blog previous April 2009 next August July June May April March February January 2008 December November October September August July June May April March February January 2007 December November October September August July June May April March February January 2006 December November October September August July June Archive Accepting where I'm at Apr 22nd, 2009 I've started this blog post three different times, each with a different theme. Each time I've answered some of my own questions, and I'm figuring out what it is that I really need. Obviously, what I need, and what I want, aren't always the same thing. Needs are things that are naturally met for me, wants are things that I try to make happen. The first two versions of this post were my trying to figure out how to bring more knitting into my life right now. I haven't been playing with yarn as much as I *want* to. But, maybe that's not what I need right now. A couple quotes just came to mind: "It's just a phase, it will be over soon" Incubus "I don't find any role interesting enough to be in it all the time" Ram Dass It's comforting to be reminded that this is just a phase—that this too shall pass. When I just accept where I'm at, without leaning forward or back, then the natural flow of things will be able to unfold as needed. The expectations of others is something I really need to let go of. I'm a freelance knit designer, but I have a full time job to pay the bills. It's important for me to remember that I don't NEED to design knitwear to make a living. I do it because I enjoy doing it. There are a few people I'm working with at the moment, on things that really do mean something to me. Things to help me grow spiritually, and to help the earth. I should really just concentrate on those, rather than trying to submit pretty, interestingly shaped garments to magazines, etc… Because obviously, I can't get myself to design those things right now. Pretty recently, around the beginning of the cosmic new year—I'm not exactly sure when that was, but I remember someone posted about it on Twitter—I felt something shift. The first thing I noticed was that I stopped biting my fingernails. I just noticed one day that they were getting long, then realized that I had stopped. That was nice. Then my body was asking for more yoga, so I began going about 4 times a week or more. Then I began shifting my diet toward low-fat, raw, vegan. And around the same time, I stopped designing things that didn't have a deep, ingrained meaning to me... So, this is where I'm at right now. And it's okay to be here. Comment Knitting and Yoga Apr 9th, 2009 Knitting and yoga are my two favorite pass times. At the moment, I've been doing some internal spring cleaning, through lots and lots of yoga and by transitioning my diet to low-fat, raw, vegan (you can read about this adventure here if you're interested). I've been concentrating on that quite a bit over the last few weeks, which most likely accounts for my absense from my yarn-related blog. I did, however just stumble across a workshop that inspired me to chat a little, so here I am. Julie has scheduled a yoga, meditation, knitting workshop that conveniently is only 45 minutes from where I'm living! How perfect is this? I'm pretty excited about it. I love learning about how people have incorporated the two into their lives. I find, that knitting and yoga balance each other perfectly, and it's healthy for me to have both in my life. It just dawned on me, that I tend to go back and forth between being yoga obsessed and knitting obsessed. It will be an interesting experiment for me to work toward doing BOTH daily. My yoga is generally energizing, and in addition to the amount of energy I've gained from eating mostly fruits the past few days, I haven't been able to quiet myself enough to pick up knitting needles. I'm thinking I might try continuing my yoga in the mornings, and trying to lower my energy levels in the evenings by eating something grounding, ie: less fruit. Then I'll knit something—even if it's just a few rows—as a form of meditation. I think I'll give that a try tonight. How do you incorporate yoga and knitting together into your daily life? Comment  Subscribe My Raw journey Patterns for Sale Tweed Beret Violet, the Slouchy Head Friend Lush Woven Scarf Petal Socks River of Life Socks Crochet Motif Cardigan Beatrice Ribbed Tie Coat