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Keep Your Arms, Hands and Wrists Happy in the New Year

January 2, 2014 by Sarah White

finger stretch yogaIf you’re like me, you’ve probably started a new knitting project or two with great enthusiasm in the past couple of days. Or maybe you’re just planning to knit more in the new year. Either way, you need to be mindful of what all the sitting and knitting is doing to your body, and if you have repetitive strain injuries like I do you really need to stretch and rest often. (This is one of my resolutions this year, since I’m going to be doing a lot of knitting for my next book.)

Knitting Daily has been thinking about this, too, and recently published some tips for stretching the fingers, wrists, head and neck (originally from a 2012 issue of Interweave Knits) that are really helpful.

Perusing Pinterest I found a few videos from Mala Yoga studio in Brooklyn, which include a wrist stretch using the wall and a quick stretch to repeat that works the arms, wrists and hands. There’s also one for a supported fish pose you can do in your chair that’s great for people who tend to hunch over their knitting (or their computer).

I also like these tips on yoga for carpal tunnel from my About colleague Ann. They remind you to be mindful of your wrists while building strength.

Doy you ever stretch before, during or after knitting? I’d love to hear the moves you use.

[Photo via Knitting Daily.]

Next Pattern:

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Have you read?

Bucket Hat Knitting Patterns

As I was starting to write this post I thought that it was true that I’d never done a roundup of bucket hat knitting patterns before. But then I looked, and I actually did one last year (which you can find here) but there are plenty of cute bucket hats to do another post about, right? 

The one that made me want to write about this (again) is the Red Heart Knit Fanfare Bucket Hat from Yarnspirations. This cute striped hat can be worked in team colors, and while I might prefer a non-acrylic yarn for a summer hat, it would be fine when it’s not too hot outside (or try a cotton yarn instead). 

Claire Slade’s Sunlit Bucket Hat has an angled brim to help keep the sun out of your eyes. It’s worked from the bottom up using worsted weight cotton yarn, and comes in three sizes. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

Get a little air flow in your bucket hat with the Shady Bucket Hat from Wool & Beyond. This one uses DK weight yarn and an eyelet pattern throughout the body to keep it cool. It comes in sizes ranging from newborn to adult large, and is worked in one piece from the top down. You can grab the pattern (in English or Swedish) on Ravelry. 

If you’re looking for a fun, floppy sun hat for kids or adults, this pattern from Muki Crafts is a little more slouchy than a traditional bucket hat but it’s super cute. It comes in baby, toddler and bigger kid sizes and adult. I uses worsted weight yarn and is worked from the bottom up. 

Another variation on the classic bucket is this one that’s more of a cloche style. Made by branda, it uses bulky yarn so it’s more of a winter bucket hat, but now’s a fine time to knit it if you live somewhere that’s warm right now (or even more so if you live somewhere that’s cold right now). 

Another one to get you ready for colder weather is Tirmety, a two-layer bucket hat from ViTalina Craft, which has a textured stitch pattern on one side and stockinette on the other. You can wear either side out or even make them different colors if you want. The pattern is sized for toddlers, kids and adults. 

And if you want to add some extra cuteness to your bucket hat, I love this (of course totally optional but also totally adorable) embroidered deatila on the New York Bucket Hat from Pauline Fanguin. It uses two strands of DK weight yarn held together for extra sturdiness, and uses changes in needle size to shape the hat. Of course you could also knit stripes or use different textures of yarn to change up the look. This pattern is made to fit your head and is available in French and English. 

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