Knitting as the new yoga.

Knitting and yoga have been hobbies for years, they go hand in hand for me and definately help me relax, destress and chill. So, when I started reading in various media that others were making the link too it came as no surprise. The numerous articles are trying to stress one of the many benefits of knitting and I suppose the link with yoga updates peoples stereotypical perception of knitting as a hobby being preserved for grannies and the truely sad. So although it's probably getting bandied about a lot and is tedious for knitters to hear again and again I for one embrace the link especially if it encourages new people to knit. I've been neglecting my yoga classes for the past year, well 2005 was a busy year - I got married and started a business so that kept me occupied. In addition my regular yoga teacher was no longer doing classes so I had to go searching for a new group and it just never happened. So, I started 2006 determined to go back to yoga and checked out a class at my local gym. I had been doing Ashtanga Yoga for the past few years, my teacher was an American woman and she had been teaching in New York for a number of years before moving to Ireland. I really enjoyed that form of yoga, it's quite a workout. The yoga class at my local gym is quite different but I'm really enjoying it, I suppose as much as anything a change is good for you. The form of yoga my new teacher teaches is a variation of Hata Yoga and is so much slower than the Ashtanga to which I had become accustomed. My sister is also a yoga fan and I decided to knit her a yoga mat bag for Christmas (one of the presents I did manage to complete on time). I chose the Om Yoga Mat Bag pattern from Stitch N' Bitch Nation and used Rowan Handknit cotton as my yarn (I also use this yarn for the Simply Knot range of kits I sell). So here's the pics below. It was quite an easy knit once you got into the pattern and I'm happy to say that I have no qualms about promising that I'll do another one before 06 is out - for me! Before being sewn up.........the part I hate about knitting. Here's the strap which was knit on larger needles and with two strands of the yarn held together. And the finished article........ - how does it compare to the photo of the original above?