Wyoming Breezes

Toolbox Cowl December 2023 It seems that in my absence I’ve reconnected with my knitting mojo. Several months ago, I found and purchased two bags of wool yarn at the thrift shop. One was $3; the other, $4, a reasonable price for mystery yarn.  Since the colors coordinated fairly well, I cast on a Tool Box Cowl (pattern by adventure DuJour Designs). It’s an easy knit that uses the Diamond Tweed Stitch to blend the colors. close up of Diamond Tweed Stitch I’m still dealing with back pain and a frustrating obstacle involving my pacemaker. I’m seeing a new doctor next week and pray that he will be able to proceed with the nerve ablation. Until then, I’ll continue to take each day and each stitch at a time.

close-up of the knit sweater Two afternoons last week, I sat on the deck while reclaiming yarn from a sweater I purchased for $1 at a garage sale last August. I forgot to take a photo of the turtleneck sweater before I started. The sweater label states the fiber content: 85% silk and 15% cashmere. the result of one afternoon's work: the sweater front and back raveled June 2018 The sweater pieces came apart very easily and the raveling proceeded without a hitch. I love my PVC niddy noddy for winding the yarn into a hank. I was surprised that the three-needle bind off was used on the shoulder seams of this sweater. It's a technique rarely seen on commercially produced sweaters. three hanks of yarn reclaimed June 2018 The yarn still needs a bath to clean the fiber and to relax the kinks, but that will wait for another day. I have plans to knit a shawl with this yarn.

stitch stoppers February 2018 Some of my most helpful tools are made from ordinary items. For example, I make stitch stoppers for my knitting needles from a simple foam door hanger, sold in packs of four at the Dollar Store. I snip off about an inch, cut that strip into three sections and poke a hole in the middle with a sturdy tapestry needle. One door hanger produces a dozen of these handy squares - more if you cut them smaller. These were especially helpful when I was knitting traveling blankets for the Oddball Baby Blanket group. They work better than tip protectors because they do not fall off easily. I usually toss some in my knitting bag, and I don't mind sharing the protectors with friends because they are so inexpensive to "make."

$2.00 price, marked on a collapsible dryer May 2017 The smell of clothes dried in the sunshine just can not be duplicated by a fabric softener sheet tossed in the clothes dryer. Not having a clothesline, I opt for the next best thing, a wooden collapsible dryer. A couple of weeks ago, I found a sturdy wooden dryer at at Casper thrift shop at bargain price of $2.00. The dryer is sturdy and well made, and I couldn't pass up the deal. sturdy construction I have another collapsible dryer, but it is not nearly as nice or well made as this one. "Manual" dryers come in handy year round. In the summer, I place it on the deck and allow the breezes and sunshine to dry my clothes. In other seasons, the dryer is set up in the kitchen or family room. collapsible dryer in use Wrinkle-free T-shirts (if I use the automatic dryer, I often forget to remove items before they are fully dry and end up with a mass of wrinkled laundry) are a snap with the wooden dryer. ...

tools gathered for repair April 2017 My knitting chair is a club chair recliner, and I have a bad habit of bracing my feet on the elevated foot rest, and the edge has been gradually showing more and more wear. It was at the point where I had to do something to make the chair presentable and to lengthen its life. Several months ago, I purchased some heavy designer fabric and some cotton batting. Over the weekend, I gathered the necessary tools (heavy duty staple gun, pliers, screw driver, the fabric and batting), measured the foot rest and got to work. chair with worn edge  The fabric I found for the repair was darker than the chair, but I thought it would look better than the worn edge of the original fabric. I debated on whether to remove the row of studs at the bottom (which are very uncomfortable on my heels) but I decided that the new batting would cover them. recovered foot rest  The footrest repair is not professional by any means, but it will extend...

stack of large scraps Last week, I stopped at Neat Repeat (local thrift shop) after running some errands and had fun browsing the craft section. Often the area is bare, but that particular day, I found some great cotton for baby/child quilts. Many of the scraps were large (roughly 8 x 12 inches) and some were shapes like a shirt bodice or sleeve. It looks like someone was making multiple garments as the fabric was cut with several fabrics layered together. I rummaged through the rumpled fabric and retrieved the ones I liked. It was difficult to resist the abundance of large scrap pieces. The salvages declared that these are Michael Miller Fabric - most released within the last three years. thrifted fabric Once the pieces were pressed, they formed an impressive pile of fabric and all for $2.00. I'm going to have fun turning the scraps into a quilt. Currently, I'm considering the Kelsey Baby Quilt pattern by Rebel Perfection - free on Craftsy. In addition to the f...

wool yarn reclaimed from thrift shop sweaters before washing 2007 Since I'm presenting a program at the March Fiber Guild meeting on reclaiming yarn from wool sweaters, I thought it would be a good idea to start gathering the items I'd need and deconstruct a sweater to refresh my mind. I started reclaiming the wool in 2007 from wool sweaters that were purchased ( some shown in this earlier post ) in Denver thrift shops. Once washed, the reclaimed wool could not be distinguished from that purchased in a yarn shop. Some of the wool I reclaimed can be seen in  this post . The reclaimed wool has been used in a variety of projects for charities and for gifts. Projects I made using reclaimed wool:      Vests for children in cold climates - here ,  here,   here , here     Cowls -  here and here     Hats and helmet liners for the military -  here ,  here  and here     Mittens    ...

resistance band with some serious issues July 2016 Last week, my physical therapist asked if I would mind trying to repair a resistance band. As you can see in the photo above, it had some serious issues. She told me that the repair did not have to be "pretty" just secure, and that the resistance tubing could be cut if necessary. I took on the challenge and soon discovered that making any repairs with the tubing in place would be impossible. The strap bands had a lot of bulk because they were also heavily padded. Once the tubing was removed, the repair was more manageable. repaired straps July 2016 I broke the needle before switching to a heavier needle, and once that was in place, the repair was easier. I first used a zig-zag stitch to anchor the four layers - two layers of strapping (similar to a wide dog leash) and two layers of nylon that held the thick padding. The final step was to add a straight stitch to reinforce the zig-zag. The repair isn't pretty...

Cabin Fever 67 x 83 Since the blocks for this quilt were made while staying in a cabin in the Big Horn Mountains, I decided to name it Cabin Fever . Previous posts about this quilt can be found here , here , and here . Cabin Fever was made from a kit I found in the Clearance Room at Sheep Camp Quilts at 50% off several years ago. I paid $33.50 for the complete kit (fabric for the top, the binding, AND the backing). The shop owner was practically giving the kit away at the clearance price: the backing fabric alone would cost over $50 if the yardage was $10 a yard, which many fabrics were at that time. My points are not perfect, and some pieces don't align perfectly; however, the quilt captures the memories of a Sisters' Sew-in perfectly. The quilt pattern is free online - Magic Pinwheels by Karen Snyder.

Bonus HSTs April 2016 This box contains 180 large "bonus" HSTs and 96 smaller "bonus" HSTs from the construction of Scrappy Lanterns, Cheerio , and another QOV that is still in the works. I love patterns that create useable scraps.

twined runner December 2015 Mid-December was the last session for the Rug Twining class at Fort Washakie. Only one of my students finished a rug, but the others have the technique mastered and should finish their rugs in short order. During the class and subsequent work sessions, I finished a rug and the runner, shown in the photo above. The fabric strips from the last row on the runner still need to be woven into the rug before I can call it finished. Ingrid's finished rug December 2015 I want to commend Ingrid on her finished rug. For the record, it is exceedingly difficult for a beginner to twine with the two strips the same color, and Ingrid did it beautifully on her entire rug. Well done, Ingrid! An earlier post on the rug class can be seen here .

blue suede shoes Neat Repeat Lander, WY November 2015 Look what I spied in Lander recently - Blue Suede Shoes!   I nearly burst out in song. 

fleece jacket with logo I've never been one to wear the latest fashion or change my wardrobe with the season. I like clothing that is casual, comfortable and reasonably priced. I refuse to pay for over-priced clothing simply because it is "in style" or "in season." I refuse to pay high prices for inferior-made clothing. Thrift shops are always packed with clothing, and it requires patience to find the gems among the trash. Looking through the racks, I search for brands that are familiar to me: first for quality and second for consistent sizing. I will not spend more than $5.00 for a used item. Many people dismiss the new (with tags attached) or practically-new fleece vests, jackets and coats in the thrift shops because they have embroidered advertising patches, like the one shown above. I don't mind wearing these items, but last week, I decided to try a "makeover" on a L.L. Bean fleece jacket by using some quilting scraps to cover the logo....

I stumbled on a great deal in a Casper quilt shop last week and doubt that I will ever find such a bargain again. The shop has a section in the basement where the clearance fabric is displayed, so I headed downstairs when I entered the shop. I was on a mission to find some backing fabrics for Quilts of Valor. The QOV I frequently make require about four yards of fabric each, so spending full price of $11 or more for yardage can deplete my QOV funds fairly quickly. In the basement, I found three fabrics with a 30% clearance price. I returned upstairs. The clerk was helping someone else, so I put the bolts near the cutting table and wandered the store looking at patterns and fabric. Tucked near the back of the store was a small alcove with a sign on the wall indicating the fabric in that section was $1 a yard. Really? I perused the fabric and found two bolts of Jenny Beyer fabric, one with broad stripes that would make an attractive quilt back and another with smaller stripes. I t...

Several years ago, I purchased three yarn flats on clearance. This pair is being knit with the last flat. Other socks made from the flats can be seen here and here . Yarn: Happy Choices by Plymouth Yarn (discontinued yarn flat) Needles: addi turbo, size 3

Browsing through thrift shops is one of my favorite activities: I enjoy the hunt for specific items as well as items that sometimes catch my eye. Many people don't like to go into thrift shops because they can be jammed with clothes and dishware and are often not the cleanest places. However, an observant and patient shopper can find real treasures. In the past, I have found Longaberger baskets , new clothes with the tags attached, gently used, quality products from Lands End, LL Bean, C.J. Banks, Cold Water Creek, Pendleton, Woolrich, etc. - all things that I purchased for considerably less than retail. Last week, I stopped to donate a few items at a local thrift shop and made a tour through the store. I found a nice, cotton blouse for summer, a book, and some new knitting needles. Out of curiosity, I perused a stack of souvenir plates from someone's travels, and at the bottom of the stack was a plate that I simply had to purchase because it was so beautiful and because ...