Out of My Hands

I have a recurring fear that something is going to happen and I won't be able to get my entries to the Fair in time.  A year's work wasted.  To ease my fear, I arranged to have the day off work.  My plan was to check all my entries, ensure I had them all and do any finishing necessary.  I was going to be at the fairgrounds by early afternoon.  I would be relaxed and there in plenty of time.  I would be organized.  If only. Instead, yesterday felt like my fears were coming true.

I woke at 5:30am and wove the ends in on the last entry.  I was going to take a picture but it was still dark out.

One of the rules of the fair is to have a sample of the yarns used for each entry attached to that entry.  I keep the yarn samples I need in envelopes for each project so I have them available to attach to the entries when I deliver them to the fair.  I counted the envelopes.  There were 32.  I had put 31 entries on the entry form.  I started going through the envelopes to see if I had forgotten to list an item on the entry form.  I was a quarter of the way through when I realized I had two envelopes for one entry.  Problem resolved.

I updated my spreadsheet tracking my projects' progress.  The computer where I have the spreadsheet is not connected to a printer and I do not have a wireless printer at home.  I had to figure out how to convert the spreadsheet to a pdf file and email it to myself.  I could then access the email on gmail from a different computer hooked up to an ancient printer.  I printed the list of completed projects so I could check off each entry as I packed it to take to Harrow.

I walked the dogs.  Harley was showing signs of difficulty getting up stairs and jumping onto furniture.  I called the vet and made an appointment for him.

I went to a funeral.

I came home to find the dogs had peed in the kitchen while I was out.  I cleaned up.

I made myself lunch.

I started putting the yarn samples on safety pins.  I had so many projects with red, white, green and black yarns I had to come up with some way of organizing the yarn samples so the right sample went with the right project.  I pined each pin with yarn to the printout of the completed entries.  I started but could not finish before it was time to go to the vet's office with Harley.

Harley got checked out.  He is fine.  We came home with some pain meds and he is doing better.

My brother called to wish me happy birthday.  He said he  sent me a package.  After the call I checked for mail delivery and found the box from my brother on the porch.  Of course I had to open it (a jigsaw puzzle).  I texted him my thanks.

I finished pinning the yarn samples.  I had two more envelopes than I had entries on my print out. Another reconciliation later; I had missed updating the spreadsheet for two entries.  I wrote those two down on the printout by hand.

I cleaned out a laundry basket and started packing up the entries.  I put them into the basket in order of entry number.  I checked off each from the printout as I put them into the basket.  I pinned booties together and booties to hats.  I pinned socks together.  I pinned whatever I needed to pin to keep entry parts together.

I put the  basket in the car.  It looked like rain.  I put a garbage bag in the car to cover the basket in case it rained.  I grabbed my purse, texted Hubby to say I was heading to Harrow.  I texted my boss to thank her for the birthday wish text.

I was half way to Harrow when I remembered I had forgotten the stand for the doll.  The entry is not acceptable without it.  I turned around and came home. 

By now it was close to the time Hubby normally gets home.  I called and texted and called again to say I came home for the stand.  Since he would be home shortly he could come with me to Harrow and help me with the entries.  I put the stand in the car.

I fed the dogs and gave Harley his pain medication.

It felt like forever before Hubby came home (it was 10 minutes).

We got to Harrow just after 6.  There was no line up for the tickets for the entries.  There was no line up to drop off the entries.  Hubby and I spent close to 1/2 hour  attaching the tickets and yarn samples to the entries.  I organized the tickets and matched them to the entries.  He undid the pins from the printout and handed them to me.  Since I had them pinned to the sheet in the order of the entry numbers (except for the two I hand wrote on the list) he was able to find each one as I needed it.  Since I had packed the basket in order of entry number we looked like a well organized team.  I had 31 entries.  There were 31 pre-printed tickets.  My fears dissapated.

We went out to dinner.  Happy birthday.

Here are the pictures of the last entries finished.

I finished the vest.  There is a pocket inside to hold the battery pack for the lights.

I finished the shawl.

Knit up a pincushion.

I somehow missed taking a picture of the finished item.  Here it is in progress.

I finished the cowl.

Again I missed taking a picture of the finished item.  I meant to when I tied in the ends.  But it was still dark out and I thought I could do it later.  The day got away from me and it was packed in the basket before I remembered the picture.  I was afraid to unpack the basket and find it.  I had visions of arriving in Harrow having left an entry behind or the entries were so mixed up we could not match the items with the tickets.

I finished the reindeer.

This was one of the earliest entries I knit.  The reindeer has been knit for months and months and not assembled.  It took me a full day to finish the assembly and make the scarf.  But he is done and is delightful.

I made something beaded.

I finished the poncho.  I knit this last September.  I forgot about it and all I needed to do to complete it was cast off and sew a short seam.  The original plan was to make it and wear it last winter. It wasn't even planned as an entry.  Since I didn't finish or wear it then, I finished it now and added it to the entries.

*  *  *

If you have a doll phobia stop here.

*  *  *

Here is my entry for a dressed doll on a stand.

It is Barbie on a shelf elf outfit.  I used an existing pattern for the dress and pants (with modifications of course) and made up the collar, hat and boots myself.  Hubby made the stand for me out of trophy parts.

I am writing this entry to keep me from pacing, fretting and otherwise driving myself crazy until I can go to the fair tonight to get the judging results.  It is not working.