Wyoming Breezes

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...

If you regularly use FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and other social media sites, I recommend taking the time to watch The Social Dilemma which is available on Netflix. It's a docu-drama that is well written, presented, and produced: I highly recommend it. It includes interviews from several individuals who helped develop the various social media platforms. After watching this presentation, I guarantee you will not look at social media the same and may even delete your accounts.  More information can be found about The Social Dilemma  in this article on Wikipedia

March 2021 It's been a long time since I knit a pair of socks, so I pulled a ball of the Perth yarn, ordered in January , from my stash. I have never knit with this yarn before, so the socks are somewhat of an experiment.  This sock yarn is more of a fine (light) fingering weight than most of the sock yarn that I have in my stash. The strand is often plied with two colors which creates the gradual color changes. I love the dark rose and gold, but the orange and forest green don't really appeal to me in this ball of yarn. I doubt the socks will be a matching pair, but that doesn't usually matter that much to me.  This color way is Great Barrier Reef #122 The yarn knits well and creates a nice fabric with only a bit of splitting. Since it contains 80% Superwash wool and 20% nylon, the socks should wash and wear well. The price was very reasonable ($13.50) for a 100 gram ball - 437 yards. I hope the yarn does not pill or bloom after washing, as that is the ultimate test of an ...

Pink Zing Socks July 2019 This is the first pair of socks that I've knit with the circular Zing needles and what follows is my impression and review of the product. Pros      lightweight - aluminum      reasonably priced      flexible cables      slim needle points      color-coded needles for easy size recognition Cons      lightweight - it took some time to get used to knitting with the needles      finish is not smooth so stitches tend to grip      needle color will affect the yarn color that I will use with the Zings      needle/cable join is more of a crimp than a smooth join I love metal needles because they are durable and rarely break. Although the Zings are metal, their  aluminum construction is significantly lighter than my other metal needles. It took me a while to adapt to the lightness; however, it did not affect the...

Colorado Fabrics October 2017 Marilyn and I stopped at Colorado Fabrics and browsed the store. The building is huge, and the store is well stocked with luscious fabrics - wool, cotton, knit, woven, drapery, upholstery, brocade, tulle, satin, and much more. a small segment of the wool selection I loved all the wool inside the front door and spent a few minutes admiring the colors and patterns. I haven't seen this much wool yardage in decades. cute woolen cottages Wouldn't this make a cute throw for the sofa? a large area of speciality fabrics - satins, brocades  The center of the store housed the notions section - zippers, buttons, fasteners, webbing, thread, scissors, trims, etc. One end of the building had a classroom with sewing machines and tables. Near the quilting fabric section was a room with two or three longarm quilting machines. They do not have an online store, but one of the clerks said they will send small swatches of fabrics, if some...

finished PAIRFECT Socks August 2017 The PAIRFECT socks were finished last week, and they are nearly identical. I recommend the PAIRFECT yarn for those who desire matching socks. I usually do not have difficulty knitting matching socks with self-striping yarn, but those who struggle with the technique might enjoy working with this practically fool-proof yarn. (p.s. PAIRFECT comes in many color ways) Information about the yarn can be found in this earlier post . Do you have a favorite sock yarn?

knitting to an audio book of  Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly While knitting on large projects I usually listen to audio books. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly was my most recent "read." It's a non-fiction book about the black female mathematicians who worked as human computers for the U.S. military during World War II and into the 1960s. The work they did was highly technical and helped in the development of many aircraft designs and then into the Space Age.  I'll be honest: I was very disappointed in this book, not in the subject matter which was interesting but in the actual writing. The author did a great job of gathering information but didn't do a very good job of determining what needed to be included in the book. Her editors did a great disservice to the story by not cutting a LOT of the irrelevant material that takes the readers down many unnecessary rabbit holes. Frankly, I grew weary of the story by Chapter 15, and by the time I ...

Bio-Oil Thanks to Wyoming winters and my thyroid, I have extremely dry skin. To compensate, I've used mineral oil, gallons of lotion, and even vaseline. Nothing worked to relieve the dryness and the itch that accompanies it. In November I saw the small box (pictured below) in a WebMD magazine, and thought the product was worth trying. I especially liked the comment that it doesn't feel greasy. I found the Bio-Oil, shown in the top photo, at Walgreens (6.7 ounces was $21 on sale), and from the very first application, I was sold. It really isn't greasy, and I can dress soon after applying it to my skin. It doesn't stain my clothing. I don't use the Bio-Oil every day, but I could. I still use lotion periodically. from  the side of the Bio-Oil box If you know someone with dry winter skin, you might tell them to try this product. Note: I was not compensated for this review; I am a satisfied customer.

 Zucchini "noodles" I've debated purchasing a Veggetti for over a year, but when Kmart had one at a reduced price ($11), I bought it. Veggetti has quickly become an indispensable kitchen gadget, as it makes either thick or thin noodles. The photo above shows the thick option. Zucchini "noodles" are now a favorite snack either raw or tossed with a bit of Walden Farms (no calorie) Sesame Ginger dressing, which gives the noodles a slightly oriental taste similar to stir fry. The instruction/cookbook that was in the package suggests using zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, carrots, and potatoes. I tried an English cucumber (it was more watery), but I didn't like it as well as zucchini. I doubt that I will ever use the device for potatoes; however, it looks like it making hash brownies would be pretty easy. The Veggetti is extremely easy to use and doesn't create a mess. Clean-up is easy, too. It is top-rack dishwasher safe, but I usually just r...

Sock Ruler Cheryl gave me a "sock ruler" several months ago, and when I started knitting sock again recently, I've been using it a lot. The ruler is made of flexible plastic. One end is curved, which would be helpful for toe-up sock knitters to measure the length from the toe to the heel, but it can also be used by top-down knitters for the heel to the toe measurements. More detailed information can be seen on the Sock Ruler website . Thanks, Cheryl for giving me this helpful knitting tool. Note: I did not receive compensation for this review.  I'm finally knitting with the sock yarn panel that I wrote about here .

Sewline Needle Threader I use this handy needle threader quite a bit whenever I hand-tack the bindings on the Quilts of Valor. The tacking goes quickly with a small needle, but frankly my eyes are no longer good enough to thread the needle unassisted. The small needle's eye is even too small for me to use a conventional needle threader. The Sewline website recommends using this tool for size 9 - 12 needles. Several years ago, I saw the Sewline threader featured on a blog and did a quick search online and immediately ordered one. The Sewline is about the size of a lipstick tube. Note the front section slides toward the metal ring to reveal the threader. Close up of the threading mechanism. Note the metal hook-like attachment on the white section and the groove between it and the pink section. The eye-end of the needle is inserted into a hole in the front of the threader, and the thread is placed in the groove. Gently push down on the white section. ...

addi Turbo Sock Rockets 16 inch length - US size 2 March 2015 Two years ago, I wrote a review on the addi Turbo Sock Rockets needles , and you may remember that my biggest complaint was the length of the needle - 24 inches was the shortest needle available. I am happy to report that addi must have listened to its sock knitting customers, because they now offer Turbo Sock Rockets in a 16 inch length. My needles were purchased from Webs a couple of months ago, but I've also seen them listed on several websites. Be prepared to wait, as they tend to be listed as "on backorder" frequently. My thoughts:  If you like metal needles, these might be what you have been seeking. The needle/cable joins are smooth (one of mine is a bit rough, but I can live with it) - much smoother than Knit Picks needles. The needles are NOT inexpensive (like Knit Picks), so if cost is an issue, I would stick with Knit Picks. I give the addi Turbo Sock Rockets (16 inch length) a "th...

Loose tea from Murchies in Vancouver, BC, Canada Practically everyone in my family was/is a coffee drinker, so I have no idea why I prefer to drink tea. Perhaps, my paternal grandmother who grew up in England somehow willed at least one of her grandchildren share the love of a good cup of tea. That is the only explanation that makes any sense. My mother sometimes drank tea, but I drink it almost exclusively. I'll take a hot, cup of unsweetened, black tea any day of the year and any time of day. I do not like herbal or green tea. Several years ago, when my sisters and I visited Victoria Island and Vancouver, British Columbia, I discovered the Murchies Tea and Coffee shop .  The variety of teas (and even coffees) they offer is impressive. On that trip, I purchased several types of tea and have continued to order online from Murchies. My latest order of tea included: Government Street Blend Ms. Grey Editor's Blend Earl Grey Cream English Breakfast In the future ...

I love to knit socks, and I'm always receptive to anything that will make that experience even better, so when I heard about a "new" needle (Sock Rockets) made by skacel, I ordered a pair from Jimmy Beans Wool. The package insert states, "These Sock Rockets needles combine the sharper tip of the addi Turbo Lace needle with the slick nickel-plated coating of the classic Turbo needle - resulting in the perfect needle to make sock knitting faster and easier!" The needles arrived soon after I ordered them (thanks, JBW for not disappointing), and I quickly transferred this sock onto the needles. addi Turbo Sock Rockets Two circulars method Clearly you can see from the photo that the needles are long and are clumsy and awkward to use; however, the needles are not available in a 16 inch length - a huge mistake by skacel (addi), in my opinion. These needles fell short of the packet insert's statement that it is. . ."the perfect needle to make so...