A couple of years ago I was gifted my first lotion bar from a fellow knitter named Karen. It was such a sweet and thoughtful gift and at the time I had no idea just how much I would fall in love with this hand care option.
Many of us can develop rough skin since we put our hands to work creating beautiful pieces with a variety of fibers. Like many crafters, I tried so many options. Most of the lotions I would use looked something like this:
Put on lotion.
Can’t pick up yarn yet because of greasy hands.
Waive hands in the air trying to get it to absorb and dry.
Husband looks at me with that ‘have you gone crazy’ look.
Can you relate?
I found myself avoiding hand care because I just didn’t like how the yarn felt between my fingers when there was a layer of lotion on my hands. Sometimes I would be good about getting relief when I was done crocheting, but my hands really needed to be treated better. And I needed to feel more comfortable. Especially when the weather is a bit cooler. Disclaimer….notice I didn’t say cold there haha. Yes, in Florida it can get ‘cold’ but not near as cold as up north so I don’t feel justified in using the ‘cold’ term because you would most likely laugh at me. As in it’s the middle of January and the temp is currently in the 60’s….sweater weather here, short weather in the rest of America.
So now enter the hand solution: Lotion Bar.
How is this different? It’s almost like a balm for your hands that absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy feeling. You don’t have to put much on and it offers superior protection in my opinion. Sometimes these can be found at local craft markets. If I’m on vacation I will often look for them as a handmade souvenir. It’s becoming a more popular option and for a good reason.
So from one crafter to another, I wanted to share this tip for you if you are looking for a new option in hand ccare. I’ve found great success in keeping my skin healthy and comfortable which is so important to enjoying our crafts. Here are a few affiliate link options to try:
I make my own with shea butter, bees wax and essential oils. It makes my projects smell so good?
If going down a hook size isn’t enough you can try to make it in a DK weight yarn and that would bring the gauge down.
Oohh, wow! Beautiful new look! And a couple posts I haven’t seen yet (hope I am still subscribed). I have looked at these lotion bar things several times, and DIYs to make them myself, but unsure of how they worked, I always turned away from them. I will have to pick one up, and actually give it a try. Hopefully it works good for my rough elbows too. Thanks for the recommendation.
Briana
I need your help, i don’t find all the yarn to make buzzy beehive blanket.
I bought your pattern .
Thank you
Monique Lalonde
You can substitute with any worsted medium weight 4 yarn, Red Heart Super Saver, or Vanna’s Choice yarns will work great.