Two years ago today I made an unfortunate error with my footing, fell, and broke my right [good] arm, very close to the shoulder. It was the first time in my life I had ever broken a bone. My friends know all about it, so I hope I won't bore them to death AGAIN. It was impossible to set it in a cast, so I was sent home from the hospital with the arm in a sling, plus a packet of painkillers. I often wonder what might have happened had I needed a pin inserted. I had visions of me with a bottle of whisky and bone to bite on prior to surgery, a la John Wayne!!!
Ah well, it was a time to sit and plan I suppose. The reason I'm offering this information is simply to share something I did during that time. I was unable to stitch for a long time, as I had obviously done much more damage to my shoulder and shoulder blades than anyone had thought.
This was my first piece of very fine lace knitting [#40 crochet thread]. I could knit and crochet, as both use forearm movements, which I could manage, about at the three week mark. I knitted, and knitted and knitted some more. By the time I had enough knitted to make a good sized edge, I could also embroider, etc. I had the linen, thankfully the exact colour as the crochet cotton.........it pays to be boring sometimes. I also had some candlewicking thread.
I did the hemstitched holes myself using my Bernina machine and a wing needle, then worked a row of double crochet into the holes so that I had a good foundation on which to stitch the lace. This is one of my favourite pieces, and knitted lace one technique I just never do enough of.
Although this was a trying time, I'll always have this lovely mat to remind that there is always something positive to take out of every situation.
