Jananas

A large part of why time has been so tight this year has been that I’m partway through my yoga teacher training at YogaSpace here in Toronto. The experience has been challenging and time consuming and rewarding and amazing. Right now we’ve finished two of the three in class modules (i.e. 120 hours of class). The crazy part is that during each six week module, my weekends are totally booked – so I go almost seven weeks without a day off! I’ve learned that even though its difficult (and sometimes frustrating), that I’m capable. What a lovely lesson to learn.

I’ve also been practice teaching this year. In fact, this coming Saturday is my last official class! How rewarding though to see this on the schedule, after convincing myself that I really do need to drag my ass out of bed or away from my spinning wheel and go to class right now.

There’s my name!!

I was having a discussion with a friend about my experiences during my MBA. I used to be petrified of presenting. My MBA made presenting a little more comfortable. Teaching yoga, however, has made it feel much more natural. You try getting up in front of a room full of people, teaching them for 80-ish minutes all while trying your best to keep them from injuring themselves. One of the hardest lessons is learning to shut the fuck up. Just because there’s a space in a class doesn’t mean that you need to fill it with words.

I wonder if learning this element of patience will translate over into being a better negotiator?

I was discussing life with an old friend on Friday. Its funny, when I started working he was hugely inspirational for me. He had definite goals and worked towards them consistently, whether it was training for a marathon or learning piano or becoming a teacher. He is hugely accomplished and very driven. Compared to him, I felt like such a slacker.

Needless to say, I was surprised when he said the same thing about me. That I’m busy and driven and productive. I’ve realized over the last while how productive I’ve become, but I hadn’t actually realized how far I’ve come. It continues to blow my mind that after all my education and corporate experience, that it is they physical things in my life that truly teach me.

When I dye fiber, I find the willingness to play and experiment. I find the patience to have to wait (until the dye has set, until the fiber is dry, until its spun into yarn, until its knit into a finished object) to see how it turns out. Can you tell from the colours below that I’m excited for Spring?

When I bought a loom off craigslist, I found the willingness and patient to learn and make mistakes. I find the strength of will to not accept making excuses. I found the strength to get my ass up off the couch and to open the manual and to (mostly) follow instructions. So Sunday morning, I assembled the loom and measured out the warp, and got all the ends in the heddle, and wound the warp onto the back of the loom. After all of that I got to sit down and try my hand at weaving.

Its not perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination. The tension is a little off on either side and the weft isn’t always totally even. All of that will come with time and experience and trial and error. It is bright and cheerful and is using up stash (some lovely Noro sock yarn). How awesome and inspiring is it that I made that – I wove it myself. I’m excited to be get better so that I can start using hand spun to weave items! Oh the joy that will bring.

How do you challenge yourself?

Over the last few months as I’ve gotten more confident in my spinning I’ve started doing a lot more 2 & chain plying. Chain plying is pretty awesome because you use exactly as much yarn as you have. However, I like the random-ness of fractally spun 2-ply yarn. I love the way the colours blend and separate. However, I’m not very good at matching the exact yardage on both bobbins and so always end up with a little bit leftover.

I’ve been chain plying these leftovers and sticking the little mini skeins into an old glass jar that I have. Its more than half full! (excuse the washed out feeling – it’s still early early and I’m no camera whiz).

From the other side.

I think that these little skeins are perfect to add a little texture to a rug hooking project. I spoke with my friend Maurie (who runs the rug hooking workshops at the Knit Cafe and she agreed. I think we’re going to try selling these at the next workshop in May and I may reach out to the greater rug hooking community in Toronto.

After a brief hiatus, I’m back on the spinning bandwagon. I did the first 8oz of this lovely BFL before spinning Curiousities and then went back to finish up the last 12oz. So here you are, 12oz of Hello Yarn’s Norway colourway.

I was really surprised by just how different the skeins ended up, even though they are all fractally spun. The one on the far left has lots of colours lining up. The middle skein is very red/orange (and a little over plied). The one on the far right is much bluer. Close ups!

I think that this is destined to become the yoke of  a sweater for me. I’m imagining it with sections of garter stitch and ruched/gathered stockinette.

I’ve been inspired by some of the lovely yarns that my fellow spinners have been whipping up. Yesterday I dug up some Hello Yarn in Curiosities that I received in a recent trade (as an aside the secondary market in fibers is awesome). I finished plying it last night – I always forget how fast merino spins and plies compares to some of the longer wools.

Mine had 0% blue and just a touch of gray, so I got a more brick red and yellow yarn. This roving was primarily white with splashes of colour. I just love how much it changes as it spins, as you can really see the white blending with the colours into subtle and subdued shades.

Altogether an awesome colour! I have no idea what to make with this (and in fact, haven’t even measured it) but I think its lovely.