Thursday, July 17, 2014

My Accident - Part XIII

It has been almost five months now and I am healing nicely. I know one thing is very important to do and that is keep up with any exercises that are given to you by therapy. I could see the difference as the weeks pass especially how my left leg got stronger to carry me since I was non-weight bearing on the right leg. You need to set up a regiment as to when you will do your exercises and stick to it. I use my clicker counter from my crafts for my exercise periods so that I can keep track of where I was in my count. Another use for that handy tool.

Eating properly causes for a much speedier recovery. Less salt in the diet can help with swelling and add more green leafy vegetables to your diet if they were not there already and taking vitamins. Drinking a good amount of water and cutting down the sugars would help also. My focus was all about healing properly. When I first came home I didn’t feel like eating but then as time went by I started eating more and snacking more. The snacking I try to keep under control

I am able to get out now without worrying about falling as much because I can put weight on both feet. What a wonderful thing. I can go to the supermarket with a friend and shop. What I have been enjoying is riding around the store in one of those electronic carts you drive. The stores Walmart and the supermarket Shoprite both have them. But at Walmart they are right at the door when you come in which is very convenient. But at Shoprite I didn't even know they had them. The first time I went to the store I hopped around which was not a good thing and it took so long to shop. when I got to the register the girl said that they have the electronic carts. I didn't know because they were way in back of the store where you couldn't see them. The next time I went and every time after you better believe I had one of the workers bring me a cart. What a huge difference that made and it helped in cutting the time down for the person that was helping me. So don't just assume that the store doesn't have one - ask. You might also be surprised.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

My Accident - Part XII

There is another service that might be in your area and that is home delivery from the supermarket. One gift that I so appreciated came from a knitting group that I attend at one of the libraries, I also teach at. I was so surprised when they gave me a gift card for a supermarket. And boy was it on time. I had went a little more than a month and a half with enough food in my freezer and frig that I didn’t need any big grocery order. Well, the day came and I had the gift card for Stop & Shop Supermarket. They have an online service called PeaPod. For me the service was great. It is convenient and they also have specials for first time users like for me, I have 60 days to use the service and I won’t be charged to deliver my groceries. I heard about the service but of course we are so use to being able to do for ourselves that I never paid attention to it. Now I will use it for a bit until I can get fully back on my feet. I still need a couple of things picked up for me because they don’t have everything you want. I think they are working out of a warehouse.

There was a small group of seniors that I would visit either the craft group they had or socially to eat together. They wanted to do something for me. So they also got together and what a wonderful surprise it was when I opened their card and saw another gift card for a different supermarket. You gotta eat right.

Because you might have grocery deliveries or someone to go to the store for you having money in the house is important and make sure it is in small bills.

When someone is in need you can’t always get there but the mail can. So if you are wondering what you can do or a group of you can do finding out what supermarket is around the area that your friend or family member uses or has a service for their area it's a great gift that really comes in handy.

Another great gift is if your family can’t get there and they want to do something for you then have them pitch in to get someone in to clean your place one time. Having a clean place helps the healing process because you are not so stressed after not being able to clean your place. And you can be home to guide them – a little because you want them to do their job.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

My Accident - Part XI

There is another frustration that happened. I would be either leaving a room or back at my chair and I said oh no I forgot this or that. Hobbling around on one leg is no joke and it is tiring. So before you leave an area look around to make sure you are not forgetting anything because you don’t want to have to go back and get an essential item you left behind.

You need to keep setting yourself up each day. As you think of things that would make your situation easier keep making adjustments. For example, I just happen to have brought on sale toilet paper and paper towels. But they do you no good if you can’t get at them. Make sure that a few rolls of toilet paper are right there at your reach. I had one roll of paper towels in a plastic bag right by me because just in case I spill something I have it especially when I was eating.

That’s another thing you want to set up. Where are you going to eat and what are you going to use? My kitchen table was part of my command central. Well for me it also has my printer on it which takes up space. So looking around your house and asking whoever will be coming over to set you up with things that will make it easy for you to be in your house by yourself.

I used two things: one was a glass bowl with a good lid top on it for my cereal and plastic containers with a tight lid to put my soups in. It worked for me because it was a good size to be able to put it in my pouch bag on my walker so that I could get to my seat. It worked great.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

My Accident - Part X

The million dollar question was who was going to help me. As I had mentioned in a post that I was helping my aunt as she recovered from her fall so she couldn’t come where I live to help me. And my other aunts are not spring chickens so they wouldn’t be able to come. So who would do it? Don’t get the idea that it is this person’s responsibility or that friend’s responsibility or your family’s responsibility unless it is a husband, wife or children then in my opinion that is different. Because the bottom line is anyone else are volunteers to your cause if they want to help at all. If you feel certain people should step up to help you will be very disappointed. I was very pleasantly surprised and found out that the extension of friendship came out and I have help from places I didn’t expect. I have been very fortunate. Because I am independent I don’t need a lot of help all the time. But there are those things that are a must as I have mentioned.

There were those that came forward to help and I am forever grateful. For food I have had a variety for four months. Different homemade soups filled my freezer and they are great for the winter especially the kind that I have had. I’ve had baked ziti, fried chicken to mention a few foods that freeze well. Keep it simple. I also had a plastic container that had three separate sections with a secure lid that worked well to carry in my walker bag. Any food items that might leak put them in a plastic bag first before putting it in your walker bag.

When I first came home from the hospital I was not hungry or should I say I didn’t eat as I had before. But the apatite has grown to a normal rate That’s just part of the healing process because it is a process.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

My Accident - Part IX

Generally when your family, friends or even co-workers say that they want to help they do. So to make it easier on them and you keep a continuous grocery list going. Time is precious and you don’t want anyone that is helping you to have to wait around until you figure out what you need. When you run out of something then put it down on the list. I suggest that your notebook be used for those different reasons: grocery list, to do list (like phone calls and such), doctor list with telephone numbers, friends that you don’t remember their telephone numbers and you don’t have their numbers in your cell phone.

When it comes to grocery shopping everyone shops differently. Some people are into brands only and others mix and still others only get non-brands. Don’t assume that the person is going to know what brand you use or what brand you think is the best. You want shopping for you as easy and clear as you can. Be specific in your list of items. When you are making your ongoing list of groceries put next to it the brand so that if you are on the phone giving the list to the person then you can also give them the brand. You could also send an email with the items and brand of each to make it easier if this will be the person that will do you’re shopping. If you can’t remember a particular brand use one of the supermarket online stores and do a search to find that brand name. if you still have the packaging of your favorite products you can show them that for quicker viewing on the store shelf. Also, I look at the sale circular and I circle which items I want to get for that week that is on sale and they could bring that with them to the store. You also want to tell them the size because that could be confusing also.

There are a few items that I don’t like in the store brand so I told my friends and this way they are not frustrated in the store trying to figure out what you want or calling you every few minutes trying to figure it out. This way they won’t mind going back to the store for you instead of looking at it as a nightmare experience. And don’t be upset if they brought a couple of items in the wrong brand or wrong size. Remember that getting anyone to help you is not always easy so cherish the helpers or they could disappear leaving you to fend for yourself.

I had a girlfriend that came over and she wanted to stop and pick me up dinner. I knew she was going to pass the supermarket so I asked her to pick up a couple of things. If you do that when ones are coming over or if you say when you are going to the store for yourself if you could pick up a couple of things for me then it is not going out of their way. And if you ask a couple of friends then it won’t be like one friend is doing this huge shopping with all these bags. That’s why it is so important to have that pad with you and make that shopping list. Also you want to cross off the items from your list so that you don’t get double of the same item.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

My Accident - Part VIII

Another thing is write down a list of things you need people to get or do for you around the house when they come over. I remember my aunts physical therapist saying just ask people to do one thing so they won’t feel burdened if someone happens to stop by. People want to help but sometimes time is limited or they don’t know what to do when they visit you. Make it easy for them by having a list then when they come they can feel like they helped you but was not overwhelmed with tasks to do that would make them think twice about coming over again.

The most important things for me was garbage and recyclables taken out, mail brought up, water plants and one load of clothes taken away to be washed. If you have a washer and dryer that is golden. I can’t begin to tell you that you should be so thankful for that. Even if it is in a place like the basement that you can’t get to at least someone can throw a load of clothes in while they are there and once it is in the dryer it can stay a bit until the next person comes. In the situation that we are in we can’t worry about wrinkles in clothes. I always have to think twice when using too many clothes items because when will they get washed and they pile up. Make sure that you have a couple of large plastic garbage bags and a couple of medium garbage bags for easy access near the garbage container. There is nothing worse than smelly garbage that you can’t get out of the house. My aunt brought these scented garbage bags and they worked out great.

Both a cousin and a friend said they would take all my clothes and I avoided that one and I told them I wanted to spread the task of helping me around. This again lets them help you without regretting that they have all this extra stuff they have to do along with their own stuff. You don’t want anyone to feel overwhelmed and overburdened.

I also needed some of my craft supplies closer to me and that was a huge help. Or getting things up high and you can’t reach it. When the aid was here the most important things was washing my hair and changing the bedding. This one did the dishes for me, took out the garbage and brought up the mail. But personal care is needed to keep the aid. They are not housekeepers but some don’t mind helping out. Another essential thing that I would not think of was pants with wider legs. For me being in a cast I needed a few pants that I could slip over the cast. I cut a couple of exercising pants but you don’t want to have to cut up your pants. So one of my friends went to a second hand shop and got a couple of pants that I could use with wider bottoms. She got one man jogging pants that worked really well.

Thursday, May 29, 2014

My Accident - Part VII

What other items become needed? I drink a lot of water so a couple of water bottles were important to me. One was for my bedroom and one for wherever I was sitting during the day. If you are a tea or coffee drinker that needs to be set up. A friend brought me an electric hot water kettle and I love it. I have it where it is easily accessible and where I sit during the day. I had another friend bring me a mug with a good handle and top which I was able to hold in my hand while I walk (it was a very short distance to a table). It’s the little things that we don’t think are important when we are use to just walking over and getting something so easily but that becomes major when you are hobbling around on one leg.

What else became so essential? A bag that I could hook onto my walker. Oh my goodness, how important that came to be as I would hobble along from one room to another. When you have no free hand to carry anything the bag becomes your best friend. I set out at first to make my own. I started crocheting one and for some reason lost interest in it after a friend gave me hers to borrow. It has two strips of Velcro which made it easy to put on, remove and adjust on the walker.

So what items did I carry in my bag? A notebook and pen is number one. Having one place to put notes in is essential. You don’t want to be writing things on separate pieces of paper like important phone numbers, doctor appointments, grocery lists etc… Don’t forget items like a container of wipes and lotion. I have these items in a bag by my bed and where I sit most of the day. You are not going to be able to get up all the time to wash your hands so the wipes come in handy and also my skin gets dry so I want lotion by me.

I had a friend that gathered a big bag of grocery bags. And at first I said that’s a lot of bags. But you know I have gone through a lot of them. I have a garbage bag where I sit all day, one by my bed and I use one in the bathroom so that it is easy to grab when gathering the garbage to be taken out. I want to throw this away and I can’t get back up, If you have an injury like mine you don’t want to get back up because it takes energy. Making your space more convenient is huge. You want to make the situation as pleasant as possible.

Something else that was a challenge is that I had a cat. I kept telling myself to establish with a pet sitter just in case and I never did. You might be in the same boat. I am fortunate in one way because I have a cat and not a dog. Cats don’t need a lot of anything just food, water and a clean place to poop. With that said though, you need supplies for a longer period of time so that you won’t have to worry about it.

One of my friends is a pet sitter so I didn’t have to explain about what to get just the brand. That was easy for me. I have enough food for two months and cat litter also. My friend found me a couple of toys that are battery operated so that my Shadow (my babies name) could still get exercise and play time since I couldn’t play with him as I usually do. The challenge for me was getting him water since I was non-weight bearing and I am using a walker. So his bowls are nearest to the bathroom so I would bend and push it towards the bathroom and change the water and when I was putting it back in place I would use the end of the mop to push it along. What we have to come up with to do the things that need to be done. We become creative.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

My Accident - Part VI

When you are faced with a situation like this and you live by yourself you don’t know who or if anyone will be there for you. I was pleasantly surprised. To start things working two of my dear friends came over that Saturday and rearranged my stuff so that my walker could be used more comfortably and safely. One of my friends calls it command central. But you know it makes a lot of sense. I really appreciated their help and needed it desperately.

The refrigerator was rearranged so that the most recent foods are put behind the foods that needed to be used first. My food shelf was rearranged so that I could get things that I use daily up front and brought down closer to my reach. What a beautiful thing. In the dish drain I keep a set of silverware for easy reach, one small plate and plastic containers with lids in different sizes. I was fortunate because my friend borrowed a walker with the wheels and seat. That has been the best thing I could have since I’m non-weight bearing (meaning no weight on the bad leg). It is small enough to get around my apartment but I mostly use it in the kitchen and it makes it so easy to do tasks like the dishes (I don’t have a dish washer) to get to the refrigerator and roll back to the counter.

I don’t have counter space so I put some things in plastic grocery bags and hung them up where I could reach them easily. Because I don’t have counter space I use my ironing board for space to put my dishes and plastic ware on because it is easily accessible and that is what is needed. You don’t want to take a chance and try to reach for anything on a shelf and rise up on your toes just to lose your balance and come down on that bad leg would not be good. So think of things that you need every day and make sure they are put at a place that you can easily get them. You must get out of the way what you don’t use so that there is room for things you will be using on a daily bases.

My kitchen table was used for specifics. I had brought a lazy suzy (it is round and it swivels around) for just organizing a few things for easy reach in the food closet before I fell but now it works out great for my vitamins and a couple of boxes of herbal teas. I am able to be in the chair I use and swivel it around and get what I need. I have a bag of paper napkins and a roll of paper towels. These are things that you can easily forget when you settle down with your food. I also have plastic utensils just in case you forget something to eat with, plastic bag of toothpicks and plastic bag with salt and pepper packs.

For safety reasons make sure you take up any area rugs that are not secured down. You don’t want to slip on them. I don’t have any rugs except in my bedroom which is a wall to wall rug. But I used the socks from the hospital since they had the gripping bottoms and they worked well for me. But they wear out so before you leave the hospital ask for another pair so you can change up. One of my friends brought a couple of extra pairs at the dollar store.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

My Accident Part V

You might be someone that is just starting to read my blog and wonder why I am writing about my injury. It's because it was a shock to me when it happened and I didn't know what to expect or what to do. I hope me writing about it can help others that are also shocked by what happens to them and maybe help them to breath and plan towards healing. Or you could know someone that needs a little guidance through the ordeal.

The first few days can be most trying because you are adjusting and you are probably hurting on different degree levels. Just remember that you are going to have off days meaning some days you will be up and others you will be down. You might be uncomfortable with pain or throbbing. You might have too much time to think about your situation. You can’t predict how you are going to feel physically or emotionally from day to day. I've learned that the best thing to do is take one day at a time.

When I first came home from the hospital I was in an unusual good mood. I think the drugs were still working. I felt fine about the whole thing. And then as time went on I started feeling the ups and downs that my situation brings. I was on pain medicine at first. I'm the type of person that only takes them as needed and the pain was not bad. We are not all the same in the pain department.

Before I saw the X-rays I didn’t know where the pins and plates really were even though the doctor said they were on both sides of my ankle. At my first doctor visit I saw the x-rays and where the pins and plate were. I felt better after that. Now I knew why I have pain in certain places. The pain would come sharply and then subside. I never knew when the pain was going to come. It was essential for me to see the x-rays and for my doctor to explain just what is where and what to expect. Not everyone wants to know all the details.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

My Accident Part IV

I tell you that you really don't know how these injuries can wipe your energy level especially me because I am still working and after work I want to go to bed. Hopping on one leg during the day makes you really tired. I had all in tentions of keeping this blog up but I am just tired alot. But I still want to share so I am still going to write the posts.

Continuing with my accident, when the hospital thinks that you are going to be taken care of services that you are entitled to can be put on hold. I wasn't thinking about that. I didn’t even know about the services that I could get. I had gotten my walker which was number one that I needed and a raised toilet set. I didn’t know that even though I left the hospital and didn't make any arrangements that I still was entitled to a nurse, home health aide, physical therapist and occupational therapist. You get those tid bits of information when others you are around have been through hospital stays.

One thing to remember is that if you have insurance there are certain things that you are entitled to and you need to talk with the social worker or Patient Relations, whatever the person is called that handles those things and have that discussion to see what could be set up. I know where I was the social worker did the leg work for me which was really nice. She got in touch with the insurance company and found out what I was entitled to. The number of visits can vary and change depending upon how you do once you are home but find out what you can get.

You want to make sure that when you leave the hospital you are set with what you need. Take with you your basin, water container, bed pan. You paid for them and you might need them at home. Make sure that the doctor or nurse instructs you on blood clot prevention like baby aspirin or Bayer but make sure you ask about that and how often to take it and a prescription for pain medicine. Ask if compression stockings would help for blood clot prevention. Make sure you see the social worker to get set up with things your insurance will cover from crutches to a grabber. Also discuss what you might be graduating to from the walker. Is it a four foot cane or regular cane and you can maybe get that so that you would be set for later. It will just make your healing process so much better having as much as you can in place.

My cousin picked me up from the hospital and I came home. What an ordeal I had when I arrived home with the ice situation at my complex which I am not even going to get into.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

My Accident - Part III

I can't believe that I am trying to get back to writing my my blog and I got sick with a virus. I felt aweful. It's hard enough walking on one leg but then when you are sick and you don't want anyone to come over because you don't want them to be sick you reach that point. But I am finally feeling better so now it is back to writing my blog.

My accident was just so unreal because here I was up and down the road for two months helping my aunt that fell and needed assistance. But that is what made it so unreal. She was at the point that she could do things on her own and then I fall. How unreal is that. So since we are both in the same situation with injuries and healing we compare notes every day. We have a bond with our injuries.

So I was operated on the next day and when I woke up I had a cast from my toes to my knee. I believe that is when it hit me. There was nothing I could do to change what happened so I would have to do what I have found the best thing to do since I got laid off – accept the situation, start adjusting to the situation, go on and start focusing on healing.

My first mistake. Things can go so fast that you don’t think. Years back if you went into the hospital you would at least be there a few days. Today if you have a hip replacement, knee replacement, broken bones where that you can get out of the bed you are up and walking by the next day. So I got operated on that Wednesday and I was up on my walker by Thursday.

Now my mistake was I told the doctor and the social worker that I was going to stay with my aunt for a couple of weeks. And at first that was what I was going to do. But then I thought about who is going to pack all my stuff. And I had stuff to pack. I had me and my work computer and the cat and litter pan. I couldn’t help to carry anything and I would have to be set up once I got there. That just made me crazy just thinking about it. I decided that I was not going to go anywhere. I packed for two months and was up and down the road for my aunt so just the thought of doing that now that I am only on one leg it ain’t happenin. So I decided to stay home. Well, if you live alone and you tell the doctor that you are going home to be by yourself usually they will not let you go home that fast.

Friday, April 4, 2014

My Passion Returned

You know how they say a person can play the piano by ear. Well, with knitting and crochet I like to see if I can figure something out just by looking at a picture. I guess you can call that knitting and crochet by sight. Whenever you are so mentally involved with something that is a passion you are always trying to increase your skill.

Since my accident different ones have said to me, "I know that you are going to get to a lot of knitting" or "We are going to see a lot of show and tell from you". To tell you the truth I picked up one thing when I first came home and I might have done a couple of rows every other day for a couple of weeks and then it was a complete stop. I don't know why but it was like I lost the desire. That's crazy since I teach and I would knit and crochet every day.

Now I didn't have as much time as you think. I was still working all day but from home. Then after work I was so tired that I went straight to bed and slept until either someone would call me or I would wake up around the 1:30am mark. That wasn't good.

I would talk with a couple of my students and my friends about their projects and I would look at the bags of unfinished projects that I could work on, but no I had to give it a rest I guess. Who can figure that one out. I found that I had to just go with the flow until the desire returned. As mysterious as it went it came back just as mysterious.

I was cleaning out my emails with, you know a site you get with patterns attached, and I came across a blanket that I liked. I had made a similar one before as a baby blanket but this one was going to be made out of my small balls of yarn. As you can see below I am well on my way with that one.

Then there was another blanket I had wanted to find a pattern for but couldn't. I saw a picture of a log cabin crochet blanket. Boy did that take me back to the days that I thought I wanted to quilt. I made one quilt and never did anymore. My mistake was I picked out a very intense blanket. You might have guessed it, the log cabin pattern. I just loved how it looked but I had all of thse small pieces to cut out and sew together. Thank goodness I was sewing it by machine and not by hand. But it just took me to a place that I didn't want to return. Now I just love to go to exhibits and enjoy the talents of others.

So when I saw the crochet log cabin blanket I said "I don't need a pattern for that" and I started to make it out of leftover balls of yarn. But one thing with this blanket I am going to tackle those yarn ends before they get way out of hand. Well, at least I say I am going to do that.

So I guess you could say I am back to my passion and I'm loving it again. Strange things happen.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

My Accident - Post II

It was Super Bowl Sunday (well at least I can’t forget the date) in the morning and I was on my way to the Laundromat. A typical day with a typical task to do. The bag in hand and down the stairs I start. We take so much for granted. Little things that is a given become astronomical in an accident. It was so surreal. The fall is like slow motion in my mind still. You take a step with one leg and you take a step with the other but all of a sudden the rubber on the step and the bottom of my hiking boot just didn’t go together and I started falling down. I started to slide down the stairs and my leg went under and then came back out. I remember sitting on that bottom step as my whole body shook with disbelief. I kept rocking as I held my leg saying this just can’t be happening, no this isn’t happening, why is this happening to me.

I wanted to believe it was not as bad as it really was. I don’t even fully remember how I got back up the stairs. Thank goodness I had the bag of laundry because that prevented me from hitting my head. But I tried to break the fall. Just writing this brings a chill again. I was in disbelief. I couldn’t wrap my brain around being by myself and trying to get through this experience.

I knew that ice was good for the swelling or trying to prevent a huge swell from happening. So I started to ice it. I called a couple of my friends and told them what happened. They asked me how much pain I was in. It didn’t hurt that bad. I guess because I was icing it which numbed the pain. I thought it was a bad sprain (I wanted to believe that) so I continued to ice it and watch it.

The next day we had a snow storm so no chance to go anywhere. My ankle was puffy more. So I waited until that Tuesday and my cousin took me to the hospital. I was working from home and so I kept my computer on and things around because I just knew I was going to the hospital and they would patch me up and then I was coming back home that evening.

Not – after I had my ankle X-rayed they told me the bad news. Not only did I break my ankle on both sides I had a torn ligament in the back where the heel is. I also would have to be operated on to insert pins and plates to hold it together. Of course not what I wanted to hear so I stayed in a daze until after the operation.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

My Accident

It has been a while since I have posted anything. Life just keeps me busy with things that I would rather not be busy with. I can’t believe I’m writing this because I sometimes still can’t believe it happened. I had blogged about how I was helping my aunt who fell and broke her knee and three bones in her wrist so she had to get pins and a plate which equals operation. Well now I fell. You tell yourself “How can this happen” and then you say “Who am I that accidents can’t happen to me.” Welcome to reality.

I have a lot to be thankful for but I learned some things along this journey that I thought I need to blog about to help others not to make the same errors and to share some tips on things that worked for me. This is my story but it is informational also. So you can read the full post or you can skim on what might help you or someone you know. I will talk about my story on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. It is too much to write in one post so I will break it up until I’ve told my story and shared.

I hope you personally don’t have to use it but if you can be an advocate for someone then the information will come in handy and worth me sharing.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Scrap Yarns

What would the conversation be if your scrap yarns could talk?

Scrap yarns: When will my turn be when I could show off what I can do for a project?

Full skein of yarn says: You are just scrap yarns. You are not enough to make a whole project by yourself.

Scrap yarns: I can be as beautiful as you are. It just will take team work to get the job done. But just think if we are used then the world of garbage is a little less cluttered. Also the array of colors is endless. We all come together as one. Look at the unity. And for some colors that don't think they can get along they find out that they become best of friends.

You know the creativity that comes out of using us is great and wonderful. And as you work with different stitches it can bring out the colors even more. You can go from dark to light or light to dark. You can mix all together or work within a certain color palette or color family to blend shades of color.

Narrator: As they are talking a hand comes towards them picking one of them up and putting them back down. It's hard to choose when you have so many choices.

Scrap yarns: Oh choose me, no choose me. Well, I'm not ready to go yet so I'd just rather stay behind.

Narrator: If you don't have the right shade then ask a few yarn friends for their left over balls. I'm sure they would love to share with you. This is great, for example a granny square blanket or other blankets that use color.

Scrap yarn:My owner is making a crochet granny square blanket with bobbles that she found the pattern on line.

She always has several projects going on at the same time. But because her budget is tight then our turn to be used comes up quick.
She loves color and loves to try many different variations. Take for example the Drop In The Pond blanket, another pattern she found and blended several different families of colors.
She uses the pattern for a guide but rarely uses the same colors as the pattern.

Narrator: Sometimes there is jealousy as to who should be used. Who is prettier and who would go better with the colors already chosen. But for the most part they all get along but just don't want to be ignored, discarded or underrated as to their value.

The scrap yarns were finally happy that they were chosen, remembered and used so they illuminated their colors even brighter to show their appreciation.

So what will you do or what are you doing with your scrap yarns? It is a terrific way to show your creativity.