My “I never thought this would ever happen” Knitting Injury *** UPDATE
This is an update to the previous post:
Earlier this month, I found an awesome physiotherapist. I was feeling pretty anxious and nervous about the situation from October to December, but after finding a great expert and starting physio with him, I’m optimistic and not worried. My knitting is allowed to keep going as long as I’m extremely careful, avoid the things that set it off, and do my exercises and stretches. Since I’ve got to be careful about what I knit, I have to steer my design direction towards things that I can knit that don’t hurt my elbows. So for the foreseeable future, on my knitting menu is: almost all loose gauges, little to no purling, little to no picking up stitches, no tricky stitches that cause twisting in my arms. No tricky stitches includes no cables(!) — see my journal post above
I do also have to be very careful writing patterns. I’ve learned these past months that typing too long at the keyboard is a huge pain. Also, holding and writing with a pencil. So patterning writing is going to be a slower process! I have some things to help get the writing done, but if I do it for too long, it hurts.
Most of the things that I’ve designed in the past, I can no longer design until my elbows are fully healed. I sure have had a tendency toward making things that require picking up stitches, whoa! But for the next year, or two, you’ll be seeing a lot of colorwork, stockinette, and lace from me, nearly all of it in the round and at loose gauges, and very little picking up stitches or purling. This new focus is so that these elbows can get back to being as normal as possible, but at the same time still take part in what they love to do — knitting!
I’m so grateful and lucky to still be able to do this.
Happy knitting and making all that you love. And if you’re going through something similar, I hope you find an awesome physiotherapist to help you with yours.
-xo Jennifer
January 20, 2026
PS. The photo of this journal entry is a design I’m making that has given my elbows tremendous relief. It’s loose, light, and in the round. I’m calling it “Jim Myles Garden” and it’s one of the knits that has made me very happy this past month.
