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Tips and Techniques: Avoiding Hand Fatigue

July 9, 2015 by Mary Vaughn 17 Comments

I used to teach how to crochet and beginning knitting lessons at 2 different yarn stores, which equaled 20 to 30 hours a week of crochet and knitting on the clock and another 20 or so for my own fun per week. After the first week of that you can imagine that my wrists, arms and back began to hurt! However, I was able to relieve these ailments by changing just a few simple things.  Below are my tips and tricks to help you get through deadlines and crochet/knit overloads!

How to make a fist

*Never crochet for even a solid hour without stopping for a minute to contract your fingers back and forth like you are grabbing something. Ideally, this should be done every 20 to 40 minutes.

*Stress balls are a great way to build up endurance.

*Take a walk around the room every hour or so to keep your body from getting stiff. This may seem like a waste of time when you are on a deadline but it helps your body in the long run.

*Don’t try to be a superhero, you can’t go from crocheting/knitting an hour at a time to a marathon. You need to gradually work up to longer and longer times. Your wrists have muscles and they need time to build up and get stronger.

*This may not work for everyone but try switching your dominate hand, after minimal practice I was able to crochet with my left or right hand. I am way faster using my right hand however when I am in a pinch it is nice to give my main hand a break and keep going with my other one!

*Examine the way you are sitting. Is your back supported? Is your arm supported? Are you leaning forward and putting strain on your neck? Many people find using a pillow under there dominate hand more comfortable.

*All hooks are not created equal! Some hooks give you less strain than others. Everyone is different, try a different hook and see if that helps! For me I prefer Soft Touch or Amour hooks by Clover. Some of my students prefer Boyle hooks with clay handles.

*Icy Hot patches are my friend if I get to the point that I am sore. They are nice because it can’t get on your project and it’s topical.

* Remember no project is worth injuring yourself, if you need rest don’t risk it and take the extra day or so!

PicMonkey Collage

Also this article is not intended to give medical advice, see your doctor if you need medical attention.

 


Editor’s Note:  health_knitting1We thought you might also like our recent post The Health Benefits of Knitting and Crocheting.  You are tending to your health when this happens by increasing your ability to remember things, dialing in your focus and lowering your heart rate. It does not matter if you are working on an easy crochet pattern or a difficult fair isle knitting pattern, the calming effects are the same.


 

 

 

Comment below and share your favorite hand exercises tip.

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Mary Vaughn
Blogger at Crochet Chiq
Mary Kathryn Vaughn is a published crochet designer and also blogs about family topics, crafts and anything yarn related. She is CYCA certified, a YouTube host, and a member of the CGOA. She is the proud mom of two young boys and is very active teaching various arts to the youth in her community. She loves connecting with new people and teaches whenever she can.
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Latest posts by Mary Vaughn (see all)
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Filed Under: Tutorial Tagged With: allfreecrochet, allfreeknitting, crochet for your health, free crochet tips and tricks, guest post, knitting for your health, tips and techniques

Comments

  1. Sandy says

    July 12, 2015 at 8:43 pm

    I get so involved with a new project that sometimes I forget to take breaks. This has some great tips for helping with the pain. I’m still fairly new to crocheting so any tips are welcome. Thx

    Reply
  2. Geraldo Rios says

    July 12, 2015 at 9:18 pm

    What great points to be made! I find that personally everything. In your body is connected so the more stress you put on yourself either emotional or physical can have consequences all over your body if you dont take care of yourself even during a seemingly menial activity. Alexander technique is a great example of this!

    Happy crafting

    Reply
  3. Heather says

    July 13, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    Thanks for the tips! Since I don’t have a stress ball, I will try rotating my wrists into circular motion. How do you go about training yourself to switch hands? Anything particular you have done?

    Reply
    • Cindy Betts says

      October 17, 2016 at 11:20 pm

      I’ve seen how to make a stress ball on YouTube. Do a search on YouTube for making one. HOOPLA KIDS has a pretty good video.

      Reply
  4. Josie says

    July 17, 2015 at 11:18 am

    Lik other I get so involved in proh cuts I completely forget to even put down my hook just for a minute or two. Some great tips and good reminders. I may even try the switching hands but!

    Reply
  5. Kathryn Abrams says

    July 17, 2015 at 5:33 pm

    Thank you for sharing ways to avoid hand fatigue. Although I am not a crocheter, I do a lot of work on the computer. I type most of the day, so I often experience cramping in my hands, wrists, and forearms. Like you said, stress balls relieve some of my pain and build my hand strength. If I am really focused on a project, I often forget to take breaks, so it is important to get up and walk around for a few minutes to get my blood flowing and loosen up my muscles. Simple steps can help me finish a task without harming my body.

    Reply
  6. Nancy says

    December 12, 2015 at 7:59 pm

    I actual now have arthritis because of crocheting as an addiction! I just get to a point and can’t put my needle down! I make king size afghans and now I’m into making slouchy hats, about 2 a night. I starting crocheting at the age of 8 when my mom taught me. I am now 55 and never stopped! I will purchase a stress ball for my breaks. Thank you for the tips.
    Weeki Wachee, Florida

    Reply
  7. SandyK says

    December 27, 2015 at 11:18 am

    What you do to relieve stress during breaks (as long as you do SOMETHING) is not quite as important as taking those breaks in the first place! I get excited about what I am making and “forget” to stop for breaks, so I spent a dollar at the dollar store and got a little kitchen timer…I set it for thirty minutes and take a break when it goes off, then set it again before continuing with my project. It’s worked great, as have many of the suggestions above for pillows, stress balls, etc. Keep stitching!

    Reply
  8. Marianne says

    December 27, 2015 at 11:03 pm

    A friend said she got relief from stiffness and pain by squeezing silly putty . It allows you to compress more than a stress ball. I have arthritis and I try to squeeze for awhile several times a week. It does seem to give me relief. I tend to be a marathon crocheter, so I will also try the rest periods you suggested. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. Pearl Lewis says

    October 10, 2016 at 7:54 pm

    A MEN for Icy Hot 🙂

    Reply
  10. Avid Crocheter says

    October 14, 2016 at 4:39 pm

    Useful article. Thank you.
    P.s. I think you meant *dominant not *dominate.

    Reply
  11. samah yasin says

    April 25, 2017 at 2:55 pm

    Using soft touch hooks made all the difference.
    I even made my own gripps for those don’t have any.
    Also supporting my hand and back helped alot.

    Reply
  12. Janet Wood says

    July 5, 2017 at 6:12 am

    I am a marathon crafter AND I have arthritis. The way I deal with muscle fatigue is to drink plenty of water. I keep a bottle of water next to me and take frequent sips, which gives me short breaks often. And by the time I have emptied the bottle, I HAVE to get up to get a fresh bottle and to make room for the next lot of water. That is what forces me to get up and move (sometimes quite quickly) down the passage and back.

    Reply
  13. Karin Roberts says

    March 3, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    I prefer Susan Bates hooks. The thing that seems to work for me to alleviate some of the stress on my little finger is to simply use the next larger hook. Size L is what I am currently using to make crocheted hats for our church Christmas bazaar. I made 40 hats last year after not crocheting anything for about 20 years. For the hats, it doesn’t seem to make much difference between a size K or a size L for worsted weight yarns.

    Reply
  14. Robbi Rainwater Wallen says

    September 23, 2018 at 12:38 am

    I’ve been crocheting since I was about 6 or 7, an instrumentalist for 12 years and a professional secretary for over 30 years. One thing that I’ve learned is keep your hands limber by stretching them and keeping them cool with a cold bottle of water. Doing so keeps your hands from swelling.

    Reply
  15. Char says

    June 28, 2019 at 10:24 pm

    Wonderful suggestions on how to handle hand & wrist fatigue. I love the rice & beans tip. They’re all good. Thank you so much everyone!
    I had to have bi-lateral carpal tunnel release surgery years ago due to working on a word processor 8 hours per day. These exercises are wonderful to help avoid having to have surgery and pain!

    Reply
  16. Melody Rose Proctor says

    September 15, 2019 at 8:18 am

    My dad gave me a really cool stress ball when he swiched jobs that he used when he had to type all day, but now he’s on the phone, so he didn’t need it. It’s a soft rubber ball coverd with spandex, and it’s sooo fun to squish!

    Reply

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