The Self-Sufficient Skills thread (new name, old thread!)

[justusnak]

I just sat down one day, and tried it. No books....no help, obviously..LOL Its not perfect...but I will work on a better design this summer...hopefully. The handle is made from Wisteria vines. We have PLENTY of those here as well.

 

[freemotion]

Very inspiring.....we have grapevines growing wild in our woods. I bet they'd make some great utility baskets, maybe for storing produce in the coming rootcellar project! How much fun is that....so much more fun then a cardboard box.

 

[justusnak]

Definately on the grape vines. Lucky you! Get to weaving ! Doesnt matter what they look like, as long as they work, and for holding fruits and veggies...most anything works but home made is alot more satisfying.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm with SK....not in that I know everything...but not a lot out there left to learn for me in the SS skills department.

I will be raising sheep for the first time, so I'm sure to try hoof trimming, helping with lambing, etc. for the first time. I will be trying some new watering methods this summer, so that can be counted I guess.

I'll come up with something! Like the vinegar project!

Oooh, I want to try vinegar too! Do you have a thread about this? Is it a certain post on your journal thread? : ) Pretty please???
I just bought a large bottle with a spigot near the bottom on Ebay. It would be perfect for vinegar. I just haven't takent the time to read what I need to do to get started.

Hen, there are very many articles on this, so I just chose one at random for you....I will not be doing pasteurized vinegar, so I will, of course, be skipping that step!

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5346.html

 

[Henrietta23]

Thanks!!

 

[farmerlor]

Hmmmmm, I'm old but there are still lots of things I'd like to learn. I'd love to learn to make cheese but that would require some kind of dairy type animals which would require more land...... I like the idea of vinegar. May have to try my hand at that. OH, I want to learn to make soap....but again, I'd want to use milk....dairy animals....more land....
Well, I'm good at canning. I could teach anyone that skill.

 

[dddct]

pickling eggs count
I can incubate my own eggs now and have gotten pretty good at candling them and even helping some hatch. Caring for chickens and rasing them I can do pretty well now.
I can rasie rabbits and even bottle feed 2 week old bunnies when momma dries out. Those bugger are now over 6.5 lbs at 8 weeks
I can crochet blankets. I have 4 started but none finished lol I like to have a couple different ones going because I get bored with them
I just made curtains for my sons room They look awesome especially if you tilt you head to the left
Hubby and I can custom build rabbit hutches and I can say they are custom... no 2 are the same hehehe
I want to learn to garden... will have my first this year
I want to learn to be a master canner ( I really want that title MASTER CANNER)
I want to learn to prune the fruit trees I have ordered for the spring
I want to learn to make my own soap, catfood, laundry detergent and I want to put in a root cellar

sspelling errors edited sorry

 

[Henrietta23]

Oo! A root cellar. Add that to my list too!

 

[dddct]

I just ordered a book from Amazon on root cellars. I have done a liitle research just have to figure out my needs and how to get the job done. We have a neighbor with a bobcat and when I clear and till for the garden I might as well dig for the root cellar while its here.

edited again for spelling darn this sausage fingers

 

[Henrietta23]

Should have done that while we storing someone's bobcat in our yard. Funny story about that (then back to on topic!) While this bobcat was in our yard a very citified friend paid us a visit. He was walking in the yard looking at the insane guinea hen we owned at the time. My husband couldn't see what Joe was looking at when he asked the question, "What is that?" DH answered, "A Bobcat." I was behind them both grabbing my sides laughing at the look on Joe's face!
Anyway, I was looking at canning books on Amazon and had one on root cellars pop up as a suggestion.