Sometimes, after knitting for a few hours, my hands begin to hurt. Did I take a break? No. Have I stretched at regular intervals? No. Have I taken care of the body that loves to knit today? I fed it potato chips; does that count? It should, but no.
When our bodies hurt after crafting for extended periods, sometimes all we need is to stretch, put our project down for a while (a day or more), or work on something else that uses a different set of muscles. But what happens if you come back to the project and it still hurts? Does that mean that you can’t go back to the craft you love? Not necessarily. But you should have a chat with a healthcare provider to see if you have created an injury or strain.
What happens if, after that visit, you need to shift your crafting to something else, and you aren’t sure what that is?
Here are a few suggestions of crafts you currently do and ways to pivot and explore new crafting areas.
If You’re a Weaver:
- If you find the movement of sitting at a floor loom hard on your body, you can take a short video of yourself to see how you are weaving and where your posture could improve as suggested by Laura Fry in her The Intentional Weaver course.
- Swap your wider floor loom with a narrower one, so you do not have to reach so far to catch the shuttle.
- Downsize further to a table loom. You can sit and craft with a significantly smaller profile and a shorter physical process for warping the loom.
- Try a rigid heddle loom. They are portable and very versatile, and by adding two heddles or lease sticks, like Amanda Wood shows in her Two-Heddle Weaving course, you can make a wide range of cloth.
- Tapestry—portable and now your weaving can include landscapes.
If You’re a Spinner:
- If you have lower-body limitations, try an e-Spinner.
- Try a suspended or a support spindle if you have mobility concerns.
If You’re a Knitter:
- Reading books about ergonomics such as Knitting Comfortably by Carson Demers. Demers suggests alternating projects between large gauge and small and trying out different needle materials between wood and metal to see which produce less pressure on your hands.
- Crochet—focuses on mobility in one hand rather than two.
- Knitting machine—Not just because Felicia bought one, but of course because Felicia bought one. Ask me how I know. Making larger garments by passing your hand left to right in smooth motions to create modular pieces that you can seam together into garments or shawls.
Other Crafts to Consider When You Hurt:
- Punch needle—smaller project sizes are possible with small project areas.
- Felting—you can choose to wet felting batts or to needle felting small charters or ornaments.
- Dyeing—dyeing large amounts to make materials for weaving or dyeing small amounts with hand-painting or eco-printing.
With all the options above, I don’t see not being able to maintain one craft as a disadvantage. Rather, it can open you up to so many other crafts out there. Some crafts are more portable and will continue to allow you to take your crafts with you like you want. Other craft alternatives are stationary and will keep you focused while in one place. No matter what new craft you pick up, the School of SweetGeorgia has a course for you that will support your exploration of colour and creativity.
Explore our online courses and community of fibre arts makers at the School of SweetGeorgia! Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!
Original post publication: December 21, 2023. Refreshed post: July 18, 2024
