How to Knit and Crochet While Riding the Spin Bike

I don’t always like to do the same thing while I’m riding my spin bike. I’ve made a list before of things I find interesting to do during this stationary exercise, but the one time I had tried to crochet it had only gone well for about 10 minutes. After that, I had ended up with the yarn wrapped multiple times around one pedal. Fortunately, I noticed before it was a huge mess. At that point, I decided not to mix those pursuits again, at least for a while.

Then, last week, I really wanted to teach myself to knit using youtube videos while I road the bike. Who knows why these things become so important all of a sudden. I had previously watched a couple of helpful video segments by Expression Fiber Arts on my computer. Now that youtube is on the Roku, I knew I could watch it while pedaling. I gathered all my knitting supplies hopefully, but not really having any idea of what I was going to do about the previously discovered hazard.

I have a TV tray set up next to my spin bike so that I can easily reach items I put on it, but not hit it with my pedals or knees. I set my knitting supplies on it, put my water in the cup holder, and proceeded to climb on and begin pedaling. That was when the cute little bag on the handle bars caught my eye in a whole new way. One of my daughter-in-laws had made it for me and I was using it as a way to store TV, DVD player, and Roku controls within easy reach. Now, I saw that it would probably hold a ball of yarn perfectly. The magnetic clasp at the top was the extra touch that kept the yarn ball from being dislodged and bounced across the floor when I pulled out a new section of yarn. The yarn extending from the bag to my hands and needles draped over the top of the handles, and sometimes rested on my knees, but never even came close to getting tangled anywhere.

Thus it was that I spent the 60 minutes working up a moderate sweat, but also relaxing with my new knitting project (a head band – see embedded video below). It’s kind of like singing while you work in the garden. Not distracting multi-tasking, but complimentary activities. If I can learn to knit, I’m sure I can also crochet there, although any of these projects would have to be limited to smaller things to be spin bike compatible. Afghans would be too hot and cumbersome.

When I want to have stand-up power-pedaling intervals, I don’t think it will be hard to set my needlework aside and pick it up again for the recovery period, as this first time around I had to fiddle with the controls a lot. I rarely watch things on the TV by myself, so have limited skills in the area. And much less patience with learning about TV controls than I have for learning to knit and crochet.

I’ll still be trying to get outside for bike riding more as the weather warms and the days lengthen, but I’m wimpy about cold wind and dark roads. I can run in all kinds weird conditions, but the thought of bike riding in the cold or dark makes me want to cry. Instead, I will stay inside on those kinds of days, experimenting with knitting and crocheting while I spin.