Not For Sissies (or idiots)

Power crocheting is NOT for sissies (or idiots). Some of us learn this the hard way...

First I fell hard for this yarn. Then I fell hard for this Japanese Flower pattern. My original plan was to make a scarf. Said scarf was completed but, ummmm, not so much. The scarf was wearing me instead of the other way around. Try as I might, I could not make the scarf work. But, oh my, did I love those flowers all crocheted together. So I just kept making them, adding them one at a time to my scarf. Slowly my scarf started to take the shape of a blanket. I persisted. The hook was flying every time I had a tiny break in my day. I was a woman on a mission.

Well, I was forty six flowers and several days in to this project when the hand that gripped the flower that I so intently worked on started to feel a little stiff and fatigued. But I am a warrior. I crocheted on. Wait. I should amend that. I am not a warrior. I am an idiot and I crocheted on. I did not listen to what my hand was telling me and now I am paying. I seem to have a repetive motion injury to my thumb and some of the fingers on my left hand. I can barely bend them when morning comes each day. 

Seriously? I have a crochet injury? I thought crocheting was for grannies. NOT. I will say it again... Crocheting is NOT for sissies (or idiots).  I think I will have to put my hook away for now. I sure hope my hand gets better. I also hope that my sewing machine remembers who I am. I need her. :-)

Comments

[Andrea]

I agree! Crochet is definitely not for sissies. The only time I've ever gotten a repetitive stress injury was from a crochet-a-thon two Christmas' ago. I don't even get them from marathon knitting.

[Karen]

oh dear...been there done that...sigh when a project takes a hold of us it is a terrible thing... hope you feel better soon!

[marian]

I'm having the exact same problem with my left hand right now. I'm just as stupid ;-) Can't stop when I can clearly feel I really should...
Although I'm not so much of a sewing machine lover as you are, I did take it out last sunday and believe it or not, finished two cushions, nothing like your immaculate work but I'm proud of it nevertheless. See my blog ;-)
Hope your hand gets better soon.
Bye,
Marian

[Anna]

Oh yeah, I got bad "tennis elbow" in both arms a couple of years ago from knitting a shawl. It snowed, there was no school for a week, and I knitted the whole time, all day. One's better now, the other one still gets stiff and ouchy. Crazy! (not to mention stupid, but really, who would have figured??)

[ciannu]

I have the shoulder and wrist injury from felting...real felting with raw wool and scrub boards. Did the same thing..."oh, that hurts" and kept felting for a year. Now crocheting kills me. Can only do a 30 minute sit down with it per day. But hey! 30 minutes of fun! And I've now finally learned to knit continental, something I put off for years. So, I knit a little pick style until those muscles begin to speak, switch to continental until those muscles also speak, then a bit of crochet to finish off my session and I've had a bit of fun and have three projects completed at some point.

[Stel]

I'm currently rehabilitating my elbow and wrist - in the gim...under supervision of the biokineticist! He had a chuckle when hearing about the injury :-) It does help, the gim work.

[Thimbleanna]

Oh No!!! I'm finding as I get older I have more trouble with crochet too. You have to take it in little bites. I hope your hand feels better soon. Go make something wonderful on your sewing machine!

[Karen Lindsay]

I developed this same problem several years back. I wear these when I knit or crochet and they really do help. Take your anti-inflammatory of choice and wear these and you can still crochet. :) Check this site: http://www.handeze.com/fingerless.htm

Karen

[Lisa McGriff]

I got trigger thumb and had to have surgery from rolling fondant out with a rolling pin... Cake decorating not for sissies either.

[Gumbo Lily]

Well, I am a 50 yr. old granny, but I don't crochet. I do embroider and when I over do it, I pay in achy hands. Slow and steady with lots of breaks. LOVE the crochet posies. Can't wait to see the finished blankie.

[Brenda]

I have tennis elbow in my right arm from too much knitting. When it flares up, using a rotary cutter makes it sore, too. It seems weird, but the one activity that really sets it off is walking---when I walk for exercise, I swing my arms as I go along, and flex my elbow with every step. Ouch!

[Holly Saveur]

I feel so sorry for you.....do hope your hands become better soon..the flowers are so gorgeous!

[Heather F]

Ohhh the pain of crochet injuries. I know, who'd have thought? I always get crick in the neck and hand syndrome when I crochet. Luckily my husband takes pity on my poor battered body and gives me a serious neck and hand squishing to get the body back in working order. So, that's what I recommend. Get somebody to take pity on your hand. It'll help.

[gMarie]

beautiful flowers. I hope your thumb heals quickly and your sewing machine behaves. g

[My Rosevalley]

Oh. I guess I am a bit behind with this comment but no no no! I developed a crochet elbow two years ago. I couldn't surf the internet, write shopping lists, brush my teeth, cut or stir with my right hand for months. I had to stay off crochet for 6 months, got depressed and so I found patchwork and sewing. Lucky me. :D Went to physio therapy for 15 months on and off but not really getting anywhere. Found a fantastic chiropractor who have 90% healed me in 5 sessions. I still have to be careful. I still feel it daily but I can crochet and I will never ever again be stupid enough to push myself to a few more stitches when pain occurs. Weird how crochet frenzy can push you to hurt yourself so bad. Hope you are better now. I will patiently wait for the Japanese flower reveal whenever it will appear. I am still working on the granny square blanket I started before I got injured... It is a good two years I've worked on it now and I just now it will be fab once it is finished no matter how long it will take.

[Heather Lee]

Raisin' my hand to crochet injuries. I started getting carpel tunnel syndrome in both wrists (I'm a vigorous crocheter) and asked my chiropractor if there was anything I could do. She was all like, "I'll just adjust them for you." I was like, "No Way!" She was like, "Yep...I could even adjust your earlobes too if I needed to!" Long story short, a couple cracks and I haven't had a problem since and that was 2 years ago. This injury was way better than the time I impaled myself in the hand with a crochet hook and ended up in the ER getting prepped for surgery. It's still worth it.

[Heidi S.]

Beautiful!!! The yarn is lovely, it appears to be the perfect colors for my room. How many motifs will it take to make your project, and how much of the yarn will you need? I am so considering making this for myself, but I have no idea how much yarn I will need or how many flowers to crochet. You inspire me with your doodle stitching as well. Thank you for sharing your creations, they make me happy.