Letters
A PSA from MDK
Dear Readers,
We interrupt our regular weekend programming to bring you a Public Sock Announcement from the MDK Lounge.
Lounge regular Karen T. posted this excellent tip in the Lounge topic for our latest knitalong, the Summer of Wandering Socks.
Read it and weep/shriek, as necessary.
Happy Sunday!
—Ann and Kay
“Don’t Let This Happen to You”
Yesterday morning started out like a normal morning. It was hot here, so I started the car with the door open and noticed that the car sounded really loud. Hmm. Started driving to work, hit a tiny pot hole, and heard a clanging noise as if something was hanging down. Hmm. Was on the way to our bakery to give a tour so I figured I would go there, do the tour (my favorite part of my job), then swing by my mechanic on the way back up to my office.
I was around the corner from the bakery when the bottom literally fell out of that plan. Imagine my surprise when my car started making the loudest noise I’ve ever heard, scraping the pavement, and leaving a trail of sparks behind me. Managed to get her pulled over in a safe spot and saw that my entire exhaust system had pretty much fallen off the bottom of the car.
That was not the problem.
I HAD NO KNITTING WITH ME! Yes, you read that right. We’re knitting socks. There are usually socks in my purse anyway, but not this time. It was sitting cozily on the couch at home. Panic set in.
Luckily AAA got there in record time, my friend Fulicia was walking to work and saw me so she waited with me, my mechanic can fix it, and my friend Robb loaned me his car.
Learn from my rookie mistake, folks. This could have happened to any one of us. ~Stuck somewhere with no knitting.~ Just the thought of it makes me shudder.
Go now. Stash some knitting in the trunk or the glove compartment. Don’t let this happen to you.
Karen T., in the MDK Lounge
OMG, Karen! Of all the knitters I know, you are one of the few who I would have bet always had a portable project on hand! Never fear. I now have a project set to go into my glove compartment, the relaying of your experience has proved to be a public service announcement for us all! I am very glad that your car was fixable! Happy trails. Knit on.
Or aim to have not one but two projects in your bag, so if you forget and leave one at home you still have a back-up.
A friend told me she keeps a CONE of dishcloth cotton and needles in her car at all times. A cone would give one enough knitting for a major emergency for sure. I’ve got a stash somewhere and am planning an addition to my emergency car supplies before I head to work this week. You never ever know what might happen.
I love this idea! The only pattern I actually have memorized is the Ball Dishcloth pattern (thanks to MDK from their first book!!) and I would only need some cotton yarn and size 7 needles.
This is officially known as Murphy’s Law. I try to guard against it but inevitably the Law strikes on occasion despite my vigilance. Thank you for the keep-yarn-in-the-trunk tip. Will do. Gotta love AAA.
Imagine this: the AAA guy with a big, understanding smile, before checking the car, pulling a squishy emergency knitting kit out of his car….
Thus one had me laughing out loud!
I love this idea!
And dishcloth cotton and medium needles would be generic enough for AAA to have in all their trucks.
That would be brilliant!
I had this happen to me once. We (DH and i) were at an attorney’s office for a short meeting, but I found out someone was using my SS number. We has to go to the SS office to clear it up. It was a 2 hour wait. The worse part was that I had no knitting with me! I’ve learned my lesson.
After being searched and scanned by the security guard at SS, I was instructed to take my dpns out to my car. Forgot to ask if this would also apply to wooden needles, duh!
The perfect purpose of UFO’s, particularly socks. I will be ready!
And this is why I have a plain vanilla sock project that literally lives in my car. I may not get to knit it often (it usually takes me a year to finish), but it’s always there in case of emergency!!
OMG – that was a close call. Glad you’re okay. I’m envisioning a new product for the shop: Roadside Emergency Knitting Kit. It would contain yarn, needles, a simple pattern, and a few tools all in a snazzy zippered pouch that one could stow with the jumper cables and such. Or in the gin pocket. Perhaps with some gin.
You are a genius! Maybe a Bottle of fever tree to go w/the gin. Or a can of grapefruit juice to go w/Vodka.
Brilliant. Must add gin pocket!
Your car has a gin pocket?? I want to carpool with you!
Clever: REKK -Roadside Emergency Knitting Kit – I see a Fringe design…or perhaps a rip stop nylon on that particular Orange…that clips to your belt…
Roadside Emergency Knitting Kit, brilliant!!
We’d be a REKK without one! Lol
Excellent idea. Support MDK and our mental health in one swell foop!
This is actually a GREAT idea – Ann and Kay – I hope you’re reading. With you two in charge, it would be useful AND clever. An excellent name for it too, Ms. Karen!
It’s important to know your priorities.
Fine, Karen, except for the gin. You need a mixer for gin. Mine will have bourbon in it.
My thought exactly — my kit would need to have bourbon!
I always keep a crochet hook and small amounts of yarn in my bag to crochet flowers as embellishments for future projects.
Oh my goodness! I need to put a spare set of dpns and some sock yarn in my glove compartment, just in case….
Yes! I’ve always been a fan of storing emergency knitting in the car. Just knowing it’s there keeps me friendly!
Adding to the list for today: grab a ball of dishcloth yarn and needles to stash in the glove compartment. Phew!
Wise words…
I once had to take my husband to urgent care because he got a fishbone in his throat while we were out to dinner. It was sooo close to our house, but I just couldn’t bring myself to say, “I just have to pop home and pick up some knitting…”
I might’ve been tempted to pop back home for the knitting once I’d dropped him off.
Lol
Thanks for the warning! 20 years ago, I boarded a plane to Glasgow. Imagine my horror when I grabbed my knitting, and there was 1 instead of 2 needles! Stash extra needles too!
Circulars would take care of that. With a 30″ cable, they can either go round or back and forth.
Wise Council! I will go do that!
Take a look on Ravelry for the “Strong heel.” I discovered it a few years ago and find it fits really well and is quite easy and attractive.
One day I was heading out somewhere with my daughter— her knitting mojo has waned in high school, but she was quite a knitter in middle school— and she was checking on her supplies: “Hat, wallet, book, emergency knitting…” and I thought, “YESSSSS!!!!! I have raised her right.” 🙂
Love this! I’ve been there! Thanks for the tip! I’m going to stash something myself! I think it’s time for me to start my first pair of socks! Love this site! I look forward to reading it every morning!
Yes, that was an emergency! I have been out and about without a knitting project tucked away and if delayed found my first thought to be “Oh, no! I don’t have my knitting!!” rather than how much will this cost, will I be late for_____ or other trivial concerns. Someone should probably design an emergency bag for small knitting projects so we can look about in the car or whatever and see that help is at hand.
You’re not allowed to bring knitting needles to jury duty in my state. It’s even stated in the automated message when you call in the night before!!! You can bring a crochet hook, though, so I bought the cheapest plastic one I could find to go with my dishcloth cotton yarn. (Embroidery is okay too, if you don’t bring scissors.)
And my non-knitting friends laughed at me when I said I had emergency knitting in the car! That danger is real, my friends!! So glad you survived!
We used to have an old austin mini – the teeny tiny old ones from decades ago. The muffler fell off 3 Fridays in a row in THE SAME INTERSECTION as my husband was driving to pick me up from work. That is some bad car karma.
Did MDK comment yet on Ravelry’s recent announcement? I may have missed it and it is important to me.
Thanks.
Yes check our highlights on Instagram. We support Ravelry.
Thanks, Kay. Means the world. <3
For the generation that barely manages email, can anyone suggest a link to how one locates Instagram highlights? All I can find are photos and links to MDK posts, and Instagram online help only covers adding, editing, or deleting highlights, not finding them in the first place.
One of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite films ever – thank you, thank you, thank you for making my morning, Kay and Ann! And a hearty “Get well soon!” to your car, Karen!
OK, you got me to laugh out loud when I read this. I was all set for a tragic story and then, the big reveal led me to just belly laugh. How could such a horrible thing happen to such an experienced knitter. Amazing, to say the least. Lesson learned for sure. I will be stashing a knitting project in my car this afternoon so as not to be caught in such a disastrous situation as you. Thank you for sharing your embarassing moment with us.
The other day at Target I got a free GWP little zip-up first aid bag. Cheap but OK, and know I know what to do with it.
I’ve got an ancient WIP sock (I’ve been half-way through the 2nd sock for about 6 years, but I keep getting distracted – sometimes by other socks!) that I’m going to stick in my glove compartment right now. Also, thanks for the clip from my favorite movie of all time!
This also occurred to me….emergency knitting could (should) be any project which has a second sock or mitt that is a victim of Second Sock Syndrome! I think this would be a great way to take care of two knitting needs 🙂
Oh…this happened to me the other day! Had to vacate our block as the house across the street was on fire! And me with no knitting! We had gone out for a quick appointment and then could not get home for more than 2 hours! Bad enough the house fire (no one hurt but a write off) – no knitting made it worse. Never again.
I feel the same way without knitting. Ack! Good idea to leave a project in the car
Always leave home with a book, a WIP, and a credit card. Ready for anything.
That is exactly why a dishcloth project lives in the driver’s door pocket of my car. Good thing you got rescued quickly and had a friend to wait with. Whew. That was a close one.
This is like a horror story! Someone should make a short youtube video of this! Also – I remember years ago reading a post by the Yarn Harlot when she was packing for a trip and was worried about being “under yarned”. I have used that phrase every since (and given the Yarn Harlot full credit!). I commute and keep a fingering sock in my work bag at all times. When I get towards the end of the second sock I finish it at home and put a new one in my work bag. I am too worried that if the train gets stuck I might be able to finish the almost-finished-socks and be without a project!
REKK Magic! When waiting at the doctor’s office, or anywhere else, if I have my kit I only wait 5-10 minutes. If I don’t have my kit the wait is an hour at least !!
I get veryveryvery anxious when I don’t have knitting with me. I keep a small project in the car…AT ALL TIMES.
I found myself in a similar scary situation only yesterday. . .I went out to run errands, among them getting my tire repaired at Costco. I had knitting with me in the car and at the ready. My husband indicated my tire repair should only take 20-30 minutes. . .I didn’t factor in the wait time to this though and left my knitting in the car. I was able to distract myself by going down all the aisles and taking my time as I did so. Then I enjoyed a slice of pizza. Then I had nothing left to do but wait. . .with a cell phone battery that was low and limited signal. I was so annoyed with myself that I had NOT brought my knitting in with me. Don’t think I’ll make that mistake again. Thanfully the remainder of my wait was fairly short. If I had seen this PSA yesterday. . .maybe I wouldn’t have made it!! I hope your car is in good order now.
That was so funny! I sure needed a laugh today. Thanks for providing it!
When I had to commute to an office, I started keeping what I call emergency knitting in the car in case I got stuck in traffic. I still keep emergency knitting, because you never know when you’ll be in a situation where you have to wait.
I haven’t received my Wanderlust field Guide No. 11 yet. Got the pdf but still would like the field guide. These are amazing guides! Please…..
I just stumbled on this letter regarding not having a knitting project or 2 in your car. I laughed not only because I too keep knitting in my car now after I once got stuck for 2 hours in standstill traffic behind an accident and I didn’t have any knitting. I also always bring a knitting project when my husband is driving :)).
It also reminded me of the joke “AN OLD LADY WAS KNITTING AS SHE DROVE. A POLICE OFFICER DROVE UP ALONGSIDE HER AND YELLED “PULLOVER- THE LADY YELLED BACK “NO OFFICER
THEY’RE MITTENS!!!!” Again, always so reassuring to know I’m not the only one.!!!!!