Does Knitting Hurt?

[NicolaJayne]

Going off my Given up Crochet… post due to health reasons…

I’d consider learning to knit, but as it’s not like spinning your wrist a lot to crochet, would it hurt to knit?

 

[Tulips8]

I find crochet easier on my hands and wrist. Try out several methods of knitting and see how it works out for you. I read that Portuguese knitting is helpful.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Tulips8
Added some information.

[Granny Square]

Huh, good question.  It might depend on your knitting style?

Confession:  I have multiple right-hand issues, long story, but I still make sure to 'not overdo' my right hand and arm;  I had to stop using my right hand for most things for months over 20 years ago, [and I'm a terrible leftie] and didn't even try to crochet for a few years after that; one of the issues still flares up if I overdo things.

I learned continental combined style knitting (as a teenager), which (for me) is 100% identical for my left hand to crochet for tensioning.  I have never tried 'throwing' or 'English' style of forming stitches, it make my hands hurt just watching the videos (I mean no insult to throwers, it's just never gonna happen for me). 

My right hand is a whole lot less active in knitting than it is for crochet.  Here is a video so you can see continental combined hand movement, the narrator has a Russian accent but is not too hard to understand; my knitting 'hold' and movements are identical to hers.  When she says 'wall', she means the 'leg' of the stitch as it is sitting on the needle.  

Definitions--continental means that you tension the yarn with the left hand, like crochet.  Combined means that you mount the stitches differently-- knits 'Western" usually, purls 'Eastern' usually--this sounds complicated, but IMO it is easier on the hands [I tried all Western purls--very briefly, like I could only stand to try a couple of purl stitches--the convoluted purling motions made one of my 20-year-ago issues flare a bit].  Some call Eastern purls 'lazy' purls, because you 'scoop' them with little movement.  So in my opinion (and experience) continental combined knitting is easier on the hands than crochet, but Western mounted knitting is not (necessarily) so.  But everybody is different...

 Knittinghelp.com is a good resource, it was a good brush-up for me because even tho I learned to knit as a teen, I didn't stick with it very long after next learning crochet, and only picked knitting back up after I retired (a few years after my wrist 'issues')

[jstaff]

 Starting out knitting the only time it hurt is when my tension is really tight on the needles with translates to my tension in my hands.  As I became more comfortable holding the needles and gained some muscle memory in my hands I don't have any issues. You can buy compression gloves that are supposed to help if problems persist. As said above, your style would contribute to your hand or wrist hurting as well.  I tend to brace my hand close to the needle and most movement are just using my fingers.

[NicolaJayne]

Thank you for the advice ladies, thinking about what I could craft that’s not gonna be too hard on my wrist

i mean I work as a housekeeping assistant and even cleaning, lifting of heavy mop buckets and deliveries hurts my wrist, so need to be careful