Meet the author of Craft Without Pain!
Craft Without Pain is officially out now!
This meaningful book is a one-stop guide to help you build an essential toolkit for pain-free making with expert advice, excercises, and tips on how to reduce strain. Craft longer, stronger and smarter with this comforting pocket-sized book from Andrea Lui PT, DPT, known on social media as @theknittinggpt.
With clear explanations of common crafting-related injuries and conditions such as carpal tunnel, tendonitis and repetetive strain injury, this book takes you through the key strategies to avoiding injury and building strength for long-term resilience. To celebrate the release of this much-needed guide, we sat down with author Andrea Lui to discuss everything that went into the creation of Craft Without Pain.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a board-certified orthopaedic physical therapist based in the US, and I am also a fiber artist! I love to knit, spin, weave, and crochet – and I’ve recently dusted my sewing machine off to begin quilting and sewing my own clothes.
Tell us a bit about Craft Without Pain.
I like to describe the book as me in a book! It’s what it would be like to sit next to me when you’re crafting and suddenly experience pain or discomfort and need some help.
What inspired you to write this book?
A lot of people who take my classes or follow me on Instagram often tell me that they wish they could have me follow them around. This book is the next best thing – now you can pull it out as a resource whenever you need to.
What was the process of writing Craft Without Pain like?
It was surprisingly natural. The classes I teach contain the same foundation, so once I sat down to write, the content flow came easily. I found it harder than expected to edit myself, as there was so much information I wanted to include but couldn’t, or else the book would be hundreds and hundreds of pages long!
How has being a physical therapist changed the way you personally knit?
I’m very in tune with how my body feels when I’m knitting. I also find that I analyse a lot of my motions to figure out what is going on, and I am more conscious of taking breaks to avoid overuse injuries.
How do you envision crafters using this book?
I envision that crafters will skim through it to get a sense of what the book contains, so that when they feel discomfort, they know what sections to look through again for some answers to their questions. I also hope that they use the worksheets in the Next Steps section to apply what they learn to their daily lives.
Is it ever too late to fix your posture?
Hardly ever! There’s always a small change you can do that can ease how you feel or how you carry your body. The key is persistence, as these changes take time.
Why do so many crafters ignore their pain until it becomes a problem?
I have two theories – one is that we are having too much fun to set our crafting aside! The other is that we minimize our pain when we craft – since crafting is often viewed as a “hobby” and can be belittled by the general public, it feels silly to ask for help. I’ve met many crafters who have been dismissed by their providers, telling them to “Just stop knitting” and not offering real solutions.
How often should crafters take breaks?
I usually advise a break that is at least 1-5 minutes long, once an hour. Breaks are all about giving your body a literal rest from what you are doing and changing up your movement patterns, so even a bathroom break counts!
What is one thing that crafters often forget that can have a significant impact on their physical health?
Movement. Society as a whole tends to have an all or nothing approach when it comes to movement- the mentality that unless it’s an hour-long workout with sweat dripping, it doesn’t count. But that’s not true! Any movement, no matter how small or short, is still movement for your body and still counts.
Many crafters struggle to stick to a self-care routine or practice stretching regularly – what’s your best tip for staying motivated when it comes to establishing these routines?
I work with my patients to establish routines within routines – for example, if they usually have a routine of getting a glass of water before sitting down to knit, I recommend that they try adding a wrist stretch after they get their water. Or I will suggest habit stacking – such as doing heel raises while you brush your teeth. It’s much harder to create a routine and insert it in the middle of your day – try to find regular times where are in-between tasks where it is easier to nestle a new habit.
Also – habits are hard to establish! Don’t give up if you miss it a few times, just keep trying and start small.
How do you stay inspired to create new health content for crafters?
My inspiration draws from either my own body and what it needs, or from questions I get from followers. It is fascinating to see what works and sticks with the audience, and what doesn’t. It always inspires me to keep going when I get feedback that someone started doing something they learned from me and it made a positive difference.
What is your message to any crafters currently struggling with chronic pain?
My message is that chronic pain does not improve in a linear fashion. It is normal for there to be ups and downs in your healing journey, so don’t be discouraged if it feels like a long hard path. Just take it one day at a time.
Describe Craft Without Pain in one word.
Self-awareness.
Ready to prioritise your health for longer, more enjoyable crafting? Order Craft Without Pain now at the link here!
About the Author
Andrea Lui
Andrea Lui is a licensed physical therapist and board-certified specialist in orthopedic physical therapy,...