Quickie Question: War Wounds?
By Twistie
via Happy Goat Ranch
It’s a little-known fact that crafting can be far more perilous than most people realize. Many of us work with sharp, hot, or extremely heavy items that can cause pain and even bleeding if we lose concentration or balance for even a moment.
Even with the relatively safe craft of bobbin lace, I have on more than one occasion pricked myself badly on a pin or given myself a nasty papercut (they hurt more with heavy stock!) on a pattern. Working with hot glue on centerpieces for a dance once, I gave myself several nasty burns.
Then there are all the people I’ve known over the years who have managed to run the sewing machine over their thumbs, gotten real gashes from saws, knives, sheet metal, and glass… yeah, crafting is not for the weak.
So what about all of you out there? What’s the worst craft-related injury you’ve ever suffered? What’s the most ridiculous one? Have you ever had to give first aid to a crafting buddy?
Or would you rather just look at cute pictures of goats?
I’ll definitely miss you and your take on the world. Best of...
June 23rd, 2011 at 1:07 pm
I sat on a knitting needle and jabbed myself in the ass. No puncture wound or blood, but I got a nice bruise and didn’t like sitting on my wooden desk chair for a few days after that.
June 23rd, 2011 at 4:39 pm
I sewed through my middle finger once.
The worst part wasn’t the injury. It was the huge number of people who asked the somewhat obtuse question “Did that hurt?”
Yes. Yes it did.
June 24th, 2011 at 7:04 pm
I’ve given myself some real humdingers of burns using the hot glue gun before. I always used to use the high temp melt hot glue, not the low melt, which can still burn you. The hot melt stuff though is extra ouchie. It sticks better to a variety of things.
Oh, and i’ve stepped on more hand sewing needles and pins than I care to remember. And then there was the cut from the rotary cutter that only just barely didn’t need stitches.
Luckily, these days, I mostly do the comparatively safe crafts of knitting and crochet. I haven’t given myself a RSI yet, though that can be a real risk.
June 24th, 2011 at 7:17 pm
@Orora: You know, I’ve felt quite the ass on several occasions when I injured myself… but I don’t think I’ve ever injured that part of me while crafting – yet!
@Tropical Chrome: The infinite capacity of some people to ask completely inane questions utterly boggles the mind of thinking people everywhere. How could it not hurt to run a sharp needle through your finger at high speed????
@Rosecampion: See Orora’s comment for why knitting isn’t as safe as it might seem! LOL! Still, you’re right: the chances that you’ll seriously gash yourself on a knitting needle are fairly slim. To avoid RSI, take regular breaks and consider adding something that moves the wrist quite differently.
June 26th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Years of working with hot glue have left me with scars on my hands and forearms, and the belated realization that keeping a bowl of ice water on the work table is a smart thing to do.
My personal; best, however, was stepping on a needle that was stuck in the carpet, and having it snap off, stuck in the bone. It took surgery and a hospital stay to get it out.
June 27th, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Okay, clearly we have a winner (or is that a loser?) here! Nobody else has said they wound up needing surgery after a craft-related injury! Ow.