- Cotton:
- Raise, process and spin cotton. I already have some cotton seeds coming to plant next year. Cost: none.
- Flax:
- Raise, process and spin flax. Haven't been able to find flax seed yet; will keep looking.
- Mending and Darning:
- Seems pretty basic to me, but it occurs to me a lot of people may not know how to do these things. Demonstrate how to mend holes in clothing by hand. Cost: none.
- Socks:
- Demonstrate how to crochet a pair of socks. Materials needed: crochet hook and yarn (both already in my possession). Cost: none. Current status: one sock made.
- Shoes:
- Demonstrate how to fashion moccasin type footwear; goal is one pair low topped and one pair knee-high footgear. Materials needed: leather. Have some old leather coats that should serve for this purpose. Cost: none.
- Pants:
- Demonstrate how to make felt and construct one pair of pants from the felt. Materials needed: wool. Number of fleece needed: I really don't know. Would like to err on the high side and say 10. Cost: estimate $5 per fleece. I know a farmer that will sell me some, I just don't know how many fleece it will take.
- Shirt:
- Demonstrate how to fashion a shirt using rudimentary weaving techniques. Materials needed: yarn, basic loom. Should have enough yarn on hand. Cost: Maximum $20 for loom parts; if yarn is needed, maximum $20.
- Spinning:
- Demonstrate how to spin wool into yarn. Materials needed: wool, spindle, possibly carding brushes. Cost for wool: see above. Cost for spindle: can be purchased for as little as $10, but it would make more sense to try to make one myself - not everyone will have one before the pole shift. So probable cost is none. Cost for carding brushes: commercially available ones are horribly expensive. Would try to improvise with a set of dog brushes, estimated cost: $12. but would try 'finger carding' first. Also want to experiment with making a basic spinning wheel from an old bicycle. Maximum for parts: $20.
- Tanning:
- Demonstrate how to process a fur pelt into tanned fur. Materials needed: one road-kill animal and a strong stomach. Cost: none. NOTE: Hubby is not impressed with this project. I might just have to get info from a person who said on TT forum he knew how to do it.
Fleece $50 10(?) @$5 Loom Parts $20 Yarn $20 Carding Brushes $12 Spinning Wheel Parts $20 Total $122
To begin in November, 2000. Should be completed by April, 2001.
- Oct 22, 2000
- I have already done one prototype sock, need to do the next one with photos taken, possibly video. I took some video of a woman spinning at a craft show, but I've discovered there is a problem: the videos end up being pretty damn big to put on a web page, because the viewer has to download them, and it will take forever. I'll see what I can do about trimming; still don't know much about my video camera yet.