Wyoming Breezes

October 2022 I can't believe it took me so long to finish this pair of socks! Cast on -- July 2022 First sock finished --   August 2022 Second sock finished -- October 2022 I've decided to take a long break from sock knitting. 

October 2022 I did my best to evade the coronavirus, but it found me last week. Ironically, I had an appointment for the third booster jab on Friday -- the very day I tested positive for the virus.  On Monday, I thought it was merely an allergy flare as it started with a runny nose (typical allergies) and a sore throat. The next day, the hoarseness settled in my throat, and I developed a slight cough. Wednesday, I thought I was okay as the test I took was negative. By Thursday, the cough had turned into hacking and the hoarseness was terrible. Friday morning, I retested and wasn't really surprised by the positive result.  I'm very grateful I was vaccinated because I have no doubt I would have been much sicker without the protection it offered.  This morning, I am feeling almost human again: the cough has all but disappeared and the hoarseness is nearly gone, too. I'll retest on Wednesday and Thursday to see if the virus has moved on.  Beware that some of the symptoms...

Mule deer doe and her two fawns September 2022 Imagine my surprise to look out my patio door and find this doe and her fawns nibbling berries off of the shrubs. This doe basically lives on the Grand Villa grounds. finding shelter on the eastern edge of the property near the privacy fence. That area provides her with protection, plenty of grazing, and access to water. I rarely see her near my apartment because it is next to two busy streets, but I'm glad she decided to share her family with me for a few minutes. 

Four-Patch Charm 64 x 70 inches Quilt of Valor #226 The Four-Patch Charm pattern has been on my radar for over a year, and I glad that I finally used it to make a Quilt of Valor.  The blocks have a LOT of bias edges, so they require gentle handling. I also used Best Press (a spray starch) to help eliminate some of the stretch that bias edges create. Only one of the fabrics gave me problems (a red batik that stretched quite a bit and required several pins to tame it.) Pattern information can be found on this earlier post . 

colorful balls of scrap sock yarn September 2022 I planned to knit baby hats with the growing pile of leftover sock yarn; however, after knitting three hats, I lost interest, and the pile of leftovers grew. Saturday, I assessed the yarn and decided to cast on a Silver Lining hat , which is a double-sided hat that I’ve knit twice.  Of course, this pile of yarn will make more than one hat, but one hat will make a dent in the remnants.  I pulled these colors, determined their weight, and cast on the first section of the hat.  The Silver Lining hat is a mindless knit, and I’m ready for that kind of project. 

September 2022 The Redcliffe socks have been a slooow slog, but since I was able to turn the heel and knit the gusset yesterday, the end might be in sight.  Clearly, my desire to knit socks is waning, and once this pair is finished, I going to take a break and knit other items. 

The Architecture of Civility by David Reif (2015) located in a courtyard north of Albany County Courthouse 2022 I seriously do not have a clue about this sculpture. It's interesting and has a LOT of things to see and to ponder. I'll let you decide what you think about it.  What are your thoughts?

August 2022 I can't help but shake my head when I see an error like this. The sign was probably produced at the corporate level and is likely in every Goodwill in the United States. Fortunately, our brain translates this automatically, so many people do not even notice two letters were transposed. 

The new project is progressing thanks to a day free from errands and appointments. I paired the squares of the background fabric with the four-patches sewn from the "nickels/charms" 5 inch squares. The four-patches and background squares were place right sides together, and I sewed a quarter of an inch all the way around the squares. The next step was to make two diagonal cuts on the sewn units, creating four separate blocks that once pressed looked like this . . . Oops, I placed the top right and the lower left in the wrong positions, but you get the idea. I told you there was a surprising result to this unique construction.  Here's a preliminary setting for some of the blocks. I'll be moving them around to make sure they are in a fairly random order.  The pattern is called Four-Patch Charm by Kathy Schwartz. (free pattern link) or also on her blog here

four-patch units ready to be paired with background fabric September 2022 On Friday, I started a project that I'd prepped in January. This Quilt of Valor is being made with 5 inch squares from previous QOV tops/backings. (Some quilters call the 5 inch squares "nickels.") The pattern I'm using requires 96 nickels, sewn into four-patch units. Nine and a half inch squares of a background fabric will be paired with the four-patch units.  The construction of this quilt is unique with a surprising result. 

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 

Bond's Brewing Mural in the alley behind Bond's Brewing (Second Street) painted by Dan Toro Laramie, WY September 2022 This colorful mural was painted this summer and is definitely one of my favorites. I love the bright colors and the image.  The mural was painted by Dan Toro. You can read about him and the other mural artists here .  Isn't the blue sky amazing! This is the first summer in years that wildfire smoke hasn't clogged the sky in Wyoming.

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. 

On the end of the kitchen counter and next to the garage door is a pottery yarn bowl where my keys live. I don’t have to search for misplaced keys because they are placed here when I get home and grabbed from the bowl when I leave.  I also place any important papers or reminders on top of the bowl.  Do you have a designated place for your keys? 

Albany County mobile library August 2022 Before the pandemic, the public library purchased a used mobile library from National County. It was refurbished and painted to identify it as the Albany County book mobile. The library posts its schedule and travels to areas that contain apartments, frequently visited stores, and outlying areas. A couple of weeks ago I found the book mobile in the Middle School parking lot about three blocks from my apartment. How cool is that! 

vertical garden  between First andSecond Streets on Garfield  Laramie, WY August 2022 Parts of the garden have done better than others this summer. The garden has vegetables and flowers tucked in between the slits in the metal columns. It adds a bit of green to downtown Laramie.  violas and lettuce flourishing side by side

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. 

Waiting Room Spectacles painted by Favian Hernandez north wall of Laramie Vision Clinic South Second Street, Laramie, WY August 2022 This new mural is in an area called Laradise Lane on South Second Street. This open area between two buildings was created when a fire destroyed the building that stood there. The space contains picnic tables (many with umbrellas), large outdoor games (Connect Four and Jenga), and large wooden planters with flowers that separate the area into private spaces.  The mural was commissioned by Laramie Eye Clinic (whose building on which the mural is painted) and the Laramie Public Art Coalition.

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.