The Ouchie Owl….

This weekend I’ve been crocheting Nelson, a cute owl amigurumi designed by Stacey Trock that I am working on through a Craftsy workshop.  Here is what I have so far….

That’s his body and the start of his head.  I’ve still got quite a way to go, which is unfortunate because I am developing an ouchie crochet-induced blister on my finger.  Observe:

Does this happen to anyone else?  Any tips to avoid it?  I’m pretty sure it means that I’m working too tightly, but I don’t really know how to loosen up… that’s just how I hold the hook.  I think it is particularly bad with this project because I am using a hook size that is probably a little too small for the project, which means I’m just holding it even tighter.  I accidentally grabbed a g hook instead of the h hook that I usually use for amigurumi.  By the time I realized I had the wrong hook, I was already like 8 rows into the project so I just decided to go with it.

Anyway, I’d really love to keep working on this little guy, but I think I may have to give my finger a rest.  Poor me.