Anyone have any advice on how to soothe sore joints? Seems I’ve been knitting so much lately that my poor right hand is rather achy. (My finger joints in particular.) Thanks! 
Take some breaks to shake out your hands/wrists and stretch them. Stretch your arms and shoulders too. Switch out projects so you’re not knitting on the same size needle all the time and watch to see whether you’re gripping the needle and yarn too tightly.
I recommend a good supplement like Gloucosamine. Keeping your hands wamr will help, too.
I’m having the same trouble. My right wrist and the base of my thumb are hurting really bad. I’ve been knitting and crocheting plus doing other needlework for about 28 years and never had any pain. The pain started last week but I kept knitting till a couple of days ago. I read the other posts about hand and wrist pain and I’ve been doing the stretching exercises people mentioned about and I haven’t done any knitting for the last 2 days. The pain has gone away a little now so I’m going to take a break from knitting a couple of more days and see if the pain goes away. Hopefully it will.
Linda
I’m in the same boat. I’ve started taking Rhus Toxicodendron (homeopathic), but beware that coffee is an antidote. I’ll let you know if the rhus helps.
When I’m not knitting, I like to wear those wrist braces, especially when I sleep. It keeps the wrist in a relaxed position, and makes you avoid stressful movements. This seems to help the sore wrists heal up more quickly, just to im-mobilize them for several hours.
Another thing that might help is a hand massage - either with a plain base oil, or good old fashioned hand lotion.
You can give yourself a hand rub - but feels somewhat more pampering if you can get someone else to give you one!
Will help move any fluid that might have built up, and just feels, well, nice!
There is a Product called Tiger Balm that is great for muscular aches and arthritis (Among other things). I rub in a small amount to my hands then use a body butter or moisteriser to add more slip and to rub it in further. it makes your hands tingle and feel warmer.
Just beware that you rub in whatever you use properly, or your knitting could be stained or smell funky (Although if it smells nice like say lavender…
)
Not just a hand massage, but the arms too, all the way to the neck and shoulders. You’d be surprised what other muscles are in involved.
If you can find a manicurist or massage therapist who offers paraffin baths – (candle wax, not liquid fuel) – that is very relaxing for sore hands, and leaves the skin soft and smooth as well.
I have arthritis and depend on ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), rest, and warmth.
I, too have trouble with my hands. I have carpal tunnel in my RH and arthritis in my fingers and thumbs. I recommend that you see a certified hand therapist first. Your Dr. will need to write a prescription for it, but it will help.
Second, learn an alternative method of knitting, so you can switch back and forth. The EASIEST method I’ve learned that almost totally rests your right hand is Portuguese knitting. I taught myself on Saturday and I LOVE it. It’s VERY fast and very easy! Start by learning to purl. It’s the easiest with this method.
You are supposed to put the yarn around your neck. I have neck trouble, too, so I hook a safetypin style stitch holder through my bra strap or a buttonhole and thread the yarn through that.
I used these videos to learn:
[COLOR=#d11010]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xswHlg…eature=related[/COLOR]
This one shows the basic knit stitch. She goes slowly enough to actually tell what she’s doing. I’m a bit puzzled by one thing: She always crosses her needles in the FRONT, for both knit and purl. I usually cross in the back for knit, don’t y’all? Do you think it will make a difference?
This one shows the purl stitch
[COLOR=#d11010]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VK5hYxupNcM&feature=user[/COLOR]
And this one shows ribbing.
[COLOR=#d11010]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fre2jL…eature=related[/COLOR]
Here’s cables:
[COLOR=#d11010]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti6DhWYBfrk[/COLOR]
Here’s casting on, but it’s in Portuguese!
[COLOR=#d11010]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sO5_tzkQKZk[/COLOR]
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! IF IT HURTS, STOP, STRETCH, TAKE A BREAK AND CHANGE UP WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
HAPPY KNITTING!
I definetly know how you feel. I’ve only been knitting for about 6 wks and the first 4 weeks were painful. The pain went all the way up my arm. At first I got a wrist brace for carpal tunnel. It’s hard to knit with that on so I decided to change the way I placed the yarn around the needle as I knitted. It worked…Thank goodness…
Good luck
Heather
Belphoebe, By all means do the stretching and breaks from knitting and also try saving a little time for a walk every day. My behind is about the size of Indiana and if I didn’t walk it’d be the size of Texas. Just the way you sit in a chair while knitting, if you do a lot of it, can cut off blood suppy to extremities and cause sluggish circulation, ergo, pain. Can you change where and how you sit for knitting? Change position often. Also, try knitting a lightweight pair of fingerless gloves. Warms your hands and leaves fingers free. You might like what a little warmth over your carpals and metacarpals can do to relieve pain. If it came on suddenly it might have been precipitated by something other than knitting. Bottom line - if it feels good and helps, DO IT! Jean p.s. Your avatar is too cute for words!