I’ve taken some better pictures of progress on the big crochet project. But before I show them to you, do you mind if I go off-piste, subject-wise? Because some things in life interfere with knitting and crochet time, and I want to grumble, if you’d be so generous as to indulge me. Here goes…
I don’t like running.
I do it, on and off, because it’s a cheap and outdoorsy way of keeping fit. And because, for as long as I occupy what would otherwise be useful space on this planet, I will never, ever set foot in a gym or an exercise class. Not even if you put all the wool in Shetland and a case of the finest Chablis just across the threshold to tempt me in. Nope.
But still, I don’t enjoy the cold, hard exertion of running. Or the lung-hurty thing. Or the sheer mental and physical effort required to haul my fast-expanding backside around the highways-and-byways of Oxfordshire. And I’m not much motivated by the potential to knock 0.003 seconds off my personal best time, either. Sorry-not-sorry, fitness app developers. Talking of running apps, I really hate the way they wait until you’re running past an entire bus-queue of people to shout out, “Distance: 0.1 miles. Pace: three hours per mile.” Yeah thanks for that humiliation in front of half the village. And yes, before I noticed all you people standing there and pretended that this sprint was comfortable, I had indeed pretty much slowed to a walking pace.
Frankly, I’d rather be knitting. (Frankly, I’d rather be filling in my tax return whilst licking live snails.) I’ve never experienced that ‘runner’s high’, the endorphin rush that people rave about. A friend of mine said that he used to come home from running on such a high that he’d want to go straight back out again to run some more. And this is a man who claims that in his youth, he enjoyed every illegal drug going, so he presumably knows a thing or two about getting high. But I just don’t get it. The only thing I feel at the end of a run is a dull sense of relief that I no longer have to run.
Before the twinnage came along, the Stoic Spouse and I used to run together, although these were the sorts of runs where we’d pause to stare every time we noticed a deer, or a hare, or a woodpecker, or an orchid, or a toad, or a vole, or a slow-worm, or a kestrel. (It was amazing how often I spotted distant specimens of wildlife that he just couldn’t see. Amazing, I tell you.) Also, the Stoic Spouse kindly shouted an endless stream of abuse in order to keep me motivated. He’s much better at running than I am. (Eight to ten miles once a week, the nutter.) He’s much better at verbal abuse, too.
Obviously now we have children, one of us always has to be home with the twinnage, so I have to run alone. And the wildlife around the village where we live these days is a bit rubbish (you’re lucky if you see as much as a rabbit). So I just plod on, with a dogged sense that this is all that stands between me and a plethora of future lifestyle-related ailments. There are moments when I wonder whether the lifestyle-related ailments might actually be more enjoyable than the running.
I’m just not very good at physical effort. Mental or creative effort, yes, but not aerobic, physical effort. So let’s stick to the heaven-knows-how-many-hours that have cheerfully gone into the various components of the crochet house furniture-related project so far, and show you some slightly better photos than I showed you yesterday. I’ve been busy in the flowerbeds since these were taken, trying to work out how to crochet rows of cabbages and bursts of montbretia.
Oh, and there’s this one too:-
And the window boxes were a lot of fun to embroider:-
BUT, I’m sharing this journey with you warts and all, and I think we have a failure. I tried to embroider some sneaky little plant growing around the paving stones of the path, and I just don’t think it works. At all. Agreed?
It’s hard to tell – if it doesn’t work as creeping chamomile or thyme or whatever maybe it might work in a darker green as a touch of moss on the shadier side for example – imagine the laudatory comments on that degree of attention to detail! 🙂 I’m with you on the running thing. Try yoga. I have a feeling you might just possible a) like it and b) be a natural at it.
Thank goodness I’ve finally met (sort of) someone who doesn’t experience a high after running or exercise. The only thing I’ve ever experienced after a run is delight that I am at the beginning of the longest possible time before I next have to run again. Knitting, on the other hand, makes me all kinds of happy.
All these teasers of the Mysterious Project of Mystery are very exciting – I can’t wait to see the finished project.
Hate the act of running but used to like the feeling of ‘having run’:
Much prefer a walk and some wildlife spotting!
I’m loving your house project. The goldfish is a great touch. I’d need to see a larger view before commenting on the plants between the pavers.
As for running, yuck.
I used to like running and still do at some points, but I have a great deal of nervous energy to work off. I find–and some science supports me–that a good brisk walk is 1) more enjoyable, 2) just as good for the heart, and 3) much easier on the joints. Also, Pauline is right, you might like yoga. You could even do it in the yard with the twinnage (which auto-correct just tried to turn into twinge. Imagine). I like the greeny stuff on the path, but you’re a better judge of that. This house looks as though the people who live in it would keep their paving stones clear. I am enchanted by your window boxes and fish pond.
And Tai Chi is well worth a try…. : ) Love all of your blog posts!
Totally agree on the agonies of running. I like the greeny bits around the paving, though it may look different from more of a distance.
Weeds look good to me. Try Tai Chi! Far better than running, and once learnt can be done alone if you don’t like classes. However it’s amazing in a class all doing same slow movements. Think it sounds up your street! Mandy
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I like running when I’m run-fit, it’s the getting run-fit that I hate so much and the reason I haven’t taken it up again since breaking my ribs. I bought a mini trampoline which is stress free on the joints and much more fun to boot. I really must get it out of the box one day……
ah I am with you, I am NOT a runner, and I mush prefer knitting to any form of exercise (surely we do burn calories as we click away?) I don’t want to ever join a gym, instead I try and walk as much as I can because my fiancé tells me walking and running the same distance burns just as many calories (slightly less sweaty I guess) and it seems to work 🙂 I think the creeping plants in the path add a little something, but it would be one of those details that you can’t really see, so I would probably not do it as a result 🙂 everything looks AMAZING though – jenny xx
Ew. Running. Yuk.
I occasionally have been known to have a go at it, because, you know, it’s free and all that. But no. It’s so boring, and I’m so bad at it. Physical effort just requires so much effort!
I’m so in love with this project. I think I like the pond the best. I can’t think of anything worse than running to be fair.
Love it, add one blob, blob?,, of red to lift the path, moss
Quite agree about running, just think of the knee damage!
If you had a static exercise bike then you could crochet whilst pedalled.
That house project looks amazing. Am just waiting to see what it’s for, and what you’ll put on it next.
Totally with you on the running. I. Do. Not. Run. Well, unless there’s a bus to be caught. Think of all the damage you’re doing to your ankles and knees running on paved surfaces. Stick to brisk walking and wildlife spotting. Even rabbits are better than nothing!
I’d go with yoga too. I used to do that religiously every day. I should do that religiously every day but I never vacuum and I hate getting up off the rug with cat hair all over me. Guess I could vacuum.
Except for Usain Bolt- every single person I’ve ever seen running – it looks like they are in a LOT of pain. This is why I do not run. If you ever see me running- you better run with me, because something is chasing me. And just our luck- it’s a special breed of craft-eating zombies.
I so agree with you about running. Why not go for a good walk? Not a stroll but an energetic walk. Much better on your joints and only marginally less good fitness wise.
the weeds WORK! adorable zany
I think the moss works well around the stones. Place more of it randomly around some of the other stones. My hat is off to you for running. My theory is if I wasn’t meant to run there’d be a mountain lion or some other predatory animal coming at me forcing me to run. Tai chi and gentle yoga stretches.
the paving stone weedage…..mmmmm…..not.quite.right.different greenery??? different stitches??? sporadically placed down the path???
Running is BAD for you M’kay? So is cycling. I once cycled a lot. I cycled 40km a day (as well as going to the gym for 3 hours but that is another story) and my ultimate humiliation was being so nervous as I was passing a biker gang parked in a local park, that I forgot I was wearing spikes and went to take my feet off my pedals to walk past the rowdy crew “unnoticed” and promptly fell on the ground on top of my bike. The last I heard of it was the biker gang laughing uproariously as I pedaled furiously away in my bike shorts. Some things are best left to the imagination and running is one of them. Walking, however, is excellent. No stress on your bones, no worries about tendons or pulled muscles or anything like that and I am assured by a plethora of artistic persuasions that walking is tantamount to nirvana when it comes to the creative process. Just walk with nothing on your mind and suddenly all sorts of things find their way in there. Running? “Forgedaboudit!”
With you on the running thing, can’t say I don’t enjoy it as I have never actually done it, and have no intention of trying it either as it just doesnt appeal. I am one of those people that can kid myself into believing I have actually done more than is true. Yoga I have tried and don’t mind too much, I really should try and do a bit more. Now look what you’ve done, made me feel I should put down my hook and exercise!
Sorry, got carried away with the exercise thing! The cottage is looking lovely but I do agree with your comment on the weedy path, maybe if you did some more it would start to work?
Your crochet project is beautiful.
I don’t run, have never enjoyed it. I do enjoy taking a bicycle ride but do not go in for the intense version. I also practice yoga and sometimes start dancing in the kitchen with the radio. Walking is nice for enjoying nature.
I disliked running until I found Run Zombies! It’s an app for both android and IOS and has a story to it. You’re runner 5 and you need to go pick up supplies for your township and people communicate to you through your radio as you do it. The story element and the threat of Zombies coming up behind you is the only thing that’s made me stick with it!