Nothing to see here folks, just move along

Have you ever been at a point of desperation where you just wanted to knit something and GAH you only have 3 dpns and you need 4? Yesterday I brought my sock with me and at lunch time when I got ready to knit, I realized I was short a needle! Faythe was equally mortified at the prospect of my sitting there staring at a partially knitted sock and an hour of time on my hands with nothing to do. Together we brainstormed...ok not together, really. I sulked while Faythe gave me some ideas.

We tried three different items and none of them met my needs. I've considered creating an Emergency Knit kit for the office but that would take energy and I need to focus my energies on knitting socks and avoiding images of cat scratched testicles. At least I assume that was what caused the injury. After I scrolled down the page and saw the picture, I didn't bother reading any further. I am scarred for life. There's nothing like a pair of pasty, pink balls with veins and fur to permanently scar an unsuspecting innocent.

And for the record, the items and their gauge are:

jumbo paper clip - approx 1mm or less
ink pen capsule - 3.25mm
plastic coffee stir stick - 3.75mm (also serves as a 2.5mm needle cozy)

So I guess if you're desperate enough and they are the correct gauge, you could fake it until you get your hands on a real needle.

BTW, no balls were harmed in the making of THIS post!