Wyoming Breezes

Wolf Creek Pass Colorado October 2017 I joined my sister and brother-in-law last week on a road trip through southern Colorado. In some areas the Aspen were at peak color, and the vistas were breath-taking. October 2017 (click photo to enlarge)

longhorn sculptures Eagle Bronze Foundry Lander, WY September 2017 Two large longhorn sculptures stood behind the Eagle Bronze Foundry building. I noticed a large "D" brand on their left side, and remembered that the longhorns on display in Lander do not have the brand. I asked our guide if these two will become part of the small herd in Lander, shown in  this earlier post . She said the two longhorns were originally made as part of herd on display in Pioneer Park in Dallas, Texas , but these two were never placed in the park. One their side is the large "D" brand, indicating they are part of the "Dallas" herd. I'd love to see the trail drive display in Dallas, where more than 49 longhorns and three horseback riders are on display in Pioneer Park. All of the bronze sculptures in the park were cast at Eagle Bronze Foundry.  More information on the Pioneer Park display can be found here . Note the small sheep sculpture in front of the longhorns. ...

Noro socks October 2017 I originally purchased this yarn to knit a shawl, but I thought a pair of neutral-colored socks would be a good addition to my sock drawer. Yarn :  Noro Silk Garden Sock Solo           40% wool, 25% silk, 25% nylon, 10% mohair           Color #S1 Needles : US size 2 Stitch count: 60 stitches Note : I wound the skein of yarn into two balls. The ball for the sock shown on the left has more "thick" plied sections (typical for Noro yarn) than the one of the right. The left sock is visibly thicker and the knitting is heavier. I am curious if the socks will feel different as I wear them. Do you like knitting with a yarn that has an uneven ply?

artwork on the side of Ashgrove Elementary School Riverton, WY September 2017 Three cheerful murals hang on the south side of Ashgrove Elementary school. The sunflowers in the foreground were planted by the students last spring. The seed heads should attract some birds or squirrels this winter. Do the schools in your area have gardens?

chicken noodle soup October 2017 As the temperatures decrease, my desire for hot soup increases. Recently I made a batch of chicken noodle soup in the crock pot. I love adding big chunks of carrots and celery. What's your favorite Fall or Winter soup?

September 2017 Since my knee surgery, I've been walking in the surrounding neighborhood(s), and I've found a number of camper trailers blocking most of the sidewalk which makes walking difficult.  Pedestrians are forced to walk on the lawns or over rocky and uneven ground, which for my recovering knee can be challenging. Sometimes it's easier to just walk in the street: not an entirely safe solution. I know the campers are parked this way to make them level. Unfortunately, this is not a temporary situation as the trailers tend to remain in this position for weeks at a time. To add another level of frustration, most of the campers have electrical cords leading to the house or garage, causing an additional hazard. One of the biggest complaints I have about my community is that it is not very pedestrian friendly. Does your community have safe places to walk?

October 2017 One of the Lucky Seven skeins of sock yarn from this post is being turned into a pair of gift socks. Yarn : Match 100 (75% superwash wool and 25% nylon)           Color #55188 Needles : US size 2 Stitch count: 60 stitches The Match 100 yarn feels good in my hands and is knitting well. I am pleased with this brand and will order it again. Have you discovered a "new to you" sock yarn that you like to knit?

I ♥ Fall KAL socks October 2017 Update on the socks I'm knitting for  Dee and Vera's I ♥ Fall Knit-Along. The finished sock doesn't look as dark as it looked as I was knitting. Earlier posts on the socks can be seen here and here . Gladly, the KAL has renewed my interested in sock knitting.

four skeins of sock yarn September 2017 The main reason I did not purchase a lot of yarn last weekend on the Guild road trip, was that I had already ordered some sock yarn online from Mary Maxim. It's difficult for me to pass up a great deal, and the four skeins shown (100 grams each) were only $4.99 each. I haven't knit with this brand before, but it's 75% superwash wool and 25% nylon - a good blend for sock yarn. sock yarn "grab bag" enough yarn for three pair of socks I also ordered a "grab bag" of sock yarn for $18.99, which is enough for three pair of socks for $6.33 per pair. The bag also contained four sock yarn patterns. I like Heart and Sole yarn, but the other brands are new to me. The Serenity yarn in the upper left is wool, bamboo and nylon blend. This yarn will make seven pair of socks for an average of $6.27 per pair - a great deal. Many brands of sock yarn range from $15 - 25.00 each. I don't usually purchase "grab...

block detail September 2017 Scrappy Mountain Majesties is a free pattern by Bonnie Hunter. I made this quilt out of a batik layer cake I purchased on Craftsy: Tonga Treats - City Lights. Some random yardage of other batiks was used to make additional the blocks and to add the border. Scrappy Mountain Majesties 59 x 72 inches Quilt of Valor Scrappy Mountain Majesties is Quilt of Valor #122

Assembly shed at the Eagle Bronze Foundry Lander, WY One of the largest pieces that Sue and I saw in the assembly shed was a large horse (mare of the Fighting Horses sculpture) It's shown in the photo just left of the grizzly bear. The blue circle is the mare hoof.  a small version of the two horses Our guide told us this sculpture is going to Dubai in six months, and eventually an even larger version will be made - to house a museum INSIDE the horses with the walkway in the mare's raised hoof. source This photo from the foundry website shows the full sculpture to be assembled in Dubai in 2018 I offered to accompany the crew to Dubai, but our guide just laughed.

No-Hair Day Hats Lion Brand Fun Fur yarn (Deep Sea) September 2017 This week, I knit three hats for local patients going through chemotherapy. The eyelash yarn (Lion Brand Fun Fur) was donated by a woman in the local charity knit group. No-Hair Day Hat Lion Brand Fun Fur yarn (Rainbow) Pattern : Head Huggers "No-Hair Day Hat"   or   Chemo Hat (Ravelry link) Needles : US size 9 Yarn : Lion Brand Fun Fur           Colorways:  Deep Sea and Rainbow Do you like knitting with novelty yarns?

September 2017 Progress on the I ♥ Fall KAL has been slow: I've been distracted with other knitting and sewing projects. The dark yarn is difficult to knit without good light, and I've dropped several stitches in poor light conditions. Pattern : ribbed cuff - socks Needles : US size 2 Yarn : Zauberball Crazy (#2312 - Piano Bar)           based on the yarn in the ball, I am surprised it is knitting up so dark           The yarn was introduced in  this earlier post Stitch count: 64 for the ribbed cuff, 60 after the gusset decrease Heel : Square Heel (aka - Dutch Heel) from Heels by Number The weather has taken a definite turn in recent days - cold, damp, and rainy. Snow has fallen in the high country and seems to be working its way down the mountain. I am hoping that Fall will not allow Winter to dominate during this transition.

sock yarn and tea After the tour of the woolen mill on Saturday, we drove north to Sheridan, WY to visit The Fiber House , a wonderful yarn shop, stuffed with luscious yarn. With great difficulty, I kept my stash enhancement limited to one fun-colored skein of sock yarn. The tea from Mystic Monks Coffee  - also located in Wyoming - was purchased at the woolen mill. More information about the monks can be found here . To help break up the three-hour road trip, we played games on the bus (thank you, Sara for this idea). I selected a skein of sock yarn (big surprise, right?) and a cute box to store knitting notions from the prize bag. The trip was enjoyable - I did some knitting, chatted with friends, learned a great deal about the processing wool into yarn,  and saw a lot of Wyoming through the windows of the bus.

baby hats knit with scrap sock yarn The two hats on the top were knit with scraps from this pair of socks , the pink tone hat was knit with scraps from a shawl that has yet to be blocked, and the small hat in the front was knit with assorted scrap sock yarn. I enjoy the helical stripe technique when using assorted scraps, especially when I use a solid yarn for the coordinating and dominate color. The helical stripe technique is easy and fun technique - have you tried it yet?

testing the temperature of the molten bronze August 2017 Eagle Bronze Foundry Lander, WY As Sue and I exited the plaster and drying room, we discovered two men preparing to pour molten bronze into molds. One of the men tested the temperature of the bronze with a long rod with a thermometer at the end. removing the molds from the kiln where the wax was melted, leaving a mold of plaster As the temperature increased, the molds were removed from a kiln. The kiln melts the wax inside the mold, leaving only a mold of plaster. Our guide told us the melted wax is captured and reused many times. The  molds were placed in a bed of sand. You can see the glowing crucible of molten bronze with a bar clamped on it. carefully, the molten bronze is poured into the waiting molds the amount of strength it takes to handle the crucible  filled with molten bronze was evident.  The man on the right without the protective gear came in and help with the pour beca...

hot pads and coaster Last week, Mary H. showed the sewing group her technique in making coasters and bowls using clothesline and fabric strips. I have several of Mary's coasters and have admired the bowls she's made and was thrilled when I heard the September program was learning the technique. I made the light blue table pad the day of the class, and the large hot pad (9 x 13") and a mug coaster (5") when I got home. I haven't tried making a bowl yet, but I will soon. Thank you Mary for a fun class. The coaster technique is explained here  and the bowl technique is explained here .