Supporting Each Other Online on Crazypatterns

Dear users and authors,
many of our users and authors are struggling right now due to the lockdown or for other reasons. I’m starting this thread so that these issues can also be addressed here in the forum.
Please support one another. A kind word at the right time can make a big difference.

Don’t isolate yourselves when you’re not feeling well. Talk about it and share your experiences.

Are you okay?

Today I can say, yes, I’m doing well. I’ve been going through a bit of a rough patch the last few days… it’s just been so long since we’ve had much contact with others.

So my mood changes from day to day, and I feel a bit like a boat in the wind—sometimes in one direction, sometimes in another. But I think after almost a year with the virus, that’s perfectly okay. 

It’s not exactly easy for me to cope with all of this either. Far away from family, no contact with coworkers because of furloughs, no friend or neighbor living around the corner to go for a walk with or chat to. Now that I have time, I find myself brooding so much…
and housework is always the same…

so I’m really glad this forum exists. You don’t feel quite so alone; you can exchange ideas. This is, so to speak, my connection to the outside world. You get motivated to try new things because so many people show off their amazing creations here—you want to show something too. It’s really fun here, and I’ve even gotten to know some people on a more “personal” level.
If I didn’t have this, things would look pretty bleak.
Well, I can keep myself busy—there’s plenty to do—but everything’s just different right now; we’re all going through this together (because of the pandemic).
But the waiting and hoping—when will things finally get back to some sort of normal? Nobody knows.
As long as I still have enough craft and needlework supplies, I can get through this time just fine, thanks to all of you here.

Warm regards

I just want to say thank you to everyone who’s active here! It’s really become like a second family here. And that just feels good.

I also miss being in touch with people, especially my grandchildren. I would have seen them much more often last year. To my 1.5-year-old granddaughter, I’m practically a stranger when we see each other again. And that really makes me sad.

Crafting always brings me back to a place of joy, and it’s lovely to work on projects together here and show each other what we’ve created. Since I don’t have a local craft group, this is a wonderful substitute.

I’m also happy to have developed some very nice personal connections with a few people here. It’s simply lovely and enriching. That’s why I’d also like to thank CP for this platform and for making the forum possible.

It’s wonderful that we have this space, especially during these difficult times. Together, we’ll get through this until better times come. And they’re sure to come.

We spotted an unusual guest from our apartment today:


Otherwise, things are proceeding calmly: some crafts and a bit of housework.

I stay in touch with my daughter by phone. Sometimes I hear her girls on the phone. I’d love nothing more than to give them a hug.
I try to call my friends, at least once a week. They’re well over 70. We used to work together.
Now (my husband and I) only go grocery shopping.

We live a very secluded life. Our contacts are our cats Flocke and Foxi, and the rabbit Daisy.
And my dolls

Please stay healthy

We only shop at the farmer's around the corner now. We have everything else delivered. Luckily, I have my husband to cuddle with. I also talk to my son on the phone every now and then. It was really nice to hug him and the older grandchildren (4 and 5) here in person again at the end of the year.

We’re healthy and want to stay that way—thanks to vitamin D3, that has worked for us for years. That’s how we always get through every winter just fine.

In a way, it seems we’re all in a very similar situation—missing our usual social interactions, and it’s slowly taking a toll on our mental health...
As some of you may have noticed, last year was really tough for my oldest sister—a broken leg and arm, wound-healing issues with severe reactions to the implants, multiple surgeries, a skin graft, and a seemingly endless odyssey between hospitals and temporary short-term care in a nursing home... In the age of COVID, the whole thing is even more frustrating, since you can’t just drop by to visit.
Now she’s been back home for quite a while and is even managing her first short trips again without a walker; she only needs a little help—I basically just take care of a few errands for her, like picking up prescriptions and medications.

Now my other sister fell in her apartment on New Year’s Eve, broke her thigh, and to make matters worse,
she also contracted COVID-19 while in the hospital. She’s been in the COVID ward for a good two weeks, is on oxygen, and at times was barely responsive, with a very high fever. She couldn’t eat and was being fed through an IV.

Yesterday, she called me on her own for the first time—she was speaking clearly again and sounded almost normal… that was soooo great.

This whole mess is really getting to me by now; I’ve been so terribly uncreative for months and haven’t been able to accomplish much that’s new.

Stay healthy, everyone, and enjoy the things that are possible and bring you joy.

Dear Claudia,
my heart goes out to you, and I hope that everything turns around for the better very soon for your sister and for you too. Yes, it’s very important to do things that bring joy right now. Luckily, we all love crafting.

I’m sending you a virtual hug

Warm regards
Monika

Dear Claudia

You’ve really had a lot to deal with, and I’m glad your sisters are feeling better again. I wish you all the best and hope you get to experience many moments of joy that lift your spirits and let you look forward with confidence.

Warmest regards

Christina 

Dear Claudia, that must have been a very difficult time for you. Your sister was seriously ill in the hospital, and you weren’t allowed to visit her or check on her. That’s really awful. It’s amazing how quickly things can change. I’m glad that both of them are feeling better again, and I wish your sisters continued recovery and progress.

  Perhaps our creativity and energy will return as spring begins.

Take care of yourselves and stay healthy. 

Hi Claudia, 
I hope all your loved ones get well again very soon, even if it will certainly take some time for things to get back to normal.
It’s already nice to hear that she was able to call on her own and that she sounded like her usual self. Be happy about every little step in the right direction. 
Best wishes, and stay strong
Sandra

Dear Claudia,

it’s good to hear that things are slowly looking up again for your sisters. I wish them both a speedy recovery and hope everything goes well. Wishing you lots of strength.

Stay healthy

Best regards
Bastelfan

Dear Claudia,

I’m so glad to hear that your sisters are feeling better again. I wish you all the best for the coming days—things will definitely get better.

Warm regards
Marion

Hi Claudia, I can really relate to your worry about your sisters—it makes it all the more heartwarming when your loved ones are doing well again. I wish them a continued speedy recovery.
I have a sister myself who has COPD, and it’s so severe that she’s been on the brink of a crisis a few times. We often can’t even talk on the phone because she simply doesn’t have the breath to speak. So we just send text messages back and forth—that doesn’t take any energy to *talk*
I, too, often suffer from the isolation we’re forced into because of the pandemic. I especially miss my grandchildren a lot, and as for my daughters, I only see my oldest—who lives just around the corner—when she stops by to buy me something and bring it over.
That’s why, thanks to my eldest daughter, I came up with the idea of recreating my daughters as dolls. Yesterday, I made the doll Johanna to represent my youngest grandchild. Then my daughter called and asked if I could make the dad too—okay, I’m working on it right now :-) A face for a man isn’t that easy, but I sat down yesterday and digitized it.

How are you all doing right now?

You don’t always have to be happy here on crazypatterns. It’s also okay to talk about the less pleasant things, and you can get support from the online community.

Have you experienced anything heartwarming this week?

I’m bumping this thread again.

It’s certainly not heartwarming—if anything, I’ve had a nightmare of a week, and it’s not over yet. I took a nasty fall in my living room on February 16; at first, it looked like I’d gotten off lightly, but then came the real blow on Friday: I could no longer put any weight on my left leg and could only walk in a three-point gait with walking aids. I should mention that this is already my second knee replacement—the first one was a medical botch job. My knee has been operated on a total of five times, and now this. I have an appointment with my orthopedist on Wednesday; he’ll have to examine my left leg from the hip down to the heel, because I honestly don’t know where it hurts the most. Three years ago, I also almost tore my left Achilles tendon, and that hurts like crazy, too. All of this is one reason why I’m only writing sporadically at the moment—I’m lying down a lot so as not to put too much strain on my leg. Every now and then, though, I have to get back to the sewing machine, even if it’s just to make a little bag.

Love, Inge

Get well soon, Akela.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Thanks, Josefa

Best regards, Inge

Oh, Akela, I’m so sorry to hear that, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that things will get better soon!

Best wishes, Christina

Oh, Inge, I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the rest is already helping and that your visit to the orthopedist goes well. 

Inge, I hope everything works out for you too, and that you’ll be able to do everything you enjoy again without any pain.

Inge, all the best to you and get well soon so you’ll be back on your feet in no time.

Best regards, Marlies

Hi girls, first of all, a heartfelt thank you for your well-wishes.
I had my doctor’s appointment today and got an X-ray—thank goodness, nothing is broken. The fall only caused severe bruising and compression to my leg, and according to the doctor, I’ll be feeling this pain for another good three weeks. I can live with that—thank goodness nothing else happened.

Best regards, Inge

That makes me happy. Nice news this evening. Then take care of your leg and take it easy. Let your husband pamper you a little

Warm regards and get well soon

That’s good to hear, Akela.
Wishing you a continued speedy recovery.

Keep it up, Inge! You’ve got this—things are looking up!

I’m feeling pretty down. The long period of isolation has already been getting on my nerves. But yesterday, my husband was rushed to the hospital after suffering a stroke. Because of the COVID-19 restrictions, no visitors are allowed in the hospital here in Düsseldorf.
That’s just awful!!

Oh dear, you’re really going through a tough time. I’m sending you lots of comfort and wishes for a speedy recovery—to you and especially to your husband—hoping you’ll both feel better soon.

I’ve also been struggling with depression over the last few months; you can’t go anywhere, and visiting family isn’t an option either—it really takes a toll.

Best regards, Inge

Oh man, ursulapetra, yeah, I can’t understand that either.
That as a family member, you’re not allowed to go there.
That’s what I’m afraid of too—if something happens to my parents, I can’t even fly over to Germany quickly.

It’s all really taking a toll. I can definitely imagine how awful you feel. Especially at a time like this, you just want to be there for your loved ones, right? It’s good for both of you.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you that everything goes well and that you’ll be able to go to your husband. I really hope so.

Warm regards

ursulapetra, I wish you lots of strength during this difficult time and a speedy recovery for your husband. Yes, I also think it’s terrible when hospital visits aren’t possible: Here, very limited visits are allowed again, which certainly contributes to a faster recovery.

Petra, I was deeply moved when I read about your husband’s stroke.  First of all, I wish your husband a speedy recovery and you lots of strength and patience.

I also find the current visiting situation in hospitals absolutely terrible.
During my last hospital stay, I found the visiting ban to be the worst part; luckily, I was mobile enough to make phone calls.
Hopefully, you’ll at least be kept up to date on how things are going—you have my deepest sympathy.

Ursulapeta, that’s not good news you’re sharing with us here.

I wish your husband a speedy recovery and you a lot of strength in this situation.
It’s really tough that hospital visits aren’t allowed right now.

Best regards, Marion

@Ursulapetra
That really isn’t good news...
I wish your husband a good and speedy recovery, and both of you lots of strength for the difficult time you’re having to get through right now. 

Things aren’t looking any better for us either. At the end of April, my daughter is taking one of her daughters to a clinic in Switzerland for further tests. There is suspicion of Myamya in her case. This means she could have a stroke. She’s 7 years old. She isn’t going to school, and her sisters aren’t going to preschool either because of the risk of infection.

I have an appointment in two weeks for an examination at the ENT department in Stuttgart, with an overnight stay. I won’t notice anything during the examination because they’ll do it under anesthesia. There’s something on my tongue that doesn’t belong there. I’m not afraid of the examination, only of the result.

Hugs to you all

Thank you all for your kind words. Today I got a call from the hospital asking me to bring in the records from the last two surgeries. It’s incredibly frustrating to stand there at the front desk knowing that my husband is five floors above me and I can’t go see him.
Now I have to wait until Monday for the results.
Right now, not even knitting or crocheting can take my mind off things. It’s just awful...

Oh Petra, you have my deepest sympathy, too. That really can’t be easy. In any case, I hope everything turns out well and that your husband can come home soon.

@schnatter_design
I also wish you and your granddaughter all the very best and hope everything works out. Having to go to the hospital right now is especially sad.

That’s right
I can feel for you
Best regards, Gabi 

I just opened this thread, and now I have to read this. I’m really saddened by the burdens you’re all having to carry right now.

First, Inge with her fall—luckily, it wasn’t too serious, but the pain is still pretty extreme. And her mobility is very limited, too. But thankfully, nothing worse happened. You’re out of the woods.

Then there’s Gabi with her message. She’s worried about her 7-year-old granddaughter and about herself. In both cases, we just have to wait and see what the test results show, keep our nerves steady, believe in the best, and give ourselves courage and confidence. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything will turn out well.

And Petra is also having to cope with a very difficult situation right now. Your husband is now in good hands, and the doctors are doing everything they can to help him. Unfortunately, COVID-19 doesn’t take the feelings of loved ones into account. We might actually put the patients at risk. And that’s why—as hard as it is—you can’t be right by your husband’s side right now. But he knows you’re with him in spirit. I know that neither crocheting nor knitting will help right now. This won’t be an easy weekend. My thoughts are with you too, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll be feeling much better by Monday.

Dear friends, everyone here who reads about your worries is thinking of you and sending you positive thoughts. Maybe that will help a little.

Warm regards from Ina

Oh, Ina, you always find such wonderful words for everyone!! You’re right, and thank you.
Warm regards
Petra

Any news?

I wish you all the best.

@**First it was Inge with her fall—luckily, it wasn’t too serious, but the pain is still pretty
intense. And her mobility is very limited, too. But thankfully
, nothing worse happened. You’re over the worst of it.**

That’s right—thank God I’m feeling well again, and for about 4 days now I’ve even been able to get back on my exercise bike and cycle without any pain. But the best part is, the day after tomorrow I’ll be getting vaccinated against COVID-19 with either BioNTech or Moderna by our family doctor; they administer both of these vaccines at the practice.

Love, Inge

Inge, that’s so nice to hear that you’re feeling better again…

I can imagine you’re looking forward to getting vaccinated. I’ve also signed up with my family doctor, but unfortunately I still have to wait.

That’s true, Ina always puts things into words so beautifully; it really does a world of good.
Thank you.
To everyone else, I hope you’ll be able to hug your loved ones again soon.
Wishing your family members a speedy recovery.

It’s always a relief when it’s finally your turn to get vaccinated.
It might still take a while for us. They’re only up to “Group 4,” and we (ages 50–60) are “Group 8.” They just can’t seem to get their act together.

My parents (ages 74 and 76) are finally registered with their family doctor, too. I’m glad about that.

It’s nice that we can share our thoughts here. A problem shared is a problem halved.

Inge, I’m so happy for you that you have an appointment. And, of course, that you’ve recovered from your fall.

Our family doctor is now administering vaccines too, but who knows when it’ll be my turn… My in-laws got their first shot over Easter. A step in the right direction.

Stay healthy and take care of yourselves

Inge, I’m glad you’re feeling better again and that you’ve gotten a vaccination appointment. My husband and I have already had our shots (he got Pfizer-BioNTech, I got Moderna)—luckily without any complications. I hope the same goes for you!

Any news?
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for all of you.

I tolerated the vaccine very well; aside from being very tired for just under two days and sleeping a lot, I didn’t experience any side effects at all. Since then, I’ve also been feeling much better mentally—the dark shadows that had me pretty much in their grip are receding. I already have my second appointment scheduled for the end of May

Best regards, Inge

Great :-)

Hello everyone,
it’s sad to hear about everything that’s happening during this time without being able to notice it directly.
I, too, am dealing with a personal tragedy. First, I tore all the ligaments on the outside of my foot in a fall, and then, out of the blue, my mom passed away without any prior warning signs. It’s just so sad when you can’t even meet up with your family and grieve together because that would violate the contact restrictions.
Despite everything, I’m not giving up hope that things will start looking up again soon. Things can hardly get much worse than this...
I wish you all lots of strength and optimism to get through this difficult time.

Warmest regards and a big hug to everyone 

Dear Pinky,

my deepest condolences! It’s terribly sad to lose your mom. And right now, in this situation, it’s especially hard to meet with loved ones, hug each other, and comfort one another. I’m sending you lots of comfort, strength, and positive thoughts! Your mom is watching over you from somewhere and looking out for you—I’m absolutely certain of that.

All my love, and a big hug to you, too!
Sonja

Dear Pinky

My deepest condolences! I wish you lots of strength and confidence that better times will come soon. Yes, I imagine it is even much sadder to lose a loved one during this difficult time, but I wish you many people who are with you in their thoughts and offer you comfort, even if physical contact is unfortunately still very limited.

Warm regards

Christina

My deepest condolences, dear Pinky.

My condolences, Pinky. I’m sending you a hug; I know what it’s like to lose your mother.

Love, Inge

Dear Pinky, my sincere condolences. I can imagine that losing a loved one is even harder right now because of the pandemic. I wish you much strength during this time and all the best for you and your family. 

Dear Pinky,
my sincere condolences. Losing a loved one is a life-changing experience that takes a tremendous amount of strength. Even when you think you can’t go on, it eventually gets easier, and you learn to live with it.
It’s especially hard during the pandemic because so many people aren’t allowed to be there to support you. (Often, you’re not even allowed to attend the funeral because of the regulations.)
Perhaps the support of the CP family will offer you a little comfort.
I wish you lots of strength during this difficult time and am sending you a hug.
Best wishes, Marlies

Dear Pinky, my sincere condolences—I’m so sorry.

I wish you lots of strength during this difficult time and send you a big hug from afar.

Best regards,
Marion. 

Dear Pinky, I’d also like to offer my sincere condolences.
We’re all sending you a big hug from afar.

Best wishes, Andrea

Dear Pinky,

I too would like to express my sympathy to you. Yes, it is sad when your mother is suddenly no longer there, especially so suddenly and unexpectedly. But someday we will meet again; at least, I firmly believe that. She will definitely always be with you in your heart. And she would be happy if you now make the best of your life. Just ask yourself from time to time what your mother would wish for you now. If she could see you now, what would make her happy?

Maybe that will make your heart feel a little lighter.

Feel lovingly embraced. You are not alone here.

From the heart
Monika

I’m bumping this thread again.

Hello, everyone.

Today, a stroke of luck came to my rescue. I called my family doctor to get a medical certificate stating that I have asthma. Starting next week, Group 3 in Hamburg can get vaccinated, and I need that certificate for that.
Then the medical assistant said, “Well, an appointment just got canceled here—if you’re there in 15 minutes, you’ll get your first Biontech shot today…” So I rushed right over there.

And in three weeks, I’ll get the second one. That means I’ll be fully vaccinated by June 2, when I leave for my health retreat. 

Great :-)

Oh, Sandra, that’s great! I’ve already had my first vaccine shot; the second one is in two weeks. And then I can finally forget about this whole COVID thing...

Ruth, unfortunately, it’s not that simple: Even after getting vaccinated, we still need to follow safety measures—wear a mask (even when exercising!) and maintain social distancing—since not everyone has been vaccinated yet. But it’s a ray of hope and does give us back some freedoms.

Sandra, that’s great. I’m happy for everyone who has the opportunity to get vaccinated. Yes, the vaccine won’t bring our old lives back, but it’s a step in that direction.

Now that’s what I call luck, dear Sandra! I’m so happy for you. And all the best for your rehab stay. :-)

Best wishes
Mary

Thank you so, so much, my dears, for your sympathy and your good wishes.
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the funeral. I think that was the hardest moment.
But you’re so right—it’s getting easier day by day to cope with this and come to terms with the loss.

I hope you’re all doing well, taking care of yourselves, and staying healthy.

Warmest regards to you and your loved ones.

Yours, Mary

You’re also welcome to join the conversation here if you’d like:
Caring for Loved Ones: A thread for sharing experiences, talking, offering friendly feedback, kind words, etc.

How are you all doing right now?

Everything’s fine with us. My second vaccine appointment is coming up soon.
My husband and I are healthy (except for my little aches and pains).

And how are you doing, Josefa?

Best regards, Gabi

Thanks, Gabi—it’s nice of you to ask.
I’m glad you have your second vaccine appointment.

Hi everyone, I’ve got something to make you smile.
It’s “knocked me out” for about 15 months now, and things will never be the same again, but I, too, can finally look forward again.

Every wheelchair user has surely experienced that we can’t always use the restroom whenever and wherever we need to, and that can sometimes make things urgent or hectic. That’s exactly what happened to me. 
I was visiting friends who have a wheelchair-accessible apartment because their young son requires care. Still, I realized my electric wheelchair wouldn’t fit through the door. My friend ran off to find a manual wheelchair in the neighborhood. It took forever, and I started feeling sick to my stomach. Her husband then said, “What the heck,  "Close the doors, pull down your pants—I’ll carry you into the bathroom and get you settled!" No sooner said than done. But since I weigh a bit more than his little son, he swung me with so much force that I landed next to the toilet instead of in it. It was actually too small and too low for me. So I didn’t wet my pants, but they were still wet and dirty.

The end of the story: when I woke up, I was in the hospital, four weeks older (they’d put me in an induced coma), had survived a few surgeries for broken vertebrae, and was happy, along with our friends, to have gotten through the worst of it. My friend was taken by COVID-19, but friends stick together, and the little boy is doing well, too.

Dear Eliadrijoha,
My deepest condolences on the passing of your friend.
The story about your accident is very tragic.
I wish you continued good recovery.
Would you like to join the crafting group to take your mind off things?
July Projects 2021, Part 2: the Crazypatterns crafting group

Hi Josefa,
I tried to answer your question about joining the craft group.
I must have made a mistake because I can’t find my reply on C.P. For now, just this much:
For me, nothing is the same as it was, and I’m slowly fighting my way back, step by step, to a regular life. I found the craft forum, but I haven’t found the rules or requirements yet. Since my options are limited, I’ll have to sit this one out for a while and set other priorities. Maybe I’ll come back to it later, but for now I’m just glad to be able to participate here again, at least to some extent. I enjoy discovering something new every time, and I’m grateful to EVERYONE who contributes to this.
Best wishes to all, and stay healthy!

Hello Eliadrijoha,
if you mean our handicraft group, it’s not just for craft projects, but for all types of handicrafts.
Anyone can join in, show their own projects, comment on the projects of the other posters, etc.
July Projects 2021, Part 2: the Crazypatterns Handicraft Group
Just read along for a bit, and you’ll quickly understand how it works.

I hope you continue to feel better and recover well.

How are you all doing?
You’re welcome to post here in the forum even if you’re not feeling your best.

My physical therapy for my ring finger starts on Wednesday.
Until then, I’m supposed to try to bend the finger using my other hand.

Did the surgery on Thursday go well?

Yes, thanks for checking in, dear Josefa :)

Great :-)

Are you okay?

Yes, everything’s OK.
I canceled my appointment at the dermatology clinic because I’ve been keeping an eye on the numbers since fall. Since I have to take the train and bus to get there, I don’t want to catch anything. My psoriasis has flared up again since my second vaccine shot. I was already at the hospital in Hersbruck—but it didn’t help.

I tell myself there are worse things.

We’re just waiting for the second surgery date for our granddaughter.
The grandchildren aren’t going to school or preschool either.

Please, stay healthy

Kind regards, Gabi

I wish you all the best and a speedy recovery from your psoriasis, and I wish your granddaughter all the best for her surgery.

Aside from the fact that I probably won’t be able to get a plumber and an electrician until next year—they’re supposed to hook up the sink and the stove—we’re doing just fine.

Even our property management company is having trouble finding contractors.

Thanks for asking, Josefa—I’m still doing pretty well with my osteoarthritis and the other stuff that usually causes me pain. My husband has been massaging my lower back and my entire spine every evening for weeks now using Neo Ballistol as a home remedy. Thanks to these massages, I’m now able to get by with one fewer pill a day—if anyone’s interested, give it a Google. Because of this, I currently only need to take pills twice a day instead of 3–4 times like usual

Best regards, Inge

Get well soon, Akela.

How are you doing?

How are you all doing this week?

I wish you all as few stressful days as possible leading up to Christmas.

Oh, thanks for asking, I'm doing quite well so far, and my husband and I stopped stressing about Christmas a long time ago; we're taking it easy and are completely relaxed.
I wish everyone else here that same relaxed feeling.

Best regards, Inge

Everyone here is doing well. We’re not stressing out about the New Year either.

Best wishes, Gabi

I’m doing fine, too, and I’m taking it all in stride, just as I always do.

Things are laid-back here, too.

Did you all have a good start to 2022?

How was your January?

How are you all doing right now?

How are you doing today?