CROCHET PAIN – Craft Gossip

Sadly, annoyingly, this topic has been on my mind lately. I’ve started wearing a splint at night for sleep and it’s helping. I DO NOT want to get into advice giving here. A crochet blog is not the place for medical advice sharing. But, I have looked around on the web for ideas that might make crocheting easier on me. So, I’m gonna share a few of those ideas.

First, this looks funny but might be very helpful and the accompanying article has some good hints:

crochet-hook-with-foam-0709

http://www.craftycrafty.tv/2007/09/dont_give_up_crochet_because_o.html

There are other hooks available that call themselves ‘ergonomic’.What does ‘ergonomic’ mean? Here’s a good definition:

Ergonomics is the science of adapting the job and/or the equipment and the human to each other for optimal safety and productivity.

It makes sense to me that if a hook fits my hand nicely and I keep my elbows close to my body while crocheting, I’ve created the safest way for the muscles, tendons, bones, and nerves in my upper extremities to crochet safely. The thing about keeping elbows close to the body came from #1 Nancy Nehring during a class I took in 2001, and #2 Laura, the hand therapist I worked with after I broke my left wrist a couple years ago. I figure that’s good information – and, even if it’s not written in granite by the world’s leading orthopedist, it can’t hurt, right?

This one is hand turned and available at the site linked below it.

http://www.woodbyc.com/other_goodies1.htm

Here are some other ergonomic hooks that are widely available (Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Walmart). Check them out to see if one might work for you.

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Using your yarn stash is important to me throughout the year, but as I start to feel the end of the year coming on I get more excited about using things I already have in the house. Maybe that’s because I don’t want to go to a store in the thick of holiday shopping times, or I like the idea of having a little space in my stash when the new year rolls around.

It’s super satisfying to use up all the little odd balls you’ve made over the year (or years), and I have several stash busting blankets I work on when it’s cold and will maybe finish someday.

If you’d like to start a stash busting project that’s perfect for using up odd balls, check out the Soukish pattern from Neisha Abdulla. This pattern is made for fingering weight/sock yarn, and it’s worked in a tube with allover color work.

This is great for a couple of reasons. You don’t really have to weave in your ends when you can hide them in a tube (this is one time you might even get by just tying a knot when you change colors!) and you can change colors whenever you run out of yarn and it will look good.

Of course the pattern is made with blocks where the designer changed colors, but you can change yours more or less often as you need to make it work for your stash. You can use blank charts to design your own color combinations, or even your own stitch patterns if you like. You can also adjust the length of the scarf as needed or turn it into a cowl based on the amount of yarn you have.

This project looks like a lot of fun and would be a great thing to have on hand to stitch up and then to wear during the cold, gloomy months.

You can get a copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Neisha Abdulla]

Another Way to Use Up All Your Sock Yarn Scraps

Gather Your Scraps for a Fun Wrap

A Scrappy Shawl Knitting Pattern to Use All Your Odd Balls

Use All Your Yarn Scraps on This Great Cardigan Knitting Pattern

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Have you read?