Mariela... a Mothers Love

With the New Year just around the corner, I feel inspired to take a look back at the unfolding of 2010 and make inventory of what I would like to bring forward to 2011, as well as what I can chose to step away from, in service to continued alignment, growth and stepping deeper into the truth of who I am.

One of my greatest lessons this year has come by means of Mariela, one of my favorite knitters. She has been incarcerated for over 3 years. She was brought in days after her daughter was born, who was initially taken to a home for the first year of her life, until she was reunited with her mother, in jail. This little girl named Giovanna is now a bit over 3; she is a beautiful strong being and is not afraid to express herself. One day I found her at the main gate, crying to get out, while her mother watched from afar understanding that this little one did not want to be incarcerated any longer.

Mariela has little support from family outside of prison. She is very young and more often than not, needs to buy Giovanna medication for ear infections, teeth decays, bladder infections, and stomach infections. It seems Giovanna is always sick, and Mariela is consistently working hard to help Giovanna heal.

Mariela and Giovanna, 2010

Mariela is a very talented knitter; she learns fast and knits fast once she gets the hang of a particular design. We worked for months to come up with the Sweater Vest design pattern, making one proto type after another. It was a long process, yet Mariela never gave up, she persisted even after having to unravel her work many times, until it was perfect. Any knitter will tell you that unraveling a knit piece is not fun; it’s like drawing a painting and then having to erase it.

She took great pride in the creation of the Sweater Vests and took it upon herself to make each one to perfection. I noticed she became very protective of this design, and diligently worked on each one, without any rest in between. She seemed more content and centered as each piece was finished. One day she asked me to hold her pay until she delivered all of the Sweater Vests I had requested. I agreed, knowing that she probably wanted to save the money for something important.

Once all the Sweater Vests were delivered and Mariela was ready to receive her payment, she shared with me that she was planning on using the money to buy a “toldo” which is a small (tiny) covered space most inmates buy as a place to spend their day in and hold all of their belongings. It’s the only private place they can have, if they can afford to purchase it while they are in jail. Once they leave, they can sell it to another prisoner recovering their investment. These “toldos” are very important for mothers because it allows them to nurture and care for their children in a private space, a space they can call their own, a safe space for their children to rest and be.  

Mariela did not have the means to buy a “toldo”, but she created the means by working diligently in something she believed in... her daughter. Her response and growth inspires me to continue to work diligently, unraveling and erasing that which no longer serves me, and stepping forward with what does, accepting guidance to steer my vision while allowing my journey to become a co-creation.

Hand Knit Alpaca Sweater Vest in Mocha

Photo taken by Daniel Caballero    

 Hand Knit Alpaca Sweater Vest in Grey

  Photo taken by Daniel Caballero

Mariela and all the women of Knitting Peace are a gift. We hope you love Knitting Peace and continue to help us grow as our intention for 2011 is to grow and expand, touching more and more lives each day. ~ Namaste

A story about Eulogia... who makes Knitting Peace possible

I have been in LA for a couple of weeks sharing with many people stories of my Knitting Peace experience and in this exchange, I have grown to realize that I miss seeing my team of knitters in Bolivia and their amazing children as well as being with them in the jail. Its funny to hear myself say this, its not something I had ever aspired to experience or even dreamed of, but these spirited women have weaved themselves into my journey and heart, and I am all the happier for it.

Eulogia, my Team Coordinator and Friend

I find myself raving about my team coordinator Eulogia much of the time. She and I met the  first time I went to the jail many years ago, and have worked together ever since. At one point she was my only knitter, but in time she brought forward the majority of the girls I currently work with.

In the jail there are women of all walks of life, and I would be more than happy to employ them all if I could. However, Eulogia has more street smarts than me, she protects me like a lioness and doesn't allow just anyone on our team. I trust here blindly and only bring on board who she feels can harmoniously work with us. She helps me stay focused and grounded with the reality of the jail and what we are seeking to accomplish in the long term, she points out to me when I may be off course and consistently keeps the knitters and the quality of their products in  check. Many of my knitters have shared with me that Eulogia makes them reknit some of the work when she feels it isn't up to Knitting Peace's standards.

I love and appreciate her proactive-ness, she takes pride in our work and social movement. She is an inspiration to me, and teaches me to keep on moving forward no matter how big the hurdle to overcome may seem. She was sentenced to 30 years in jail, and is on her 9th year. In a year she can re-open her case and based on her conduct, work and lawyer's ability may be eligible to reduce her sentence. I plan on standing by her in that process, assisting her the way she has taught me to assist others, with lioness pride and loyalty.

I am blessed by Eulogia, a woman of strength, pride and deep courage. She has two grown sons who visit her frequently.

Eulogia, I love this woman!

Visit our website today, to see some of the beautiful creations Eulogia makes. She has perfected our Ponchos, and makes truly amazing Throw Blankets. We are having a holiday SALE now, to inspire you to give gifts with meaning, that directly assist women like Eulogia to step out of poverty and into sustainability.

Visit www.knittingpeace.com today.

~ Namaste

The Fruits of 10 Months Work and lots of Play

With Christmas around the corner and me being back in LA, I am filled with a sense of gratitude for this years journey, lessons learned and continued pull towards greater clarity, alignment and acceptance of what is.

After 10 months of working consistently with my team of incarcerated knitters in Bolivia, I find myself in LA again with the familiar initial culture shock of the traffic, speed and marketing overload. However, I am now a week into it, the culture shock is gone and I am back to business as usual.

During my time in Bolivia my intention was to focus on creating better products, designs, opening more markets and strengthening the technical knitting skills of my knitters. As I look back, I can appreciate having accomplished all of this, however I can also see that this was the least of all that blossomed from this 10 month stay. Although I can certainly appreciate the business importance of bettering our product and expanding our market share, all of that now seems more like the icing on the cake, as opposed to the eggs and milk themselves.

In this process and journey I am learning that if I choose to make the conscious choice to focus my awareness and intention on what my heart is seeking to experience, meaning: peace, authentic connections, joy, authentic self expression, etc... and channel this intention through Knitting Peace, then it is inevitable that the feedback is going to be more peace, loving connections, joy and authentic self expression. Which  has magically shown up in our new products that have created the opportunity for new markets and greater awareness about Knitting Peace.

My point is in a very round about way, that when we let go or detach from the obvious outcome, and surrender to our hearts song, all will be accomplished perfectly and beyond our wildest dreams, leaving the initial obvious goal seemingly small compared to what in reality came forward.

Our latest 2010 Winter collection reflects the trust and deep connection that blossomed with me and my team of knitters in Bolivia. This line is more daring, unique and playful. We hope you enjoy it!

Photo by Daniel Caballero

This holiday season gift to your loved ones a Knitting Peace alpaca product, that directly assists incarcerated women and their children, in Bolivia to step out of  poverty and into sustainability and self empowerment.

Visit our website to enjoy our holiday SALE at www.knittingpeace.com

Photo by Daniel Caballero