ERRATA!!!
We missed a good part of the article in the book...here is the rest of Andee's wisdom....
Keep Your Hands Healthy When Hooking by Andee Graves
Keep Your Hands Healthy When Hooking
By Andee Graves (aka Mamas2Hands)
Does crocheting have to hurt? Will there come a time when you will have to relegate your hooks to the dustbin of past joys because age and infirmity have taken their toll? Maybe not. There are a number of simple strategies that we can incorporate into our crochet work to improve our chances of avoiding injury from our crafting.
Finding and implementing hand healthy changes that are right for your life and crafting style can be an enlightening adventure. Changing how you work and your tools can be a bit tricky, but once you’ve got the hang of any new approaches your hands will thank you. The biggest issue for many crafters is the limited crafting time we have in our day, so losing current productivity to a learning curve can be frustrating. If you can keep your eye on the bigger goal, longevity with your beloved craft, the frustration is more bearable.
1. Find a hand friendly hook The term ergonomic gets thrown around a lot these days. Sometimes it can be hard to know if the claim is even accurate for every item labeled as such. Ergonomic comes from two Greek words; ergon, meaning work, and nomoi, meaning natural laws. Combined they create a word that defines the science of work and a person’s relationship to that work. The general idea is to create a comfortable and efficient interface between human and machine.
Now, not too many of us are accustomed to thinking of our crochet hooks as a machine, but they really are. Our hooks are a simple machine, they allow us to create fabric from any type of flexible pliable thread-like substance with seeming magic. Have you ever tried making a long chain with just your fingers? Then you know how your hook can speed the process, as well as making it quick to build upon that base chain to create elaborate stitches.
There are loads of hooks available on the market, and trying a variety seems to be the best method for finding your dream hook. If you live near a yarn store that has a good variety of hooks stocked, check if you can “test drive” some in the shop. This way you know if you’re going to like them before making the investment. Better yet check with your crochet friends to see what hooks they have and if you can borrow a few of them. Remember, even if your friend has a hook style they despise, it could be your dream hook. Differences in hand size, working tension, yarn choice and body mechanics can really impact which hook is going to be more comfortable for different people.
You can also make your own ergonomic hook by changing a current hook. There are many different approaches. This can be as simple as putting a band-aid on the area of your hook that makes your hand sore or making a customized wide handle using polymer clay. HilaryGermany on the Ravelry site has an awesome informative tutorial on her blog about this method.
2. Hold on loosely
The most important aspect of how you decide to hold you hook is the tightness of your grip. The people that seem to experience the most injury and discomfort crocheting are those who have a “death grip” on their hook. Typically when we are new to crochet or trying to learn a new technique we want to hold the hook too tight. Even those of us who know better may find ourselves in this position. When you find yourself breaking or bending your hooks regularly you need to look at loosening your grip. The easiest way to loosen your hook grip is to remember to breathe deeply, we tend to tighten all the muscles in our bodies when we are holding our breath or breathing shallowly.
Most people think that the knife (or toothbrush) hold seems to cause the least injury issues compared to the pencil hold, but both can affect the muscles of the arm and wrist. Again this is dependent upon the tightness of your grip. There is no one way that is the only correct way to hold your hook. Experiment with different hold styles and modifications that are comfortable for you. Having more than one way you hold your hook while working can also help you avoid injury.
Dee Stanziano/CrochetWithDee related a story about hook techniques on one of the Ravelry discussion boards:
“At one of our CGOA Chapter meetings last year I went around to every member and watched them crochet. As they did I let them know if they were a “rider” (one who creates stitches close to the work) or a “lifter” (one who lifts the hook high off the work) as the anchoring yarn over is drawn up. This helped several see why they were having difficulty meeting gauge. (For those that don’t know what the anchoring yarn over is, it’s the loop that is drawn up through the previously made stitch. If you keep your hook close to your work, you will have short stitches. If you draw that loop up high, you will have a taller stitch.)
The other thing that will effect your stitch height is the length of your crochet hook’s neck. The more loops you have on your hook, the longer the neck you’ll want. Otherwise your stitches will have sort of a triangular look to them. This is why it’s important and fun to play with many types of crochet hooks; the more we do, the more we learn.”
Hook holds can make a big difference in your gauge. So when testing out various holds you might want to experiment with gauge swatches first. This also gives you the option of switching your hold according to what type of gauge/tension you want. One poster in the CLF thread on hook holds referred to how she used a “rider” style of work when making wool soakers for babies to wear over cloth diapers. This provided her with a tighter stitch and made the soakers more “bullet proof”.
3. Shoulders Back, Tummy In
How many of us grew up with someone scolding us about our posture? In fact many of us still believe we have “bad” posture. There really isn’t such a thing. Instead it is a case of posture that is not “optimal for function”. Basically our skeletal system is constructed to be efficient. If muscles are taking the weight of gravity all the time, instead of the bone structure being allowed to do
its job, you will have pain and eventually the muscles develop adhesions and strains in response to the inefficient posture. This is why even minimal stretching and strengthening routines can help tremendously.
The only hard and fast rule I’ve ever used about posture is “listen to your body”. While you are sitting there having a lovely time with your hook and yarn remember to take a moment and check-in with what your body has to tell you. Pain is simply information, not the enemy. In fact the messages of minor pain can help us avoid further injury. Think about how our response to jerk our hand away from a hot surface can save us from a severe burn. Are you beginning to feel uncomfortable or twinges of pain, pay attention: Is it is time for a break? Do you need to change the way you are sitting?
Often small adjustments to your posture and support from pillows or your furniture can make a world of difference. The usual advice for an optimal working posture is to keep your hook-hand elbow close to your side. Extending the arm outward from the body can place strain on your elbow and wrist as well as shortening of the muscles of your shoulders. If you regularly feel your shoulders and arms are “tight” after crocheting dropping your elbow can make a big difference. If you are sitting on the floor when crafting, putting a small pillow under your bum to lift your pelvis a bit can often make a difference in the stress on your back and shoulders. In bed, grab some pillows and try propping yourself with them to see what makes you more comfortable.
Use good lighting and get your eyes checked regularly. Your posture can be adversely affected by your vision. Especially when working with dark colored yarns it is common to find yourself squinting, bending closer to your work or lifting your fabric closer to your face while working. These habits can end up causing tight muscles in your neck and shoulders, sometimes even your back. Eventually that can lead to issues in your hands, wrists and arms.
Large projects can become very heavy with the amount of yarn involved. Working with your project on a table can be a great way to take the weight off your wrists and hands, allowing you to work longer stretches without pain. In the hotter seasons this can also help you stay cool.
4. Change it up
The kind of yarn you work with can make a big difference. The less stretch there is to the yarn the more stress it can place on your wrists and fingers while working. Most yarns made with fibers like cotton, linen and silk have less “give” when working them and if doing a tight gauge requires more effort to insert your hook into stitches. Fibers like wool, alpaca and even acrylic generally have more give and allow the motions of your hand and wrist to be relatively effortless. Switching between projects using different yarns and hook sizes can help. And as we’ve talked about under the other tips, changing your posture frequently and using different hook holds can also help.
For those who have other health conditions, such as Fibromyalgia or Arthritis, some of this information can be helpful but it is always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider before implementing a new regimen.