The power going out in Mahone Bay happens as frequently as winning the lottery. Actually, maybe there are better odds on winning than being left in the dark. How is that for praise of our town? We have a fantastic history of few power outages and if they do occur it’s doesn’t last long as the team hits the road to fix the problem immediately. So I must say I was very surprised to find myself sitting in the dark last evening, especially when I was trying to hook, had just pulled about a dozen loops and then couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. When one wants to hook, one wants to hook and I will admit I was thoroughly annoyed.
Usually if the power bombs it’s due to a storm but although the wind was blowing it wasn’t anything to worry about as far as securing the composter or checking the BBQ on the back deck. I don't think it was an accident, I didn't hear any sirens or ambulance whip by the house. Maybe it was scheduled, I don’t read the flyers but usually those planned outages occur in the middle of the night when most folks are fast asleep. I phoned Shane who lives in the center of town and he had power so the trouble was on the grid on my end. Thoughts of hopping in the car and going to the shop were considered but it was raining pretty heavily and with my luck, I’d arrive at the shop as the power came back on, which I wouldn’t know about because I wouldn't be home.
There isn’t much to do in the dark, especially when there is no one to snuggle with. I lit a few candles and wondered if there would be enough light to hook by but the amber glow didn’t cut it unless it was very close and who wants flickering flames close to my wool or my hair....it’s hard enough to keep it on my head without singeing the crap out of it! And that’s when I thought of the Lee Valley gadget I'd given hubby a few Christmases back. A neat head lamp which hubby uses out in the yard to pile firewood when the light gives way to darkness. As I dug around in the drawer, I prayed the batteries were good as it hadn’t been used for some time. They weren’t at one hundred percent power but cast enough light so I could resume hooking. The electricity was out close to two hours and that was all the time needed to hook my little cone Santa. Generally, I’m a fast hooker, but really, except for the face in a #5 cut, everything else was a #8 so it almost hooked itself. I’m making a bunch of kits for the Father Christmas Festival and the samples all sold last year save for the one I gave to Mrs. Claus when she and Santa visited this summer. Kits always sell better when there’s a visual aid so I thought I would whip up three, a red, a green and a blue one. I finished the last loop about five minutes before the power came back on so I was able to steam press it to take to the shop tomorrow to cut out. Tonight I hope to do the other two and then hand sew them into cones at tomorrow at the hook-in.
So note to self. Buy batteries for the next emergency. All you hooking gals, ask Santa to stuff one of these fabulous lights in your Christmas stocking. It’s a must have and should be part of your survival kit. RayVac makes the head lamp that comes with a stretchy headband to hold it in place. I highly recommend one for power outages; it’s perfect for crafts or reading. It is much safer than burning candles and is hands free so you can move around the house without bumping into things and find your way up and downstairs easily without dragging the candelabra with you like something out of a Frankenstein movie. It sure was a gem and beats twiddling your thumbs.
Usually if the power bombs it’s due to a storm but although the wind was blowing it wasn’t anything to worry about as far as securing the composter or checking the BBQ on the back deck. I don't think it was an accident, I didn't hear any sirens or ambulance whip by the house. Maybe it was scheduled, I don’t read the flyers but usually those planned outages occur in the middle of the night when most folks are fast asleep. I phoned Shane who lives in the center of town and he had power so the trouble was on the grid on my end. Thoughts of hopping in the car and going to the shop were considered but it was raining pretty heavily and with my luck, I’d arrive at the shop as the power came back on, which I wouldn’t know about because I wouldn't be home.
There isn’t much to do in the dark, especially when there is no one to snuggle with. I lit a few candles and wondered if there would be enough light to hook by but the amber glow didn’t cut it unless it was very close and who wants flickering flames close to my wool or my hair....it’s hard enough to keep it on my head without singeing the crap out of it! And that’s when I thought of the Lee Valley gadget I'd given hubby a few Christmases back. A neat head lamp which hubby uses out in the yard to pile firewood when the light gives way to darkness. As I dug around in the drawer, I prayed the batteries were good as it hadn’t been used for some time. They weren’t at one hundred percent power but cast enough light so I could resume hooking. The electricity was out close to two hours and that was all the time needed to hook my little cone Santa. Generally, I’m a fast hooker, but really, except for the face in a #5 cut, everything else was a #8 so it almost hooked itself. I’m making a bunch of kits for the Father Christmas Festival and the samples all sold last year save for the one I gave to Mrs. Claus when she and Santa visited this summer. Kits always sell better when there’s a visual aid so I thought I would whip up three, a red, a green and a blue one. I finished the last loop about five minutes before the power came back on so I was able to steam press it to take to the shop tomorrow to cut out. Tonight I hope to do the other two and then hand sew them into cones at tomorrow at the hook-in.
So note to self. Buy batteries for the next emergency. All you hooking gals, ask Santa to stuff one of these fabulous lights in your Christmas stocking. It’s a must have and should be part of your survival kit. RayVac makes the head lamp that comes with a stretchy headband to hold it in place. I highly recommend one for power outages; it’s perfect for crafts or reading. It is much safer than burning candles and is hands free so you can move around the house without bumping into things and find your way up and downstairs easily without dragging the candelabra with you like something out of a Frankenstein movie. It sure was a gem and beats twiddling your thumbs.
Plaids are scrumptious to work with. I over dyed this green plaid slightly to dull down the white lines running through it. They still show but don't drag your eye to them.
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