Marrowstone Island, WA -- A Washington state woman has a mystery on her hands that's worthy of Sherlock Homes: "The Case of the Exploding Knitting Needle."

On August 1, Marrowstone Island resident Paula Lalish was knitting while riding in the car with her husband when the two heard a "deafening bang" which sounded like a gunshot.

Lalish then noticed that the aluminum needle she was working with had blown her yarn apart and now laid in shreds at the tip. The impact hit her finger so hard that it turned blue and began to swell -- which was bad news for the part-time harp player.

Lalish has no idea what caused the explosion, so now she's sharing her story with other knitters in hopes they can unravel the mystery.

One of them, a man who works for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, has taken the busted needle into custody for inspection.

Lalish -- who is also an emergency medical technician -- feels certain the investigation will solve the riddle, figuring the presence of explosive material inside the needle is the most likely explanation for the type of damage her finger sustained.

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