During the winter Jenny and I were lucky enough to launch our knitting kits at Pop Up Piccadilly and it was a great opportunity to meet some of our customers directly. Not only could we talk about the brand and showcase our chunky yarns to people but we were also able to share our knitting experiences with each other, conversations which I really cherish.
What struck me the most was when a few people, once seeing our beautiful knitting kits on display, approached me to tell me their knitting story. They talked about how they use to knit great big garments from jumpers to rugs, always knitting and never putting the needles down. Getting excited to hear from another enthusiastic knitter, I was then surprised when I asked what their last project was and they explained how they no longer knit anymore! I remember thinking, how could anyone give up on such a beautiful craft? Perhaps they'd ran out of challenging projects or hadn't the time for it anymore?
None of these were the answers. It was because they had been knitting for so many years that it now hurts their wrists. Who'd of thought knitting was so dangerous?!
The condition is known as Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) which is caused by repetitive tasks to where there is strain on your wrist and finger muscles. If you ever feel aches and pains, cramps or stiffness before, during or after knitting, then you need to stop and rest. Rethink about the long term impact this will cause. Just like the phrase "a stitch in time saves nine", a timely effort will prevent more strain later.
Our top tips for preventing RSI are:
If you have any advice for our fellow knitters, please feel free to leave a comment below.