Motivation: Two Types of Yarn

Every two weeks, I participate in an online "Professional Development Group" discussion with other yoga teachers from the Desikachar tradition.  There are not so many of us and the style and substance of yoga that we teach isn't what most people think of when (or if) they think about yoga.  So, we gather together, online, under the guidance of Chase Bossart, who founded The Yoga Healing Foundation in San Francisco, CA.  We talk about teaching strategies, marketing strategies and how to integrate Patanjali's Yoga Sutra into our teaching.  Usually there are about 8-12 people participating and the discussions are always extremely interesting and very helpful, especially for a newbie like myself.  It is quite a remarkable thing to have access to the collective wisdom of this group.  

I really look forward to each meeting, although when we move up to Newfoundland soon it is going to be even more of a stretch to be awake and alert during the discussions.  They begin at 5:30 Pacific Standard Time and run for an hour and a half.  Currently, that means 8:30 − 10 p.m. EST, which is manageable although since I get up at 4 am on Thursdays, I can be a little bleary-eyed by the end.  But come Newfoundland Standard Time...um...the discussion won't start until 10 p.m.!  We'll see how coherent I am then.

But why even mention this?  Well, for one, if you teach in the Desikachar tradition and want to participate (and I highly recommend that you do!), please join us.  Click on Chase's name above and send him an email.

And second, because the meetings are done via webcam, we can see each other but we can't see all of each other - just head and shoulders.  For me, these meetings have also become my best time to get some spinning done.  And no one is the wiser!  

Here is what I made last Thursday evening:

I had already started one bobbin of single ply and I managed to finish the second bobbin and ply them, all during the meeting.  I have really considered whether or not I am not listening as well as I might be if I were not spinning and I decided the answer that I am probably listening better.  Or so I want to believe.  In any case, it is a bulky two-ply in BFL/silk and it sure is pretty.

And what of this?  This is what resulted from my having a gift certificate to Purl SoHo that was burning a hole in my pocket.  I have had almost for a year and after dithering about which and for what, I decided on some of Brooklyn Tweed's Loft - enough to make this sweater (Ravelry link).  I had the good fortune to attend a lecture by Jared Flood, the founder and head designer at Brooklyn Tweed a while back.  He is very articulate about why he has created this yarn and his motivations are all excellent.  I joyfully hand over my cash money (and gift certificates) to support what he is doing.  This is my first time using the yarn and I am looking forward to working with it.