Your Most Important Knitting Tools

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

SusanL@109 — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:02:31 GMT

When I was in high school....way back!....I took cosmotology. Every morning our teacher would start our day by going thru these exact exercises. I have always done them on a regular basis, so when I started knitting they really came in handy! They do help.

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

TieDye — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:11:08 GMT

I had pain in my left wrist. It was so bad I went to the ER. After an xray and a visit to an orthopedic doctor, carpel tunnel was ruled out. The pain would sometimes be in my left hand sometimes in the right.There were days I couldn't dress myself the pain was so bad. The ortho doctor took a wait and see attitude. I talked to my GP and she sent me for some blood test. It turns out I have rheumatoid arthritis.

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

DonnaLeeG — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:02:29 GMT

I mostly do crochet, but have the same types of hand problem. My biggest problem is arthritis, which makes a lot of the suggestions difficult - it's hard to massage one hand with the other when both are hurting! I find that fingerless support gloves, like the hand-eze, are helpful. I also use cushions on all of my crochet hooks to make it easier to grasp them. I have a parafin bath that I use when my hands are really bad, and I just have to pace myself. But continuing to use them keeps them going, so I'm not about to quit crafting - I just need to be aware of the pain and quit before it gets too bad, so that I'm able to pick it up again later.

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

Kathleen Cubley — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:07:25 GMT

Hi Beth,

I've passed on your question to our eMedia team. I'll let you know what they say.

Thanks,

Kathleen

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

Michelle613 — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:22:15 GMT

Great Post! It's very informative..

It tells me again on how to take care of hands while knitting..

Thank you for the hand exercise. I may too use this after i knit.

Ohh I love your puppy..Milo is so cute..^_^ no wonder why his favorite toy is knitting needles..

Have a great time knitting!

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

dmf122552 — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:34:16 GMT

Fantastic............... I can't wait to try these little exercises. My left hand, between the thumb and index finger, takes a beating and I have to stop spinning and knitting for a few days. Needless to say my family takes the brunt of my grumpiness when this happens. Thank you so much for sharing!

Donna Freeman

Sellersville, PA

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

BethS@73 — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:38:33 GMT

Kathleen, can you add the URL link to the Blog in your daily newsletter? The message says you can read the blog in your browser, but there is not a direct link.

I have to go to the Reply line in email and then choose Go to URL and then I have to search for the blog. One step would be faster. Is it possible?

Thank you for the wrist exercises and the follow-up comments about neck and forearm from readers. We needleworkers often use the computer often too and we need help with the health of our back, neck, arms, wrists, and all body parts!

Beth

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

reikigrl — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:55:22 GMT

I'm speaking here as both someone who used to have carpal tunnel syndrome (from computer usage, violin, and crocheting) and a massage therapist. In many cases, there are two locations that cause the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Some of the problem can be caused in the wrist itself (especially with knitters, musicians, and people who have poor ergonomics at a computer), where essentially the joint itself ends up slightly misaligned. It can be contributory to the inflamed tendons, clicking in the wrist, and general stiffness in elbow and wrist. This is usually not the primary cause of the problem, however. Most of the problem is usually in the neck. Much of the tingling or numbness in specific fingers, some of the tendon issues in the shoulder, etc. can be caused by what we call trigger points, which are a type of knot putting pressure on the nerve. Many massage therapists have been trained to work with trigger points, and for a much more complete treatment you can combine that with someone who works with fascia, either myofascial release or rolfing. A combination of bodywork, stretching, and improved ergonomics can reverse the damage of carpal tunnel, and help you to avoid surgical intervention. I had carpal tunnel syndrome for 7 years, and have now been pain free for over 9.

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

sharongowland — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:19:17 GMT

I am currently getting acupuncture in my thumb and hands trying to relieve the pain and stiffness that I am experiencing from working on a computer all day and trying to knit in my spare time! I of course would rather knit than sit at a computer all day, but my knitting doesn't pay the bills!!! Boo hoo!! Anyway, thank you for the excercises, I will definitely try them. I have put down my knitting for the time being, in hopes that I will be able to get back to it painfree, although my chiropractor told me that as long as I'm on a computer all day, I will probably always have some pain. I better stop typing this comment now, because I'm overusing my hands. Thanks for listening!!!

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

Lucille Reilly — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:44:38 GMT

The best way to avoid pain is to learn >how to move< while knitting. Movement in knitting is what keeps our joints limber, and precisely the thing that will make good on those exercises. And that movement, believe it or not, comes from the BIG joints in the arms.

I teach movement in knitting with some regularity. The biggest thing I suggest is that we knit not with our needles and not with our fingers, but with our BODIES. This is a big subject (and I come at it from the standpoint of musicianship) and definitely worth exploring. Imho, there's a lot more to knitting than exercises in between. HTH,

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

ohlordie — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:17:52 GMT

Thank you so much for the article "Your Most Important Knitting Tools." I , too, knit (and crochet) until my hands start begging me to stop. I, of course, don't want to stop!! I go to bed with aching hands. Thank you for the hand exercises. I will try them each day and be more giving to my hands -- without them I wouldn't be able to do what I love most -- knit and crochet.

My hands thank you!!!!

Laurie

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

B.L — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:38:57 GMT

There's an excersize that I do to stretch my knitting, and computer mouse, muscles. I found myself doing this just because it feels good.

I put my hands down to my side. Spread my fingers as far as they'll go. Then I raise my hands, slowly, at the wrist, and move them back and forth, again, slowly, as if waving to someone on the floor .

P.S. Thanks for the gratuitous puppy/kitty photo.

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

JudeM — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:37:24 GMT

Because of knitting (well, that plus my bad posture), I developed a rotator-cuff issue. The pain was in my left shoulder and radiated down my arm, sometimes to my fingers, and up my arm across my collar bone. Youch! Of course I didn't want to stop knitting, and the good news was that I didn't have to. I learned a lot about rotator-cuff problems and how to heal them, mainly from a book. I did some exercises and tried hard to remember not to slump forward when sitting or standing. Yay! Everything is getting much better.

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

LynnC — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:13:25 GMT

I have had both my thumbs fixed, and no more pain. They break the joint at the base of your thumb, take a piece of your tendon from your arm and wrap it around the thumb joint to replace the lost cartilege, and put it all back together. No more pain AT ALL, but it was the most painful recovery for about a month of all my surgeries, as every nerve goes into your thumb. But it was worth it. I lost a little strength in my thumb, but that is what my husband (or friend) is for.

re: Your Most Important Knitting Tools

grauvoglb@comcast.net — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:48:39 GMT

Kathleen -

Love the new kitty - wow only 2 days and he's sleeping with the puppy! He must be really grateful to have found a forever home.

Ragdoll