Knitting is a creative way to spend your time. Once you get into knitting, it is sometimes hard to keep track of time.
Besides the fact that you are honing your craft when you spend time knitting, you also get to be productive with your finished product.
I will not blame you if you get too invested in knitting that you get a little bit dizzy when you spend hours knitting. But is it true? Can knitting make you dizzy?
Yes, knitting can sometimes make you dizzy, but the answer is not as clear-cut as some might think. In fact, there are a few reasons that might make you dizzy when digging in the needle.
Some may be caused by a preexisting condition of the knitter, and others can simply be avoided. The good news is that we can remedy most of the causes, and you can continue to hone your craft and produce wonderful works of art.
Keep in mind that all things must be done in moderation, and knitting as a hobby is no exemption from it.
So before getting lost for hours and hours while creating your DIY sweater, you should keep in mind to take a few evenly spaced breaks to avoid eye strains that may cause dizziness.
Make sure you are in a comfortable position while knitting, too, so that even blood flow can reach your whole body. This will help avoid dizziness and the occasional body aches when staying in a position for too long.
Whenever you can, please avoid knitting when you feel tired; this can cause additional strain on your body.
People may think that knitting does not take too much of a toll on the body, but this hobby needs full concentration, and focusing on dainty needles and yarn for too long can cause the eyes to dry and overwork.
Keeping a well-lit area where you do your knitting is also a good idea, as it causes less strain when focusing on your project.
Is Knitting a Good Exercise for the Brain?
Knitting is a good hobby for all ages, but it can be best for aged people because it can help keep the brain sharp.
Knitting can challenge the brain in more ways than you know. Activities such as knitting can help improve the cognitive function of senior citizens, plus it is not such a taxing activity for the old folks, which is perfect for spending hours on their own.
It is an excellent exercise for hand-eye coordination. Patterns in knitting require skilled and dextrous hands.
If you have not tried it before, you might want to try it before dismissing knitting as an easy hobby. Just because we see more senior citizens picking up this hobby would mean it is not challenging work.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Knitting?
There are good things and bad things that can come from knitting. Besides the fact that you enjoy your time knitting, here are some advantages of knitting.
Now do not take my word for it; some science-driven facts support the notion that knitting is good for your health.
Advantages of Knitting
- It Promotes Mindfulness
There are a few things that a senior citizen can do that may help with mindfulness, and one of them is knitting.
Some may even say this is the “new yoga” because people must keep in the present when handling loops of yarn crossed with needles. It is quite practical, too, because it can be done anywhere at any time.
- It Makes You Feel Good
If you are looking for a quick fix of the happy hormone, look no further. Knitting can provide this for you.
Any new hobby can be challenging at first, but when you get the hang of it, knitting can be quite fulfilling, and it will give you a sense of accomplishment, thus giving you a flood of dopamine that will help you feel good, sleep better and regulate good blood flow through your system.
- Keeps You in Control
Knitting can be a tool for you to cope with depression. When you master the skill of knitting, you can make anything from a ball of yarn, thus giving you a sense of control. This can be used as a coping mechanism and a weapon against depression.
- It Gives You Self-Confidence
It is no simple task to create something out of nothing. There are a few people that can master a skill that takes a ball of yarn into a masterful art of clothing or blanket.
People take pride in their creations and the more you get good at this craft the more you gain self-confidence.
- It Is a Great Social Activity
People can get too involved in their craft that they isolate themselves from others, but knitting can also be done socially. Make yourself a small group of knitting partners and start a project that you can bond over with.
- Reduces Stress and Keeps You Calm
This is a good way to get lost for hours focused on your project. It keeps the mind calm when you are absorbed in rows and rows of yarn and enveloped in a world of your own, thus keeping you calm and keeping the stress of the real world out of the picture.
- It Improves Cognitive Function
Research has backed up that knitting with the various techniques used in this craft, like alternating stitch and purl stitches, can help with cognitive function, memory, and reasoning. This also helps with keeping Alzheimer’s or Dementia at bay.
Disadvantages of Knitting
Now it is not to say that knitting does not have its disadvantages. Here are a few reasons why it may not be good to have too much of the good stuff like knitting.
- It Can Gobble up Your Time
If you are looking for a hobby to spend a lot of your extra time with, then this hobby is just for you because one project may cost you days to complete depending on how elaborate you want it to be.
Expect to spend lots of your hours making intricate designs but do not worry, it will be worth your time.
- It Can Cost You a Pretty Penny
You can get hooked on this type of hobby as it can be addicting once you get the hang of it; thus, it may cost you when you want to buy more materials for your next project.
Just don’t get too much ahead of yourself and purchase too many yarns ahead of time before you finish one project.
- Knitting Is Difficult to Master at First
Anything worth doing is worth doing well. You cannot expect to be instantly good at something you just started, and knitting is no exemption.
At first, it may be hard to master the techniques, and you might not get the pattern you are after but keep practicing, and I am sure you will soon reap the fruits of your labor.
- Knitting May Cause You to Hoard
Expert knitters will tell you that once you start, you just cannot stop, and one yarn can add up over time. Add to that the finished projects will pile up over time unless you find a home for each one of them then it may cause you to hoard stuff.
Can Knitting Make You Tired?
Knitting is a repetitive hobby you can get lost for hours with loops and crossovers. Your mind gets engaged in it and it keeps you calm and sometimes sleepy. This can translate to tiredness.
People sometimes use knitting to fall asleep, especially at night. Knitting is a soothing activity that keeps the mind in a meditative state, people might mistake this for tiredness but it is not at all a physically demanding hobby. This is all just a mind-over-matter sort of thing.
People sometimes correlate knitting as tiring because it involves repetitive counting, like how people count sheep when wanting to fall asleep.
People zone out during this activity and keep their minds preoccupied with something very mundane, which can be tiring.
Does Drinking Water Help With Dizziness?
Now that we know that knitting can sometimes cause dizziness here is one remedy that might help. Like previously stated there are a few reasons for the dizziness it may be caused by a preexisting condition like dehydration.
Being involved in a time-consuming hobby, you might forget to keep yourself hydrated, so it is valid that you should drink water to avoid dizziness.
Dehydration can cause vertigo and other more severe health hazards, so even though you may be invested in this hobby, do not forget to drink plenty of water.
If you are feeling dizzy, here are some of the symptoms that might suggest that you have vertigo. You can feel like the room is swaying and that it seems like you are floating. When you do experience these symptoms, do not stand up quickly as you might be at risk for a fall.
These are a few symptoms that most senior citizens are at risk of, and caregivers should be aware of these too.
Wrapping Up
In conclusion, while knitting may not be the most likely culprit for dizziness, it’s always important to listen to your body and take breaks when necessary.
Knitting can be a wonderful hobby for relaxation and creativity, but don’t forget to also prioritize your health and well-being. Happy knitting!
