what new skills have you learned (recently)

[buck_1one]

Things seem to be getting a little testy down here, lately. So I thought I'd ask about new skills you have learned. Something you think could be S&EP.

I'll start.

Background, socks. I wear woolen boot socks all year long. I can only buy them during hunting season, locally. So I buy up a lot and hope they last me until next season so I can get more. Over the years I have gotten rid of a lot of socks because the heels have worn through, and at $5 a pair that comes out to a lot of money. Many times I have to wear socks with holes in them waiting for the new stock to come in.

So my new skill is, darning socks. I did a little research online, went out and bought some darning needles and yarn, and gave it a whirl. Could not find wool yarn locally, so I settled on US cotton yarn. My first attempt turned out pretty good. I did one sock last night a have been wearing it today. So far it feels great. No more having my heal rubbing the back of my boot. I don't know how long it will last, or if I can re-darn them when the repair wears out.

So I saved some money, learned/learning a new skill, and saved a sock from being trashed. I am on my feet all day long at work and on my feet most of the day when I'm home. So for me, in my little world, socks are a necessity I may go so far as to call them a point of survival.

So what new skill(s) have you learned or are learning (recently) that you'd like to share? Maybe a skill someone has not thought of before.

Buck

[Callieslamb]

spinning yarn. I want to add felting to that. My goal is to make a pair of felted boots to wear this winter....or next....

[Ohio dreamer]

Neat thread!! I've not learned anything lately. I'm a bit wrapped up in other things. Although, I'd love to learn to butcher a deer if DH gets one....I'd put the laundry and cleaning on hold so I'd have time

[Parttimefarmer]

I have gotten very good at cutting down big trees, and having them fall about where they should.

[emdeengee]

I have not done any knitting or crocheting in about 2 decades so I have been learning to do this again. Started last winter. It is not a new skill but it might as well be considering I don't remember much at all.

I have also learned to keep my sourdough starter alive.

Congratulations on teaching yourself to darn. It is not as easy as one would think (I hate darning) but sure saves the lives of a lot of socks.

[InHisName]

made homemade raviolis- the filling was our goat's milk ricotta and home grown basil and garlic pesto. want to master wheat thin style crackers from this site next
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/recipes/#condbev

[megafatcat]

Ernie inspired, I made a pretty good knife at the construction site. Using hand tools and a rectangular blade from the powered floor tile scraper.
It turned out well, this week I work on the handle.

[kasilofhome]

Inhisname I too just learned that I did not have much hope because I was counting on a failure but my guy will eat anything. It was quick and easy. I made the cheese too and now I might just have sour cream.

[chickenista]

I haven't mastered it or anything, but I am studying on herbal medicine and have started a fairly good medicinal garden.
I hope to do some drying and make more salves and try some tinctures etc... in the next few weeks.

[Peggy]

I am learning different type of wild plants that are good to eat. took a class on cooking over an open fire. would like to try cooking on the woodstove this winter.

[Pelenaka]

I've been concentrating on using those WWI & WWII cook books along with the unique grains like quinoa that I bought last Spring.

Been learning to shoot one of hubby's deer rifles as I'm gonna be his hunting buddy this year. I'm a fair shot but sitting in the woods cold & bored I'm not looking forward to.

~~ pelenaka ~~
http://thirtyfivebyninety.blogspot.c...k-sausage.html

[buck_1one]

Originally Posted by Callieslamb

spinning yarn. I want to add felting to that. My goal is to make a pair of felted boots to wear this winter....or next....

Sounds interesting. I have to ask, what is felting, how do you do it, and what kind of boots do you make out of it?

[jd4020]

Last fall I learned how to make baskets. I took the class offered at the local community college because I was continually frustrated in my efforts to teach myself. And I have tried for a long time to get it right through books. All it was, was one simple step to get the weave going right so now I have been gathering cattails so I can make myself some baskets.
I have also acquired two alpacas back in June along with 6 bags of their fiber. I have already been to a mini workshop to learn to spin on a drop spindle and see how it is cleaned and carded. I plan to attend a Fiber workshop weekend in October to learn more. The end result of learning this skill is to make my own yarn, perhaps learn to dye it, although, I like the nice chocolate brown and the white and light brown of my two paca boys. And I too want to learn how to felt it. Then I want to learn to knit socks ( I figure I'd learn how to darn them as well and they would be mended with the same type of yarn so it wouldn't feel like there was a mended seam there, kwim?) and make a felted hat. However, I think I must add your idea of felted boots for house wear.

jd

[andabigmac]

I just butchered my first rabbits. I've also learned to make hard goat cheeses. I learned to make a rocket stove. I recently hatched out my first incubated eggs. I learned to draw blood on my goats. I love youtube.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

I made apple butter and three bean salad and canned it. First time for both of those!

My immediate future goals are tanning rabbit hides, and I am going to practice sewing over winter. I suck at sewing. I wish I could darn socks. I am a sock freak, just like OP. Maybe I will look into that.

DD has learned over the past couple months how to make various facial things using herbs and food products. She is 15 1/2 and forever on a mission of how to improve teenage acne. I don't allow chemical preparations for this sort of thing, so she is taking another route on her own. She enjoys herbalist things. We will be learning to make soap together over winter. TOGETHER! That will be a feat all unto itself.

[francismilker]

I've been on a quest for the past year to do complete meals in cast iron cookware on a campfire. I used to see my grandma make biscuits that not only tasted good, but looked good. I'll have to admit, the first few batches could've doubled as hockey pucks! But, I'm on an uphill swing of it right now. Cobblers, breads, and stews are getting better everytime I try them.

[good2beus]

Great thread! I've learned that I CAN force myself to pick japanese beetles off my pole bean leaves, because I love beans, and now I have lots put up for the winter (beans!!!). (((Shudder))) - Hate the way the beetles "stick" to me though. I am also learning to shoot - mainly because we had woodchucks in the garden, and truckers are not always at home, when there are woodchucks to take care of. I have also learned that it's ok to make mistakes as you go - trying is what counts, and that's how you find out what works for your own situation. (ie - as much as I LOVE cherry tomatoes - I DO NOT need 6 plants in the garden - 2 would have been perfect!)

[SCRancher]

Fire building:
Using a magnesium striker
Bow and drill
steel wool & battery

Learned how to make char cloth

[campfiregirl]

I have grown more plants and canned new items this year. I found ground cherry starts this spring (had not seen that plant since we left MN 25 yrs ago) and our family is enjoying them. Blueberry & Ground Cherry Crisp is VERY good! Also grew cherry-sized bell peppers and will pickle those & see how we like them.
Canned Dilly Beans to see if we like them.
Canned mock pineapple to see if it passes as crushed pineapple, and it does!
Canned strawberry/rhubarb jam and black & blue berry jams for the first time - yum!
Also canned meat for the first time, and wondered why in the world I have not done it sooner! Here I'd been canning peaches every year for years, not knowing that in 5 minutes I can have a canner full of chicken breasts venting steam!
I also made an effort to cook more over the open fire while camping this last time vs relying on the camping stove. Used a dutch oven outside for the first time vs just as inside cookware.
My kids are all teenagers now, so making an even greater effort to pass skills & knowledge on to them.

[ovsfarm]

For those of you considering felting, thre are two types, traditional, wet fellting and needle felting. There are lots of good books and also instruction on the internet.

Be careful with boots and socks, etc. A friend of mine was really furious when the lovely wool socks she had knitted for her husband felted directly to his commercial felt boot liners the first day of hunting season! (Everything needed for wet felting was present - heat, moisture, and agitation!)

If you will be wet felting, watch for discarded bamboo window blinds, the ones with the very thin little "slats"called matchsticks that roll up with strings which often break, so there are many discarded ones. They make great mats for rolling and agitating your work, also I have had good luck with large pieces of the plastic/vinyl window screening. For large needle felting projects, watch for sales at places like JoAnn's fabric stores. The thick blocks of high density foam are outrageously expensive at full price but often go on half price sale. Or if you have an upholstery shop nearby, you can check with them to see if they have a discarded bit of foam that would work for you. Just make sure not to get anything that is too broken down - perhaps something from the back of a chair instead of the seat.

Regarding new skills, we are learning martial arts, which is great fun, and my instructor recently asked me if I would consider getting certified as a women's self defense instructor because he can't keep up with the demand.

Also, although I had kayaked a bit when I was younger, our family just recently rediscovered it and bought three kayaks. We have been having a lot of fun on flatwater lakes and rivers this summer and may try to add in mild whitewater next summer.

And the fiber skill that I am closing in on getting started learning is Cherokee finger weaving. I have the fiber/yarn, the book, and now am hoping for some time during the upcoming long winter evenings.