Hospital Germs

I spent twelve hours at the hospital yesterday with my Mema. Her surgery was text-book perfect and she is doing very well.  And I got a lot of crocheting in!

I wasn't the only one who was crocheting in public either.  There was another woman in the surgical waiting room who was crocheting a beautiful afghan. She and her husband asked me about my (large!) crocheted bag, which I was toting all my crocheting supplies around in.  Then the security person who was in charge of keeping order in the waiting room asked me about one of the crocheted pen covers I was working on. We crocheters are a friendly bunch!

Honestly, I was just grateful I had something to do.  I tried to read, but it didn't hold my interest for long.  Instead, I used the meditative stitching to soothe my anxious brain.  Which was good, because I got to thinking...

I wanted to make a fun tissue holder.  Something that my daughter would want to use, nay! actually ASK to use, instead of endlessly sniffing away and then rubbing her nose on Jake's shirt. The little rectangular package of tissues was completely uninspiring to me.  I became annoyed.  Who was the person that decided that 8 tissues was the appropriate amount for the package?  And why do other brands have 10 tissues instead?  And why is the package so crinkly?! I have actually addressed the crinkly tissue issue before, but still!  Who determines how many tissues I am allotted?  Why am I allowing them to make such critical decisions for me?  And, back to my eco-consiousness, is the wastefulness of crinkly plastic packaging something that I actually want/need?

 I became inspired to make something new.  A tissue holder just for me.  Okay, me and Mims.  Something fun and funky and small.  What I came up with only holds 3 or 4 tissues, but they can easily be replaced from our large cardboard box of tissues at home. Maybe they don't look quite as pretty as the flat tissues that pop out of the plastic to-go packages, but I don't care.  I don't intend to share them with strangers anyway.

This is my cartoony version of a cold germ.  I thought that the next time I get sick I will really appreciate that    the little guy looks like he feels sorry about it. And it's a good reminder for Mims to wash/sanitize her hands after blowing her nose to keep the germs from spreading.

The Germ Tissue Holder

approx 4" long

Supplies:

Worsted Weight Yarn in Green, Purple, White, and Black (I used Red Heart Super Saver)

Size G hook

Yarn Needle

The Germ Body:

R1: 5 sc in a magic loop, pull tight and sl st the round closed. (5 st)

R2: 2 sc in each st around, sl st the round closed. (10 st)

R3: (2 sc in next st, sc) 5 times, sl st the round closed. (15 st)

R4: (2 sc in next st, 2 sc) 5 times, sl st the round closed. (20 st)

R5: (2 sc in next st, 3 sc) 5 times, sl st the round closed. (25 st)

R6-9: sc in each st around, sl st the round closed. (25 st)

R10: 8 sc, ch 9, 8 sc, sl st the round closed. 

R11: 8 sc, 9 sc evenly spaced over the top of the chain length, 8 sc, sl st the round closed. (25 st)

R12-14: sc in each st around, sl st the round closed. (25 st)

R15: ch 1, (sc 2 st tog, 3 sc) 5 times, sl st the round closed. (20 st)

R16: ch 1, (sc 2 st tog, 2 sc) 5 times, sl st the round closed. (15 st)

R17: ch 1, (sc 2 st tog, sc) 5 times, sl st the round closed. (10 st)

R18: ch 1, (sc 2 st tog) 5 times, sl st the round closed. (5 st)

Fasten off, sew last round closed using the tail of the yarn.  Weave in ends.

The Polka Dots:

(make 9 in purple, 2 in white)

R1: 5 sc in a magic loop, pull tight and sl st the round closed. (5 st)

Fasten off.  Leave a long tail of yarn to sew the polka dots to the germ body.   Sew the white dots near the "mouth" area, and the purple dots randomly around the body.  Weave in ends. 

Using black yarn, make french knots for pupils.  Weave in ends. Stuff with 3 (maybe 4) tissues!

xoxo