The Forecast: Raining Cats and Dogs

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So Forecast is finally blocking...FINALLY!!...and the Eyelet Skirt disaster has been averted (I'll show you the reblocked skirt this week, along with Forecast modelled, and provide all of the knitty gritty details of both projects: I PROMISE!!).


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I just need to choose which buttons to use; there are three choices here and I think I already know which ones I'll use. But just so y'all can have a say in the matter, here's a close-up of the button choices:
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And didn't I say the Forecast was "cats and dogs"?


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Why, yes I did. Cats and dogs indeed.

The two cats are ours. The two dogs are our friends' who have gone on vacation. Let's just say our tiny household is in a constant frenzy right now. I'm getting an up-close and personal look at why world peace is so hard to achieve...*sigh*

When Disaster Strikes....

....one should: (A) procrastinate dealing with it by admiring all of your favourite knit-bloggers, (B) decide to copy (yet again!) one of those said bloggers, (C) start a new project, (D) all of the above.

Answer: D
Hence, the Elisa Tote has been started, inspired as always by Dogged Knits (take that, pretty gymnastic girl--Ashley soooooooo rocks the house!).

Plus, this tote not only will help distract me from the Eyelet Skirt mishap, but it will also help me with my commitment to living green. (Now go join the GreenCraft group on Ravelry if you can and if you haven't done so yet. There are awesome tips being shared, and Al Gore, Leonardo, and the Earth will thank you.)



Speaking of the Earth, here's my first sunflower, which I present to those of you who helped commisserate with me on the Eyelet disaster, and who offered tips--or just sympathy! Now I'm about to go home, and face this task. I will rescue the Eyelet! I will!
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Can you see the difference in length here in the post-disaster photo? It's not the the end of the world obviously; the skirt would still be wearable (I guess), but I'm positive I can reblock it to be of the same length. It's at least worth a try...

Where Did She Go? Or, Egads! Or, The Horror, The Horror...

So I had asked you to sit down with me in yesterday's post--to read along all week of all my latest creative pursuits, including what was to be, first off, a detailed post outlining the process and finishing of the Eyelet Skirt. But let me interrupt myself before I do by saying thank you for your welcoming back comments. You are all so sweet--and especially so as you've kept me on your reading lists despite my oh-so-sparse posts as of late.

Now, you're probably wanting the pattern details I promised on the Eyelet Skirt... This is when the "egads!" and "the horror! the horror" subtitles come into play. This is also the reason for the now-vacated chair above. For, you see, I decided last night to wash gently and reblock the skirt because I had worn it already about five times, and I had noticed in the photos recently posted that it was looking a bit stretched out from all its wear. So, a nice fresh blocking for today's photo shoot and blog post was in order, I thought, to convey more of how nice the skirt had turned out, and so as to present it to the knitting world properly.

Flash forward to this morning: the side facing up is dry, the side facing down is not quite. So, instead of simply flipping it over, I decide to pop it in the dryer *very briefly* so as to speed up my photo shoot with it on (you see, the nice morning light was starting to wane and turn into the nasty harsh summer light that I didn't want).

You do know what's coming don't you?

After a very short time in the dryer, I pull out the skirt to discover that the side that was already mainly dry is now two inches shorter than the side that was still damp. However, the entire skirt is now dry. So I have a skirt where the back is considerably longer than the front. Now, I know that this is sometimes the style, but it's not the style I like or want for my Eyelet Skirt. Understandably, I threw the skirt down on the bed in horror, and left for the day. I'm home now, have taken photographic evidence of the debacle while sipping a strong, much-needed drink*, and am about to soak the skirt again in hopes that I can get the two sides to match up once again.

Any advice, dear knitters? Any suggestions? I figure I'll soak it, and then try to reblock it so that both the front and back are the same lengths again, and for whatever reason, I'm believing (vainly?!) that this will work.

In the meantime, let me present to you the newest member of our family who has been one of the many delights that has kept me away from the blog:
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This is Winston, adopted from a family whose other cat used to beat him up constantly. He's now sharing his life with Morph, and they seem to love each other already, immensely. They are constantly wrestling with each other, chasing each other, and then sleeping nicely together. It's great to watch all the kitty play and love between them.

*I'll post the photos of the disastrous, two-lengths-skirt tomorrow; I yet again forgot my camera transfer-cord at work.

I Flew The Coop, But I'm Back

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Dear, Dear Readers:

I apologize for my long absence from this blog. There has been much activity of all sorts in my life as of late (including a lot of inward reflection that has tired me out). Quite simply, I just felt that I didn't have the time or energy or motivation to blog. But as I said before, I've been reading the blogs and rambling about on Ravelry, and now I'm glad to say that I'm back, and will post every day this week with a different project (not all knitting)--all sorts of things that have kept me crafting away my life since we last spoke.

First up, for tomorrow then, will be the finished Eyelet Skirt (Kat Coyle's design) from Knitty. All details will be related. Until then, I ask that you sit down with me throughout the week, and I'll tell all...




*See you tomorrow :)