She got a yoga gift certificate as well, no worries. She also has 'mad' hoop skills, whereas I can only manage to keep it circulating and walk a few steps or turn around. That is my entire bag of tricks.
I'm dying to learn some breaks, reverses and stalls. Oh yessum.
I proceed to read many blogs about the various diameters, weights, circumference choices, sound v. silent, et cetera. As I am a 'now or never' type personality, I had to do this immediately, and couldn't wait for mail ordering of gorgeous colored vinyl tapes, neon tubing, LED thingys and stickers with which to add my design elements.
I settle on 3/4', 160 psi polyethylene tubing, a popular choice. I learn that it is used as irrigation tubing and comes in black or black. I decide that I'll consider it 'true black' like those Herman Miller ads. Alas, after calling every hardware store, landscape supply company and even a water engineer and a water district client, I get lucky with a kid at a tractor supply that has about 100' left from a large roll. The only other local option I could find was minimum of 500' with discounts starting at 5000'. An average adult hoop is approximately 10' of tubing.
Next step, a pop of color to properly showcase 'true black' and create visual interest while spinning. Readily available vinyl tape is rather boring:
Red.Yellow.Black.White.Green.Orange.
I consider duck tape because there are some fantastic patterns out there, including her UT hook 'em logo. It is too sticky, yucky and once on, you're committed. Fabric paint was decidedly too bumpy for spinning against one's body.
I find three odd colors of electrical tape! Purple-ish, Muddy Green and Caramel Brown. Ta Da!!!! (see phase one photo). Vinyl/electrical tape is re-position-able and has an ultra smooth and stretchy quality. Gorgeous but it still needs some bling. As luck would have it, my darling neighbors Stormy and Chis, on a snail prevention quest, received two rolls of copper tape...THE SAME DAY! Now that is providence, if there is a God, friends.
I clandestinely work with the adorable but apparently not stealthy, Megan, a friend of my daughter, via text. I say "Megan, here's what I am doing. Take Alex to hoop and then figure out what size hoop she prefers". I suggest she "casually" have her stand still with the hoop and see if it comes closer to belly or collar bone height. More on this never. I love you Megan :)
Anyhow, I have made three hoops and plan to make another this weekend. I continue to learn tricks for making everything work and while I love the look of the copper, a few words of caution, it will cut you. A lot. Again. Ouch. I may have to give it up because I hurried on a section and now have to be sure not to hoop on bare skin. I said, it will cut you.
For a great, simple and much passed around lesson in the hoop circles (pun intended), check out http://www.jasonunbound.com/hoops.html THANKS FROM YET ANOTHER ADORING FAN. Thanks as well for the sprouting lesson Jason.
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