With the right approach, you can keep knitting and crocheting with rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, your hobbies can even serve as exercises for stiffness.

Karla Fitch inherited rheumatoid arthritis and a love of crocheting from her maternal grandmother.

The crochet artist and designer planned to sell amigurumi dolls, but her rheumatoid arthritis made it impossible to keep up with the demand for the tightly crocheted animal and creature creations. So she adjusted her business plan, consulted an occupational therapist and now sells doll patterns to other crochet aficionados. Fitch credits her grandmother for inspiring her to keep crocheting.

“My grandmother's hands were always busy,” Fitch says. “She told us kids that crocheting and needlepoint, beading, baking, and quilting – and the hundreds of other crafts she did – helped to keep her hands from stiffening up. I believe that wholeheartedly. When I go a few days without my yarn, I notice more morning stiffness and more little aches and pains.”

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Knitting Tips

Fitch’s approach to crocheting and knitting has enabled her to continue her avocations and better manage her RA. Here are tips you can use to keep fingers nimble:

• Warm up. Soak your hands in warm water and lightly stretch them before starting your project to reduce stiffness. 
• Switch it up. Fitch says she moves between crochet projects and knitting so she doesn’t put excessive, repetitive strain on her hands. She also will alternate between a project that requires tight stitching, such as her amigurumi creatures, and something looser, like a crocheted afghan.
• Get the right tools. Fitch prefers ergonomic crochet hooks that are designed for people who experience hand pain. Occupational therapist Theresa Leto, DHS, an assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Findlay in Ohio and a knitter, recommends bamboo knitting needles because they create less friction between needle and yarn. Other options include needles that are modified to prevent your work from slipping off the end, such as circular needles. If you cross-stitch, try leather or rubber fingertip thimbles.
• Loosen up. The more forceful your grip, the more you compromise your joints and hands. “Be intentional about a more relaxed grip,” Leto says. Choose materials that allow for some looseness, such as broad-weave cloth for cross-stitching and thicker wool yarns for knitting or crocheting.
• Pick projects carefully. Very large projects such as oversized sweaters and afghans can get heavy and might be hard to manage. “Make sure that the tension in your work matches your ability,” Leto says. If you’re making a gift for a birthday, allow yourself plenty of time to complete it so that you don’t strain your hands while rushing to finish.
• Rest. RA can flare in response to certain triggers, and one of those is overwork. “If I could define my life in two words since my diagnosis, they would be ‘pace yourself!’” Fitch says.  
• Try heat. “It doesn’t work for everyone, but it does for me,” Fitch says. She uses special gloves designed to help support her joints and keep her hands warm.
• Take medication for pain and stiffness. Talk with your doctor about the best drug options for you. You might want to take medication before a prolonged period of work on a project.
• Get support. Leto recommends reaching out to the local arthritis association groups, through which you’re likely to find other people coping with the same problems.
• Therapy: Consider hiring an occupational therapist to teach you specific techniques to maintain fine motor skills and mobility – including the ability to knit or crochet. “If knitting or crocheting is important to you,” Leto says, “the occupational therapist will want to make it work.”