New Habits, Old Habits

New habits...While researching how to do a new stitch on line I discovered there were a few diffferent knitting methods, English, Continental, and maybe some others. I also learned at this time that I don't fit into any method as I have been using my right hand to hold the yarn in a rather unconventional way. I have been letting the yarn slip under the palm on my hand while I use my thumb and index finger to wrap the stitches. My pinkey and ring finger curl around the strand and control the tension. This worked beautifully. I was pleased with the fabric created and with the compliments the grandmothers at the German cultural center would give about my 'nice even stitches' that they 'look like machine knitting'. Is that addage about pride coming to mind? ;-)
This unusual method caused my pinkey fingernail to dig into the palm of my hand relentlessly. When I wake up in the morning I can see the mark left from knitting the previous evening. I've filed my nail as much as I can and no more can be done. I still needed to take a break and rest my sore palm every half hour. Since the whole idea of knitting after dinner is to avoid eating after dinner, each rest was a nasty temptation to visit the kitchen! The pain to change has become less than the pain to stay the same. Yesterday I slowed my knitting pace to experiment with new ways to hold the yarn in my right hand. I think I've found a way. But I need to make it a habit. The relief on the palm of my hand was noticable.

My new method is quite natural and comfortable in the knit stitch but still a bit awkward in the purl stitch. Especially with keeping good tension in the purl stitch. Those are the only stitches I'm using on this project. The sacrifice of some speed now will benefit me if I can keep knitting longer, and hopefully, teach dd the proper method. And, thank you, dd, for being my photographer today.

Old habits...Just a few more days--on Sunday evening my beloved Tribe opens their season at Comiskey against the Chi Sox. I don't remember the last time we had a season opener at home. We don't subscribe to cable so I'll be tuned in to the Indians Radio Network. All the wonderful summer memories of dad listening to the games on our screened porch, the special timber only AM radio has, our world class announcers, the delightful sound of a ball field in use, and the hope for an exciting October will be reborn. I can almost smell a freshly cut lawn.