Wyoming Breezes

Hand-knit socks summer and fall 2024 I’ve been knitting steadily, but I haven’t posted finished projects in a long time.       Patons Kroy (blue/green marl) - Faternal Twins      Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock (Zombie BBQ) - yarn a gift from Cheryl O.      Unknown manufacturer and color - one sock finished; another on needles - yarn a gift from Cheryl O.      Unknown manufacturer and color - one sock finished; another nearly finished - yarn a gift from        Cheryl O. In addition to knitting for my feet, I knit 16 “socks” for my kitchen table chairs from partial balls of Noro Silk Garden (assorted colors). I plan to knit 8 more for the two remaining chairs. The chairs slide better on the laminate when wearing “socks.”

two bowl cozies  December 2022 Two friends came over on Monday, and we worked on a puzzle for a few hours. Pat commented on the bowl cozies I have next to the microwave and said she bought two at a recent holiday bazaar. Sue said, “I wish I had some.” I decided to make a set for Sue and her husband. It didn’t take long yesterday to sew the cozies, and I’ll give them to her this afternoon at dominoes.  Once in a while, wishes should come true! 

Land That I Love 61 x 70 inches Quilt of Valor #225 Land That I Love is a fraternal twin to Proud to be an American (posted on Tuesday), and it was also donated by Connie H. ( FarSide ) Update - November 2024 awarded to Charlie W.  Eppson Center presentation 

Proud to be an American 61 x 70 inches Quilt of Valor #224 Thank you to Connie H. ( FarSide ) for the donation of the center panel and also some fabric. The panels she donated were similar but different; thus, I worked on #224 and #225 at the same time. I finished this top last week, but allergies sidelined me for a bit so I wasn't able to finish the other one until this week. 

auditioning fabric for a new quilt August 2022 Connie H (Far Side) sent me panels and fabric in February to make some Quilts of Valor. I've been kicking around some ideas for the panels, and finally settled on a plan. Actually, I'm going to try and make two similar QOV at the same time with two different panels: it may be a crazy idea, but then it might actually work.  I pulled fabric for the two quilts and asked my niece for her opinion. We both agreed that the beige fabric (third from the right) did nothing for the other fabrics, so it was eliminated from the group.  Life has been crazy the last few days, so it may be a bit before I actually start the quilts. 

nice variety of fabric scraps from Susan D. in PA August 2022 Susan D. (central PA) contacted me and asked if I could use some small fabric pieces/scraps for making Quilts of Valor. I readily accepted her offer because I prefer to make scrappy quilts and its the variety of fabric that make the best quilts.  note that accompanied the fabric The fabric arrived last week, and I was delighted with the fabric pieces and the variety. Thank you, Susan! These fabrics will definitely be useful. After ironing the pieces, I cut them into the sizes that I use the most: 2.5 inch strips and squares, 5 inch squares, 6.5 inch squares and 10 inch squares. It's handy to have the fabric cut and in bins, and I often search the bins for a particular size/color when making a quilt.  When working with scraps, organization is paramount. 

 pair of shorty socks Women's size 5 July 2022 This pair of gift socks has been on the needles for over a year. I intended to send them to the recipient last summer, and then this spring, and now a year later, they are ready to send on their way. Since the recipient has tiny feet (size 5), the socks don't require a lot of yarn, making them are perfect for leftover sock yarn. The knitting queue has one final project in progress. I hope to finish that project before the end of August.

June 2022 “Kunterbunt” #565 is the name of the colorway on the Trekking XXL label. Curious, I typed the word in a German translator: it means “jumble,” “motley,” “varied,” or “multicolored” — all fit the yarn well. As I knit on the socks, the colors and striping became more appealing to me. Matching the socks took just a bit maneuvering to find the correct color change for the cast on edge.  This pair will be a gift. 

May 2022 One sock finished and the other at the heel flap. 

anonymous fabric donation May 2022 Last week a surprise package arrived at my front door from two people who wish to remain anonymous. The box was stuffed with wonderful patriotic fabrics for making Quilts of Valor. I haven't seen many of these fabrics before, so I know I will enjoy using them. I appreciate the generosity of the individuals who sent this windfall of fabric. Thank you for making more Quilts of Valor possible to our brave veterans.  

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. 

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...

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.

pretty, paper bouquet  February 2022 I rarely click on any ads I see on Facebook, but I couldn’t resist checking out the FreshCut Paper advertisement (FYI: I am not being compensated for this review) that I saw before Valentine’s Day.  Fresh flowers rarely last long, but they always lift me up. However, one downside to fresh flowers is that their fragrance sometimes trigger my allergies. On a whim, I ordered two bouquets from FreshCut Paper: one for myself; one for my niece. I thought the daisy bouquet would be perfect for my winter weary soul. The bouquet arrived in a sturdy envelope with the flowers tucked inside another envelope. The pink envelope shown above contained the bouquet and could be used to send the flowers  to another person. Unfortunately, multiple bouquets can only be mailed to a single address, so I purchased Brenda’s flowers in a different order than mine and had them mailed directly to her home. I was not aware of the company’s policy of planting a tr...

four printed panels and matching yardage from Connie H. in MN February 2022 Connie H. ( Far Side of Fifty ) sent me a surprise package last week. Inside was a patriotic panel, yardage, a crochet scrubby, and a beautiful card that she made. When I first opened the package, I thought it was a single panel, but it’s actually four smaller printed panels - the perfect size for center medallions. I’ll be able to make four Quilts of Valor with this panel.  Connie and I have been online friends for many years. I’d love to meet her and Far Guy in person one day.  Connie, thank you for your friendship, and for this donation for Quilt of Valor! 

Fiesta socks January 2022 Sunday evening I grafted the toe on the second sock. This pair practically knit themselves, stripe by stripe.  Pattern : Plain Jane ribbed cuff socks Yarn :  Trekking XXL (color 723) Needles : US size 2  Stitches : 64

patterns from Karen M.  Recently, I have received donations that will allow me to make more Quilts of Valor. The patterns above were sent by Karen M. from IL. Karen is preparing to move and graciously sent the two patterns. You might remember that Karen sent fabric and an orphan star to me in July .  fabric from Marilyn M.  Marilyn (my sister) sent me a surprise package of patriotic fabric. I love the patterns she selected.  fabric from Sue L. Sue L. from IA contacted me for my address and sent three pieces of fabric that will be fun to use in a QOV.   I can't thank Karen, Marilyn and Sue enough for sending the fabric and patterns. Their gifts will make additional QOV possible. Thank you for helping me honor veterans. 

May 2020 ~ September 2021 It took nearly over two hours to twine the last two inches of the rug because of the cramped quarters. (Normally, I can twine four/five inches in a hour) As the working space got smaller and smaller progress slowed to a crawl. I work until I can’t get my fingers around the warp fabric and then I use two Aunt Philly’s needles - one for each weft fabric. I work until the warp is covered and then I add one more row for good measure.  The rug is finished and off of the frame - 16 months after it was started .