Saturday 10 May 2014

Crochet Blanket Challenge update week 19

Hello there, thank goodness we have arrived at the weekend!  Although in the UK it was a shorter working week thanks to the Bank Holiday last Monday, in fact it felt like a long week - revision and course work going full throttle here at home, and work for DH and I was absolutely hectic.

The last few weeks in fact have been very, very busy, but I have still managed to sneak in some crochet time here and there.  My regular Monday evenings with my dearest friend Sue means that I know I have at least a couple of hours each week to get out the hooks and the yarn as we chat and sip coffee. 

This morning the sun shone for a little while, so quickly snapped a photo of my last few weeks of granny square making:


I now have a total of 56 squares (well actually there is 64 but I have decided not to include the pink ones into the final blanket - these will be used in another project instead).  So most weeks I have managed to make more than one square (we are now into week 19).  My daughter helped me to arrange all the squares on the living room carpet this morning, silly me though forgot to snap a photo.  80 squares will make a very decent sized blanket, especially when there will be several rows of border. 

In amongst the grannies I have also been working on vintage-style pot holders as in this post, here is work in progress on my most recent effort:


I have also been making a little bit of progress with my Couch25K challenge.  This is the start of my third week, DH and I adjusted the programme slightly to start with due to our age and general unfitness!  So this week is the first week of the programme "proper" whereby we alternate one minute of jogging with 90 seconds of brisk walking.  The programme advises a total of 30 minutes for this, but we usually do 40 minutes as we do a complete lap of our local Outwoods.  This week I did the programme along the paths of our local estate midweek, but this really hurt my knees as my trainers are designed for trail running - I really hadn't anticipated how much difference jogging on a hard surface would make.  In the Outwoods the paths are made from decades of packed-down leaves and pine needles so in fact is quite springy.  I must say though, dodgy knees notwithstanding, I am beginning to feel the benefit of this new regime.  And, against my better nature, I am actually enjoying it!!!!

Well, must away, hope you all have a wonderful Saturday!

Helenxx

6 comments:

  1. Good luck with the jogging, my fitness challenge at the moment is cycling
    so I hurt in a different place. Gillx

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  2. You're getting a lot done! Good luck with your jogging, good for you.

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  3. Congrats on your new regime! I am still swimming 3 times a week, and I try to walk on the days I'm not swimming. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  4. I'm glad you're enjoying doing the couch25k. I managed to complete it, much to my surprise, but enjoy is not a word I would use! It really works though - I would never have done it left to my own devices, without Laura in my ear encouraging me!
    Once I'd done it though, I hung up my running shoes and went back to my walking boots!

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  5. Looks like you are going great guns with your blanket and your pot holders are really pretty. I really need a kick up the proverbial and get back to doing some fitness so I might just have a look at this challenge. Well done for sticking with it, although sore knees are never nice!

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  6. Cheers for your progress on all fronts, Helen! I am still admiring but not trying your blanket granny square pattern, but your good effort entices me to try it. It has really helped to keep me motivated to swim frequently with Teresa, and I believe it is especially helping strengthen the muscles around my arthritic knees which it wonderful!

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