Wyoming Breezes

Ragg Socks February 2016 When I packed my knitting bag for the road trip to Fargo, I grabbed two skeins of Patons Kroy SOCKS from my yarn stash. My mind was too preoccupied to do much knitting, but I did manage to finish the cuffs of both socks, and then did the heel flaps and heel turns when I got home. Yarn:     Patons Kroy SOCKS (Blue Striped Ragg) Needles:     Addi Turbo 16" circulars - US #2 Stitch count:     58 stitches Note: I started the socks at the same spot in the color repeat to create a matching pair.

Scooter/motor bike garages Taipei, Taiwan December 1979 Scooters and motor bikes are plentiful in Asia. Note there are 14 "garages" shown in this photo, which was taken from my hotel window in Taipei.

Evelyn R. (Stearns) Mayland 1941 - 2016 My oldest sister (my family called her Sis) put up a long, brave fight against cancer, enduring three rounds of chemotherapy for her leukemia, and radiation for breast cancer over the last five years. Last week, it became too much for her body to handle, and she was removed from life-support on Wednesday, February 24, 2016. The podcast of the funeral service sermon on February 29, 2016 can be heard here . The text used by by Rev. Steve Schulz is John 3:16.  Through my faith, I know in God's time, I will see Sis again, but until then, I'll keep the good memories of her sealed in my heart.  sisters - Nancy, "Sis," and Marilyn Oregon coast approximately 1990 We had some great times together: Sis, Marilyn, and I went to Sisters, Oregon for the Outdoor Quilt Show, to Mackinac Island, Michigan, and to a quilt show in Duluth, Minnesota.  the last photo of me and my siblings (my brothers died soon afte...

view through the Esterbrook church altar window Esterbrook, WY circa 1974 I visited this small mountain church whenever I went for a drive to Laramie Peak. Esterbrook is a small town, and in the 1970s it was a hopping place, with country dances with live bands nearly every weekend. The altar and pews have a clear view of Laramie Peak and the surrounding area. I could sit there and look out that window for hours and contemplate the beauty of God's creation. If I remember correctly, the church had four or five pews on each side of the center aisle. There was a pot-bellied stove in one corner and an old organ in the other. According to Wikipedia, the church was built in 1946. Other posts about the area around Esterbrook can be found here

waving flag block A patriotic quilt made by Beverly Hall caught my eye at the Winter Carnival Quilt Show in early February. I snapped photos of the individual blocks and may replicate them later. When I got home, I realized I didn't take a photo of the full quilt. The individual blocks were creative and inspiring. star heart star and stripes star flag Jacob's Ladder I don't know the name of this block. Do you? The waving flag and the star flag are my favorites. Which blocks do you like?

snowy view through the trees near Jackson, WY taken April or May 1978 As this photo illustrates, sometimes Winter in Wyoming can hang on late into the "Spring" months, especially in the upper country. Typically, Winter loosens its grasp in April, but sometimes it holds on until May. I wonder what it will do this year?

View of fields in China December 1979 When the tour group was staying in Hong Kong, we took a bus to the border of China. We did not go into China, but from a hilltop we had a good view of the farms along the border. I'm fairly certain that these are rice fields. Yes, that is smog on the horizon in 1979. I can only imagine how much thicker it is now. A photo of me standing at the border can be seen in this post .

pot-bellied stove and coal bucket display Museum of the American West Lander, WY This display was in the corner of the school house building on the museum grounds, and it was the coal bucket, not the stove, that brought back memories of my childhood. Stockermatic coal stove coal hopper at the end with lid (photo from Google images) The farmhouse was heated with a Stokermatic for most of my childhood, and one of my chores after school in the winter was to haul coal into the house - two buckets at a time to fill the hooper at the end of the stove. The photo shows a similar model. The raised lid shows where the coal was dumped into the stove. An auger pulled the coal into a burn chamber which had a double door on the front of the stove. The door dropped down to reveal a metal bin where the coal clinkers were placed and a thick metal door that opened into the burn chamber. The clinkers were cleaned out of this chamber with a special claw like device and placed in the bin a couple...

close up of Circling Geese by Nancy Wright The Winter Carnival Quilt Show is an opportunity to see some gorgeous quilts, and this year's show did not disappoint. I love to see how quilters use fabrics. The blue fabric is gorgeous in this quilt, but I wouldn't have considered it in a fabric shop because it is so busy. However, it's the perfect fabric to balance the flying geese blocks. Circling Geese The braided border adds another layer of beauty to this stunning quilt.

American Hopscotch Quilt of Valor 68 x 85 inches The kit I started at the February Quilt of Valor sew-in is finally finished, and the quilt is large. This quilt has an awful lot of red. If I made it again, I would use a different blue in the center of the blue framed blocks. American Hopscotch is Quilt of Valor #87 - a complete list of Quilt of Valor can be seen on this page .

single skein socks II February 2016 Another pair of single skein socks on the needles. This pair will definitely be fraternal twins. I like the grey yarn with the variegated yarn. Yarn:     REGIA - Garden Effects (#03304)     REGIA - Grey (#2070) Needles:     Knit Picks 16" circulars - US size 2

Traditional Thai dancer Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 My tour group enjoyed an evening of authentic Thai food and entertainment when we were in Bangkok. I apologize that the photos are a bit fuzzy, but I wanted to share the exquisite traditional dress that the dancers wore - such vibrant colors. The fingertips that she is wearing are not clearly seen in this photo, but they looked like the ones that I found here . Traditional Thai dancer Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Traditional Thai dancers Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 Earlier posts of Thailand can be seen here .

Brickless scarf after three pattern repeats February 2016 I joined the Lander Knitting Social group on Friday evening to begin knitting the Brickless scarf. I've admired the scarf/shawl that my friends have knit and decided to join in the fun. Pattern :   Brickless by Martina Beham (Ravelry link) Yarn:     Lorna's Laces - Shepherd Sock (#510 Pullman) 435 yards Needles:     Knit Picks interchangeable - US size 6 The pattern is written for worsted weight yarn on size 6 needles, so I started knitting on US size 4, but since my knitting tension is fairly tight, I frogged and recast on with US size 6. I like the feel and results a lot better. I hope the scarf/shawl is forgiving when it is blocked because some sections are kind of wavy.

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.

I've fallen, and I can't get up! Despite the use of rubber bands on the purchased chair socks, they continually fell down. It was this sight that forced me to knit socks for my four kitchen chairs and now my desk chair. desk chair sporting new Noro socks All the chairs that I use regularly now are decked out with new knit socks. The desk chair socks were knit from Noro remaining from a previous project. I have enough left to knit two spare socks. That will probably happen soon. Knitting notes are included in the kitchen chair sock post.

Tourists with selfie sticks photographing Shuttlecocks Kansas City, MO August 2015 On the grounds of the  Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art  in Kansas City, MO are several large badminton shuttlecocks, and they were a delight to see on both sides of the museum. It appears that some giants were once playing badminton, using the museum building as the net, and simply left the shuttlecocks strewn on the expanse of grass. According to the museum website, these works of art were created by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Brugge in 1994. The sculptures are made out of aluminum, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, and paint. Each shuttlecock is 19 feet 2 9/16 inches high and 15 feet 11 7/8 inches in diameter and weighs approximately 5,500 pounds.

Sanbongi Nougyou Agricultural School Towada, Japan August 1979 I loved the chalkboard in this classroom and the box of "CHALK" on the teacher's desk. This teacher was obviously engaging because the students were forced on his lesson. Other photos from this school can be seen here .