Three Tips For Healthy Crochet Wrists

  Last year I promised a friend I would make them an amigurumi. Queue the night before I'm supposed to give it to them, I'm only half way done and am crocheting like mad. Two hours into working and my wrists were burning. Yet I continued. By the time I finished I had to take weeks off from crocheting just to save my wrists.

    One issue faced both by new and long-time crocheters is wrist pain. Say you're a few hours into crocheting a blanket and you notice a twinge as you pull the yarn up. Or maybe you set your project down hours ago, but when making dinner you realized that picking up a heavy pot gave you a sudden jolt of pain. With a craft so focused on our hands and wrists, it's important to maintain our health in these areas. Below I'm going to offer some tips and tricks to fend off these pains.

    Note: I am in no way a doctor or medical professional. These are merely tips that have helped me and many other crocheters in preventing wrist injuries. If you are worried you have injured your wrists, please consult with a doctor.

1. Stretch

    The best advice I can offer you is to stretch both before and after a crochet session. After all, you wouldn't go for a run without any stretching beforehand, right? (Not that I've been running anytime recently haha). Whenever you plan on crocheting for a bit, spend a few minutes really working on preparing your wrist and fingers.

    Below are the stretches I always do when planning to crochet for over 10 minutes.

Wrist Stretch:

    Place your hands together with all your fingers lined up. One hand at a time, use one hand to push the other back (fingers towards wrist). Do not push further than your hand can comfortably go.

Finger Spreads:

    Place your hands together with all your fingers lined up. Now spread all your fingers side-to-side like a starfish. Hold for three to five seconds.

Neck Rolls:

    Lean your head to one side. Slowly roll it to the other side.

Shoulder Shrugs:

    Rest your shoulders. Now shrug them upwards (as if saying "I don't know). Hold for three seconds.

2. Massage

    Massaging your hand can bring immediate relief to tired joints and muscles. 

    Using your pointer finger and thumb, rub in circular motions starting at the top of your palm. Slowly work your way down towards the base of your palm. If any specific areas feel tender, such as the base of the thumb, work around this area. Using lotion may provide an easier glide.

3. Take Breaks

    Sometimes the best thing you can do to continue your craft is to stop. Whether for twenty minutes or twenty days. 

    If you find you're too focused on crocheting to give yourself a full break, try to find activities still focused around crochet that won't have you putting the same strain on your wrist. The best examples I can suggest are:

Reorganize your yarn collection 

Try writing a pattern

Start a crochet blog

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    When your hobby is so focused on repetitive movements on an already finicky joint, you have to listen carefully to what your body is telling you. Crochet is an activity I love, that I want to continue when I'm much older. To reach that point, maintaining wrist health is so important. Follow the tips above to continue your love of crochet as well.