KITCHENER, ON
Martha Toews, 91, of Kitchener was rescued by emergency personnel this weekend from her apartment at Greenhaven Manor after she had inadvertently knitted herself into a corner that she could not escape.
“That’s what I do all day,” said Toews. “I kjnette scarves for the grandchildren. Toques. Mittens. Wolljacke. Well, I guess I got a little disoriented or something because I was feeling a little hungrijch and decided to microwave a bit of borscht with whipping cream thrown in once, but when I tried to get up out of my chair, I discovered that I was completely surrounded by knitting. I had tied myself into the corner yet.”
Toews explains that she was trapped in her apartment for more than four hours before her friend Elma Friesen, 87, knocked on the door that afternoon.
“Oba, I’m thankful we had that Scrabble date,” said Toews. “Otherwise I might never have been discovered.”
However, when Friesen attempted to extract Toews from the spiderweb of knitting, she soon found herself entangled as well.
“I don’t know how it happened. I tried to rüt Martha’s arm out from under the yarn, but then I kept being jabbed by the needle and….well, somehow we were both raveled up in the mess.”
The pair called for help and their cries were heard by lonely Mr. Thiessen, though as soon as they discovered it was ‘Truärijch‘ Thiessen who wanted to help they immediately said, “nä, we’re just fine, Henry,” and sent him away.
“Ever since his Nettie passed away he’s been trying to get close to Martha. A little too close,” explained Friesen. “You have to be careful around him. He’s one of those types.”
By 4:30 in the afternoon the pair were notably absent at supper, and this is when they were discovered by Greenhaven staff, who immediately contacted the fire department.
“Mrs. Toews and Mrs. Friesen are resting and doing just fine,” said Greenhaven spokesperson Samantha Dueck, “though, it’s lucky for all of us that the Jaws of Life were available when we needed them.”
(photo credit: Lisa Risager/CC)
