I've been learning the violin from a friend of mine for six or eight months, but stopped taking lessons when she moved. I'm going to move in four months or so myself, so I haven't looked for a new teacher. I was wondering if I should keep on trying to teach myself new things, or wait until I get a new teacher. I don't want to learn any bad habits that will be hard to fix later.

i've been teaching myself for almost 8 years now, and haven't picked up any bad habits; it's all about watching others around you. if you're not in an orchestra, just learning because you can, then i'd suggest talking to your friend on the phone or watching videos or seeing preformances of professionals and studying the way they do things.
there's good and bad to being self-taught and having a teacher, but no matter what you end up doing, way to go! =]

I would have to disagree. In my teaching experience, (not with the violin)students that haven't had any previous instruction (but still play) do, in fact, develop bad habits. Self teaching is dangerous. If you are teaching yourself, how are you to know if you've developed a bad habit or not?

I think it depends why and what you want to play. I play folk violin, and in my genre it doesn't really matter *how* you play, as long as you enjoy it. Sometimes I can be good to develop your own style and eccentricities.

However, if you're playing classical music, you really should go down the lessons route. If you're reading off sheet music, not knowing how the composer intended you to play can hold you back.

I think, just like the others, that it depends on what you play, but I would search for a teacher.

If you're aiming to play classical music, I would say that a teacher is a necessity. It helps enormously when learning positions and techniques to have someone pruning any bad habits that could weaken your playing(an funny example of this is my own tendency to collapse my left wrist against the neck of the instrument, which can hamper positional play. My then teacher employed a somewhat sadistic, but definitely effective method of correction: blu-tacking a drawing pin to the neck of the instrument. Needless to say, my wrist improved, although it has since regressed after my desertion of classical music. He was actually a great guy despite the barbaric methods, very funny...).
If you are learning a folk or traditional playing style, then a teacher is by no means necessary. The most important thing when learning this type of music is to listen to as much of it as you can, not step by step instruction, fill up your mp3 player! This will help you absorb the rhythm of folk styles. However, whenever possible, play with other musicians to watch their techniques and ornamentation, and to absorb their styles. Hope thats of help!

I think that it is possible to teach yourself without a teacher the thing is that you have to be incredible focused and disciplined to make it work. Also is you pick up any bad habits it will be because of your sloppy and undisciplined playing, this can happen with or with out a teacher.

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