I have only been knitting for a few months and have developed two bad habits.
The first one I only figured out by reading anothers post. My stitches are horribly tight when I knit on double points. What I was doing is making the first two stitches very tight as to prevent ladders. Well I got into the habit of pulling up on all the stitches on the needle instead of just sticking to the first two. I still have to remind myself each time I get to the third stitch to back off.
Here is other bad habit I found out that I developed only after poking a hole in the nylon overblouse I was wearing today. I did not realize that when I knit I slide the stitches up to the point on the left needle with my fingers with no problem when I am going to knit but I do no do this with the left needle. The stitches jam up so I got into the habit of placing the butt of the left needle against my right hip bone for leverage and then use my right hand to slide the stitches down the needle when I am sitting in a chair or on the couch. When I knit at the kitchen table I use the table as leverage. Well today I was using double points and used my hip and the point went right through my beautiful blouse. I am going to have to check my clothes and see if all my shirts have developed nasty little holes. This is a very difficult habit to break and I wonder how I developed it in the first place.
I used to brace the needle against my chest or stomach to help push off the stitch… until I BROKE a needle and dropped a bunch of stitches! I’m not sure how I started doing this, either, but I fixed it by only only only using my finger or the RH needle to slide the stitches off the end. I still catch myself every once in a while… but broken needles and holey clothes shoul dbe incentive to stop!
My other bad habits:
Sticking the needles in the ball of yarn… then I complain when i get to a part in the yarn where it’s split. I’m getting better at this, especially since I started winding everyting into center-pull balls, but I still do it.
NOT PUTTING THE SCISSORS AWAY PROPERLY… then I implale myself when reaching in the knitting bag.
This is like knitting therapy… purging ourselves of our naughtiness!!!
i do the needles in the ball thing on occasion. but try not to jab them in… still bad girl…
my thing is that i get impatient if i get a tangle when rewinding something and end up yanking it apart instead of being patient and taking time to untangle it… i’m sooo IMPATIENT… and can have a flash temper! i sorry… :verysad:
I’ve been knitting socks on dpns recently and when I change needles, I hold the spare in my mouth while I adjust my hands so I don’t drop it. I finished the socks, but if I don’t watch myself, I’ll just sit that at my computer (I usually knit at my desk) with a dpn in my mouth. Or a pen. Also I’ve become more likely to put my glasses in my mouth when I take them off.
Hmmmm, I didn’t think of that one. I am also guilty of putting the spare in my mouth. That one just made more sense to me after dropping the needle so many times and then having to look to where it was hiding. I always know where it is now…in my mouth! I remember as a kid I always put my pencil in my mouth and would also chew on it. I guess I broke the chewing habit as my double points do not have teeth marks on them (so far). I just checked!
All these posts about where / how people hold their needles made me wonder: What happens when people who normally stabilize their knitting by holding one needle under their arm have to use circulars or DPNs or some kind of needle that gets held in front? Seems like it could be dangerous!
Seems like it could be dangerous!