The Knitter Is Down!!!

Let's get the medics in here! We are in a crisis situation, people! Quit yer rubber-neckin' and either help or get out of the way!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is not, I repeat, not a drill!!!

We have an injury. And no, I am not being overly dramatic. I heard you guys in the back muttering...I've got my eye on you. You just hush up and keep your opinions to yourself. I'm having a crisis and don't have time to monitor the rabble-rousers.

I'm sure that, by now, everyone is thinking that I am still sore from my two days of teaching crisis intervention strategies at my school district's workshop sessions. And, yes, I am. In fact, I have pulled my neck badly enough that I have to put smelly stuff on it and I can't toss my hair fetchingly. But, I could live with that. My current ailment is far, far worse. It is hobbling. If you are weak of constitution, then you'd best just surf away to a happier blog right now. This will be more than you can stomach.

I've hurt my thumb.

Yes, that's right. My thumb. In fact, it is my right thumb. And I am right handed. All you knitters and spinners just take a minute and page through your mental files on "motor memory." Are you starting to get a handle on this? Are you realizing just how much your thumb is involved in your day to day fiber activities? Are you starting to get a general sense of the state of emergency going on here????

I should hope so.

The recent marathon spinning sessions resulted in my finishing the sock yarn that turned out to be laceweight yarn. My life was forever changed and I ascended into that golden light that all lace spinners know so well. But there was an admission fee required at the gates of the Promised Land. And it was a pound of flesh.

OK...now I'm exaggerating. It was a couple layers of thumb skin. But, I'm "in the moment" so just go with me. It was my knittin' thumb so I deserve a little leeway on this.

It wasn't all that bad at first. Just a little rough patch with some raggedy skin around it. No blood or anything. So I did what any reasonable person would do in this situation. I picked at it. Probably more than I should, but you can see how this might happen.

By last night, it was really rather sore. I began to realize that my knitting was now somewhat affected. The cotton content in my sock yarn was not being all that kind to my little boo-boo and I started to panic just a bit. I also went into "treatment" mode and began regular applications of antibiotic ointment at fifteen minute intervals.

Now, a rookie knitter would have taken a break at this point and admitted that the sock was a more powerful force. There might have been more of the resting and recuperating. This is, after all, a grave injury for a yarnie. But, all evidence to the contrary, I am not a rookie. I am, if I do say so myself, A Brave Little Soldier. Hobbled I may be, but I will knit on!

And so,  armed with my antibiotic ointment, various pain relievers and local emergency services alerted to my act of bravery, I knit. I made the magic happen. My beautiful purply sock really does look best in living color...

But I look better in sepia so that's what you're getting. I may be a Brave Little Soldier and all that, but I'm not crazy.

The thumb is progressing nicely in spite of my brave, yet foolish actions. I'm giving full credit to the medical advances made by the great men and women who understand the importance of a fully functioning digit. They are the real heroes here.

And I'm assuming that not picking at it probably helped a bit, too...

SA