Group Practice: Heading out to Fibre Week 2011

I'm almost finished the socks I've been knitting from On Your Toes yarn. I get a kick out of adding picot edging to camouflage footwear.  They'll have their test run during my Alberta adventures:

The lovely project bag was sewn  by my friend, the multi-talented Carole A.

We hit the road tomorrow, Dora, Coleen and I, heading to Olds, Alberta for the big fibre conference at the College.  I missed last year, but have attended this event for a few years, as an instructor, a student and as one-who-just-hangs-out.  It's a lot of fun, as you'd expect from 200+ people, all obsessed with fibre, from its beginnings to its end products. 

Many of us work with our fibres quietly, at home on our own.  Although we may meet at fibre circles or guilds or chat on Ravelry about the latest in gadgets and gear, in my world, fibre arts is primarily a solitary pursuit.  Solitude allows us to be productive, to develop personal techniques and skills, to focus on our tasks. Still, the energy present at a gathering of people who share interests is exhilarating in a way working on our own is not.  If we're open to it, we find new ideas and approaches.  There's a lot of "I never thought of that!" as we sit and spin in the common areas or discuss our passion over a glass of wine or two.

The same thing occurs in meditation groups, although usually without the wine.  By definition, meditation demands solitary focus on the Now.  Unless you belong to a communal organization, you are likely parked on your meditation cushion in a quiet space by yourself.  It's a welcome change to attend a group session, as I did last night.  The calm and attentiveness produced by a studio full of people breathing and sitting in mindfulness is a wonderful thing, the perfect balance to the busy whirlwind of activity that will occur at Fibre Week.

Find a group which shares your interests or start one yourself.  (If you work at it, you can combine your passion for fibre with a meditation practice.  I hope to demonstrate this during my teaching sessions at the conference.)  Attend a conference or two.  You'll return home with renewed purpose and a new batch of friends.