The Crochet Knuckle Bump

I blame Ravelry. Since the day if first appeared, I have been obsessed with crocheting. Although I learned the craft when I was just a little girl, I had only what I would call a ‘fondness’ for crocheting, picking up my hooks every now and then making scarves, sweaters, afghans and the rest. And then came freakin’ Ravelry. Suddenly I couldn’t NOT have a crochet project going at all times.

In the midst of my Ravelry-induced crocheting frenzy, I noticed I was developing a bump on the inside of the first knuckle on the ring finger of my left hand. It started out as nothing but then grew. And grew. Soon I couldn’t get my rings on and if I bumped the bump a jolt of teeth-grinding pain would leave me breathless.

It was time to go to the doctor, who sent me to a hand surgeon. The surgeon felt up my bump and guessed it as a ganglion cyst, but he’d need to see some x-rays first to be sure. A few clicks later and the verdict was in. It was not, in fact, a ganglion cyst, but a calcium deposit. Ganglion cysts can come and go on their own, calcium deposits…not so much. ‘What caused it?’ I asked.  ’Most likely an injury,’ he said. I thought for a moment and then asked, ‘How about stress?’ I followed up with an explanation and demo of how I hold my hooks and yarn. He nodded, ‘Could be.’ He then suggested surgery. Yeesh. ‘What if I just stop crocheting?’ I asked, ‘will it go away?’  He smiled, ‘Maybe, but I can guarantee this, either it’s going to get bigger, smaller or remain the same.’ Yeah, thanks doc, I thought as I left his office with his card in hand, the number to the surgical appointment line underlined.

When I returned home, I had decided to forego surgery for one month and stop crocheting cold turkey. Oh, my, that was difficult. I had just bought about 10 skeins of yummy yarn to make a jacket for myself. Christmas was just around the corner. Not to mention my mother’s birthday. No coat, no gifts, no nothin’.

While I nursed my bump, I pulled out my little-used knitting looms, which kept me company as I wallowed in my pity. During my crochet withdrawal, I knitted a couple of hats, a few pair of socks, some scarves and wrist warmers. While I lamented over the loss of my old craft, I noticed two things. First, loom knitting was as enjoyable as crocheting and second, the bump was getting smaller. After only a few weeks I could get my wedding rings on and without any pain.  Of course this meant NO SURGERY, but it also meant no more crocheting for me.

When I told friends and family about the appearance and disappearance of my crochet bump, they all suggested that I keep crocheting but just not as much as I had been. I see their point, but I also don’t want to risk an unnecessary surgery. If giving up the hooks means not being flayed open like a fish, so be it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check Ravelry for new loom knitting patterns.