Happy May and a little challenge...

Happy May Day! Here are some flowers for you to celebrate the beginning of this wonderful month. As a child, my brother and I would make May Day baskets and leave them on our neighbor's doorstep. We would sneak up to the house, leave the basket, ring the door bell and run for the hills.  So, now I leave them for you on your "doorstep". May they brighten your day.

Today while walking I decided to create a challenge for myself.  I'm inviting you to partake in any version of this challenge that you can imagine. I've decided that for the month of May, I'm going to do something active every day...yup, that's right 30 days of something.

I have a plan. All decent goals need a plan. Bottom line, I decided that I needed to create a baseline level of activity for myself. The amount of activity that I know I can find time to complete regardless of what life throws at me. For me, this is a 30-minute walk.  I know that with some focus, I can get that amount done. My more detailed plan includes some running, biking, and walking. I have a set amount each day. I won't bore you with my details because each of us is unique.

After I made this decision, I received an email from MapMyRun with a "30 miles. 30 days." challenge; one mile every day whether you walk, run, bike, just get 1 mile done every day. This illustrates another example of how you can define your May challenge.

So, if you want to join me, please do so. Just in case you didn't get out there today, start tomorrow and go through June 1, whatever works for you.

If you are the type that wants a little accountability...just a little, then email me at thehealthyknitter@gmail.com to let me know that you are joining me on this journey. I'll give you a high five via email. Sometimes it helps to let others know the goal, so if you want me to know, I'd love it.

Happy May and enjoy the flowers!

Knit one, Walk lots!

The Healthy Knitter Poem

Jotted down a few thoughts to motivate myself and turned the words into a poem that I wanted to share with all of you (illustrated by Lisa Orgler). 

Hoping that you are having a grand day whether the sky is blue or grey where you live...do something today for you. Get out and go for a walk then treat yourself with a little knitting time. 

Knitting and gardens...

Let me introduce you to my friend and illustrator-extraordinaire, Lisa. She is a true source of inspiration and has mentored me through the entry phases of learning how to create a blog. She created the "HealthyKnitter" logo for which I am so grateful. You are in for a treat....you must read on!

 Not only is she extremely talented illustrator (all these drawings are from her collection), her background is in garden design. Ok, that's not the official title but that's my interpretation.  Lisa has an amazing website and blog about garden design that you must take the time to read PLUS she is doing something really fun right now that relates to knitting.

Last week, Lisa surveyed her readers for ideas to incorporate into a garden theme.  She had lots of suggestions but guess what she picked? Yes, that's right...knitting. She is going to take us through a 4-step process on how to create a themed garden that is definitely outside the box. Read more on the topic on her latest blog post. 

The best part is this...she is seeking feedback and ideas while in the brainstorming phase. At first, I thought, "ok, Lisa, see what you can do with knitting and gardening" because how could she possibly create a garden with that topic? The only thought I could imagine were old metal knitting needles as stakes in the garden...but then, it was as if the flood gate of ideas opened. You could use Queen Anne's Lace (for lace, obviously), you could color block sections of the garden (intarsia) plus mix lots of colors together (stranded knitting). The possibilities seem endless. I am so excited (can you tell?) to watch this process unfold. I can't wait to start a new garden.

So, calling all Healthy Knitters...let's capture our love of knitting and being healthy in our "Knitting Garden".  Make sure to share your ideas with Lisa. I can't wait to read them.

Trust the process

Do you remember the activity in school…the one where the teacher distributed the story and then said “read all the instructions before beginning”.  Of course there was always one student that listened whereas the rest of us began answering the long, long list of questions. For the one that took the time to read the instructions all the way through, they found a delightful message “you do not need to answer these questions…turn your paper over, sit quietly and wait”.

Really? What trickery, deceit, how unfair…ok, lesson learned. Actually, I recall being mortified. As one that considered herself a rule follower I was shocked to realize I hadn’t done as told. Moral of the story: Read all the instructions before beginning.

The same “rule” albeit unwritten exists in knitting.  Read the pattern start to finish before you begin. It’s a way of orienting yourself and to be prepared.  Whether it was the lesson taught in 5th grade or my need to follow rules, I read the pattern start to finish and then begin. Yet, I currently find myself in the midst of a situation that might lend itself to letting go of this “rule”.

I was recently gifted the most beautiful Brooklyn Tweed yarn by my mum.  The color “Postcard” is an exquisite tweedy blend of light grey and soft pink; in the right light the grey turns to oatmeal. It couldn’t be more perfect. The pattern is Woodfords by Elizabeth Doherty. I purchased the pattern from Ravelry therefore I was unable to read the pattern from start to finish before buying the pattern so I was committed to the process…for better or for worse.

Once in my hands, I began by reading the pattern…each time I started to read I was overwhelmed. What a ridiculously complicated pattern…how was I ever going to knit this? I read through the comments on Ravelry…no one complained. Actually the comments were quite positive “interesting construction”, “fun to knit”, “easy to follow”. What? Are we talking about the same pattern? Yet the comments gave me the courage to begin, one section at a time.

Every time I read ahead I get that same feeling of panic. I pull myself back to the section at hand. I remind myself to stay present. Don’t worry about what is to come, that is the future. Focus on the present. Let the rest fall away.

To my surprise, this intricately designed sweater is working. As long as I set aside my concerns about what comes next…no reading ahead. Stay present.

Currently, in my life, I need to put aside solving the ‘future’. I need to be more present and focused on each day. Somehow this sweater found me at just the right time in my life. There is no looking ahead…

Despite the lessons learned in 5th grade, this time, I need to take it one stitch, one step, and one day at a time. Be patient, persevere, and live in the moment.

What meaning is there in the project you are currently knitting?