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POUR YOURSELF A CUPPA AND CATCH UP ON THE LATEST NEWS FROM OUR COLUMNIST CLAIRE THOMAS, AND ENJOY OUR KNITTY-THEMED BRAINTEASERS Break TEA WIN! PRINTED PHOTOS WIN A PRIZE

“Crochet Easter wreath” Sarah Cushion

1Manx 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 Are these crafty statements true or false?

DICTIONARY CORNER What is the name of the technique where you cut into a circular piece of knitting?

LETTER SPIN Can you unravel our craft-related anagrams?

KILT NEST CHOSE HOT CORK DESPOTS DITCH REP

Where on Earth?

Here are three knittingrelated clues about a particular destination. Can you guess where it is? 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

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! W eighted 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 B y Cl aire T hom as GETTING ACTIVE P ur ls of Wis do m

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.) S tretch 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. R epeat this 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

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