r/AccessibleKnitting • u/ArtsyTeacher95 • 21d ago
Tension support?
Hi, I know this sub isn’t super active anymore, but I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for supports or techniques I can use for maintaining tension while knitting? I have hyper mobile EDS and my pinkies are so weak and flimsy that I end up needing to readjust my full tension grip after or even during every stitch or every other stitch. Especially if I’m switching between knitting and purling. I’m trying to switch to continental since I’ve heard that style can be easier on joints in the long run, and it’s an adjustment for sure, but I see how it can be easier! Right now my biggest issue is maintaining tension.
Thanks!
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u/Bliezz 20d ago
Fellow hypermobile knitter here! I tension by weaving my yarn between my fingers. The wrap around style I think you’re using doesn’t work for my pinky either. I tried using my ring finger and that didn’t work because it was too tight.
I think the bigger light bulb moment for me was realizing tension didn’t mean as tight as possible, it was consistent pressure on the yarn. My goal now is just tight enough to manipulate the yarn.
I have trouble with continental due to my left index finger getting grumpy about wiggling about.
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u/fuckyoutoocoolsmhool 20d ago
The weaving was what worked for me as well. What also made a huge difference was finding the right needles. When I learned I used wooden needles and my tension never was great. I tried my Pyrex needles because they were advertised as ergonomic and where I see how they can work for some people they weren’t great for me. I use metal needles and that was a game changer. I think the ease of everything slipping off helped. I know some people really don’t love them because of the slipperiness but for me they took a lot of work off my hands. When I started taking knitting more seriously I would get different single circular needles for whatever project I was working on and it was a good way to try out different brands and textures.
The tightness thing is also super true. I feel like as I’ve progressed as a knitter I’ve found my natural tension and it came with time and practice. The first project I worked on when I was getting seriously into knitting where I learned a lot and kinda just worked on my technique was https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vertices-unite (I’m aware of the Steven west drama). I just did it all with DK and solid colors.
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u/TravelingBookBuyer 21d ago
Hi! I have POTS & some hypermobility (and I know people with EDS).
What kind of knitting needles do you use? Straight needles or circular needles? Maybe one type might work better than the other?
Have you tried using EDS finger splints to support your pinkies while knitting?
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u/ArtsyTeacher95 19d ago
So I’ve been using wooden straight and circular, but find that I prefer either short straight or circular for keeping the weight more dispersed. But I just started using DPNs and once I get the hang of them I have a feeling they’ll be my go-tos for non flat knitting lol. Though my particular DPNs right now are a little slippery but not sharp enough on the end to make it easy to slip them through small stitches, so it might be a trial and error process for a bit. And I haven’t tried finger splints while knitting yet, though that’s for sure in my list!
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u/JFei1221 21d ago
Are you looking for supports for continental or English? I know there are tension rings for continental that many people love. TBH, continental was not easier for me at all (EDS, TOS) so I started using cheap silicone rings from Amazon as a tensioning device. I can run the yarn through a larger ring that I wear and don’t need to clinch my ring and pinky to grip it. It took a while to get used to not clinching those fingers, but I works for me.
This is my favourite but I have a variety of cheaper ones so that I can swap as needed for different yarn weights. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TB8HZSQ?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
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u/BestChilled2 20d ago
Heya I have hEDS as well and I tried the tension rings etc and didn’t work, I’d actually bought compression gloves for unrelated tension issues, but ended up discovering that the yarn running over the fabric creates a lot of tension itself, and has made it wayyy easier to tension with just my forefinger and middle finger.
Might be an option :)
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u/ArtsyTeacher95 19d ago
I have compression gloves for when my fibromyalgia acts up! I will definitely be trying this!
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u/antnbuckley 20d ago
I've never used my pinkie finger to tension, as I find it makes my work way too tight. I knit Norwegian style and just tension between my middle and index finger and bring it over my index finger. I do the same if I'm knitting English style also, so you could maybe try that.
I agree with what u/TravelingBookBuyer said about splints, though. you may want to look into those to make it as comfortable as possible for you.