Blackout!

So, what do you do when you're stuck in the dark with no electricity for 12 hours? Sleep? Heck no! If you're hardcore (which I apparently am) you'll craft, lights be damned!

If you haven't already heard, the day after Christmas a lightning storm took out one of the electrical power plants (we have four) on my island (O`ahu, in Hawai`i), causing the other 3 to shut down totally as a safety precaution. It was already evening (7:00 pm) so when the lights went out, they really went out, EVERYWHERE; even the infamous Waikiki was pitch black! The entire island was completely without electricity the entire night and some people didn't get power back until late the next day. You may have heard about our blackout for two reasons: it was island-wide, and President Barrack Obama was staying with his family in Kailua! He was sent four generators by the governor and mayor, but like a trooper he turned them away, and sat in the dark like the rest of us.... isn't that awesome?!

It was actually the second time in my life I've been in complete darkness, which is usually hard because I live in the middle of a genuine metropolitan hustle and bustle city. It really makes you appreciate modernization when you have to do everything by candlelight... no wonder some people go to bed at dusk and wake up with the sun! Everything was so dark and quiet, people literally had to dig out their hurricane candles and flashlights. It was kinda funny actually; you could tell people started getting bored because lots of people began illegally setting off their fireworks meant for New Years.

Anyway, I started getting bored too, so I decided to wet felt some arms and legs for my new amigurumi bearlets, premiering January 2009. I have since come to the conclusion that it is better to needle felt such things, although it was a good craft to do for 5 hours in the dark!