The life of a Catholic school teacher

Though my list of things to do over the summer did not get done, as it typically doesn't, one thing on the list, surprisingly, did get done. In the summer of 2009, I fell head over heels in love with a skirt that I saw on someone's project page on Ravelry. Determined to make my own Spirit Skirt, I bought a ton of yarn and a set of size 3 straight needles, double-pointed needles, and circulars, as the pattern required all three types. The skirt proved to be very labor intensive and after a solid year of working on it, I added it to my "To Do" list for the summer of 2010. It was almost a heartbreaking finale when I finished. The skirt proved to be lumpy and clingy to my legs. However, I decided to "kill" the acrylic that I used by ironing the whole skirt. The acrylic melted and stretched. Though I have to hike the skirt up to just under my bust to keep it from dragging on the ground, I'm in love.

After finishing that skirt, I began crocheting a Long-Flared Skirt that I had also seen on Ravelry. This one took me only about two months. Ecstatic to wear a handmade original at school, I wore this skirt for the first time to school about a month ago. The skirt opened to rave reviews. My principal even commented on how pretty I looked on the day I wore it.

The following week, I found myself engaged in a conversation with my principal about the State Fair that was soon approaching. I mentioned to her that I had thought about entering my crocheted skirt that I had worn the previous week. She, apparently, had not known that I had made the skirt myself. With this new knowledge, she insisted that I enter not only the Long-Flared Skirt, but the yet un-seen Spirit Skirt. She was pretty persistant in her request. So that day, I went home and entered my two skirts online. I wore the Spirit Skirt the next week, which also garnered many compliments.

Fast-forward about two weeks to an early-dismissal day today. Because my school had been engaged in standardized testing, we were treated to an 11:30 dismissal time. I took the opportunity to drive the 60+ miles to Raleigh and drop my skirts off at the fairgrounds. I was very nervous and excited. Though I do regret that I wore them before dropping them off, the yarn had started to pill in some places. Thank goodness I received a pill shaver under my tree last Christmas.

Judging for my category will take place on Tuesday, October 12th. The fair opens on Thursday, but the winners will not be revealed until Saturday, October 16th. I took my camera with me today to document my first fair entry, however, I was the only person dropping off an exhibit at that particular moment, so I opted to not look a bit on the luny side in front of a table of little, old ladies who were taking the entries. But believe me, when future hubby and I make the trek up there next Saturday, my camera will be charged and ready to snap pictures of me next to my exhibit. Will there be a blue ribbon in the pictures? Boy do I hope so. The bragging rights alone would be worth all of the hard work put into these projects.

For your viewing pleasure, I give you, my Spirit Skirt: