With some of my birthday money, I decided to get some kits from Hoopsupplies.com.  I like this getting my tubing and tape from them.  One of my purchases was a natural polypro hoop with a cable ribbon to put inside. 

When I got the hoop and ribbon.  One big question that I hadn’t considered loomed over my head like a black rain cloud….how was I supposed to get the ribbon IN THE HOOP?!

I tried just about everything I could think of.  Really.  I played around with this mess for two hours.  I finally gave up and e-mailed Hoopsupplies.  Here’s how they told me to do it.  I’m telling YOU so perhaps I can save YOU two hours of frustration.

 

How To Get Your Cable Ribbon in Your Polypro Hoop

1. Cut a piece of string that is about twice as long as your hoop.
2. Grab some washer or some heavy beads.  I used beads.  I strung the beads on my string, which happened yarn, actually, and tied knots at the bottom of the beads so they wouldn’t fall off.
3. Put the beaded end in your hoop.  Feed the string in until your beads come out the other end of your the hoop.
4. Tie your cable ribbon about an inch from the end to the string at the non-beaded end.  
5. Go to the beaded end and pull on the string, therefore pulling the cable ribbon through your polypro hoop.
6. Sew your the ends of your cable so they don’t fray.  Twisty ties work well, too, I’m told.  
7. Add your connector of choice.  If you are using a friction connector, like I did, it may be hard to shove in there.  Try heating the ends of the hoop up first.
8. Go play!  You just saved yourself two hours that I spent scratching my head!

I took my new hoop to class last night, and it’s a nice hoop.  It really is.  I sanded the inside and it’s beautiful to work with.  Brett and Ryane oohed and ahhed over it.  That felt good, I’ll admit that, considering the frustration I had with it.  I also believe the ribbon itself is UV-reactive, so I’m going to take it to a Halloween party on Saturday where I believe there are going to be black lights.

Will I buy cable ribbon again?  I’m not sure.  Now that I have a set strategy here, I may, I wish I would have known this information beforehand.  Oh, well.  At least I have a pretty new hoop now, right?