Crocheters - please help!

[Penny Lane]

I've just taken up crochet yet my wrist clicks so much you'd swear I was knitting!

Is this normal? Will it go over time or is there something wrong with my wrist?!

I've changed the way I hold the yarn to the 'correct' way (over my forefinger, under middle & ring fingers & over little finger) instead of how I did before (forefinger curled up with yarn sliding through it) as I think I have rsi in my knuckle!

[Annpan]

I think some people just have clicky joints I crochet a lot to make things to sell and I have never noticed a click but I do begin to ache after an hour or so, I just try to do a little at a time and alternate it with other activities.

Sorry if that isn't much help.

[Susie]

Hi - I don't really crochet (I do knit), but last night I was trying to crochet an edging round a tank top (it is nothing but a mad exciting social whirl of glamour and sophistication in my house,) and I noticed how very mobile your wrists are when you are crocheting. I would think if you have joints that tend to click generally it would definitely have this effect and it will probably get better as your hands get used to it. My hands don't tend to click, but they do get stiff when I haven't been knitting for a while and suddenly start again, and then I find myself walking round the next morning with my hands outstretched and wiggling my fingers like a predatory zombie. But I've escaped RSI so far!

Good luck with it - I wish I wasn't so rubbish at it because I really love the look of crochet.

[Green Aura]

I've been mulling on this for a while. I'm not sure it's any problem. As Susie said, you may just have clicky joints anyway - my daughter has and takes great delight in driving me mad by clicking everything

But you could try holding your hook in different ways to see which is most comfortable and least clicky. As you've not been crocheting for a long time you've presumably not fixed a habit yet.

You could also have a look at doing continental-style crochet - same stitches, just "performed" in a different way. Google it, there are several tutorials out there. I've tried it and found it quite difficult, mainly because i have got settled in my habits, but it looks really quick, easy and above all requires minimal hand movements, compare to our method.