FF #21: try poledance

Having a little bit of birthday now and again is just brilliant. Today it was great to have a little treat instead of coming home from college to study!

Today's FF was trying poledance. I've been wary of poledance for years because of its roots in the sex industry - I think bellydancers tend to be very cautious of 'sexy' performance activities because we're sensitive of what we do being mistaken as saucy or sexy (when in fact it comes from the Muslim world, not best known for women making the most of their sexy.) But several of my friends rave about their poledance classes, and with the obvious gymnastic and upper-body-strengthening benefits, I have really been looking forward to trying it!

I went to the Crags Sports Centre and Ann Goeswell's Goeswell Dance with my lovely friend Kim, who has also promised me that we will hoop a 5K this year, which is FF#22. It was a one-hour class, cut down to about 45 minutes because someone else needed the room -  but that was fine with me because there really is only so much time you can spend on the pole on your first class without your shoulders going into spasm.

Ann's approach to teaching was "there you go, get on with it" - she didn't break moves down much, or over-think them. In the warm-up, I just watched and repeated, over and over again, until I got a rough idea what I was supposed to do. I think I did pretty well! I could only do it when I was copying Ann in the mirror - left to my own devices I didn't have a clue!

Feet firmly on the floor, feeling the fear...

... and doing it anyway! whee!!

Look closely, I am actually *not on the floor*!!

The amazing thing was the FEAR. I had FEAR of hauling myself up on the pole. Taking my feet off the ground using only my arms. Something in my head said I would find myself flat on the floor in nanoseconds. I paused and realised that pausing was useless, best just get on with it. And I did. I didn't end up on the ground. I was in the air, ungainly and inelegant, for serveral seconds. Wow!!!! I overcame a bit of fear! Woot!!

When I learned how to launch myself into moves, I realised that it actually felt like I was flying. Feeling like flying took my attention away from the work my arms were doing and stopped me noticing how hot my hands were getting, how much my pecs ached and the place on my ribcage where I'm pretty sure a bruise is developing, right now as I type. 

Kim says I should practice sitting on the floor in a kneeling position with my toes under my bum and my knees as far apart as I can manage - this is pretty much a core position for poledance! My body currently doesn't even understand that position!

I anticipate bruising and not being able to wash my hair tomorrow.  I think I'll try to go back next week.

Thank you Kim for helping me fulfill FF#21!

FF#12: knit a scarf

When you were young, what sort of things did 40-year-olds do?

When I was 10, I'm sure my mum knitted.

(I mainly remember her knitting tank tops, to be worn over blouses. She also got perms and wore crazy patterned tights, but no, I'm not planning to try out those this year.)

I did learn to knit a bit when I was wee, but just for the Brownie badge - embroidery was more my thing.

For Christmas this year my Mum - who I'd already enlisted to help with FF#12 - gave me knitting needles with about 40 stitches cast on, and a ball of yarn.

As soon as I unwrapped them I tried to knit. Amazingly, garter stitch came straight back to me like riding a bike! By the time the family settled down to watch Doctor Who I'd knitted about 6 inches and could almost take my eyes off the needles while I was knitting.

And today, five days later, I finished my first scarf!!

proudly wearing my work!

I have loved loved loved knitting. It's been a real surprise. It's all garter stitch, but today I learned how to purl so there should be no stopping me now.

I've always thought that I could never sit still long enough to knit. Maybe it's because it's the holidays and there's a lot of down time, but staying still hasn't been a problem (although I confess to knitting standing up!) - I got a load done at my in-laws house at our annual Boxing Day family gathering. Most of the scarf I knitted while listening to BBC Radio 4's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere in iPlayer, so staying still hasn't been a chore.

Okay, don't look to closely at the scarf.

Um... yes. Character. A scarf full of character.

It's got quite a lot of holes in it and it's a bit of a funny shape. I honestly have no idea how it ended up that shape. At the widest point I had 60 stitches and at the end I had 38. I couldn't have done it if I'd tried. My mum said "it's got character." My sister-in-law said "well, the weans keep interrupting you, that's why." They are both being very generous.


Today when Mum taught my to cast off I felt so bereft that on the way home I bought some more wool. I've already cast on and I'll be knitting as soon as I've finished blogging!

I want to keep practicing so it's probably another scarf on the way - it's easier now because I have no work and no college! But if I ever get to the stage where I can actually (gasp) follow a pattern, I'll feel I've really arrived.

Thanks to my brilliant Mum for helping me fulfill FF#12!

(My mum is on the left in this picture.)