This is so funny.. I've searched a couple of times to see if anyone else did this and came up with nothing.. I was even wondering if it could be associated with the character from Of Mice and Men..
But yea I have this sweater sitting on my lap at work and I rub the sleeves of it.. lol.. Something to do I suppose while working. I keep this habit from everyone, except my husband.. I told him about it when we first started dating and he doesn't mind. But what's funny is I was just talking to a co-worker and I guess I was doing it and she looked down and glanced at my "action" which I of course immediately stopped. But I feel much better now knowing I am not the only one that does it.. lol.
And there are people out there that do weirder stuff.. so no worries! LOL

I had a satin "blanket" as a child. I have always had pieces of satin or silk to rub between my fingers. Never having found anyone else or connections to others I have come to think I was about the only person in the world who did this. I am 58. What is this all about? It is comforting and it does take me away from whatever else is going on...

I am pretty relieved to know others have this trait as well... Thank you.

Wow, I am so glad to hear others share this passion. I also tongue thrust and kind of go to a trance... at times.

Lol. Boston914, I do the same thing! I still have my baby blanket and I am 23. It is now basically useless but I have found a replacement :) I will even rub on the inside of jackets and other clothing if they have the silky material. It is comforting and helps me relieve stress. My boyfriend thinks I'm a weirdo so I came on here to try and prove him wrong! Lol

Doing the same thing. I was looking for answers and if other people are doing this, and why... and so they do :) Why? I guess... because... It's just a thing we do, and we're not the only ones doing it :) :)

I'm 56 years old and have always tried to hide my cloth rubbing from others. It's something I've done since I was a small child If anyone else has noticed, it has never been mentioned. I just thought I was weird. Now that I know know I'm not the only one, that's one less thing to worry about. I've been doing it a lot more lately. My mother has a brain tumor and my father has Alzheimer's and I'm their primary caregiver. The rubbing helps to ease the stress. I would never stop it. My preference seems to be for jersey knit or soft cotton fabric. I even have jersey sheets on my bed.

So happy to hear that there are more people out there like me. I am almost 24 years old and have been rubbing fabrics ever since I was an infant. This is the only "compulsive" disorder I have; however, it is starting to take a toll on my hands. Sometimes the rubbing causes the sides of my hands to dry and even split open to the point of bleeding... the pain of this is not enough to make me quit.

The habit is incredibly embarrassing, but luckily the only people who usually notice are those who are closest to me, like my best friend and boyfriend. I only rub fabric if it is soft and cold (strangely enough, it MUST be cold to the touch) and typically I will only do it when I'm tired or nervous. I'm not sure if it is the drowsiness that makes me rub, or the rubbing that makes me drowsy. My boyfriend says I even do it in my sleep... so I don't think that it is a conscience action.

I enjoy it so much, I doubt I will ever be able to stop!

Something that struck my curiousity was the member who said they were adopted... I too was adopted... perhaps this is a clue? Or maybe just a coincidence...

P.S. My mother coined the term, "twickling" for this action. :)

I'M A 56 year old male , I'm , I think , going through Mid life crisis , or male menopause ! I'm doing as much therapy as I can stand ! You see , I've always been successful and totally Independent , I'm also trying to deal with ( MULTIPLE ) childhood abuse Issues! and I suspect that your finger rubbing , IF IT ACTUALLY BUGS YOU , you may want to come to terms with It !If It only bugs others,and not you , THEM ! After all , If your not dissatisfied with It , and It bugs other people , THEM ! PERHAPS this little thing Is a good thing ! REMINISCENCE , GOOD FEELINGS , MEMORIES!! Are you actually fed up with It ? Or Is everyone else ? If It's bugging you , get rid of It !If It's something comforting ? WELL " everyone else Is going to have to come to terms with It , aren't they !

I can't believe there are other people like me! I, too, have been rubbing thin silky like fabrics since I can remember. It started with a corner of my blanket, then handkerchiefs and so on.. This rubbing relaxes me a great deal! I enjoy it a lot and would never think of getting rid of the habit. I am 35 and now rub only occasionally, but always feel happy when I do so

I am a twiddler too! Been doing it since I was a baby and am actually currently twiddling right now and I'm 23! It is pretty impossible for me to imagine it gives you drowsiness or nausea though cause.. well.. It's just moving your fingers.. All it does is make my fingers and hands cramped after awhile. I cut a little piece of my sleeping bag material so I can twiddle wherever I go.. LOL! I'm so sad yes I know. But I love the feeling!! So don't lose confidence or feel immature because a lot of people do it. I do it in public! Your not the only one and there will always be more twiddlers. P.S.- I will be twiddling on my death bed... If I last.

OMG I do the same thing as Arsanova's Grandmother! Except I almost always am doing it while sucking my tongue which I've done even before I was born. I do it anytime of day. Sometimes I walk around with my pillow or just the pillow case. So glad I'm not alone!

Four posts. That averages one a year from when the first post written.
To the day it has been four years.

Old posts do not get much attention... so

If you would like your questions about this habit addressed put it in the ASK YOUR QUESTION BOX and a thread will be started to deal with your issues.

I subscribe to this thread in email, so when there's a new post, I'm notified. It's comforting to be to be able to come back here and not feel so alone.

You are far from alone.. there are plenty of others including myself who do this
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/fingers_and_fabric/join

Hey ophilia please contact me at [email protected]. Maybe we can help each other. Please

I am 29, and have been hiding this habit for my entire life. My husband "pretends" not to notice. The odd thing is I have stopped before, but I typically will find another satiny thing to hoard and rub. I feel exactly the same way about the sensitive web between the fingers and also it being COLD to the touch. Anything satiny on an edge does it for me. SO embarrassing but THANK GOD I am not the only one. Thanks for sharing. This is the first time I have googled it. We need a name for this.

I'm 26 and also do the same thing, it started with my blanket when I was a child and has progressed from there. I try to keep it under control and actually quit for a few years in college. I always use the same handkerchief and it will actually start to disintegrate from the friction and bleach the color out on the tips where I rub. I would guess that over the course of a few years (if I managed to keep the same one) it would completely disintegrate. As others have suggested the "cold to the touch" aspect is key for me, and I will even flip the ends around to cool them between short intervals of rubbing. I Didn't know anyone else did this besides me until right now, and have often felt guilty about the behavior. I also have severe anxiety and do a few other OCD things related cleaning and bodily fluids. One thing I have been thinking about lately, is the harm the repetitive motion might cause us in later life i.e.. Carpal tunnel. I have noticed that sometimes my wrist gets very fatigued after a long or aggressive session.

And I should mention my sister also has a fabric rubbing addiction. She picks fuzzballs from a fuzzy blanket or sweater and rub them between her fingers, they used to cover the carpet of her room when she was younger and even did it in the car for a while with one of those furry steering wheel covers.