Yes for sure! I'd start by putting a small amount in and seeing how that feels, and then you can always add more to make it heavier...it's real easy to take apart/put together again so shouldn't be too much of a pain :)

@@SpinPoi thank you

You look 👀 was my day and my birthday 🎁 I love my life

Hi Erwin! Pretty much any knee high sock will work great. The main thing to avoid is anything too stretchy, like pantyhose, as they will just stretch out too much and end up way too long.

I have one last question on this. Is there a particular rope length you suggest for Corded Sock Poi? The video doesn’t indicate how long the cord should be. Thank You So Much…for generously sharing your knowledge. I am based in NYC. The pandemic pretty much halted everything and stopped my career in its tracks. I have been longing to intro poi to my fitness groups. BUT sourcing poi for a group has been cost prohibitive. I have been very creative but it’s not the same. Your video has given me hope as I rebuild.

@@h2shofitnessbyerwingonzalez I am so sorry to hear about the effects of the pandemic on the momentum with your career. It has been such a challenging time in so many ways, and definitely not easy for small businesses. I actually made this video while in the first lock down in New Zealand, as I knew so many folks were stuck at home and needing ways to stay active and look after their wellbeing, and I also knew I needed to do something to keep my own career going (I largely provide in person services). A DIY poi video seemed like a good place to start! To answer your question about the length, it depends on who you are working with. If it's primarily healthy adults who will be standing up, a good rule of thumb is that if you hold the poi ball in your hand, the cord should go to the middle of your forearm. If you are working with people sitting down or young kids, shorter is easier. You might want to make a few lengths so people have options, and maybe differentiate them in some way so you aren't constantly trying to match them up e.g. all the long poi are made with red socks, all the short poi with blue. I hope that helps and I really hope you are able to get things rolling again...I believe in you!!! And I think it would be awesome to start incorporating poi into your fitness groups. If you need any further support please don't hesitate to reach out (kate@spinpoi.com), and I look forward to seeing what you get up to

@@h2shofitnessbyerwingonzalez I was wondering the same about the length

@@QueenMFLaurie I discovered the length will be dependent on your audience. I held a poi ball in my palm and measured string to my armpit. It’s easier to taper that way. Kate was also very kind to make suggestions. Hope this helps.

Hi JK! The direction doesn't matter, but, you and your partner want to be going the same way. So if you are going clockwise they should be as well. Another way to think about it is which hand is crossing in front. So for example if you do your first cross with your right hand passing in front of your left, you want to keep doing it that way. And your partner would also want to do the same, right hand in front of the left. I hope that makes sense? It's definitely a little confusing, but once you get a few good crosses in you'll see the pattern start to emerge and it will make sense :) Feel free to comment here or message me if you get stuck!

Yes you can! It does create some drag which makes them a bit harder to spin. It can also cause them to get twisted up...ideally you'd want a swivel involved. The longer the fabric the more prone it will be to drag and tangle, so a shorter tail will be easier to work with. Heavier poi head will also make them easier to spin. Length of the rope shouldn't effect things too much.

Kia ora Rebbecca, thank you for your comment. This is good to know and I would never use rice with Māori style poi. For the international style poi I have suggested rice instead of sand as it packs more loosely and therefore isn't as painful when you hit yourself, which is particularly important with vulnerable populations. I think because international style poi do not have the same cultural context, things like using rice (along with many other things such as putting the poi on the ground, or swinging them under your leg) which would be considered tāpū with poi Māori are accepted and generally helpful in making international style poi more accessible as a therapeutic tool across the globe. I really appreciate your comments and your thoughts, always trying to do my best!

Is there a way that a person of a different culture could make or use a poi ball in a more respectful way? (This is a genuine question as i am very interested in poi but i dont wanna offend anybody)

​@@joey5530 Here is a really good video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pLmTnq6p3rHNdKc.html This is how I learnt to make poi growing up. Ideally, the thing to remember is what is considered - for lack of a better word - "respectful" and these things are often called TIKANGA or "the right way to do things". Examples of tikanga: 1. Our head (ūpoko) is sacred/tapu, as it holds a lot of power/energy so we do not touch others on their head. Other things like your pillow and hats are also considered tapu because of the relation to your head, so sitting on someone's pillow is really rude. 2. Food itself has a lot of cultural meaning in Māori culture so there are customs (tikanga) there too. Food, for example, REMOVES tapu...so we do not pass food over or near people's head or eat/drink near our dead. The point of all this is, not only is our art already sacred, but that the poi itself also has its ūpoko: the ball. This means it is treated with the same respect as our own head; no food or items that have been used on feet are near/on it. I think it's awesome that people are excited about our culture and that it's out there...however, it IS cultural appropriation if the understanding isn't there and appreciated. So hopefully this is something that we can all foster in the community! I hope this makes sense and I'll link a page explaining some extra info of tikanga separately.