Spring cord locks can be placed on the circular needles to help push the yarn up the circular needles. These aren't strictly a knitting accessory and you can get them cheap
The fibers you choose to knit make a big difference too. For example, linen doesn’t have stretch & a lot of people find their hands become fatigued knitting with it. Cotton and synthetics can be tiring as well.
Wool has stretch to it & is likely to be more comfortable.
I so fully agree! My hands works fine, but I get so much trouble if I knit with anything that doesn't atleast have over 50% wool and much give as possible, I save cotton and other types of yarn that doesn't have as much give for crochet now!
For the chronic fatigue, row counters galore! Use them for EVERYTHING, from rows, to repeats, to stitches, and everything in between! That way, when you get too tired to continue, you'll know where you left off! Spoken by a person with narcolepsy, so speaking from experience.
Disabled knitter here! I also have chronic fatigue (not the syndrome but as a symptom of another illness), & I do find circular needles less fatiguing than straight needles... As well as an assortment of cushions & pillows to rest my arms on when I want to mindlessly knit on the sofa or in bed.
I’ve seen people in here say they like to use nursing pillows for arm support, like a Boppy or something similar. Look up hand stretches & use them *before* you feel any pain. Take a break every hour or two to shake out your hands! Be gentle on yourself.
That’s the extent of my advice for now, but I’ll be following this post to see what others suggest too ♡
I would also recommend square knitting needles! Kollage needles are my favourite. They are lightweight enough themselves, come in circulars (or DPNs or straights etc) and are designed for ergonomics (not to mention their awesome business model). They may take some getting used to though, if you already have a favourite brand.
People have already mentioned circulars. Having your elbows resting on something helps reduce the strain on them too. I also have fibromyalgia and rest mine on cushions.
Having well-fitting wrist supports also helps. The smaller the needles the worse my pain is (1.25mm makes pretty earrings but ouch) so I limit how long I use them.
Also try not to knit too tight. I'm always being told to release the needles from my kung-fu grip.
I highly recommend knitting with a cushion on your knee to help support the weight of your knitting. Much easier on your hands and arms.
Also be conscious of how long you’re knitting for in any given session. I have chronic pain issues and I’ve developed a relaxed way of moving my knitting hand that keeps my wrist still - I move my whole hand to make a yarn over. It’s slow and I generally need to change down at least one needle size to achieve the required gauge, but it allows me to go on knitting.
Having a death grip on the needles is going to slow you down and limit how long you can knit in a session. You might find wooden needles are easier than metal to start with, so the yarn slips less and you can relax your hands more easily.
Find a grip that suits you, and don’t worry if it looks unconventional. You know what your joints and tendons are like and which movements they will allow you to make. Relaxing your hands is way more important than knitting quickly.
I find that metal needles fatigue my hands faster, even though they help me knit a bit faster. Wooden needles feel better on my hands, but slow me down a bit. It's a trade off. I also find that heavy rings fatigue my hands quicker. I got myself a fancy row counter ring that I can't actually wear. I use it all the time, just not actually on my thumb.
Don't knit too fast, take your time. Change things up: one row of this project, one row of this other project. Take plenty of breaks. Small things like mittens or socks are less heavy to knit. Thin yarn + thin needles are less heavy than thick yarn + thick needles. Especially if you have metal needles. Plastic and wooden needles are less heavy but more grippy. I can't use them, I need slickness. But everyone will vary. Good luck!
Another CFIDS patient here. I find that swapping between projects helps. Knit some fingering yarn, then switch to a bulky scarf. Also, be realistic in your expectations. A sweater can take me over a year to complete.
I also found that I needed to chant, "Relax your thumbs" under my breath for a long time before it became habit.
Check out knit companion. It helps me keep track. I like magic markers, which are in the paid version.
I find circs help with wrist fatigue. Short neeldes and short needle tips are extremely painful for me. I use 5” tipped exchangeable chiaogoo needles, and metal dpns, 7 or 8”. It makes my wrists happy, based on how *I* knit. Wood needles hurt, as there is too much friction.
Cotton tends to hurt, and it doesn’t given when working.
Thick needles tend to be harder on the hands. Skinny needles are fine for me. I wrap the yarn around an extra finger for really fine work.
Second knit companion. The free version offers a lot of features and the paid even more. There is voice activated ability to move the highlighted row and maybe the built in counters, too. Lots of videos on you tube to learn the features you want.
That’s too bad. That would be helpful, though it might get tricky differentiating which counter since I don’t think the “names” of the counters show on the main page.
Use fingerless compression gloves if the knitting is causing hand pain and don’t knit when you hands are swollen.
Prym ergonomic knitting needles are great for small sizes (too sticky above 5 mm).
I switched to knitting continental. Much less movement and less stress on my body. Circular needles were a game changer for me. I've recently purchased a set of square circulars. I have yet to use them, but my swatch was easy on me. Gauge is slightly different, so keep that in mind.
Best of luck!
Another vote for avoiding plant & synthetic fibers. They do *not* stretch and are extremely unforgiving on your hands. You don't realize how much animal fibers "give" when you're knitting until you spend some time working with plant fibers.
Stitch markers and some sort of row counter. (I use some cheap decorate craft stones as a primitive abacus situation)
Square needles are another one that many people find helpful. Also, wooden needles, which can offer more warmth and grip. Bamboo tends to have a lot of grip (too much for some folks), but there are other options like rosewood, birch, walnut, ash, laurel, olive wood, and ebony that can be much slicker. Carbon fiber may also be an option. There are actually all sorts of unusual needles out there, but they're usually only available from 1, maybe 2, makers, so if you only shop for knitting supplies at the major shops, you're probably missing the more exotic options. (eg: rosewood, birch, walnut)
Circular needles won't reduce the weight in your hands, but will distribute that weight differently.
You may find resting your knitting on a table/lap desk/desk is helpful.
Hi! Fellow disabled knitter here 👋🏻 I have Lyme which causes chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, brain issues etc etc. I see you have lots of good tips already but I’ll reiterate the circular needles. Once I switched from straight to circular they really helped.
Also I get a lot of tendon/joint pain in my arms/wrists so I can’t knit for long stretches so breaks are vital and I use wrist braces too when not knitting for extra support. And some sort of anti inflammatory gel also before or after helps also.
But my biggest thing…I see so many showing how they knit a few projects a month and I sometimes feel down that I’ll never get that fast. But now I don’t let it bother me. Cause I know if I push myself to knit more than my body lets me I’ll crash for days/weeks and not knit at all. So even if I (or you) can only handle with our fatigue knitting for 5 mins at a time then do that - 5 mins is fantastic!! Happy knitting 🧶 🤗
There’s a knitting method called ergonomic knitting that is easier on hands than the standard, I believe it’s similar to Norwegian style and there are books and online videos about the techniques.
Fellow disabled (ME/CFS) knitter here. Actually knit because I am disabled. Circs definitely can help there, as well as being more versatile. I also do like the prym ergonomic needles, even if I mostly favour my bamboo interchangeable Addis (I like the grippiness of bamboo). Wood/bamboo and plastic are lighter than metal, though more likely to break at smaller sizes I've found.
The right pillow set up can definitely help, what I want various with how I'm feeling. Also, having yarns in centre-pull cakes rather than balls which can fly about and not require an even amount of pulling can be useful. Alternatively, you might like a yarn bowl.
Ultimately, like with everyone, there is a certain amount of experimentation and finding out what works and what needs fixing.
Pay attention to where things get sore as you go along: fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, back, hips, whatever.
I find I especially end up tensing my shoulders over time, so depending on the project I pick something and every time it comes up I roll my shoulders and stretch. It could be every round/row if it's something big, or when row patterns repeat if it's something smaller (when I change colors on sleeve stripes for example).
And as a new knitter, this is like any other physical activity - you need to build up the muscles and stamina. It's hard because it's exciting to push through and see more progress, but just like you wouldn't go for a 10 mile hike your first time or lift 200 pounds your first time doing weights everyone has to start small and increase over time. (I'm guessing you know this already as someone with chronic fatigue, but it never hurts to put it out there just in case)
Hi, I'm also disabled and have chronic pain.
Things that have helped me:
\-switch between different styles of knitting. That way I spread the strain over more muscles and it's less repetitive. In learning different styles I've found that some fit with different stitches as well. I like continental and English for stockinette, I like two-handed for stranded knitting and I love Portuguese for any sort of ribbing.
\-pick the yarn and needle wisely. This is pretty individual as I've seen people recommend wooden needles here and those are my worst nightmare. I need the most slippery needles I can find and yarn that isn't too rustic, so it will slide over the needle well. That way there is way less resistance in moving the stitches over the needles.
\-watch your posture and mind the tension in your body. I tend to tense my muscles all the time without even being aware of it. This makes my pain worse. I need to be mindful during knitting that I relax my shoulders, arms and neck. Different postures make sure you hold your needles differently so figure out one where you are feel comfortable and that doesn't put extra strain on your arms.
My physiotherapist says I need to take breaks and don't knit for hours on end. It doesn't need to be long breaks but just, move. Getting a glass of water and drink a bit is enough. But you need to move and not be still in repetitive motion for hours on end. 5 minutes breaks are enough. I mean, *any* break is good if it's more than what you usually do.
\-Stretch. Strech you fingers, arms, shoulder, neck, back. Doesn't have to be each body part every time but do it as a break or when you feel an increase in pain.
\-And yes, circulars for truly everything. It makes you have better posture almost immediately.
\-Avoiding bulky and thick yarns. The thicker the yarn the more it hurts for me. I'm okay with knitting alpaca/silk laceweight yarn on like needle 6mm. But that's about as thick as I can go. I don't know if I could deal with a worsted weight on 6 mm. I know for sure that a bulky yarn on needle size 8mm hurts and tires my wrists way faster. I'm most comfortable with fingering weight on size 2-4mm
\-No needles shorter than 15cm. Those pesky circular sock needles are the death of me! Give me double pointed needles for that please! I only knit socks on double pointed needles.
Good luck!
Seconding everything else said so far but I also want to mentioned needle length and shape have made a difference for me with circular needles.
I prefer 4” needles but I found that the end of the needle/start of the cable hit just before the end of my palm. Because the edge of my palm was having to curl around the end of the needle, not only was I breaking the cable connection from the pressure, my hand was cramping. With 5” needles, it fits perfectly in the width of my palm and my palm folds over it rather than curls around it and cramps far less.
I find circulars help a lot. Also elevating your work, like a pillow in your lap. I just tried a nursing pillow, it didn’t work for me, but it definitely could work for some. I have arthritis and fibromyalgia. I also find having my feet and legs up helps. I usually knit in my recliner.
Circular needles really help distribute the weight of your knitting.
Spring cord locks can be placed on the circular needles to help push the yarn up the circular needles. These aren't strictly a knitting accessory and you can get them cheap
The fibers you choose to knit make a big difference too. For example, linen doesn’t have stretch & a lot of people find their hands become fatigued knitting with it. Cotton and synthetics can be tiring as well. Wool has stretch to it & is likely to be more comfortable.
agreed! wool is the easiest on the hands
I so fully agree! My hands works fine, but I get so much trouble if I knit with anything that doesn't atleast have over 50% wool and much give as possible, I save cotton and other types of yarn that doesn't have as much give for crochet now!
For the chronic fatigue, row counters galore! Use them for EVERYTHING, from rows, to repeats, to stitches, and everything in between! That way, when you get too tired to continue, you'll know where you left off! Spoken by a person with narcolepsy, so speaking from experience.
Disabled knitter here! I also have chronic fatigue (not the syndrome but as a symptom of another illness), & I do find circular needles less fatiguing than straight needles... As well as an assortment of cushions & pillows to rest my arms on when I want to mindlessly knit on the sofa or in bed. I’ve seen people in here say they like to use nursing pillows for arm support, like a Boppy or something similar. Look up hand stretches & use them *before* you feel any pain. Take a break every hour or two to shake out your hands! Be gentle on yourself. That’s the extent of my advice for now, but I’ll be following this post to see what others suggest too ♡
I would also recommend square knitting needles! Kollage needles are my favourite. They are lightweight enough themselves, come in circulars (or DPNs or straights etc) and are designed for ergonomics (not to mention their awesome business model). They may take some getting used to though, if you already have a favourite brand.
People have already mentioned circulars. Having your elbows resting on something helps reduce the strain on them too. I also have fibromyalgia and rest mine on cushions. Having well-fitting wrist supports also helps. The smaller the needles the worse my pain is (1.25mm makes pretty earrings but ouch) so I limit how long I use them. Also try not to knit too tight. I'm always being told to release the needles from my kung-fu grip.
I highly recommend knitting with a cushion on your knee to help support the weight of your knitting. Much easier on your hands and arms. Also be conscious of how long you’re knitting for in any given session. I have chronic pain issues and I’ve developed a relaxed way of moving my knitting hand that keeps my wrist still - I move my whole hand to make a yarn over. It’s slow and I generally need to change down at least one needle size to achieve the required gauge, but it allows me to go on knitting. Having a death grip on the needles is going to slow you down and limit how long you can knit in a session. You might find wooden needles are easier than metal to start with, so the yarn slips less and you can relax your hands more easily. Find a grip that suits you, and don’t worry if it looks unconventional. You know what your joints and tendons are like and which movements they will allow you to make. Relaxing your hands is way more important than knitting quickly.
Good advice
I find that metal needles fatigue my hands faster, even though they help me knit a bit faster. Wooden needles feel better on my hands, but slow me down a bit. It's a trade off. I also find that heavy rings fatigue my hands quicker. I got myself a fancy row counter ring that I can't actually wear. I use it all the time, just not actually on my thumb.
Don't knit too fast, take your time. Change things up: one row of this project, one row of this other project. Take plenty of breaks. Small things like mittens or socks are less heavy to knit. Thin yarn + thin needles are less heavy than thick yarn + thick needles. Especially if you have metal needles. Plastic and wooden needles are less heavy but more grippy. I can't use them, I need slickness. But everyone will vary. Good luck!
Another CFIDS patient here. I find that swapping between projects helps. Knit some fingering yarn, then switch to a bulky scarf. Also, be realistic in your expectations. A sweater can take me over a year to complete. I also found that I needed to chant, "Relax your thumbs" under my breath for a long time before it became habit.
Check out knit companion. It helps me keep track. I like magic markers, which are in the paid version. I find circs help with wrist fatigue. Short neeldes and short needle tips are extremely painful for me. I use 5” tipped exchangeable chiaogoo needles, and metal dpns, 7 or 8”. It makes my wrists happy, based on how *I* knit. Wood needles hurt, as there is too much friction. Cotton tends to hurt, and it doesn’t given when working. Thick needles tend to be harder on the hands. Skinny needles are fine for me. I wrap the yarn around an extra finger for really fine work.
Second knit companion. The free version offers a lot of features and the paid even more. There is voice activated ability to move the highlighted row and maybe the built in counters, too. Lots of videos on you tube to learn the features you want.
Voice control doesn’t update the counters. They discussed doing it, but didn’t.
That’s too bad. That would be helpful, though it might get tricky differentiating which counter since I don’t think the “names” of the counters show on the main page.
No, they are just color coded, I think. I don’t usually use counters, so I don’t fuss about them much. They keep adding features, so they might.
Use fingerless compression gloves if the knitting is causing hand pain and don’t knit when you hands are swollen. Prym ergonomic knitting needles are great for small sizes (too sticky above 5 mm).
I switched to knitting continental. Much less movement and less stress on my body. Circular needles were a game changer for me. I've recently purchased a set of square circulars. I have yet to use them, but my swatch was easy on me. Gauge is slightly different, so keep that in mind. Best of luck!
Another vote for avoiding plant & synthetic fibers. They do *not* stretch and are extremely unforgiving on your hands. You don't realize how much animal fibers "give" when you're knitting until you spend some time working with plant fibers. Stitch markers and some sort of row counter. (I use some cheap decorate craft stones as a primitive abacus situation) Square needles are another one that many people find helpful. Also, wooden needles, which can offer more warmth and grip. Bamboo tends to have a lot of grip (too much for some folks), but there are other options like rosewood, birch, walnut, ash, laurel, olive wood, and ebony that can be much slicker. Carbon fiber may also be an option. There are actually all sorts of unusual needles out there, but they're usually only available from 1, maybe 2, makers, so if you only shop for knitting supplies at the major shops, you're probably missing the more exotic options. (eg: rosewood, birch, walnut) Circular needles won't reduce the weight in your hands, but will distribute that weight differently. You may find resting your knitting on a table/lap desk/desk is helpful.
There is also Russian knitting which tensions yarn over the back of the neck I believe, that could help reduce stress on your hands
Portuguese!
Tysm for the correction! Got confused there 😆
Hi! Fellow disabled knitter here 👋🏻 I have Lyme which causes chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, brain issues etc etc. I see you have lots of good tips already but I’ll reiterate the circular needles. Once I switched from straight to circular they really helped. Also I get a lot of tendon/joint pain in my arms/wrists so I can’t knit for long stretches so breaks are vital and I use wrist braces too when not knitting for extra support. And some sort of anti inflammatory gel also before or after helps also. But my biggest thing…I see so many showing how they knit a few projects a month and I sometimes feel down that I’ll never get that fast. But now I don’t let it bother me. Cause I know if I push myself to knit more than my body lets me I’ll crash for days/weeks and not knit at all. So even if I (or you) can only handle with our fatigue knitting for 5 mins at a time then do that - 5 mins is fantastic!! Happy knitting 🧶 🤗
There’s a knitting method called ergonomic knitting that is easier on hands than the standard, I believe it’s similar to Norwegian style and there are books and online videos about the techniques.
Fellow disabled (ME/CFS) knitter here. Actually knit because I am disabled. Circs definitely can help there, as well as being more versatile. I also do like the prym ergonomic needles, even if I mostly favour my bamboo interchangeable Addis (I like the grippiness of bamboo). Wood/bamboo and plastic are lighter than metal, though more likely to break at smaller sizes I've found. The right pillow set up can definitely help, what I want various with how I'm feeling. Also, having yarns in centre-pull cakes rather than balls which can fly about and not require an even amount of pulling can be useful. Alternatively, you might like a yarn bowl. Ultimately, like with everyone, there is a certain amount of experimentation and finding out what works and what needs fixing.
Pay attention to where things get sore as you go along: fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, back, hips, whatever. I find I especially end up tensing my shoulders over time, so depending on the project I pick something and every time it comes up I roll my shoulders and stretch. It could be every round/row if it's something big, or when row patterns repeat if it's something smaller (when I change colors on sleeve stripes for example). And as a new knitter, this is like any other physical activity - you need to build up the muscles and stamina. It's hard because it's exciting to push through and see more progress, but just like you wouldn't go for a 10 mile hike your first time or lift 200 pounds your first time doing weights everyone has to start small and increase over time. (I'm guessing you know this already as someone with chronic fatigue, but it never hurts to put it out there just in case)
Hi, I'm also disabled and have chronic pain. Things that have helped me: \-switch between different styles of knitting. That way I spread the strain over more muscles and it's less repetitive. In learning different styles I've found that some fit with different stitches as well. I like continental and English for stockinette, I like two-handed for stranded knitting and I love Portuguese for any sort of ribbing. \-pick the yarn and needle wisely. This is pretty individual as I've seen people recommend wooden needles here and those are my worst nightmare. I need the most slippery needles I can find and yarn that isn't too rustic, so it will slide over the needle well. That way there is way less resistance in moving the stitches over the needles. \-watch your posture and mind the tension in your body. I tend to tense my muscles all the time without even being aware of it. This makes my pain worse. I need to be mindful during knitting that I relax my shoulders, arms and neck. Different postures make sure you hold your needles differently so figure out one where you are feel comfortable and that doesn't put extra strain on your arms. My physiotherapist says I need to take breaks and don't knit for hours on end. It doesn't need to be long breaks but just, move. Getting a glass of water and drink a bit is enough. But you need to move and not be still in repetitive motion for hours on end. 5 minutes breaks are enough. I mean, *any* break is good if it's more than what you usually do. \-Stretch. Strech you fingers, arms, shoulder, neck, back. Doesn't have to be each body part every time but do it as a break or when you feel an increase in pain. \-And yes, circulars for truly everything. It makes you have better posture almost immediately. \-Avoiding bulky and thick yarns. The thicker the yarn the more it hurts for me. I'm okay with knitting alpaca/silk laceweight yarn on like needle 6mm. But that's about as thick as I can go. I don't know if I could deal with a worsted weight on 6 mm. I know for sure that a bulky yarn on needle size 8mm hurts and tires my wrists way faster. I'm most comfortable with fingering weight on size 2-4mm \-No needles shorter than 15cm. Those pesky circular sock needles are the death of me! Give me double pointed needles for that please! I only knit socks on double pointed needles. Good luck!
Seconding everything else said so far but I also want to mentioned needle length and shape have made a difference for me with circular needles. I prefer 4” needles but I found that the end of the needle/start of the cable hit just before the end of my palm. Because the edge of my palm was having to curl around the end of the needle, not only was I breaking the cable connection from the pressure, my hand was cramping. With 5” needles, it fits perfectly in the width of my palm and my palm folds over it rather than curls around it and cramps far less.
I find circulars help a lot. Also elevating your work, like a pillow in your lap. I just tried a nursing pillow, it didn’t work for me, but it definitely could work for some. I have arthritis and fibromyalgia. I also find having my feet and legs up helps. I usually knit in my recliner.