Making Survival as easy as Breathing...

Life has been full of surprises, one being my recent marriage which turned Knitting Peace’s routine upside down. Apparently I had an internal bride sleeping within who took over my life for two months, and I watched myself get taken down the wedding rabbit whole, in the midst of a whirlwind of wedding dresses, color pallets, up-do’s, half-do’s, flower arrangements, round cakes, square cakes, party favors, center pieces and a million more details… exhausting, yet so tempting I couldn’t help but to allow my internal bride follow her hearts fairy tale wishes.

As the wedding date came near, Eulogia and Emiliana (2 of my most loyal and hard working knitters) pulled me aside, they had concerns to share with me. They confessed they were worried that my new role as a wife would consume my time, and focus; keeping me too occupied for Knitting Peace and them. At first, my initial reaction was aloof, since that hardly seemed possible, and continues to seem unlikely. I love my work, and feel more focused than ever. However, after taking some time to sit with what they were expressing I understood that their fear was very real for them, and shouldn’t be dismissed.

I realized that not only were they worried about their future survival, but that these women were also carrying their experience of being an indigenous woman in Bolivia, which more often than not meant having multiple children, and carrying the burden and weight of their families survival and well being; in a society that limited their potential to break out of their cultural box and offered few opportunities for a future in which their children thrive. 

Once again my girls teach me, and remind me that my reality is not always the rule or the exception, and when working with these strong spirited women, it’s important to listen beyond their words, and step into their shoes for a bit, in order to offer a new light to their perspective; meeting them where they are and share a new vantage point.

In providing new perspectives and opportunities we are able to break walls, limitations, and open doors for future generations to expand beyond our projected reality. In doing so, we can achieve together a world in which all women will have the opportunity to experience their inner fairytale wishes, childlike dreams and the sweetness of committing to a life in which we each can thrive, making survival no longer a burden, but as easy and natural as breathing. 

~ Namaste

Non-linear Life as I Know It

After a long absence from the blog world, I feel my creative juices overflowing with excitement. So much has happened in the first 4 months of this year, curiosity pulls me to question what else is being brewed by the Universe for the remaining 8 months to come; although I know in spiritual terms time is of none essence, and we each hold the power to create what we want to experience and learn, at a spiritual level. More often than not, our growth comes when we choose to align with the truth of who we are, and physical time has no bearing on that.

I have learned and continue to learn every day that surrender is the key to experience the perfection of life, its wisdom and its surprising and amazing synchronicities. How many times have I found myself trying to accomplish something in a certain time frame, which my human eye deemed to be the “only” solution; while finding on the other side multiple obstacles and closed doors? So many that through mere exhaustion I finally just let go, which turned out to be the real solution; giving way to a flow of new found doors, synchronicities and opportunities my human eye had never even considered possible.

Surrender does not mean giving up, or being passive. It means accepting that I am not alone or separate from the Universe. It means choosing to embrace my oneness with the Universe, and believing that I, as a Divine Being have the opportunity to allow the Universe to guide me beyond my human experience. It means aligning with what is, and letting go of what my humanness deems as right or wrong, allowing for space through which the Universe can assist me through.

Surprises that came forward when I finally just let go

 Train Cementary, Uyuni Bolivia

 In the Siglo XX mine... (not too long ago, women were not allowed in)

 Traveling on a Train

 Working as an interpretar, translating Pres. Evo Morales

 Coming out of the mine

Magical Salar de Uyuni

Dani, best surprise of the year :)

The real beauty of surrender is that as we experience it authentically from within, not only do we create an inner state of peace, but our outside world starts to gravitate towards that peace and synchronistically our physical world reality aligns with what we were trying to accomplish in the first place.

I am reminded of this every day, especially while growing my business. By nature, I have the tendency to plan… I plan our budget for the year, our sales, our cash flow needs, I make assumptions based on the current price of Alpaca, plan on lines of credit, etc… all good tools to get a better understanding of how I would like the business to grow. Now, more often than not, these plans don’t get accomplished as I had planned. In the past this used to bring forward feelings of being inadequate to run my own business successfully, judgments of not knowing what I am doing, and thoughts of going back to getting a normal job where I could count on a steady paycheck without the risk of “failure”.

After running on this hamster wheel until exhaustion, I finally realized the lesson.  I learned to view my planning tools as a way of establishing my intentions for Knitting Peace, which I then choose to surrender to the Universe for greater guidance, trusting that whatever comes forward will bring additional lessons in service to the growth of not only my business but me. It’s that simple, no need for judgment or self inflicted punishment (i.e. a 9-5 job).

It is from this space that I can more easily flow with what comes forward, as I no longer feel burdened by the need to accomplish things in a certain time frame, because I know and trust that linear time is of non essence when working and aligning with the Universe.

~Namaste

Knitting Peace: 2 Year's in the Growing

Knitting Peace is celebrating its 2 year anniversary, and along with 2 years under my belt come many lessons learned, new perceptions, cultivated relationships and the opportunity to question what have I done? How far have I really gotten?

Photo © Diana Mrazikova

During these 2 years there has been many times in which I have questioned if I am the right person for this job or if someone else might have done it better. The reality is that this may have been the case, I am sure other women could have Knitting Peace in many major department stores and magazines by now. However, this project came to me, and I have to trust and be patient with myself as I learn the ropes which is a big part of the journey of a 1^st time entrepreneur. Learning what questions to ask and acting on the information received is another big part of the journey. If it were all up to me, I would happily spend my time at the jail creating new designs with my team of knitters.  That is all I would do, and let the business aspect manage itself… however as many business owners know, being in business for oneself requires a lot more work than a normal 9-5 job, and the wearing and juggling of many hats. A normal day for me can range anywhere from going to the jail to see how my knitters are doing with our products, to having meetings on Skype with prospective clients in Europe, to sewing labels on each finished product; while managing cash flow against projections and day to day expenses.  It’s a big deal, and a lot of work, and thus far, without the monetary compensation or benefits a steady 9-5 job provides.  

At times the challenges that emerge feel like tests, provided for me to question how invested am I really? These opportunities emerge to evaluate and ask if I am the right person for this job. Do I have what it takes to make Knitting Peace all it can be? And essentially how badly do I want this? Moments like these are challenging, however I am grateful for them, because they provide me the opportunity to rise above my physical world reality and guide me to go back to the basics, the beginning; to remember my initial motivation, inspiration and ultimately reconnect with my heart. 

Physical world reality can at times seem stifling, or slow to reflect progress and growth. Staying grounded in ones initial inspiration makes each day, lesson and challenge worth the initial discomfort. And maybe that’s what it’s really all about: being inspired, being the inspiration, and allowing inspiration… being, allowing, flowing and accepting. And how that manifests in physical world reality is up to us to decide.  For me it looks like Knitting Peace, for you it may be your family, the environment, money, singing, or an infinite number of things. Whatever it maybe, it’s important to be clear.  What does your inspiration look like? What inspires you? How do you inspire others? And more specifically, how can you choose to be the inspiration you want to experience in the world?

These are important questions to ask oneself as we seek to align more fully with the calling of our hearts. ~Namaste

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