Puzzle Pieces

Dear Reader,

Making stuff is fun. Making decisions along the way isn’t always so easy. Lately, I’ve been working on a new sweater. I’ve made this particular pattern before, but now I’m doing it in a different yarn. I like to start with a gauge swatch. It’s a knitted sample that helps determine what needle size to use.

Sounds simple, right? And it can be. In this case, I’ve been second guessing myself. It looks like the gauge swatch is correct. But, I wasn’t satisfied with the fit of the first sweater. So, I’ve been remeasuring different parts of the older sweater to see what went wrong. I think I now know approximately where the sizing was off, and hoping I can adjust accordingly for the new sweater.

I’m also working on creating my own custom fit pants. I’m taking a class to learn more about that. It’s not an easy process. We’re encouraged to make one adjustment at a time and keep on correcting until we’re satisfied. It’s a lot of trial and error. I’ve been told that stores have sweaters and pants, so I really could just purchase some.

What I notice, though, is that I enjoy the process of learning. There’s a period of time for muddling through and wondering if you’ll ever get it. And then, at some magical point, it all makes sense. When it makes sense, it suddenly seems simple and obvious. How could I not see that before?

I think my clients have that experience also. Whether it’s Feldenkrais, coaching, or felt making, we go through a period of murkiness. One of my teachers suggested the term “period of perturbation,” as in being perturbed. Lots of puzzle pieces and some new information and ideas. It just doesn’t make sense—until it does.

As we add more information or experiences, the puzzle pieces start to fall into place. Suddenly, it seems easy and obvious, and we’re on to the next thing. Of course, eventually another puzzle arises, and off we go, trying to figure stuff out. With luck, some of what we’ve learned from previous enigmas gives us clues about how to begin sorting it out.

Here are some ways you can join me in exploring new puzzles—or old ones.

Every Tuesday, with rare exceptions, we have our online Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lesson, and it’s still Free/Pay as You Wish.

In person at the Jung Center of Houston, another Feldenkrais Mini-Retreat: Moving From the Heart, on Saturday afternoon, November 16, 2024.

Also in person at the Jung Center of Houston, on Saturday afternoon, November 23, 2024, Creating a New Cloth: Nuno Felt Technique. This one is always fun, and sometimes surprising.

If you’d like to work with me privately, you can Book an Appointment for a Feldenkrais or Coaching session, or for a free consult. You can even set up a time for a private, or semi-private felting session. Or you can simply reply to this email and let me know what’s most interesting to you.

Have all the fun you can!

Purple and cream swatches of hand knitting
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