Baby Beanie - newborn by Tracy Henwood. It uses 80 stitches on size 3 needles (one inch of 1 x 1 rib) and then straight stockinette and top decreases. 

"Monday" by Elizabeth B. Warren  University of Wyoming Art Museum Laramie, WY February 2022 It seems fitting to post "Monday" on a Monday.  Several weeks ago, I visited the UW Art Museum, and this watercolor painting caught my eye. I love everything about it -- the colors, the scene in particular.  I have many memories of wash day when I was young, but sadly no photographs. Most of the clothes on our clothesline were denim jeans, work shirts, sheets, towels, a few dresses and some underwear. Occasionally, coveralls, were also hung to dry.

beginning of Noro Scarf March 2022 My knitting has slowed to barely a crawl in the last few months. I have numerous projects started and none really progressing. This Noro scarf was started in January, and it's been sitting at the bottom of my knitting bag since then. The "pattern" is credited to Jared Flood, but even he says it was someone else's idea. It uses four skeins of Noro Silk Garden (it's not an inexpensive project to knit): two skeins are the same color way (to be used throughout the scarf) and two are completely different.  I've knit the scarf before as well as turned another scarf into a cowl . I purchased several skeins of Noro Silk Garden at a shop that was going out of business, so I got the yarn at a discount.  Don't look for this project to be finished soon: at the rate I'm knitting, it might be finished in a year or more. 

National Pride 59 x 71 inches Quilt of Valor #216 Last week, I finished the project inside bag #2 in my 2022 UFO Challenge . I changed some of the fabrics once I started framing the center panel.  The pattern used for this quilt is called Simply Susan by Pineapple Press Patterns for Wood Valley Designs. I've used the pattern before for a Quilt of Valor: first for Tranquility  and then for Boldly American . 

Laramie, WY March 6, 2022 On Friday, the ground was bare thanks to Chinook winds and warmer temperatures last week; however, Friday night and most of the day Saturday, the snow fell. What's unusual about this scene is the snow on the tree boughs and the lilac bush branches. The winter wind blows a LOT in Laramie, and typically, the trees shake off their snow coverings. I love seeing this unusual winter scene outside my patio doors.