Many people like to watch TV while knitting or crocheting. It makes them feel like they are being productive while just sitting and watching.
However, you must be aware of a couple of potential pitfalls.
First of all, if you are watching something really interesting, or gripping, or something you need to pay close attention to, you won’t be paying attention to your work. You may lose track of where you are, and get frustrated having to examine your work over and over. As well, dramas can cause you to tense up your stitches until you can sigh with relief at the conclusion, and return your stitches to your normal tension.
Secondly, beware of watching certain programs that contain a lot of numbers. These numbers will intermix with the numbers {(7 dc, 2 hdc) twice} you are trying to keep track of in your pattern.
The most tricky thing to watch? The news. The weather report – full of “a high today of 20, rain for the next 5 days, low of 10 degrees). The sports -“she had a two stroke lead on round two, and won with a 72, which is three under par”. Just in general, the news has lots of statistics “inflation rate of two percent” or “hundreds lined up for a chance to buy tickets.”
It is definitely hard to think in your pattern, while trying to listen to other numbers and watch what is going on in the world or your city.
If you want to watch TV while you knit or crochet, do something simple that does not require your full attention. Working just back and forth, with a colourful varigated yarn, in a simple stitch can still create wonderful works of art.
If you do choose to do complicated patterns, make sure you keep track of rows, rounds, counts etc. and don’t take it for granted that you will remember. Use paper and pen, stitch markers or any sort of tracking device to make sure you have not wasted your time doing two things at once.
Blanketed Owl 