A Job And Stitching Dilemma

As those of you who have followed my blog for any length of time know, even before this blog was created, I had a problem with my left wrist. I have to wear a brace for it and it limits the use of my left hand.

After two years, four different braces, and five doctors, they still aren’t sure what’s causing the problem. The only suggestion I have received is one of two things: a ganglion cyst, or a tear in a ligament. Or it could be both. Or neither! All scans have been inconclusive. All I know is, it hurts. A lot.

Their solution to the problem has been cortisone steroid injections and digging around with needles to see if they can get the cyst (if there is one) or heal up any injury there may be. I had my first procedure the middle of June; it didn’t help at all. But I also worked two jobs over 60 hours a week, and I only had three days off to rest it. So I figured, I just didn’t give it enough time to heal. It’ll get better once life calms down.

Since then, I left my second job, went on vacation, and had my second procedure. All good. My wrist was sore from the needles and the steroid, but it felt better. My first job at Joann’s was kind enough not to put me on the schedule until I asked them to. I had five days of rest before I went in to work today for my first 8 hour shift in about three weeks.

I was on shift working the cutting counter for four hours. Still had four to go. And my wrist was killing me. Four hours of work reversed five days of healing. It was as if I had never gotten the injection at all. As this is how it’s been for the past few years… I believe the work I currently do (retail) aggravates whatever problem my wrist has. I need an easy job where I can take frequent breaks, as to not strain my wrist. As this is unrealistic in the working world I currently inhabit, I should turn towards working from home.

Let’s examine my skills that I could turn into a business from home and/or market to get a job where I can work from home. I can type. I can blog. (So, put together, I can write.) And I can stitch. Okay, good. Now these things do actually irritate my wrist, but if I work at my own pace and can take breaks whenever I want, it shouldn’t be that big of a problem.

Here is the issue: these things aren’t exactly the most accessible to make money through. At least on the blog front. I don’t average enough viewers to make money, as much as I love it and as much as I would like to. So let’s look at stitching. Now I’m not an artist, and I understand copyright – so designing and distributing charts is out. I don’t know how to make my own fabric or threads, so supplies are out. (Not that I can’t learn, of course, but as it stands I don’t know how so it won’t count.) I could probably make little accessories like needle minders and scissor fobs and whatnot, if I had an artistic talent, which I don’t, really, or else I’d design my own charts!

So what does that leave on the stitching front? Custom framing? I could probably learn how to do that. I could learn how to make my own fabrics and threads, possibly. Little accessories are a possibility also.

I DO know there’s such a thing as model stitching – you know, the finished pieces that are used to show what the chart will look like. Usually used to help sell the piece, as on a kit or a booklet. Someone’s gotta stitch those, right? That would be a great job! But I don’t know how to get started. I do pieces from kits, I don’t have a favorite designer… if model stitching was my job I’m sure I would stitch a LOT more and get done faster, but as it stands I’m slow and my favorite pieces are small. How does one break into the model stitching industry? Anybody have any ideas?

While I’m on the subject of asking questions, what would YOU suggest for a stitching-oriented, from-home job? I’ve also considered possibly teaching, as I know the DMC mentor program is a thing. Or maybe software development? An app/website that keeps track of your WIPs, your threads, your whatever? Something by a stitcher for fellow stitchers? I don’t know. I’ve just been feeling down because I didn’t use my left hand for five days, felt better, and immediately after going back to a job I love my wrist felt all the way back to square one.

Anyway. Let me know your thoughts! Send those ideas my way! And if you happen to be someone or know someone who can talk to me about model stitching and how to get into it, I’d love to chat!

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“Random Corner” is a place for all articles related to all manners of cross-stitchery and the cross-stitch community that don’t fall into the topics covered in the regular segments. There is no set schedule for Random Corner articles, they’re just random!

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