Health Benefits of Crocheting
Precautions to Take
Crocheting and rheumatoid arthritis are not exactly the perfect pair. Still, you do not have to give it up completely. There will be times you will have discomfort so don’t push yourself too much. You’ll need to be cautious. Take extra steps to protect yourself from further aches, pains, and potential damage.
One of the best things to do before and after crocheting is to warm up your hands. Heat soothes swelling and helps you relax. You can soak in warm water, or you can use a paraffin bath. Dip your hands in paraffin for about five minutes. This will really warm them up and relax them.
After you have your hands warmed up, do some stretching exercises. Just like you do warm up exercises when you go to the gym or for a run. You should do the same before you start crocheting. Give your hands a massage before, during and after crocheting. Massage will get the blood flowing in your hands and will help with circulation.
- Move/bend your elbows, wrists and fingers (open/close)
- Hold stretches for 15-20 seconds each
- Massage for 20 – 60 seconds in each of the “puffy” areas of your hands; ie. the pad areas just above your fingers. Massage along the side of your hand on the little finger side. Also, massage above where your thumb attaches. Feel around your hand on the top and the bottom and massage any area that feels tender.
Please note that all opinions are my own and are not intended to be taken as medical advice.
Tips to Make Sure You Reap Only the Benefits of Crocheting
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I want to make sure you reap only the benefits of crocheting and not the pitfalls. These tips will hopefully reduce any pain that might occur.
- Crocheting should be fun and relaxing. Don’t push too hard!
- Most of the people I know who crochet give their projects away as gifts. Plan your projects so you aren’t forcing yourself to meet a deadline.
- Have more than one project going at a time. (not a problem for me!)
- Different projects will have different tensions and different types of yarn. By switching from one project to another it will give your hands a break. The little adjustments between projects will help reduce tension on your joints.
- When you are having soreness, but still want to crochet, work on a project that uses a larger hook and worsted weight yarn. Avoid projects with fine and lightweight yarn and ones with a more intricate pattern.
- Be aware of your posture. The more upright you sit, the better. Your shoulders, arms and hands are all connected. Tension from one area will travel to all the others. When you are in a slump, it only adds to the problem.
- An arm rest will allow you to have somewhere for your elbows to rest. Be aware of how heavy your project might get. Holding up a lot of weight can cause tension in your wrists and fingers.
- Have proper lighting. If you can’t see well, you may be squinting and slouching forward and not even realize it. This can create tension in many areas of your body. Besides having a light right by my chair, I like to use this light that goes over my neck. I can point it right on to my project. It works especially well when I am using dark colored yarns
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Best Crochet Hooks for Arthritic Hands
You will want to avoid a plain metal hook. These can be very hard to hold and are small, which puts more tension on your hands. Once you hold any style of ergonomic hook you will instantly feel the difference. The soft larger grip of an ergonomic crochet hook is just what you need if you have arthritic hands. Just like hands, ergonomic hooks come in many shapes and sizes. You will want to try out different types of ergonomic hooks to see which works best for you. Fortunately, you can pick up most types in a set. The cost is about the same as going out to lunch.
Because they are so inexpensive you can afford to try different types to see which works best for you. I even find that I like different styles of hooks for different projects. Having more than one set also allows you to keep the hook you are using with your projects. This is especially useful if you have more than one project going at a time.
My Favorites
Crochet Hooks With Curved Handles
These hooks have a really nice curve to them. My hands are very crooked, and these hooks lay nicely in my hand. The curve seems to fit right into the curve of my hand. I did find that it took a while to get used to the curve, but once I did, I fell in love. I find I can crochet longer with these hooks.
With the way the curve of the handle is designed, these will not work for people who use a pencil style of holding the hook. However, if you use a knife style grip you will probably love them.
There were some reviewers who felt the hooks were not of good quality. I have two sets and have not had a problem. Keep in mind that this is a very inexpensive set of crochet hooks. Another brand to consider that is very similar in shape and may be of higher quality is the addiSwing brand. However, while they may be of better quality, they also are much more expensive. One hook is going to cost you more than this entire set.
There are 8 sizes in this set. I recommend having a couple sets. This way you can leave the hook with the project it goes with. Yes, I normally have several projects going on at a time.
Hint: the size of the hook is stamped on the handle; however, it might wear off. I was afraid this would happen so when I first got them, I made little labels with the size and the color of the hook and taped it on to the case. Now I know which hook is what size and know exactly where it goes in the case. This is an example of what I did.
Handle with Interchangeble Hooks
Light up Crochet Hooks Ergonomic Soft GripBuy on Amazon
This is my other favorite crochet hook. My daughter bought me this set for Mother’s Day. At first glance I thought the handle would not be something I could use. But I was pleasantly surprised. I quickly fell in love with it. The flatter surface is very easy for me to grip.
The built-in USB rechargeable light is really nice for crocheting in the evening especially with dark colors. It only takes about 15 minutes to charge and a charge will last about 7-9 hours
It also has a row and stitch counter. You do have to move the numbers manually and it takes a bit to get used to, but I found the counters to be very helpful. It would be nice if it could be automated somehow, but I really can’t think of any way that it could be.
There are 12 sizes of hooks. Most crochet hook sets only have 8. Just attach them to the end of the handle using the little wrench that is included. Note that the letter and number size is printed on the base of the hook. Personally I have to hold it up to a light to be able to see but then my eyes aren’t in quite as good of shape as most people.
There are not a lot of reviews for this product yet because it has only been on Amazon for a couple of months. So far, just like me, most of the people who submitted reviews were quite happy with it.
More of the Best Ergonomic Crochet Hooks for Arthritis
I choose the next sets based on Amazon reviews. There were literally thousands of reviews with an average rating of 4.7 -4.8. Amazing!
There are SO many different sizes of crochet hooks in this set. Twenty to be exact!
Crochet hook sizes included are:
- 10 lace hooks from 0.5mm to 2.75mm
- 10 ergonomic hooks from 3.5mm to 10mm
Along with the hooks are:
- 5 yarn needles
- a small set of scissors
- 20 stitch markers
- The best part of this set is the case that they all fit in.
One of the perks of this set is that they are longer than most (4.5 cm for size B and 5.2cm for size N). This gives you extra space when the pattern calls for more loops.
Included in the set is:
- 14 ergonomic crochet hooks
- 9 yarn needles with different sized eyes
- 10 stitch markers
- scissors
- all in a nice case
Don’t be afraid of doing something nice for yourself. Don’t give up if the set you order doesn’t work out as well as you had hoped. As I mentioned earlier, none of these sets are expensive. About the same as going out to lunch or dinner. You are worth it!
It may not be as easy as it once was, but it can be done. There are so many benefits to crocheting like feeling relaxed and improving your self esteem.
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