Wyoming Breezes

April 24, 2022 The Noro Scarf is nearly 40 inches long; thus, it has grown nearly 15 inches in two weeks . I'll gladly take that kind of progress.  I've been knitting on the scarf during the Sunday FaceTime calls with my sister and nieces. I don't seem to mind knitting the ribbing when I'm talking with someone, but other times it is a slog.  Spring and warmer temperatures are taking their time arriving in Laramie this year. A few quick snow storms have blown through in recent days but haven't dropped much moisture as the winds have been strong and fierce. Jackets and wool socks are still essential, and flannel sheets are still on my bed. I'd gladly welcome some green grass, leafing trees and shrubs, and blooming flowers, but until then, I will be happy with the Noro Scarf growth spurt. 

using striped fabric to make star blocks April 2022 Over the weekend, I played with the block design of the orphan stars Karen M, sent me. I don’t save a lot of strings for the pieced, flag stripes, so I pulled two pieces of striped fabric from my stash for the flag. The printed stripes are the approximate size (1 inch) of the pieced stripes. Using the printed fabric made the construction of this block a snap.  The HSTs are 3.5 inches unfinished. The four cornerstones and the white/navy star unit are 3.5 inch unfinished as is the striped section next to it.The bottom striped section is 3.5 x 6.5 inches unfinished. This results in a 12.5 inches unfinished block. (If I didn’t use the printed stripe fabric, I’d use 1.5 inch strings to create the striped sections.) It didn’t take long to create the two replica blocks. I plan to make more from my blue and red scraps.  Thanks for the idea, Karen! 

Plain Brown Wrapper 60 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor #218 It’s been a long time since I’ve made a QOV from colors that aren’t red, white, and blue, so I thought I’d shake things up a bit.  Mary’s “L-block Charms” pattern was used as a loose guide and the block arrangement was altered so the charms were aligned in wonky diagonal rows. To make the quilt wider, I made nine more blocks for a seventh vertical row. A 2-inch (finished) light tan frame was sewn around the blocks as well as a 7.5 inch (7 inch finished) outer border.  I plan to use some red and blue charms to make a more patriotic version of this quilt sometime this summer. 

bronze bust of Abraham Lincoln sculpted by Robert I. Russin I-80 Sherman Summit east of Laramie, WY The bronze bust of Lincoln is 12 feet tall and weighs 4,500 pounds. It originally stood at the highest point on the original Lincoln Highway (America's first transcontinental highway) but was eventually moved to Sherman Summit, the highest point on Interstate 80.  Lincoln bust atop a 30 foot granite pedestal Lincoln Highway markers on display at  Sherman Summit on Interstate 80 east of Laramie, WY

May UFO Challenge Project 2022 Since I finished the April project early, I opened bag #4 for the 2022 UFO Challenge. I pulled 5 inch squares (charms) from my scrap bin when I prepared this bag several months ago and selected Mary's " L-Block Charm " pattern. The charms are remnants from my Tavern Blues quilt. This will be the third quilt I've made from the Tavern Blue fabric , and I still have more left!  

Flying Free 63 x 78 inches Quilt of Valor #217 Flying Free  was made with a panel donated by Sue and Bert O.  I used a Villa Rosa design ( Fernanda ) but the black frame was added to meet the size requirements for Quilt of Valor.  The panel was in the April 2022 UFO challenge bag #9, so that can now be crossed off my list of UFOs.

orphan blocks and pattern leaflet from Karen M.  April 2022 Karen M. contacted me a couple of weeks ago to ask if I would accept some orphan blocks she rescued from a sale in her community, and a few days later, these two blocks arrived in the mail. I've been looking for a block project, and this design will be perfect.  You might remember that Karen sent a beautiful orphan star several months ago that became  QOV #207  which was recently awarded to a veteran. 

a package from Brenda April 2022 Brenda paints during our weekly FaceTime calls, and this week two wooden, painted switch plates arrived in my mailbox. After Christmas, I requested the Elf Surveillance switch plate when I saw one she painted for her niece, but the round, Americana switch plate was a surprise even though I saw her working on it during our calls.  Brenda does a beautiful job on all of her projects. 

Noro scarf April 2022 Progress has been made on the Noro Scarf in the last two weeks: the third and fourth skeins of Noro Silk Garden have been added to the two previous skeins. Since I’m basically at the halfway point, it appears the scarf will be approximately 50 inches long.  I love how the colors are playing together in the first section. To keep the sides straight, the pattern says to slips the first and last stitches on the second row as if to purl, and it makes a nice smooth  edge. 

Last week the wind howled through Wyoming! Interstates 25 and 80 were closed to light, high profile vehicles. Despite the warnings, semis and campers were toppled. In town, unsecured items took flight. My recycling bin rolled down the street. I had two wind causalities: the Spring outdoor quilt block, and the patio thermometer. One can be repaired; the other is toast. I got a chuckle from a post of the Next Door app about the carport.  Wyoming wind is not for the faint of heart. 

weekly menu at the Eppson Center 2022 Check out the menu for Wednesday, March 23rd . . . it was a typo 😉 If patrons are required to wear masks in the building . . . why not the potatoes!

Mexican Train Domino players (bottom photo) photo from Eppson Center April newsletter (Gayle, Kathleen, Tania, Nancy, Bunny, Darlene, Marilyn, Paula) November 2021 Every week, you will find me at the Eppson Center playing Mexican Train Dominos with a fun group. We've been playing together since 2018 with some time off when the Center was closed during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, we always had a full table (eight players), and some weeks we had enough players for two full tables. We enjoy playing so much that we don't even keep score.  Last week the Center was closed for the installation of new carpeting, but the group decided to play at another location. We went to O'Dwyer's Restaurant/Pub and had a great time playing and enjoying a delicious meal afterward. playing at O'Dwyer's  (Pat, Bunny, Tania, Marilyn, Linda, Gary, Kathleen) March 2022 The Eppson Center still requires masks, but masks are no longer required around town. We felt safe meeting without

Zeke and his Pop Pop March 2022 My great-niece shared this photo of her dad and her little boy (Zeke) in a digital family album. I love the photo of Zeke, Dwight my nephew and his dog - Click.  Seeing Dwight's sweater made me enlarge the photo to see how the knit cuff I repaired is holding up. Long time readers may remember that in 2018, Dwight asked me to repair the cuff .    The original cuff was in rough shape. I am happy that the repaired cuff has been functional for over three years on the sweater that sees a lot of use. 

Even though I haven't posted for a couple of weeks, I haven't been idle. I volunteered to work at the reception desk at the Eppson Center (senior center) three days for an employee who was on vacation. The mornings I worked at the desk were busy with individuals coming in for tax preparation, with phone calls to schedule tax appointments and others asking to speak to various employees at the center. I had a few calls asking for general information, and even a gentleman who needed a recommendation for a plumber.  I did manage to squeeze in some knitting during my morning shifts. On Monday, I finished the sock cuff, on Tuesday, I worked on the heel flap and heel turn as well as picking up the gusset stitches. Wednesday, I finished the gusset decreases. Several people stopped by the desk to see what I was knitting and some even asked questions.  I was pleased with the progress of the sock, and once the gusset was completed, the rest of the foot was a breeze.  socks completed Sunda