Let's Knit - UK (2020-04)

renaissance as a key piece of ‘90s

nostalgia. Double up on the trend

by using yours to carry your yarn

so you can knit as you walk, getting

your 10,000 steps a day in while

finishing that jumper in time for your

dad’s birthday. Swap your comfy

sofa seat for a medicine ball to

bounce on while you knit. It’ll up

your heart rate and work your

legs - and all without

interrupting your flow.

And finally, try out some

stretches based on

knitting movements

to keep your muscles

supple! Make big circles

with your right arm as

though you’re doing

mattress stitch. (You’d

better do some

with your left arm as well to keep

your muscles equally stretched.)

Stretch your legs out straight as

though you’re propping up an

Afghan in progress while you’re

working on it. Jump up suddenly,

as though you’ve just realised

you’ve sat on half a Dairy Milk while

wearing white jeans. Repeat this

time sat on the same sofa.

And I like inactivity. I like

sitting quietly working

on stuff. The thought of

the gym fills me with

dread. And how will I

get any knitting done?

I can’t be the only

one. Surely there are

other knitters reading

this who don’t like

the gym either.

Surely the world

is crying out for a

knitting-based workout.

And so, here are my

ideas for maximising the

exercise opportunities

presented by knitting.

Don’t thank me.

It’s my gift to the world:

Why deadlift? With weighted

needles you can work your biceps

while you knit! Weighted cable

needles can add that extra push

for those who are really working

it. Make your own I-cord skipping

ropes and use at the end of each

row, for extra cardio while you

craft. Bum bags are making a

There’s no getting away from

it, I’m putting on weight. I was

never meant to be svelte, mind

you, but at least last year my waist

looked slightly more like Tippi

Hedren’s than Alfred Hitchcock’s.

Sadly this is no longer the

case. I now have the silhouette of

a Moomin and I get out of breath

running up stairs. So I know I

need to get active. The trouble

is that I am not an active person

by nature. While my friends run

marathons, the only feat of

endurance I’m likely to master is

the record for longest period of

POUR YOURSELF A CUPPA AND CATCH UP

ON THE LATEST NEWS FROM OUR COLUMNIST

CLAIRE THOMAS, AND ENJOY

OUR KNITTY-THEMED BRAINTEASERS

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS!^

Tag us @letsknitmag on Instagram or post your

pics of your home knits on Facebook

routine as many times as you

can be bothered to.

A good post-workout routine is

essential so ensure you cool down

by doing as little as possible for

three-quarters of an hour, ideally

while watching Pointless. I’m

currently working on a range of

high-protein snacks to support

muscle growth; unfortunately the

high-protein Malteser is yet to hit

the market, maybe because Mars

Confectionery have asked me to

stop contacting them. I live in hope,

but meanwhile my children’s

leftover fish fingers are a legitimate

source of protein, if not of

chocolatey goodness, so there’s

that. It’s also important to build up

to exercising gradually, which I’m

doing by only thinking about it to

begin with. And eating the leftover

fish fingers. After all, it wouldn’t do

to overstrain myself this early.

They do say, it’s never too late

to get physically active.

Claire Thomas is a freelance

journalist and founder of Stitch ‘n’

Bitch group, Knit Pickers

50

Break

TEA

By Claire Thomas

GETTING

ACTIVE

1

Manx Loaghtan sheep can have six horns

2

Sportweight yarn falls between a DK

and an aran weight

3

The letter “i” in I-cord stands for “idiot”

4

Herdwick sheep are found in the

Lake District

5

Angora yarn comes from Angora goats

FACT CHECK

Purls of^

Wisdom

WIN!

PRINTED

PHOTOS WIN

A PRIZE

“Crochet Easter wreath”

Sarah Cushion

DICTIONARY CORNER

What is the name of the technique where

you cut into a circular piece of knitting?

ANSWERS:

Steeking DICTIONARY CORNER: 1. True, 2. False, 3. True, 4. True, 5. False FACT CHECK:

Norway WHERE ON EARTH: 1. Let’s Knit, 2. Crochet hooks, 3. Dropped stitches LETTER SPIN:

LETTER SPIN

Can you unravel our craft-related anagrams?

Are these crafty statements

true or false?

KILT

NEST

CHOSE

HOT

CORK

DESPOTS

DITCH

REP

Here are three knitting-

related clues about a

particular destination.

Can you guess where it is?

Where on Earth?

n This country has its

own methods of

knitting and purling

n Selbu mittens

originate from here

n It’s the home of

knitting design team

Arne and Carlos