Russian Princess In Exile Hat

I needed a break from knitting with the fingering-weight SFS sock yarn.

It has been such a cold winter here in Maine. So, over Xmas vaction, I thought it would be good to knit some hats for friends. I made the "Russian Princess in Exile" hat for my friend Jone, who likes it and wears it on her walks. It was made with Rowan Big Wool which I bought on sale from Webs.

I have yet to knit a new hat for myself, which I sorely need. I am going around in my old Peace Fleece Tribal Mountain Hat, which I knit years ago. I still like it, but really. A knitter should have more than one knit hat to show off. Like most knitters and crafters, though, I always give away most of the stuff I make.

"Knitters Thumb" is no joke!

I have not been knitting much for the past few months, and I really miss it. I had to stop for awhile due to what turned out to be tenosynovitis in my thumb and wrist (a.k.a "knitter's thumb"), which I am about 99.99% sure was caused by too much knitting over the 2007 Xmas holidays and/or shortly thereafter, when I tried to knit a worsted-weight yarn into a pattern designed for sport-weight yarn. WARNING TO ALL KNITTING DUMMIES: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!!!

I tried to force the yarn into the correct gauge by using needles WAY too small for worsted (size 2 US), and the resulting strain on my already-overworked left thumb was too much for it. When it started hurting, I ignored it and kept going. I had to finish the project. This was so stupid. If something starts hurting like that, you should never ignore it. But, I did, and the pain then spread to my wrist, and has only recently started to get better. I had to go to the doctor, took Naproxen for 2 months, and wear a wrist brace at night, which I am still wearing. I only recently dared to start knitting again, about an hour at a time only. And when it starts hurting, I stop & put ice on it.

In my defense, I LOVE Scandinavian patterns, and this one DID call for worsted-weight yarn, but it was a 1950's classic pattern, "Scandinavian Snow Sets", and I think the term "worsted weight" must have meant something different then. Or, maybe their yarn was softer and would compress more easily. I was using Lamb's Pride (not bulky, I am not a total idiot), and there is no way you could get the gauge they were calling for with worsted weight, and enjoy knitting it. So, learn from my mistakes. IF THE YARN DOESN'T WANT TO FIT IN YOUR PATTERN, DON'T INJURE YOURSELF TRYING TO FORCE IT! No matter what the pattern says. Alter the pattern to fit your materials. Or, find another pattern. Your health is not worth it!!! I ended up having to change the pattern anyway, because the knitted fabric was too dense. All I had to do was remove the borders along the sides, and be a bit creative. The resulting slipper socks came out very nicely, but not worth all the pain I have had over the last few months when I forget and pick up an object at the wrong angle with my left hand! A true knitting dummy, this blog is aptly named.

The Orthopedic M.D., who finally cured my condition with a shot of cortisone, said he doubted it could have been caused solely by knitting, but I'm still pretty sure that's how it started.