When I knit quickly and frequently my thumb hurts. It's hurting right now as I'm typing this and it's preventing me from knitting. I can't have that- I'm working on this new project and I want to get it going!


What do you do if it does happen to you?

Well, I have had two things happen:

About six weeks after I started knitting, I had terrible thumb pain starting in one thumb and then in the other that stopped me from knitting and scared the bejeezes out of me. It ended up sort of traveling to my elbows and then all of my fingers. Eventually I was worked up to see if I had lupus or rheumatoid arthritis!!! It was terrible! (Btw, I'm a type I diabetic, which runs with lupus and ra, so don't think you should worry about them.) Anyway, at it's worst, I had a very hard time picking milo up and doing things like turning door knobs and doing the dishes. It turned out I didn't have lupus or ra, so I feel like it was knitting related.

The other thing that happens sometimes is just a little soreness. It doesn't get real bad and doesn't last for too long. There are some things that can help this kind of thing. For one, metal needles are supposed to make it worse because the yarn slides on the needle more and you instinctively grip the needle tighter. So, wood or bamboo is better if you're having pain. Also, it is supposed to help if you make sure you're needles are big enough for your yarn. I like a really dense knit for my soakers, but try not to over do that because it is harder on my hands. I think there were other things that people told me, but I can't remember them now. I'll let you know if I can think of any more. Hope you feel better soon!

Jayne.

There are three or four exercises for the hand/wrist (like a piano player or something) would use. I saw them in a knitting mag somewheres. One is massaging your hand from the wrist down and doing each finger indivudually. The other was taking the hand and pressing the fingers gently back (all four fingers at once). There are two more but I forget what they are right now. Do each one on each hand. It helps prevent repetitive stress type stuff.

Though!

I do notice i get this sometimes from using my thumb to balance a needle on or force a needle through, or something, using the meaty part of my thumb when I'm say, picking up a gusset on a sock, or something similar. My whole thumb was tender for two days until I figured out what it was :rolleyes: I felt really dumb once i figured it out.....

Don't mind me, they changed my allergy meds again....