How can I knit without pain ?

Knitting is a great hobby that allows you to produce great items without spending too much money. However, if you knit for a long period, especially if you’re working on large projects, your hands, fingers, arms, back and shoulders would start to hurt. Fortunately, you can prevent these pains from happening if you follow these useful tips:
1) Use circular needles for large projects – If you’re working on an adult-sized sweater or any project that needs over 150 stitches using size 8 needles, it is recommended that you use circular needles to reduce the tension on your shoulders and back, allowing distribution of weight evenly.
2) Do your stretching – It may be funny to think that you have to do stretching, even if knitting should be a relaxing task. However, stretching your fingers before you start knitting can really help relieve pain. Stretch them as wide as possible and grip your hand into a fist. Repeat twice or if necessary. Depending on the project at hand, do this every half an hour or as much as possible. If you’re working on a large project, you can stretch your fingers after every row.
3) Watch your posture – Many people slouch down while knitting assuming they are relaxed in such a position. However, slouching could add tension to your shoulders and back, particularly if you don’t maintain good posture for a long period.
4) Take breaks – After an hour or two of working, get up and walk around. Perform simple stretching exercises for your back. This would keep your back from straining back when you’ve finished a day of knitting. If you’re watching TV while knitting, you can use commercial breaks as your own break time.
5) Mind your nails – Short and filed nails keep them from cutting into your palm when knitting. Some people even bruise their hands if they keep nails too long. If you prefer to keep your nails long, you can just adjust how you hold the needles.
These tips can prevent body aches and pains after several hours of knitting. As long as you keep these in mind while working on a project, you’ll never have to suffer from knitting the hours away.