Getting Fit With Knitting

Some folks in Bar Harbor are trying a unique approach to staying fit...knitting.

"It started with this idea I had to bring community members into the Y and expand our community awareness of our programs."

Michelle McCann started a knitting circle as a class at the Mount Desert Island YMCA at the beginning of the month.

"Inviting other knitters to come and knit. We're open to any level of knitting."

But this isn't your typical knitting circle.

"We often think about knitting as kind of being on the couch, so it's useful to make it a little bit more aerobic, and of course, there's lots of ways you could do that. So I started just knitting around the track like I'm doing now and hoping other people would join me. And then maybe we decided maybe we should have a regular time and place to do this.

Knit Fit meets every Wednesday at noon.

"We've been averaging about nine or ten people for our group. Some people come because they're on their lunch hour. So they're able to join us. I have been knitting hats in the round which I find is the easiest kind of knitting to do when going around a track."

She says it's easier than it sounds.

"Of course the track is ideal because you're just going in circles and it's a smooth surface under your feet. There's only one stitch that you absolutely have to know. If you learn two stitches, then you're totally off and running."

"No pun intended?"

"No pun intended!"