Crochet is Fun, But...

...If you crochet long enough, it's inevitable that you will eventually have some pain in your hands, wrists, shoulders, even your neck and back.  It's the same with any repetitive movement, even one as relaxing as crochet.  But by paying attention to your body and forming better ergonomic habits, you can minimize your discomfort, avoid pain and enjoy crochet for a lifetime. 

First, pay attention to your posture.  Curling up on a sofa or even in bed to crochet may be cozy, but you need support for your back and your arms.  It's better to crochet in a chair with arms for support, as your arms and shoulders will tire from holding up your work on their own.  If you don't have a chair with arms, use a pillow under each elbow for support.  Relax your shoulders and avoid hunching them.

Taking frequent breaks is important for resting not only your muscles, but your eyes.  Stretch your arms, grip a stress ball, turn your neck slowly, do some shoulder circles.  Hand stretches are especially important, some good suggestions for these are found at JoCreates.

What about hooks?  There are many shapes of hooks available, but in general, a thicker crochet hook handle will ease tension in your hands and wrists by encouraging you to relax your grip.  And about grip, try changing your grip from time to time.  If you use an underhand, or "pencil" grip, try using an overhand, or "knife" grip for awhile.  I would caution you, however, to recheck your gauge when changing your grip in the middle of a project, as that may change as well.  I have also been told that the knife grip is recommended over the pencil grip to reduce the chance of crochet pain.

Take a little time to pay attention to your body so crochet will always be fun!

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