Knit Your Way to a Heart Attack

Knitting and I do not have a happy history.  Way back when it was cheaper to create your own warm clothes than to buy them, I was inspired by my mother to pick up a pair of needles and have a go.  Unfortunately, I got hooked and would knit for hours at a time.  One back and half a sleeve later I started to get shooting pains across my chest.  Convinced I was having a heart attack I headed for the hospital.  After a round of tests they pronounced me fine and told me that I’d probably locked my muscles when I was knitting.  Right arm locked against body for extended periods of time plus a cold draft = chest pains.  I’m sure this incident made a great after dinner story for the nurses and doctors who saw me.  I, on the other hand, was suspicious that I’d been fobbed off.  It all seemed a little far-fetched and extremely embarrassing.  However, the hospital did add that I had arthritis in a joint in my chest which probably didn’t help.  I hung up my knitting needles with reluctance.  Amazingly they were right and the pains went away.

I recently decided to take up knitting again, having warned those around me that if I fall to the ground clutching my chest not to panic if I have half-finished jumper in my hands.  Having failed to find any warm sweaters in colours other than black or grey, I bought some raspberry coloured wool, a pair of needles and downloaded a basic pattern from the net.  Travelling has definitely changed me in terms of fashion and colour.  After visiting countries whose citizens deck themselves out in hot primary colours and cheerful bold prints, it was depressing to go shopping on my return home and find nothing bright, bold or even pastel.    When I left, over 13 months ago, black and grey were ‘in’ and now I’ve returned they appear to never have gone ‘out’.  When I look into my wardrobe everything is dark and dreary.  I need some colour!  Roll on summer when I can wear my Brazilian hot pink shorts – providing, of course, I survive the raspberry jumper knit fest.