The way I crochet is this: I collect small amounts of colorful interesting yarns. No more than one skein of anything. I'm a sucker for purple, blue, green or variegated. Gold and silver, too. I combine them, using mostly single crochet stitches, to create unintentionally off-kilter bracelets. Color and texture decisions are profoundly pleasurable. I am sure, medically speaking, that they release powerful color and texture endorphins in the brain. Counting is not pleasurable. It inhibits endorphin release. So I rarely count, and things do tend to wander sideways.
Once crocheted,I embellish these with vintage buttons, or vintage earrings, or vintage anything else, which releases even more of my own vintage endorphins.
Don't worry, I pay for all this pleasurable infidelity. Crochet is a cruel mistress (master?), much crueler than quilting, my rock-steady life partner. When I quilt too much, I wind up with too many quilts. When I crochet too much - like more than 20 minutes at a time - my arms ache, and the next morning I wake up with numb arms, 93% sure it's carpal tunnel but 7% worried it might be a stroke.
Continuing this masochistic affair will one day bring me back to my internist, meaning yet another medical waiting room, meaning more crochet.
Let's face it, I'm hooked.
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(More crocheted cuffs, with descriptions, here.)
UPDATE: The hook above is a trigger grip crochet hook, very comfy, and I love it, though it doesn't prevent carpal tunnel. Abstaining from crochet prevents carpal tunnel.
UPDATE: My friend Robin recommends Handeze gloves. Haven't tried them yet, but I will.
Love them!
ReplyDeleteLove them!
ReplyDeleteso much mental help/thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat type of crochet hook is that?
ReplyDeleteWhat type of hook do you have pictured.
ReplyDeleteIt's a Meno Trigger Grip hook, sold here: http://www.anniescatalog.com/crochet/content.html?content_id=341. Background on how Peggy Mineau invented it is here: http://www.couragetogive.com/peggy_mineau.html. It does make crochet more comfortable.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing for carpal tunnel is to sleep with your hands out flat. No wrist bending to fold your hands. If need be get a wrist brace with a shaped to your hand firm brace palm thumb and bottom of wrist and wear it when you sleep.
ReplyDeleteI have kept from needing surgery this past many years with them for my hands.
Dorothy
Dorothy, thank you so much for the education on sleeping with carpal tunnel. That makes sense to me. I'll discuss it with my internist. After crocheting in his waiting room, of course.
ReplyDeleteCathy,
ReplyDeleteThese are fabulous! Be sure to do arm exercises - not just wrist but shoulder. That affects the wrist & the fingers. Pull your shoulder blades down & back - try to get them to touch each other (which they won't do but that's the idea).
Shellie in Minneapolis
Shellie, I had no idea! I'm doing them right now, even as we speak! Thank you!
ReplyDelete