It’s true, as knitters we tend to sit a lot. Have you ever thought about walking and knitting at the same time? It’s possible, given a simple enough project and the tools to handle it.
This is the premise behind the Knit Fit kit. These were a gift from Michelle McCann of Knit Fit LLC. The kit includes a ball of yarn and needles to practice knitting while walking, a hat pattern and 3 balls of yarn to knit the hat, and various tools (snips, stitch holder, stitch markers). The lining of the bag is printed with tape measures.
We met Michelle in Bar Harbor, Maine, a stop on our Vogue Knitting Cruise. She told us all about Knit Fit, and then we walked, knitting, to La Rochelle for a tour of this lovely mansion.
I’d love to share my kit with one of you! Are you ready to walk and knit? At the same time? Willing to give it a try? Leave a comment and tell me why I should pick you! I do need to limit this to USA addresses due to shipping costs. And note that my sample knitting is still on the needles, so the kit is not perfectly pristine! I’ll choose a winner after September 30.
I’m going to be posting bits and bobs from my travels as I catch up. It’s too much for a giant post; you wouldn’t hear from me until next month if I waited to put it all together! More soon. Miscellaneous photos from La Rochelle below.
The surrounds on the fireplaces are most ornate in the public rooms. The bedrooms, a bit less so. The servants’ quarters? Minimal. Same for the crown moldings and baseboards.
This William Morris wallpaper is appropriate to the age of the house, but is not original. Gorgeous, though.
Bar Harbor was one of my favorite stops on this trip; the town is touristy but cute. There’s a great bookstore with some good craft supplies, Sherman’s, where I found a small quad ruled flip notebook. So helpful for charting knitting on the go! Nice selection of pens, games, and books.
Including this! But not my book or Norah’s book. We checked. Of course.
Remember to leave a comment here if you’d like a chance to win my Knit Fit kit. Onward!
PDXKnitterati 
Looks like a great trip. My doctor says I need to move more, but knitting, so far, has not allowed that. I’d be very willing to try walking and knitting;)
Looks like you had fun – have always wanted to visit Maine. I would love to win the walk and knit kit – I live in Florida so I can walk and knit all year. I walk most days and would love to be able to knit while I’m walking.
I’ve tried walking and knitting with the ball of yarn in a pocket. Not so successful, as I have to keep pulling out more yarn off the ball to knit. Then I end up with a tangled mess. This looks like a great solution.
I think you should choose me for the walk while you knit kit because since returning from Haystack, I still crave warm cookies but lack the stairs to offset such an indulgence. If I can walk and knit, perhaps I can have a cookie (or two) every now and again without adding them to my hips.
I can’t believe you were right in my neighborhood (if New England is a neighborhood). I have completed two 20 mile charity fund raiser walks while knitting. Two takeaways: I didn’t knit very quickly (about an inch of a sock each time?) and I was surprised that hardly anyone seemed to notice or speak to me if they did notice. Maybe one or two people in the crowds I was with for 5-6 hours (the event was the Walk for Hunger for Boston’s Project Bread in two different years).
Also, I have an old book (from the 1970’s or so, I think?) of knitting patterns that are the result of someone who traveled in China and then photographed and wrote about the women she observed/met knitting while out and about taking care of their children. The book specifically mentioned walking while knitting. Inspiring!
As a physical therapist, I’m always encouraging people to start moving and stay moving. I’d love to be able to give firsthand information to my patients who do enjoy knitting as a hobby (but, unfortunately, a sedentary hobby!) that they can indeed, enjoy knitting and moving–at the same time!
Bonjour Michele, This is an activity and hobby that we really need to encourage! I love to knit, and quilt, and they are both sedentary. At least with this knit fit kit, we can take our knitting on the road! Brilliant idea.
Thank you.
It looks like you had such a wonderful time on this trip. The bag looks wonderful.
Years ago (1964), I was in Florence, Italy, and the women there were knitting mohair sweaters while standing and visiting with neighbors outside and never missed a stitch. I was told by my mother that my Italian grandmother would be watching a movie and be knitting await.
Palma G
I really should walk more. This would inspire me so much to walk and knit.
Love, love, love the cool bag! Using it might help me get in more steps. 😀
Those sewing machines are still useful today. I drag out my hand crank machine for minor repairs occasionally. Thanks for sharing!
That is one cool bag! Using it might help me get in more steps. 😀
Those sewing machines are still useful today. I drag out my hand crank machine for minor repairs occasionally. Thanks for sharing!
Would love to win your bag and all! What a nice idea!
I love this! My spouse always points out to people when we’re wandering through stores and I’m knitting. It’s why I’ve made sure all my project bags have handles! I definitely recommend a simpler pattern and something smaller if one is going to walk and knit. I knit a hat once (with a knit/purl pattern) while wandering through antique stores for two days. Mittens or a cowl, or even the beginning of a bigger project would be fine too. Also, this is more of a meander than a fast paced walking activity.
This is an awesome idea. Knitting has gotten me through chemo and infusion therapy. It’s time now to get up off my hiney and move more. The mornings are cool again in AZ, I’d love to knit while walking. Thank you for your generosity.
Knit Fit is a great idea! I definitely need to add a little Fit into my Knit time. All these extra covid pounds! Yikes!!!
Can I just say that fireplace is magnificent. Wow. I would love to tour that mansion. Thanks for sharing the great photos. I’ve never walked and knitted, but I’m willing to give it a go.
Michele, this is an exciting challenge. I know that in the past people knitted while walking all the time – you couldn’t just go out and buy a pair of socks at the store!
Anyway, I definitely sit too much while knitting and would like to get in the habit of taking a project with me on my walks, in addition to other outings. I don’t think I would tackle peripatetic brioche, though!
I was tickled to read your blog about Bar Harbor. I visited this sweet town as a child – locals call it “Baah haaabah,” and they don’t say “yes” -they say “aayyaaah.” We were there during a total eclipse of the sun!
Thanks for the chance to win the Knit Fit kit!
I’d love to get into knitting again. A bag and starting supplies would be just the best right now.
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I own a knitting apron after a knitting ergonomic workshop (Carson Demers) and certain bags and projects make this more doable… or more practice allows more intense/ skill projects.
Hi Michele! I’m a big walker and hiker, mostly backpacking, and I always take along a project: socks, or hats – something lightweight. Sometimes I’ll have the hat partway finished, so that if it’s cold at night, I have incentive to finish. With a knit fit kit, I could knit while hiking, not just in camp!
I’m trying to teach myself to knit without looking after taking Carson Demers class. I take a knitting project with me on my walks. So far I have to stick to vanilla socks with DK yarn. Fixation elastic yarn is the easiest to knit while walking and not stare at every stitch.
Hi Michelle!
Sounds like a fantastic trip. Would so appreciate winning the walk and knit kit. First I desperately need to exercise. What a great incentive to be able to do my absolute favorite activity and walk. Thank you for your generous offer for a chance to win this kit and best of luck to everyone!
looks like a wonderful trip. I remember seeing two men in our LYS knitting on the go and I was amazed. I have not tried it, yet but it looks fascinating. I’d like to try it.
I love to read about your travel adventures and see the pictures you post. Maybe the knit fit kit would help me to travel and get up & go more.
Your trip looks like so much fun! Safe travels!
Thanks for sharing your travels. Enjoyed your classes at at Knit Maine. Your book will keep me very busy this winter. Am loving to idea of knitting while walking – knitting would be even more perfect if I could stay in shape AND knit. Be well.
Knitting on the go seems like an impossibility to me, so I’m terribly curious as to how this works.
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This looks like it was such a wonderful trip!
This looks like it was such a wonderful trip! New England would be such fun this time of year.
Love all the details you have shared from your trip! Thank you, your blog is always a revelation.
Walking and knitting, I might give it a try even if I don’t win a Knit Fit Kit but that kit sure looks handy with everything all in one bag and ready to go.
Looks like you had a great time!
I’d love for you to pick me for the kit, since I tend to drop things even when I’m not trying to walk and knit at the same time. Especially on airplanes or in the car, that is a problem.
Oh I would love to walk and knit, kill two birds with one stone. Exercise for Body and Mind.
This is a wonderful idea. I love it. A great solution for exercising and decompressing.
I just adore your creativity and patterns……have made several of them. And….would be honored to win the kit.
Your brioche lessons and patterns are really calling to me. Thank you for your CRAFT.
So much easier than stuffing my yarn in a pocket. Fun reading your posts!
What a wonderful trip! I’d love to walk and knit because I have so many things I want to knit, and never enough time, and I’m supposed to walk for health issues and not be sitting! I want to Knit Fit!
I would enjoy winning a knit fit kit. I walk every day with a friend and my dog. Maybe I could get ahead of my wips!
Would love to practice knitting and walking. I used to run (jog) but after knee replacements, walking is what I do. Have to keep moving, and knitting while I am doing it would be great! I never use ear buds etc. Need to be aware of the environment. Thanks for your wonderful podcasts!! (and book!).
I have moderately severe rheumatoid arthritis. I have knit to keep my fingers moving. Now my feet and ankles are getting worse and I have put on weight. It would be awesome if I could knit and walk at the same time, I would get to move more joints at the same time and hopefully get some weight offf
Can’t travel far, but this would motivate me to travel near (aka walk) while knitting baby items for a grand niece or nephew due in 2023!
I will be traveling to Bar Harbor in just a few days on Norwegian Breakaway for my first cruise. This is for an art group traveling together, but was not aware of knitting cruises! I will be doing research for the upcoming event. Because of your post I will be able to visit the same locations you shared. Thank you! Just because I am doing an art cruise I will still bring along my knitting supplies. I am a beginner knitter and am intrigued to walk and knit. How can I learn more about this practice? I am afraid I might trip and fall. However, when I can master the two together I will be able to walk for miles.
I could use to get up and move some while knitting! I don’t think I could follow a complicated pattern and walk! I have really enjoyed knitting some of your brioche patterns. Thank-you for creating them!
I had that sewing machine and sweeper! Looks like a grand time!
I know you have many who want this kit. Well I’m going to pull the age thing. This is probably the last thing I will try to win. I’m 75 and I don’t know how much longer I can keep up my schedule of knitting daily for most of the day. Doctor said “If you get up and move you will live longer,” but I’m trying to finish my wish list and right now that means sitting. Have I tweeked your curiosity? I hope so. Linda (Granny)