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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Purging Pattern Time

Some people thrive on puzzles, quizes, challenges and that's great. It keeps the mind sharp. But for now life is enough of a quize for me to figure out. I don't need my knitting or crochet to be in that category. Also it's what each person chooses as their mental freedom.

What am I talking about? Understanding patterns. Pattern reading is a challenge sometimes with words. I just don't have the time I need to be able to work through a difficult to read pattern. I need simplicity. I want to pick up a pattern and just go for it without the challenge of 'what do they mean' or 'I'm suppose to do what'.

Time is of the essance. We just don't have enough of it to do all that we want to do and so simplyfying needs to be done with patterns. My new rule is if my brain doesn't understand the pattern it doesn't come in my pile to make. I am not out there to prove anything. My craft are for my de-stressing and enjoyment not stressing. And if a pattern is not connecting with me why am I doing it.

We all process information differently and some can process the most complex and others need help. People that can don't always understand or have patience with those that can't but my take on it is if it is more simplified then more will make it and it won't end up in the pile of I will finish it one day.

So I will be purging patterns. And I will pass them along because again there are ones that like the challenge of figuring it all out. Just because I don't want to figure it out doesn't mean someone else feels the same.

There have been projects I've had to let sit until I can take out the time to figure out the pattern. Students look at me funny when I say I make mistakes. Don't confused being an expert with being perfect. Thomas Edison was a master at his field but he had to make a lot of mistakes for his end result to be a success. He didn't mind figuring out all the details. He is one that didn't thrive on simplicity.

I've gotten comments from my students when I say I can't figure out a pattern. I tell them that we all process information differently. And even though I am an expert in my arena doesn't mean that I will understand everything. The way words are put together we all are not going to read them the same way. So we interprete them and sometimes it is the wrong way and of course that shows in our project. So my goal for next year is if I can read through it and understand it right away come to mama so she can enjoy making you. If not pass it on. Whatever way I can find to de-stress I'm there.

To become a master for each level meaning beginners, intermediate and advance you must embrace mistakes, learn from them and grow. A carpenter cuts up a good amount of wood the wrong way to become that master carpenter. A seamstress makes a good amount of cutting and sewing errors before knowing just how things work. So for those that like the challenges I commend you as long as you are having fun.

Enjoy the rest of your week and weekend.

2014 Coming Around The Corner

A new year is almost upon us yet again. And again we might say to ourselves the year went so fast I didn't get a chance to do some of the things I wanted to do. Or you might not have met those goals you set. At least not all of them.

So what do you do? Let's get going with a new list of goals. Those that you didn't accomplish slide them over for this next year.

I try to set goals every year. Ever since I lost my job it has been a little challenge to meet certain goals because they require money. Now you might say somewhere in my posts I am going to mention about me loosing my job. Well guess what, unfortunately I have lots of company and many could use some encouragement to keep fighting through these can be challenges and difficult times. I didn't talk about it before on my blog but that is what is going on with my journey and I need to include it. I've had to adjust my life and many out there also have had to do the same.

If you've never lost your job this might not be the blog to read then because my life is not just about my craft that I enjoy so much but it's about picking up the pieces of life and learning from the new normal how to make it work for me and maybe help others.

I finally saw my cousin to be able to give her the blanket I made for her. It was when I went home to grab a bag of stuff to return back to the hospital when my aunt had her accident. It is made with some of my scrap yarns including those left over half skeins that you ask yourself what will I do with them. She loved it. Well, when she got home her husband loved it also. In fact, he loved it so much he wrapped himself up in it right away. I told her I will surprise him with his own blanket because if not she will never be able to use hers.

As always have fun with your craft.

A Freak Accident

Life happens so unexpectedly. One minute you are enjoying yourself and the next minute something can turn that joy around.

I was over my aunts house because she had a long time friend over that has become my friend. She is an avid knitter so we try to get together every once in a while. We use to go to the Stitches convention together and a couple of other crafty things within the year. I couldn't come over early because I work in the morning so I came in the later afternoon. They had a wonderful day, they went to breakfast and to one of the local yarn shops. When I arrived we all sat around talking and catching up. The friend showed her latest project which was a beautiful cabled sweater that she was working on. When she left me and my aunt sat around talking and then she packed a goodie bag for me.

Another aunt lives next store and she had a few health items to give me so I was going over there to get them and to visit a bit. My aunt said she was going over there to get some cookies. Well, she puts on (as we discovered later) the worst shoes. If you have those shoes that are your favorite but they have you walking sideways and they are all beat up you need to get rid of them because they could be that accident waiting to happen.

We were only going right next store since they live side by side in garden apartments. We are outside and she was closing her storm door and I was opening my aunts storm door, I just turned for a few seconds and when I turned back my aunt was tumbling down four concrete stairs. She wasn't moving at first and panic started as I was shaking. Then she said I think I did something to my arm and knee. To make a long story short she didn't want an ambulance, the hospital was local, with my other aunt to help I got the car and she hobbled to the car and off we went. Come to find out she broke a bone in her knee and broke a few bones in her wrist. She had no other option with the wrist except to get surgery and pins put in. It is amazing what they can do today to patch you back up.

It happened so quickly she doesn't even know what happened. But after looking at the shoes and how far her storm door comes out and it was nighttime you can see how a misstep can easily happen that can turn into a fall. All that said even though she was in a lot of pain she turns to me once she found out she was not going home and I was coming back the next day - well you better go home and pack a big bag. Now she wasn't talking about clothes but my knitting and crochet. Only another knitter would say that.

She started to feel bad about us having to upset our schedule to come up and take care of her needs. I told her life can be an inconvenience. If I haven't learned anything else once I got laid off is that we have to adjust to life even when we don't want to. Once I lost my job I had to adjust from freedom to buy and go and do to cutting it all out to survive. It's not something I wanted to do but it was the adjustment I needed to make. It's an adjustment because you don't need travel, eating out or buying material possessions to live but it makes life sweeter and fun. You learn to go with the flow because "It is what it is." And it is not like she woke up in the morning and said, Oh I think I want to take a tumble today and go for a hospital stay.

It's only been since last Saturday but it seems longer. Thank goodness for a friend that is like family that works at the hospital at night, once her shift was over she was there and stayed with my aunt all night. You have got to have someone there in and out to make sure things are taken care of. Family has scattered and the others are up in age but the phone doesn't stop ringing and family and friends that can they do. It has not been a whole week yet and she has been in the hospital and now at the rehab already. But she is on to recovery. We just say thank goodness she did not hit her head and she is more mobile because it is the left side and she is a righty. So up the highway I go with my knitting and crochet projects without a thought because family is everything.

Be safe and enjoy your weekend. Have fun for me.

Cable Scarf Complete

You look at your left-over yarns and you just don't know what to do with them. This was a great project to use my half skeins of yarn. Combining colors and solids with varigated yarns worked out - I love it.

The pattern came from the Knit Simple Holiday 2012 magazine but the scarf was made with a solid color. When I looked at it almost immediately I thought of left-over yarn. Now reading my other posts you know I love mixing colors, using left-over and scrap yarn - waste not. This project is not good for scrap yarns because you are working with 518 stitches so running out of the yarn in the middle of the row would have caused a sweat. Not saying you couldn't work half a row and start another color because you can, but that was not what I wanted to do.

So a project like this takes a little thinking out what you want to do and looking at how much yarn you have before you start knitting. I used what I knew would make it across several rows and it worked. I only have a little ball of yarn left of two of the colors which will go into this granny square blanket I have been working on.The other two colors - well they will sit and wait for that next project that gives me the go-ahead to use them in.

On to the next project. Because there is always something on my needles.

Have fun with colors. Explore, you will be glad you did.

A Little Catastrophy With My Knitting Project

I'm sure I have lots of company when I say don't you just love it when you are going along so nicely and all of a sudden a loud screech comes out of your mouth - oh no look just what happened.

Well, that happened to me today. I was working on this Cable Scarf (in fact that is what it is called and I love the design), it's made up of ribbing and cabling. I am working on 518 stitches on a number US 6 circular needle. Maybe some of you might know what I am about to say. All of a sudden it happened - the coil came apart from the needle part and there started the tumbling of my stitches. This is a regular circular needle not interchangeable. Panic started up. But then I said that won't solve anything. So I took a deep breath and started thinking what is the fastest way to get those stitches back on a needle before they start running like a pair of stockings. Thank goodness I had another #6 circular needle.

As a new knitter sometimes what happens is that you are working on your project and you pull too hard and pull the stitches right off the needle. Oh no - look what I did. So it can happen on straight needles, circular needles and especially double pointed needles.

Now if this happens to you where your circular needle breaks and you don't have the same size, go down a size because you don't want to stretch the stitches out of proportion. And that would make it easier to pick the stitches up if you feel that crazy panic rising. That is if you have other sizes of circulars. Or just to get them back on a needle - use a straight. Nine times out of ten you will not be working on 500 stitches. Another thing you can do is take some extra yarn you have and a tapestry needle, thread it and run the yarn through all the stitches until you are able to either buy another size needle if you don't have the same size. Yes, there are other reasons for tapestry needles besides weaving in ends.

As for me, I used everything in sight to catch those stitches. I used the broken circular needle, a stitch holder and the cable needle. Then to pick up stitches that were undone I used my crochet hook and held the one next to it with my finger so that as I was fixing the one stitch the next one would not undo itself. Focus and try not to panic is the key. I didn't care if they were put on backwards because I knew I could fix them later. The object of this craziness was to get those stitches back on something.

I was trying to preserve my cable row I had just finished but a part of the row it was easier for me to just take it out and pick up those stitches instead of fumbling to pick them up as finished cable twists. If you haven't worked with cables yet you will understand this when you do.

As you can see from the picture most of the stitches I could pick up with cables in tack onto another circular needle. But there are those that are on that broken circular needle and a stitch holder (the stitch holder is another wonderful tool that can have multiple purposes.

So the next time you drop a stitch or two even more think of me. If I can handle over 500 stitches to get them back on track you can tackle a couple of stitches. Yes I know what I am doing but I still don't want that to happen. And don't panic because you think - I'm a new knitter and I don't know what I am doing. Just wait a minute, breath and then look at those stitches and think of how you can get them back on the needle. You can do it. And if it is a couple of stitches remember you can use a safety pin, stitch marker even a paper clip just to hold the stitches until you are able to pick it up with your needle.

Continue to have fun with your craft. Until next time.