Poll - How Long Do You Stitch?
Monday August 18, 2008
I had to take a break from stitching for about a month recently. It was difficult, believe me, but necessary. Back during the winter, I burned my pointer finger tip on my left hand. You would not believe how much I used that finger tip when stitching. It stayed irritated, and I couldn't stand to try to stitch with a bandage on it. So I kept plugging along until it was becoming more and more painful, especially when I was threading a needle.
After my break, my finger is much better and I can thread needles pain-free, but I am considering using a needle threader if I can make myself get into the habit. After hearing from another crafter who injured herself knitting because she over-used her arm, I wondered how you all took care of yourselves when stitching.
How long do you stitch before you take a break? It is important that you take breaks to avoid "stitcher's elbow", eyestrain, and general stiffness from sitting in one place too long! I have been guilty of stitching for too long without a break in the past, but now my life rarely affords me that opportunity! I still get "in the zone" sometimes and hours will pass before I realize it. Usually my eyes will remind me that they need a break from staring at Aida fabric. Or, I will make a huge mistake and realize that I need to walk away from the hoop for a bit.
How often do you take breaks? Vote in the Poll and let us know. Use the Comments section below to tell us about how you protect yourself from stitching strains and injuries.
How long do you stitch before you take a break? It is important that you take breaks to avoid "stitcher's elbow", eyestrain, and general stiffness from sitting in one place too long! I have been guilty of stitching for too long without a break in the past, but now my life rarely affords me that opportunity! I still get "in the zone" sometimes and hours will pass before I realize it. Usually my eyes will remind me that they need a break from staring at Aida fabric. Or, I will make a huge mistake and realize that I need to walk away from the hoop for a bit.
How often do you take breaks? Vote in the Poll and let us know. Use the Comments section below to tell us about how you protect yourself from stitching strains and injuries.
Comments
I try to stitch a minimum of 2 hours, otherwise it isn’t worth the time to get everything out and set up, only to have to put it back again. Having three cats, I can’t leave a project out for very long or they’ll be playing in it
My problem is that I have carpal tunnel syndrome. I’ve had carpal releases bilaterally, but considering that my job is transcription, the syndrome keeps coming back. I have to be careful how long I stitch or it will tend to affect my job performance the next day. 2 hours is plenty for me.
i take a break about every 2 hours. that is when my coffee pot cuts off. LOL also at that time i check emails. when do i know when to take a break, when i use the wrong color for a symbol, have to do a lot of frogging, my left leg goes numb due to poor circulation. i am disabled and in a wheel chair, so it really is important for me as a diabetic to get up and move. 2 hours is my limit for sitting and sometimes it is even less. especially if i can’t find my stitching rhythm. that is when nothing is going right.
just another stitcher – - Marty
I have a real problem. I love to xstitch. I could do it all day if given a chance. I once had a craft store that was mainly xstitch supplies. I taught craft classes at the local high school, of course in xstitch. I don’t know if anyone has ever had this problem but I am very sad and don’t know how to fix it. One day my husband walked by my chair, I was doing xstitch while we both were watching football on the TV. As he walked by he commented why do you waist your time doing it? Ya it looks nice when its done but it takes so long to finish it. Since that fall day 2005, I have not been able to pick up a cross stitch item and work on it. In fact I have been unable to do anything like that because I now feel it is such a waste of time. So now while watching TV I do nothing but watch feeling what a waste of time doing nothing but unable to do the one thing I really enjoyed. What can I do? He also said this about reading, now I don’t read. He took all my enjoyment away and now I really do nothing and it is a waste of time I feel awful. I wished he never said those hurtful things because since then I fell and broke my back several times and I don’t walk about too much, but I sit in that chair unable to work on anything because I feel its just a waste of time. I love my husband and I wouldn’t hurt him I don’t think he even knows.
Linda – I have had several friends (and an ex-husband) who did not understand how important stitching was to me. Matter of fact, some of them don’t understand about my interest in reading either. If they tell me what I am doing is a waste of time – I tell them that it isn’t to me. Maybe if you just pick your stitching back up, your husband won’t say anything about it – if he does, just tell him that you enjoy it and keep it up. Does he have a hobby? If so, does he consider it a waste of time?
Linda,
I agree with Connie, go back to stitching and reading. I do both and I find that it relaxes me, and I could do cross stitch all night and I do mean ALL night.
Take care of you and go back to doing what you enjoy.
No well done handicraft is ever a waste of time (nor is reading!) Just look at all those wonderful examples the women from past generations have left us! Not allowed to do much else, they left their mark on history in the only ways allowed, through their crafts. (tv and football games are another matter lol)