yarn ring

[Lacycrochet]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone has or does use a yarn ring.  My old fingers have nerve damage and I am finding that holding the finger straight to guide the yarn/thread is getting more painful.  I have tried to change up the way I hold thread but then I just get fumble fingers and I can't crochet at all.  So do these rings really work or do they make things more awkward.  I hate wasting money on gimmicks.

[NCcountrygal]

Not sure what type you are looking at but maybe this review helps. 

 

[Lacycrochet]

47 minutes ago, NCcountrygal said:

Not sure what type you are looking at but maybe this review helps. 

 

Thanks for sharing that.  I think after watching this, it isn't for me. 

[Granny Square]

The photo of the person in the yarn ring link above looks painful (to my old hands).

Do you hold your left forefinger high in the air like that screen shot of the video shows, but without the ring?  I have tendonitis, mostly right hand from a sequence of events after breast cancer surgery over 20 years ago, plus now a little arthritis I think.

I learned to knit first, continental combined  style, which means the yarn is tensioned in the left hand like crochet, and I kept the knit tensioning style when I learned to crochet.  My left fingers stay pretty much lined up together, slightly curved toward the palm in a neutral, natural positon.  I drape the yarn from the skein over the first finger, under the second, and over the last 2; the first and second finger only move ever so slightly apart and together to let the yarn pass by. 

 

 

Edited January 15, 2023 by Granny Square

[Lacycrochet]

On 1/15/2023 at 4:16 PM, Granny Square said:

The photo of the person in the yarn ring link above looks painful (to my old hands).

Do you hold your left forefinger high in the air like that screen shot of the video shows, but without the ring?  I have tendonitis, mostly right hand from a sequence of events after breast cancer surgery over 20 years ago, plus now a little arthritis I think.

I learned to knit first, continental combined  style, which means the yarn is tensioned in the left hand like crochet, and I kept the knit tensioning style when I learned to crochet.  My left fingers stay pretty much lined up together, slightly curved toward the palm in a neutral, natural positon.  I drape the yarn from the skein over the first finger, under the second, and over the last 2; the first and second finger only move ever so slightly apart and together to let the yarn pass by. 

 

 

I actually use my middle finger to tension my yarn.  I wrap around the little finger and the one next to it then have the yarn/thread come up over the middle finger, holding it sometimes straight and sometimes a bit bent.  I hold my project with my forefinger and thumb.  I was hoping that the yarn ring might allow me to close my fist a bit to take the pressure off all the tendons and nerves in my hand. I crochet pretty tight so I think the ring won't work for me.  I have Lupus and MCTD that is attacking my hands, trying to come up with work arounds so I can continue to crochet without all the pain.  I have tried different ways to tension the yarn but after 51 years of doing it the same way, it is just awkward and I revert back to what I usually do.

Edited January 17, 2023 by Lacycrochet

[ReniC]

Tina- Have you tried compression gloves with open fingertips? Amazon.com has quite a few under crafter's gloves. Something to think about.

[Lacycrochet]

18 minutes ago, ReniC said:

Tina- Have you tried compression gloves with open fingertips? Amazon.com has quite a few under crafter's gloves. Something to think about.

I haven't looked into those before, but I will now.  Thank you for that tip.

[Granny Square]

A cautionary tale on compression gloves, because they are what CAUSED my problems.  See a doctor first, seriously, NOT kidding, especially because your pain is being worsened by medical conditions you're already being treated for.

I ended up with lymphedema in my dominant hand after breast cancer surgery a couple of decades ago, and had to wear a prescribed compression sleeve + glove from armpit to almost-fingertip for over a year, and will forever when I take a plane trip.  My job was mostly being on the computer and 'mousing' all day, and the compression sleeve forced me to 'work against it' to work the mouse, and I ended up with de Quervain's tendonitis (trust me, you do not want this; I actually had to wear a cast for a while).  I ended up learning to use my unfettered left hand to mouse and other things.  It took me a few years to get over the worst of the tendonitis , during which I never picked up a hook for fear of it all roaring back again.  It has never gone entirely away; opening a jar for example is still no fun.  I can still feel it (slightly) as I'm typing this, it's just dialed up to 3 rather than 11 as it was back then, or when facing a jar lid now (fortunately now it settles back down now after a while).

I am careful to curtail your crochet time each day, not more than a couple of hours a day tops, and long pauses between projects.

 

[Lacycrochet]

Thanks Granny Square, I will investigate further.  I do know that the only time I would wear it is when I am crocheting and I can only crochet for an hour a day anyway. 

[Granny Square]

That might make a big difference, I was mostly 'mousing' 8 hours a day.

[Lacycrochet]

13 minutes ago, Granny Square said:

That might make a big difference, I was mostly 'mousing' 8 hours a day.

I can see how that would cause problems.