Sock and Stocking Poi
- Properties
- Connection
- Stalls
- Isolations
- Bounces
- Throws
- How to Make Them
- They stretch!
- In general, they rotate more slowly than chain- and string-based poi.
- They are much easier to untangle—just pull!
- With the right style of weight in the end, they don't hurt nearly as much.
- It's easy to let go!
- No handle in most basic designs (stick a weight in a stock)
- No swivel, thus some twisting occurs
- They stretch, so you have to practice with chains anyway if you want to spin fire.
- They don't look as flashy as streamers, LEDs, or fire.
Read more about each type of sock poi listed in the above photo.
We must admit to a certain fondness for sock poi. David is probably too enamored with them to be an impartial judge of their character (or do we mean utility?), but he's the one writing, so we can't really help it.
Sock poi are an incredible learning tool. They surpass all the other forms of poi in almost all ways except one: they (or ours, at least) lack handles. Yours, however, don't have to. Another possible drawback is the absense of a swivel, but we don't let it get us down.
Properties
Some special qualities of socks and stockings:
Some drawbacks to their use:
Connection
Socks and stockings provide an unmatched sense of connection between the hands and the poi ends. Since they stretch to varying degrees, we gain a clearer sense of give and take than we do with chain, string, or wire. This means we can learn what's really happening in relation to our own movement throughout the rotation of the poi. Whereas chains whip around at almost the slightest bit of force, socks and stockings force us to provide a bit more pull throughout their spin. We can feel them stretching slightly more at the bottom of the circle than the top, and that's a good thing. It means we can work toward a more even application of force and thus a more evenly paced circle by watching the length of our poi.
Stalls
Again, connection comes into play. Since socks and stockings stretch, we gain a tiny time delay with our moves. Thus if I decide to stall (stop) one poi, it responds to my movement just after I make it, giving me time to make further adjustments through the course of the move. When I finally bring my hand to a stop, the poi is less likely to bounce back again since the sock absorbs part of the energy of rotation. Chains, on the other hand, absorb much less, so the extra energy is turned into motion: a messy stall that bounces instead of stops.
Isolations
David's first breakthrough with isolations happened with socks. Diane managed her first isolations after just an hour of fiddling with stockings. What's the deal?
Stockings are particularly suited to learning isolations. Two things must happen for an isolation to work. First, the hand must move in a circle in a position opposite from the poi end. And second, a slight and even pressure must be applied away from the poi throughout the circle. Some sources suggest "chasing" the poi end with your hand, but the ultimate goal is opposition. Since this is the case, and stockings stretch especially well, it's even easier to see when outward force is even or varied. If it is even, the stockings will maintain an even length throughout their rotation. When force is uneven—it's usually greatest, for example, when the weight is pointing down—the stockings will stretch at that point, providing us clues about the rotation of our hands as well as the force they're applying to the poi.
Bounces
If you're learning to bounce poi off of various parts of your body, would you rather use a) flaming wicks, b) tennis balls filled with pennies, or c) balloons filled with water? If you answered "a" or "b", then please visit either the lighted poi or ball poi sections. If you answered "c", please use sock or stocking poi, and continue reading.
Throws
Simply swing away and then let go! Since they lack handles in their most basic form, sock poi are especially suited for throwing. Even when a handle is attached (in some cases this is just a knob on the end), throwing is just as easy to initiate and even easier to accomplish due to a better balance of weight on each end. Stockings are trickier since they're usually so long that spinners wrap the exces ends around their hands. This isn't to say that throwing them is impossible, though—it may simply require a bit more creativity.
How to Make Them
We have used, and you too can use: old soccer socks, clown socks from Party Bazaar, striped neon tights from Value Village's Halloween section (cut in half), or other striped stockings from wherever else stockings are sold (ours are from a costume store in Seattle).
We put water–filled balloons in the ends of our socks and stockings, but not water balloons, which are designed to break! We use good ole standard–sized balloons because they're meant to be inflated to a large size. Once filled with water, they weigh 1.5 to 3 ounces, or . . . well, we didn't pay attention to how many grams. David's first pair has survived two years of use including a trip across Thailand and the punishments of countless kids at festivals. Not one balloon has broken. Yet.
Of course, you can use other objects in the ends of your socks: tennis balls, bean bags, and rubber balls are common choices.
If your socks are long enough, tie one or two knots on the ends to give yourself something to grip. If you're considering the socks from Party Bazaar, you should know that they aren't long enough for knots. With use, they do soften, and so aren't unpleasant to hold. However, our hands get tired using them after a while. You can consider this effect either a good hand workout or unnecessary strain. Up to you.