This blog post is an audio from my online WALLFLOWERS crochet course – I’ve also included a written transcription…….
In todays conversation starter I’d like to address a recurring issue amongst serious crocheters – which, if you’re reading this, you can count yourself as. It’s the issue of self- inflicted injury and ill health caused by crochet addiction or simply not knowing when to stop.
There are many reasons why and how you can injure yourself as a crocheter. Crochet rarely comes with a health warning which makes it even more important that we equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills to take care of ourselves and take this as seriously as any extreme sports enthusiast might.
It’s so easy to overdo things without realising it. The nature of a crochet project like WALLFLOWERS, which requires periods of very focused concentration, means you generally need to be still and fully engaged in what you’re doing.
This conversation comes in 4 parts;
PART ONE: A HAPPY PLACE
Do you ever find yourself in one of these scenarios when you’re crocheting?
1) Someone asks you a question and you stare blankly at them having left most of your brain in your work.
2) You have a vague sense that it’s dinner time and you should be doing something else – but you don’t know what and you can’t stop what you’re doing.
3) You sat down five minutes ago to a do a little crochet but then something weird happened to time and now it’s the near future and you’re missing 3 hours.
This is extreme mindfulness, when you’re so focused on what you’re doing you’ve lost all awareness of what’s going on around you. You’re in the flow, you’ve found your crojo, you’re out of the rut and deep in your groove.
This is your happy place.
And with good reason. Those repetitive almost mechanical hand movements are self-soothing and calming. Combined with rhythmical counting they can induce an almost meditative state that feels familiar and comforting.
Regular meditation has been shown to combat heart disease, reduce pain and enhance the
immune system enabling it to fight disease more effectively and the definition of meditative
practice has grown in recent years.
It’s generally accepted that there are two steps required to induce a meditative relaxation
response:
1) Repetition of a sound, phrase or action
2) Elimination of ego and intrusive, judgemental thoughts
Knitting and crochet have been proved to fit this criteria and generate the same relaxation response as conventional forms of meditation.
Activities like knitting and crochet can actually alter brain chemistry, lowering stress hormones and boosting the production of serotonin and dopamine.
Studies in animals have shown that repetitive movements can enhance the release of Serotonin, also known as The Happy Chemical, and so these actions have the power to help manage stress, anxiety and depression.
In an essay published in 2014 in TEXTILE: THE JOURNAL OF CLOTH AND CULTURE Dr. Betsan Corkhill and colleagues examined knitting and wellbeing using the World Health Organisation’s definition of wellbeing as “an ability to realize personal potential, cope with daily stresses, and contribute productively to society.”
The essay described how knitting can be used as a coping mechanism that can help overcome stress and the pressure of everyday life.
So there’s some evidence that a crochet habit can, genuinely, make you happier as long as you approach it non judgementally. Which means don’t be too hard on yourself, stop striving for perfection or comparing your work to others. Aim for curiosity, wonder and lose yourself in the flow. Focus on the process – not the end product.
PART TWO: ADDICTION
At what stage does your mindful relaxation inducing hobby become your addiction? And really?
Crochet addiction? It sounds like an amusing anecdote for a stand up comedian not a subject to be taken seriously by anyone.
In 1976 Dr Bill Glasser published a book called POSITIVE ADDICTION in which he discussed how activities such as crafting, yoga, playing music, singing and other similar creative hobbies could be cultivated to wean addicts away from more dangerous pursuits and help with conditions such as OCD. It’s clear that crochet can provide benefits to addicts but what are the consequences, if any, of an addiction to knitting or crochet?
For many people the most problematic symptom of knitting or crochet addiction is the over consumption of yarn, and the guilt of an ever growing stash (even the terminology is guilt inducing) but a 2011 study of knitting practices in Korea revealed that some people become so immersed in their knitting that completion of the project can leave them feeling anxious and bereft. The end of a project can bring a sense of emptiness or loss after such a deep mental and physical engagement.
I’ve used crochet myself as a coping mechanism and in a particularly difficult stage of my life I immersed myself in making a 600 square blanket. I’d stay up regularly until 2 in the morning rhythmically counting, and recounting turning myself into a human machine and churning out a production line of beautiful squares, to the soundtrack of 5 seasons of Breaking Bad.
Addictions are often ways of blocking out difficult issues and for me this temporary addiction stopped me navel gazing and overthinking.
But, like many addictions it also prevented me from tackling the problems I was facing and moving on.
Eventually the blanket was finished, and so was the box set. Fortunately I was able to acknowledge that this project was simply a distraction and now it was time to look up and take direct action. But it could have been very different. It’s easy to bury your head in all that beautiful wool and just start another project….
If you’re looking for evidence that you may be addicted, you’ll find it in the sink of unwashed dishes, the packets of convenience food and the inability to go to bed at a healthy and reasonable hour.
These are all signs that your hobby is taking a negative toll on your life.
And – There are other ways that crochet can take its toll if you’re not very careful.
PART THREE: A HAZARDOUS ACTIVITY
If you’ve recently looked into a new or existing life insurance policy you know that Hazardous Activities include things like scuba diving, hang gliding, race car driving, flying a plane, horseback riding, bungee jumping and parasailing,
Crochet is not on the list.
But for many of us who spend long hours working on our knitting or crochet the physical side effects are well known and can include:
1) Repetitive Strain Injury (or RSI) including Carpal Tunnel and Tendonitus.
RSI is a generic term used to describe pain felt in muscles, nerves and tendons caused by
repetitive actions and poor posture.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe and it can affect arms, hands, wrists, neck and
shoulders. Typical symptoms include:
- Aches and pains
- Tenderness
- Cramp
- Weakness
- Tingling
- Swelling
- Numbness
If you have yet to experience RSI be warned that it’s a particularly cruel punishment for too much crochet.
You’ll suffer the physical pain of aching hands or wrists, but also the pain of not being able to work on your craft projects and the humiliation of not being able to do up your own shirt buttons, thread your laces, open a pickle jar or chop an onion. Yes- I’ve been there – bursting for the loo and not being able to undo my jeans.
OK – that may be too much information – but the point is -it’s not just your crochet that will suffer!
2) Back Pain
Sitting for long periods of time, and particularly in a seat with little or no back support can affect your whole spine, which in turn will affect your neck and shoulders, which in turn can affect your arms, elbows and wrists.
It’s really comfy slouching in your favourite squashy sofa but it’s not doing your body any favours especially if you’re spending long periods of time curled over your work.
3) Restricted Breathing
Long periods spent sitting and bent over your work can cause the muscles around the chest to tighten, this limits the ability of the rib cage to expand and causes breathing to become short and shallow.
Over time this can weaken the strength of our respiratory muscles and puts our body under stress which in turn can eventually reduce our bodies immunity to invading organisms.
Shallow breathing can increase blood pressure and also create tension in the body resulting in neck pain, headaches and sleep problems.
PART FOUR: HABITS AND RITUALS
The point of all of this is not to depress you and put you off crochet for the rest of your life – it’s to draw attention to the ways you can improve your techniques to enable you to prevent any unhealthy side effects so you can enjoy crochet for the rest of your life
So, here’s a list of some things you can do to improve your technique, stay healthy and continue to enjoy your craft.
1) Break up your crochet into 20 minute chunks, then have a short break, Get up, stretch, walk around, or just do something different for a few minutes.
2) It’s not just sports people that benefit from warm up exercises. It’s good practice to exercise your hands before your start to crochet and regularly as you work. Stretching, flexing, massaging and shaking your hands will help keep your muscles and joints healthy.
3) Try different brands and styles of hook until you find one that suits you. There are lots of different styles available and many are designed to be ergonomic and are particularly suited to anyone who suffers with arthritis or forms of RSI.
4) Get into the HABIT of sitting correctly, this means choosing a suitable chair – one that enables your feet to rest flat on the floor, supports your back and has a fairly firm seat. Sit with your spine against the back of the chair and use a small cushion or rolled up towel in the curve of your lower back to support it. Try not to curl your spine over too much and be conscious of your posture. Like anything new it will feel strange and awkward at first but repetition will ensure it eventually feels familiar.
5) Breath well. This means remind yourself regularly to breath deeply. This will slow your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, decrease stress and increase your energy levels.
Like most things in life quality beats quantity every time – don’t do more – just do better. Try to avoid simply thinking about WHAT you’re going to crochet and consider HOW you’re going to crochet. Turn it into an event – an event that needs consideration and planning.
Create your own crochet ritual.
Rituals are important.
It’s not the three hours. or 20 minutes of crochet, you do every evening that’s the ritual – it’s how you prepare for it.
Sitting in the same designated chair, positioning the cushion, moisturising your hands, doing your hand warm up exercises, positioning the light, setting a 20 minute timer to remind you to get up and stretch…..
Doing the same things every time in preparation for your crochet habitualises it and makes it easily repeatable, memorable and easy to do. Once this has become an automatic pattern ofbehaviour – or a habit- you no longer need to think about it – you just prepare to crochet.
Once these things have become a habit there’s no need to question them, argue with yourself or attempt to curl up on the squishy sofa with your work – hoping your alter ego won’t notice.You just do it – because that’s what you always do.
I aim to meditate for 15 minutes every morning. I fail miserably most days – but on the days I light a candle I always mediate. The candle doesn’t make me better at meditation – the lighting of the candle is a symbolic act – once it’s lit I meditate. No questions, no arguments with myself.
So – what can you do before you start crocheting to trigger a reminder to sit well, take breaks and breath deeply?
Can you develop your own personal exercise routine that will help you develop healthy habits to support your crochet addiction?
Do you have a favourite hook, chair or light? Is there a particular exercise you do or do you have any other tips or advise you can share with us to help us all stay healthy as we crochet.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below this post
Funny to see this post right now. I have had some serious pain from overdoing crochet. Once it was a pinched nerve in my neck which was totally debilitating for a few weeks. Now it is pain in my wrist. So yes I had to stop doing too much and break it down into shorter periods of work. Funny I have played sports all my life and injuries happen but who would have thought crochet would cause pain!
Hello Sue
What a wonderful well researched article! I will go back and read it again.
The part that resonated most with me was posture and ritual. This is a problem area for me causing shoulder tension, so I will change my position from the slouchy couch to an upright chair and set a 20 minute timer too 🙂
Thank you for your thoughtful insight.
Happy Thursday!
Caroline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJUCl26UVFs
I found this just yesterday on Youtube.
I also find my yoga sessions really useful- we are all of a certain age, & so is the teacher, so if you can, & you do yoga, ask your teacher to include some hand exercises. Even those who don’t knit/crochet/craft will benefit.
Happy crafting
Kitty! Thanks for posting the video, I did it along with watching. I’m not about to crochet, just sitting here killing time before going to work while drinking my coffee and that felt great! I’m also going to share with my husband who has chronic pain. You’re a doll!
Hi Sue,
I haven’t had time to read this post yet, but I wanted to share this link you asked for before I forgot to do it at all. When I was searching for the best hook to manage my hand pain this was my favourite article about hooks:
https://www.crochetcoach.com/best-ergonomic-crochet-hooks/
I personally have found that Addi Comfort are my favourites, I really actively hated the Clover Amour, which most people love. It’s clearly a very personal thing, based on what texture you like to hold and what sort of grip and technique you have. As I mentioned I have a tendency to roll the hook between my finger & thumb in order to minimize wrist strain.
I was able to buy a set of 7-8 Addi Comfort hooks for quite a good price, so they haven’t been a super expensive option. I later discovered Furls hooks (possibly from the article below) and wondered if they might work even better for me. I ordered one of their Oddessey hooks, I always preferred metal knitting needles over wood and love the heads on the Addi hooks, so it seemed a better fit for me than their other styles. And it is a truly lovely hook, but it’s so much heavier than any other hook I have used that I was in really quite a lot of pain quite quickly. And that pain lasted for days. Not be deterred I then ordered resin and wooden furls and these have suited me better than I imagined. But with some interesting differences in head shape between the resin and wood, and from the addi, I was not able to change over mid project. I may use one for Wallflowers.
Another article on hooks for hand pain, this one mentioning furls: https://crochetpenguin.com/crochet-hooks-for-arthritis/
Here ends my treatise on ergonomic hooks.
Cheers
Jo
Great article with a light hearted touch. I love your crochet projects, the community spirit of groups , both online and person and the joy and fun of being creative together. Thanks again, Sue. Your patterns and approach are inspiring.
Hello everyone
My name is Popcorn & in a crochetholic! but seriously this had crossed my mind as i find my housework is behind, a lot of things i used to do regularly are now lagging…even my morning routine of Qiqong & other things in my fault rituals are rushed because I can’t wait to do crochet it’s a bit embarrassing to admit but thank you for this video. It was so timely. That’s no way to live. Awareness of a problem is the start (or even in some cases the end) of healing a problem. Awareness or becoming conscious of the root of an issue is the first step & key to healing it.
Also, I’ve realised I’m not Present or aware of my surroundings when i do crochet. This is not healthy.
So I’m becoming conscious of what I’m doing wrong.
Hello Sue. Thank you for your words of wisdom and of course your creative spirit. I retired after 38 years of bookselling just before Covid lockdown & started crocheting. Every time I walked past my chair, I’d pick up my crochet. I realised some days I was “doing” 8 hours a day! Of course RSI forced me to rest. Reading helped. Now I have got life into perspective and no more RSI. Thank you for your inspiration. Libby
It’s all about balance, crochet can be so addictive! You just blink and the day is gone…!
I just read your blog with interest. I am definitely a yarn hoarder, and, now that I’m retired, am what I prefer to call a yarn or needle artist (such a snob!), because I do crochet, knitting, and cross stitch. I consider my time with needle arts to be a reward. In the big picture, it’s a reward for years of sitting at a desk eight hours a day. Now, it’s a reward for getting my chores done before picking up a needle or a hook. I also make it a point to get up often (drinking lots of water enforces that habit…!), and to put my project down for the night at 7 PM, in order to unwind and cancel the creative juices that will continue to flow well into time for sleep if I don’t. I sit in the same chair, which I bought especially for comfort in my pursuit of finished products. I also do neck and back exercises and visit the chiropractor at least once a month, which I’ve been doing for over thirty years. Those neck adjustments are such a blessing!
Wow Jane – I wish I could be as disciplined as you! It sounds as though you have a perfect balance. You have certainly earned your time to be creative too! Jess – VA to Sue Maton
Thank you for an excellent article. I have never read anything like this before, but it is very needed.
I only started a few weeks ago and I can see already how addictive it is. I can’t wait to get home from work to start practicing again. The dishes are piling up, the house hasn’t been cleaned since I started, and I swear my cat is feeling bored and unloved (I live alone). It’s the first truly satisfying and absorbing hobby I’ve taken up and I’m just at the start. YouTube doesn’t t help. I put the crochet down and then spend hours looking through videos, saving the ones I think I can manage, and more complicated ones for further down the road. There is no doubt that it is incredibly addictive if you are wired that way. It’s the challenge and then the subsequent satisfaction once you’ve mastered a stitch / pattern, and the applications seem almost endless. I just need to find a crochet / life balance x
Absolutely! Welcome to a new world of crochet addiction! The balance will come eventually – but until then…enjoy your new hobby!!
I do the same. I would not even be able to begin to count the patterns I’ve saved in bookmarks. I’m surprised my laptop memory is not all used up 🙂
I know the feeling!
What,wonderful advice ,
I have been poorly some time, and decided to try crocheting, after 2 days I realised something was not quite right ,I couldn’t think of anything else,lying awake visualise my new found hobby a nd trying to remember instructions ,iam 80 in April and have cancer so this hobby seemed the one for me,I suppose like everything in moderation.I will follow your advice and pass it on to my daughter,Thankyou I wish you all well.POPPY
Thank you for your comment Poppy – I am so glad you have found a hobby you love. I am sending you my well wishes – take care, Sue x
Very good ..could relate to a lot of points raised…well done..I tutor crochet and will pass on info to pupils
Thank you – I’m glad you liked it!
In the past few weeks I’ve developed upper arm pain in my left arm that controls my tension. It aches during crocheting and wakes me at night. I’m retired and spend most of my time crocheting ( and ordering yarn…I’m a yarn hoarder). So I’ve given up buying yarn and really hate the idea of giving up crocheting but now even this typing is making my arm hurt. I guess I need to develop other interests
Oh that’s a shame! Try moving a little more and scheduling in some breaks between crocheting before you give up entirely…take care of yourself.
Hello. I came here looking for a solution to a problem. Great article! And absolutely spot on.
Can you please help me? I do a fair bit of lace crochet. The steel hook constantly pokes the side of the nail bed of my middle finger and it’s most uncomfortable. The silicone finger guards are too loose for me! Any help will be very welcome! Thank you.
Hi Swati, there are several different brands that specialise in more ergonomic crochet hooks- here’s an article that you might find helpful- https://crochetcoach.com/best-ergonomic-crochet-hooks/
And here is the proper reply for your article.
I certainly went through stages 1 and 3! Fortunately I am not addicted as you have described it. For me, it was more about therapy when I needed my mind to focus on something beyond the irretrievable loss of my mother. So it was a lot of complicated projects that needed counting g and focus in every single row. Did it help? Yes. But I have paid with pain of a physical kind! I have since taken a long break and have just come back into the crochet mode. I now need to implement stage 4. It’s eminently sensible. I just need to find that one act that will trigger the healthy crocheting habit!
Thank you for a great article. And your voice is so relaxing and soothing!
Hi Swati, thank you for taking the time to listen and comment on this article. I hope you find an approach to your crochet that enables you to continue to enjoy it without the physical pain in your hands. I think once you’ve found a hook that suits you the most important next step is to limit your time crocheting! Like most things in life- a little and often is generally best practice