Worth reading

http://www.brigitte.de/wohnen/selbermachen/stricken/mann-strickt-fuer-pinguine-1232537/
Hi everyone, I found this article once again in Brigitte magazine.
So does that mean that people who knit live to be very, very old?
Or something like, “Those with a big heart stay young forever”?
In this age of equality, we probably don’t need to dwell on the fact that the knitter in the article is a man, but would the article have been written at all if a woman were knitting? Anyway: The world’s oldest knitter is now knitting scarves for friends and hats for premature babies, since penguin sweaters are no longer needed, as mentioned at the very bottom of the linked article.

This quote here is remarkable, in my opinion:
“you’re wasting your time with lightweight yarn,” which is why he knits with thick yarn.
But I do think it depends on what you’re knitting. When it comes to sweaters for endangered penguins, you have to approach it differently than with other knitting projects.
I suppose it goes faster with thick yarn. Is that a more masculine way of thinking?

But it’s great that even people of advanced age can still make a meaningful contribution instead of just being left to watch TV.
Staying active keeps you young.

Sunny regards
Sidney

Hi Sidney :)
You always come up with topics like this ;)
I think that’s great.
At that age, just still being alive—and even fit enough to knit—is an achievement in itself.
I had no idea that sweaters are good for penguins, but that’s probably a good thing.
It makes sense that premature babies need warm hats.

Hi muetzekatze
yes, exactly—it’s great that someone is still so fit and active.
I found another article on this topic. This time, it’s about a fit and active lady who, at 99 years old, sews a dress every day for children in poorer countries. Just let that sink in—one every day—and then the dress is even personalized with embroidery.
I’m not 99 yet, but I’ve never sewn a single dress in my life.
http://www.brigitte.de/wohnen/selbermachen/naehen-fuer-den-guten-zweck-1210434/
All you can say is, “Wow,” and wish this lady—and of course the gentleman from the article above—many more good, healthy, pleasant, and productive years.
The second article supports the idea that “those who stay active can look forward to many good years.”
Sunny greetings
Sidney

That’s very admirable—wow.

Hi muetzekatze,
I hope that at that age I’ll still be just as fit and sprightly—and above all, active—and that I’ll be able to do so for and with other people. And hopefully you’ll be the same. That’s what I wish for you—and for us, anyway.
Sunny regards
Sidney.

I really admire these two active sewers/knitters.

@Sidney
thanks for the good wishes, I wish the same for you, the hamster, and everyone else too, of course.

Hi everyone,
yes—being creative and doing crafts definitely keeps you fit, not just exercise.
My mother, or rather Lisa’s grandma, is turning 86 this year and is totally active. She’s been leading a knitting group with over 30 women for more than 15 years. They meet once a week, and my mother offers suggestions and help with knitting socks, traditional knitting techniques, and so on. She actively organizes charity projects—for example, knitting socks for children in Chernobyl—and last year she also led a major “urban knitting” campaign, where all the trees on City Hall Square were covered in knitted and crocheted decorations. One project follows another, and people like this don’t have time to grow old or give in to their illnesses. The intergenerational exchange is also wonderful—when the three of us talk about knitting and crocheting, age doesn’t matter; granddaughter, daughter, and mother chat as if we were all the same age. And we’re all equally crazy about yarn and what we can make with it.
That’s why I wish everyone continued inspiration and lots of fun with their crafts.
Woolly regards
Heidi 

My great-grandmother lived to be 102 and kept knitting and sewing right up until the last year of her life. I wonder what I’ll be like at that age :-)

Thanks for the kind wishes, mutzekatze.
It’s truly a dream to still be so fit at that age.

Hats off—that’s truly wonderful. Keep it up—the lady and gentleman mentioned in the articles above, and of course everyone contributing to this thread. Staying fit for as long as possible, being active, and finding joy in what you do—that’s what everyone wants, isn’t it?