Last week I published a new five-day challenge. I call it flow. In one of the lessons I invite the spinners to find a space to spin in and make beautiful and inviting. A happy place.
When I create a five-day challenge I have an idea of what I want to give to the spinners who accept the challenge, what I wish for them to experience. But as soon as I publish the challenge I have no control anymore. The challenge takes people where it wants to take them and I just enjoy the sneak peak I get from reading people’s comments.
Challenge accepted
Through all the challenges I have created I have been amazed at your experiences, reflections and generosity in sharing. I learn so much from your stories. I get to see glimpse of your learning processes, your challenges and progress.
The new Flow challenge is no exception. There are so many insightful and wise comments and you share experiences that I would never have thought of myself. The glimpse I get into your spinning from the comments is very helpful to me as I explore and plan my blog posts.
Happy place
Spinning itself is my happy place. This is where I relax, find balance and presence. When I spin the outside world fades into a murmur in the distance and I am in my hands, in my process, in my spinning bubble.
Still, making the place where I spin a place of harmony is important too. When I bought my first spinning wheel I instantly knew where to put it – In the living room with large windows in two directions, overlooking tree tops, the lake and the city on the other shore. I haven’t thought about creating a happy place, it has just evolved organically – the wheel, a wooden chair, two wool baskets and a hook made from the tip of a spruce to hang finished skeins on. Now, as I started creating the challenge I didn’t have any plans of mentioning the spinning space at all. But as I did it all fell into place. A happy place.
My comfort zone
When I sit in my spinning space a sense of security washes over me. The things around me protect me from the world outside the spinning bubble. When I enter my spinning space and close my eyes I feel safe. I have the protection of baskets on one side and my spinning wheel in front of me. They are the walls of my spinning fort and my comfort zone. I inhale the light air of my spinning bubble. In this space I create. Other thoughts are left outside. Whenever an itch to make emerges, I come here. This is where I can let creativity loose and go wild. Or, if I feel some sort of creative block, I come here. I know my creative juices start flowing as soon as I come to my spinning space.
When I’m not in my spinning space and want to spin I need to find the right spot, I don’t just sit down anywhere to spin. It needs to give me that sense of safety, preferably free from clutter and noise, both visual and auditive. Natural materials, natural light. It needs to be scrumptious. If it’s not I do what I can to shield myself from disturbances, perhaps with noise cancelling earphones, with or without music.
A door ajar
When I read the comments in the challenge about the spinning space I see many common denominators. Some students light a candle or sit close to the fireplace. Some surround themselves with objects that have some meaning to them, perhaps reminding them of a loved one or a journey. Many arrange their spinning space with natural light and a view into surrounding nature.
Some spinners realized that their spinning space was not initially a happy one, something was itching. They moved things around and suddenly found the bubble, sometimes just by moving a piece of furniture a short distance. Some realized that they didn’t have a dedicated spinning space at all, and created one.
The space means something, I sense a feeling of a special time and place, even a sacred space as I read the comments. One student writes that their spinning space is where “my mind is still and my thoughts are free”. Wherever I lay my hat.
A new space
Reading about the spinning spaces of the students in the challenge has made me curious about creating an additional spinning space. Another inspiration comes from the Japanese Netflix series The Makanai, where most of the sitting is done on the floor. If 80 year Japanese ladies can sit comfortably on the floor, why shouldn’t I? Thinking about this makes me realize that when I pick a fleece I usually do it on the floor, sitting on a yoga block or two to elevate my hips. I realize that the wool picking spot is a happy place too, quite close to my spinning wheel and the baskets.
I placed my Ukranian handspun and handwoven blanket on the floor, folded and rolled at the back end to elevate my hips. A stack of two yoga blocks in front of me for the spinning bowl, wool baskets surrounding me. It was a beautiful spot for spinning, another happy place.
Thank you for so generously inviting me to your spinning spaces.
Where is your happy place?
Happy spinning!
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- Read the new book Knit (spin) Sweden! by Sara Wolf. I am a co-author and write in the fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.fleece section about how I spin yarn from Swedish sheep breeds.
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