Flexing Like Gumby

So now we’re all on something like Day 5,823 of the pandemic. OK, so it only feels like it’s been forever. Reflecting on my pandemic life, I realized that flexibility is really important and helping in coping with our odd new realities.

Some examples in our house: No lettuce? Use shredded cabbage. Gym closed? Work out with Team Body Project on YouTube. Global elastic shortage? Use shoelaces for a homemade face mask. Can’t go on your overseas trip? Load up the vehicle and see some amazing sights in the U.S.A.

Sure, flexibility has always been helpful and important. After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, I learned to crochet because we couldn’t (for a time) take knitting needles on board flights. And it’s an incredibly useful skill. Recently, I knit a hat (Andrea Guldin’s “Hurricane Hat” on Ravelry) for myself, and when I finished it, I realized that it was a tad too short. Groan. Aha! I picked up a crochet hook and crocheted two rows of single crochet on the edge — it resulted in a better-fitting edge, too. Ta-da! Flexibility often pays off.

And actual physical flexibility is important, too. I start each day with several Sun Salutations — a series of yoga moves that I’ve seen described as “a 1,000-year-old full body workout.” Give it a try!

And Project Knitwell (PK) is flexible, too. This year, PK deftly pivoted to embrace several new programs, including a virtual one-on-one instruction program (Knitwell in the Cloud) and a virtual knitting group (K2Tog). It is wonderful that the organization, volunteers, partners, and participants are all flexible enough to embrace these new ways.