How Long Do You Knit Without a Break?
Wednesday August 27, 2008
I'm trying to be more mindful of how long I knit at a stretch, taking more breaks in the hope that I won't hurt myself as much as I have in the past.
I'm trying to stop every couple of rows and just hold my hands still for a couple of minutes, and every four or five rows I do a little stretching. I think it's helping, when I can remember to do it consistently.
All this had me wondering how long you all knit without a break. Are you consistent in pausing after every row, or do you plow through 'til the pain comes like me? Let us know by answering this week's poll, and if you've got any tips for reminding yourself to take breaks, I'd love to hear them.
Poll: How Long Do You Knit Without a Break?
I'm trying to stop every couple of rows and just hold my hands still for a couple of minutes, and every four or five rows I do a little stretching. I think it's helping, when I can remember to do it consistently.
All this had me wondering how long you all knit without a break. Are you consistent in pausing after every row, or do you plow through 'til the pain comes like me? Let us know by answering this week's poll, and if you've got any tips for reminding yourself to take breaks, I'd love to hear them.
Poll: How Long Do You Knit Without a Break?
- As long as it takes to knit one row.
- 10 or 15 minutes.
- 20 to 30 minutes.
- More than 30 minutes, but less than an hour.
- I take a break every hour.
- Whenever I remember to stop.
- I only stop when it hurts.
Comments
I often don’t stop, even though I’ve started hurting. I have arthritis in my hands, the fingers mostly, and I will eventually have pain from holding the needles too tightly or for some other reason.
I usually realize I’m in pain eventually, but if I’m not at the end of a row, or sometimes a section of my lace knitting, I’ll keep going. I’m afraid to lose this ability at such a young age. It often seems like if I push through it, it goes away or I get some relief.
Is this a serious problem for knitters?
I have to be really careful about how long I knit and also what size needles I use. My arthritis really acts up when I use really small or really big size needles. The first pair of socks that I made using size 1 DPNs just about did me in. If I stay in the size 7 to 11 range I seem to have fewer problems with pain. Right now I am on an anti-inflammatory medicine for back problems, so I’m having less knitting pain.
The length of time I knit and my sitting position seem to both be factors with tendonitis problems too. Who knew that knitting was such a painful sport! haha!
I never used to stop knitting, and then I started to get wrist pain. I still only stop when the pain starts.
I’ve also noticed recently that my posture affects how long I can knit without moving around. I’m pregnant right now, so good posture doesn’t always feel great. I’m hoping that once I’m back to being a normal shape the posture thing isn’t such a bummer. I really like to knit in bed sitting up, and with my shoulders curled over like that I have troubles.
I use books on tape usually when I knit. The tape coming to and end, signals me to stop and take a break. I recently hurt my right hand (resulting on surgery on my index finger). I take the tape break for my finger exercises. I knitted during the whole re-cooperation period of six weeks with stopping for exercise and stretching my legs. The nurses laughed at me in the hospital. I had an IV in my left arm and my right hand bandaged & splinted. It slowed me down but I did not stop. I was in there for ten days.I would have gone crazy without my knitting. I used to knit until my hands hurt but can’t do that any more.
I’ve just started getting back into knitting and, I, too, knit as long as possible. However, recently, my wrist and thumb have started hurting. It happenes most often when using DPNs and working the cuff of socks or mittens: K1, P1.
The pain is never so bad that I have to leave off knitting for a long time, but I do have to give it a rest…must come with the “golden years”!
I am also a medical transcriptionist so type all day long (up to 10 hours)so know the value of stopping at least every hour and do ergonomic exercises with my wrists and hands as well as standing up and stretching. The same goes with my knitting (which I love to do)and try to wear ergonomic gloves when knitting. I also have some arthritis in my hands and the gloves also help this. I’ve been transcribing for 11 years and no sign of carpal tunnel anywhere! I’ve learned to use moderation and try not to do marathon knitting!
I used to knit for 4 or 5 hours at a time.
Now that my back problems have worsened I thought I would have to stop knitting completely. However, my physical therapist has advised me to know my limits and even if I only do two rows a day I can still make a blanket! I can do up to four rows at a time, with a break and I prop my elbows with pillows and another at my neck. I am determined to continue knitting as I love it.
I have arthritis in both hands and wrists, especially in my left thumb which I broke in the shower a number of years ago and didn’t realize it, bursitis in both shoulders, and osteoarthritis of the spine. I learned a long time ago that I need to stop every 20 minutes or so to rest my hands. When the pain does act up badly I will sleep with a hand splint on. I seldom use extra large diameter needles, even 10’s can cause my hands to become painful, so the several sweaters on tap for this winter will take more time than I’d like since they will be bulky knits. I do work on fairly small (to most people) needles in the 3 - 6 range mostly, although I do work on 0’s occasionally. When I work on these small and smaller (000) needles I keep a project on larger needles (8 - 9’s) going to change from one to the other. Does the pain stop me? Occasionally when my hands are really inflamed or I get knitter’s elbow, but even this doesn’t stop me long. And, yes, the local EMTs know that my knitting goes with me in the ambulance .
I had carpel tunnel surgery on both wrists about 8 years ago. I have no problem with my wrists at all. I do get a neck and shoulder pain when I knit too long. That usually makes me take a break or quit for the day.
I knit for a row or two depending on how long the rows are and stop, wiggle my fingers, flex my hands and stretch and then go back to it. I have over 250 stitches on the shawl I’m working on right now so it takes a few minutes to get through the lace pattern of the row. I try not to knit for too long at a stretch because I don’t want any pain associated with my knitting.
I love knitting and find if I use needles that are 4-10 I can do so easily, not knitting too tightly. Also keeping my wrists straight saves them from any pain. I am getting arthritis knuckles on my index fingers but by using Glucosamine Chondrotin no pain. I will knit while hubby watches TV or plays music so it can be 3 hours (longer if a complex pattern and I stay up late. A good shoulder stretch and finger wiggle every half hour helps.
I stop whenever the pattern is done,I don’t
have pain troubles and i love to knit so i take it with me everywhere