I am "tied in"
If you have ever watched one of those game shows in which they allow a player to "call a friend" or "use a lifeline", you probably associate this maneuver as being their last-ditch hope for the possibility to move forward or to remain active in the game. As they opt for this, they get "outside" help to solve a problem bigger than their ability to solve on their own. This is the purpose of a lifeline - rescue. A person who knits will tell you a totally different meaning of the term lifeline, though. In the process of knitting a complex pattern, the knitter may actually insert a "spare thread" of yarn through an entire row of knitting. This "lifeline" is not actually "knit into" the project and can easily be removed when the knitter is finished. The purpose of the lifeline is to give a place to which you may return if you make a mistake beyond that point. If you are attempting a complex pattern just above a whole lot of ...