Will This Yarn Hurt My Hands? The Ergonomics and Mechanics of Yarn
With Carson Demers
This program is part of Handwork 2026, presented by Craft in America
This class is appropriate for knitters and crocheters, spinners, and any crafter who uses yarn.
Creating or embellishing fabric is an exercise in energy exchange between your body and the yarn.
Some yarns will help with this exchange while others are ‘energy vampires’ that require you to give your all!
In this class, you’ll “dissect” a variety of yarns to understand how helpful it will be in sharing the work.
We’ll go far beyond what some think is obvious (cotton is “harder” to knit than wool) and dive deeply into the characteristics of plant and animal fibers, fiber, yarn structure and construction and how it relates to fiber artists’ hand comfort.
Spinners will learn how to make a yarn that will be comfortable for them and others to work with.
Understanding the mechanics, fiber and construction of yarns will help you to select and make yarns that will be comfortable for your hands and arms to work with. You’ll learn how to make a more challenging yarn a comfortable one.
Yarn will be provided.
Students joining us for this workshop receive free admission to Carson’s lecture, Knitting Sustainably. You will receive details on how to register for the lecture with free admission upon signing up for this workshop.
- Skill level Beginner +
- Age appropriate 10+ (minors must have a parent on site)
- Materials fee None
- Students should bring
Students need to bring needles sizes US 4, US 7, US 9 or 10 (3 different
sizes).
Instructor
Carson DemersCarson is life-long knitter and a physical therapist with 30-years of experience in musculoskeletal rehabilitation and ergonomics. He literally wrote the book on ergonomics for knitters and fiber enthusiasts, “Knitting Comfortably: The Ergonomics of Handknitting.”
Carson continues to teach knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers and other textile enthusiasts internationally at events large and small about the ergonomics of their crafts. He has contributed articles to numerous fiber and crafting magazines and has been a consultant to writers for Martha Stewart Living and other publications. Carson has appeared on podcasts and vlogs including Fruity Knitting. His passion and experience in fiber arts combine with his expertise in physical therapy and ergonomics to create a unique skill set that he eagerly shares with the fiber community.
