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Ideas to Help Make Knitting More Comfortable

April 29, 2016 by Sarah White

how to make knitting more comfortableI have long had RSI (repetitive strain injury) problems with my hands, wrists and arms when I knit too much. It can be anything from pain to numbness to stinging to stiffness, and it keeps me from knitting as much as I’d like (and I haven’t been knitting much at all lately because I’ve been on the computer too much, which also hurts my hands and arms).

I know all the right things to do — stretch before, during and after knitting sessions, rest between rows, sit with my arms propped up, use circular needles, ice when I need to — but I don’t always actually do those things, so it’s nice to be reminded what’s best for our bodies when we knit so that we can do it comfortably for longer periods.

This post from Love Knitting has a great rundown of things you can do to make knitting more comfortable, and it covers a lot of the ground I just mentioned, as well as a few other things.

I’d love to know what you do to make yourself comfortable and to avoid or recover from knitting-related injuries.

[Photo via Love Knitting.]

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Comments

  1. deb says

    April 29, 2016 at 9:46 am

    Too late for me. I knitted my way to carpal tunnel syndrome. It was my own fault for knitting for hours & hours every day of the week so am glad to see this being addressed here. My first surgery is in 2 weeks and then the other hand will have surgery 8 weeks later. Avoid obsessive knitting or you will end up like me.

  2. Pam says

    April 29, 2016 at 11:11 am

    I have RSDS have had for 20 yrs just in my left hand and I am left handed I agree if I over use it I get into trouble thanks for the exercises brings me back to the days of PT !!!! Pace yourself !!!

  3. freetoairphoenix says

    May 2, 2016 at 3:27 pm

    I got the pains in thumb and forefinger from knitting and crocheting for hours on end each day so badly I had to rest my hands for two whole weeks. What I did to end the pain was to change the positions of my fingers: for crocheting, I altered how my right thumb was angled during my work> I just slightly bent my thumb instead of having it turned up on the hook, as most people do and were taught to hold the hook. In knitting I just barely changed positions of my fingers on the needle and yarn, it took some getting used to, but it worked!! The pain does not arise on account of stress on the digit, but because of the repetitive motions. Once you alter your hand/finger position just slightly, it will stop the repetition on the same joint(s).

Have you read?

A Sweet Skater Dress to Knit

I know knitting a dress sounds like a major time commitment. And that’s before I even tell you that this particular dress, the Sixth Ave Skater Dress by Briana Luppino, is worked in light fingering weight yarn. 

But would you just take a moment to look at it and tell me if it doesn’t look like it would be worth all the time you would spend knitting it? And it’s miles of stockinette stitch so it’s actually beginner friendly and a great semi-mindless knit you can take with you on your travels this summer and wear when it is done. 

The dress is worked from the top down with tank straps, a scoop neck, waist shaping and a flowy skirt for a fun and comfortable fit. 

The pattern has 10 sizes, with finished bust measurements ranging from 28 to 64 inches, or 71.5 to 163 cm. The sample shown was worked with 4 inches/10 cm of negative ease at the bust, and the designer says most people like between 2 and 6 inches/5 to 15 cm of negative ease in the bust and around 10 inches/25.4 cm positive ease in the hips. 

(To refresh your memory, negative ease means the measurement of the garment is smaller than your actual body measurement, while positive ease is bigger than your body.)

To pick a size you’d work from the bust measurement because you can always add more or fewer decreases as you need to get your desired fit at the waist and hips. And because it’s worked from the top down you can try it on as often as you like to make sure it’s the perfect fit. 

The I-cord edgings give the dress a super casual feel, and I think this would be a great one to add to your summer rotation. (Yes, even with a wool blend yarn.)

You can see lots of cute finished versions and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Briana Luppino]

Book Review – Knitted Tanks and Tunics

How to Knit a Simple Sweater Dress

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