Taking Care of Your Crochet Hands

I've been crocheting a lot (and I mean A LOT) lately and I thought about how to make sure my hands are still okay for the next years of my life for crocheting. I fear the day when I would stop crocheting just because I developed some complication from crocheting too much :p I need to start taking preventive action before I experience any pain or numbness in my hands or arms.

I'm pretty sure some crocheters out there have blogged about this topic, so I found these:

1. Renee Blixt: She has her recommendations on how to prevent aches and pains.

2. Racheal & Leah: They have listed six hand exercises/stretches that help loosen finger joint muscles. And yes, they have pictures of stretching hands that go with it :) They're not doctors, so there's also a disclaimer.

3. Cheryl Dennett (Yahoo! Voices): She provided tips on how you can be comfortable while crocheting. She even mentioned that there are craft stores that sell therapeutic gloves or braces that can be worn while crocheting (not sexy).

I got curious how a therapeutic glove looks like. I found this one from the Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Website:

This is hardcore. I don't know how hardcore I need to be for me to start wearing this.

4. Kat Nelson: She's a massage therapist AND a crocheter - 'nuff said :) After consulting her doctor for pain in her elbow and wrist, she was told that she needed surgery and was advised to give up crocheting (nnnooohhhh). Refusing to give up on crochet, she used a massage technique called trigger point therapy and claimed success in eliminating the pain. There's a disclaimer, of course.

5. Janie: She's a needlework hobbyist and was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel. Like Kat Nelson, she refused to get surgery. So she resorted to wearing a specialized hand brace called, "Carpal Solution."

Workshop 1: Basic Crochet on Oct. 27 at Craft MNL

This is it! This will be fun! I will be facilitating a crochet workshop in Craft MNL :) Excited!

You can choose between the AM and PM sessions. Only 8 participants can be accommodated per session. Participants get a crochet kit inclusive of yarns, hooks, and patterns.

Click this link to register.

Marc Jacobs Shawl: $1,800. Crocheted Shawl for Mom: Priceless!

Not even Marc Jacobs' crocheted shawl can compete with a personally-crocheted shawl for one's own momma :)

I crocheted a shawl last year for my mom, after ages of being asked to make one for her. I was only able to make one last year because I didn't have good yarns - until Rob got great yarns for me from Australia. They were bought from Morris & Sons, and called "Quartet" yarns made from 70% wool and 30% soybean fiber (8-ply).

Colors are called "Burnish" (left) and "Quill" (right)

I only had 2 sets of each color, and I had to work my way around the limited amount of yarn to be able to make a shawl. Luckily, their colors seemed to jive.

Because I was ignorant before of the importance of taking note of pattern sources for projects, I cannot provide (as of now) my source for this one. The pattern is very simple though. It's just made up of double crochet and chain stitches. I guess what makes this shawl unique is the combination of yarns I used. I got disappointed with my mom though when she had the shawl washed without reading the proper washing instructions for the yarn. The frills turned out to be a bit stiff because of improper washing.

By the way, it's not my mom modelling the shawl. :)

So if you can crochet, make something nice for your mom or a loved one. It's more rewarding that way...and it adds to the warmth :p