Oh my aching hands!

I love my Knit Pick Rainbow Interchangable knitting needles. They fit my hands perfectly and, most times, they are comfortable. Except when you knit for hours on end with size 4 needles!

I've been home for a week with this terrible cold! The first few days I couldn't do anything but sleep. I'd drag my body to the couch every once in a while, turn on the TV and see what I could pick up on our trusty rabbit ears. (Yup, we're high tech here!) But eventually, I'd fall asleep, or I'd be cold and then crawl back into bed.

Thankfully, after three days of delirium, I was feeling well enough to sit and knit. The first day back into the land of the conscious, I worked on my Pendelton wrap. It was easy, straight forward knitting. I'm at the point, in this project, where I have to figure out arm holes, which means measuring, so I put that project aside for now. Maybe later this week.

I have a client who has asked for a lace shawl, and I've knit seven using the same pattern so, even with a little fog still left over in my head, I felt comfortable enough to start working on the shawls.

But knitting two projects on size 4 knitting needles caused my hands to scream "WE NEED A BREAK!"

My friend, Beverly, says that for every small needled project you work on, you need to switch it up and work on a large needle project.

I picked up two skeins of beautiful yarn for this project. The plan is to knit two shawls and let the client decide which one she likes. The Sweet Georgia is 425 yards of Merino Wool and Nylon and I love the dark green color. The Malibrigo is 335 yards of pure Super Merino Wool in a lighter green and just as beautiful.

So, hands, I have a compromise...I'll work on a project with large needles! You won't have to grasp smaller needles, and I promise to exercise my hands often.

My hands like it when I talk to them!

I knew exactly the wrap I wanted to create with the wool I bought at the grocery store! I've knit several stitch sampler shawls in the past. Each one so different because of the yarn used. I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

When I started working on this project, I felt like the size 8 needles were clubs compared to the 4's I've been using the past four days! My poor aching hands didn't feel like they could grasp the needles, because they were tired from grasping smaller ones. .

Recently the website "We Are Knitters" posted a great article on hand stretches for knitters. Its the stretches I use inbetween my projects. And my hands like it, they've told me so. Ok, well if my hands are talking to me then maybe there's still a little cold delirium still in my head!

It's important to remember to stop, at a minimum inbetween each projects, and stretch has out those fingers! Caring for your hands now will ensure you still are able to knit in your 80's!
http://www.weareknitters.com/blog/knitters-life/hand-exercises-for-knitters/