Eco DIY: Crochet Scarf with Banana Silk Yarn

Ten days and counting till the Craft Fair my mom got me a table at!!! And so I am busting my imagination for a variety of eco friendly & useful diddies. Since the new natural fiber yarns I got are sooooooooo amazing to touch and to look at I hardly need to get crazy with it... i decided some simple crochet scarves that would show off the beauty of the yarn fiber would be fun to make!
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Making a long scarf can take quite a few hours for me, but long skinny scarves are still in style (it looks way cute plus you get extra warmth wrapping it around your neck bunches of times)...
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Here is the scarf pattern I made up, in case ya'll would like to make one too :::::
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1. (ch) chain stitch --- Make a chain the length you want the scarf, mine is approx. 7 feet long
2. (d) double crochet --- turn the work and do a double crochet stitch into the chain, for the entire length
3. REPEAT the double crochet in step #2 four times, till you reach your desired width
4. THE TRIM --- I took thinner soy yarn and (d) double crocheted across the edge, and then made a lace effect by .... (ch) chain stitch 6, then single crochet, then repeat across till the end of the width. Do this on both sides.

XOxoxox

My Gravity Fed Spring Water System (in the real!)

Ya'll might remember back when I first moved into the Luck Cabin, that a critter had pooped in the main puddling area of my gravity fed spring water. Not only that but the original system had all the piping (landscaping pipes) above ground which had cracked from harsh freezing temperatures in the winter, making the water pressure nearly nothing. The tank was also a small barrel that had some leaks too... with all the squirting water and the poop prob I had the system re-made this past Spring season, using the same spring water spot!

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I wanted to make sure the pipes were deeply buried so that they would not crack in the winter (5-6 feet), and a big tank put in that could catch sediment (at the bottom naturally) and wouldn't leak unless the water overflowed the top of the tank through a pipe (called an 'overflow').

**This all could have been done with back breaking digging man power, but I needed water right away and had some dudes use a bobcat machine to get all this in place.**

The spring water source was also 'boxed in' between the rocks it was flowing out of to keep out animals... with just cement in the front and tin roofing on top the larger rocks that existed there already.

My main concern was that if all my house pipes froze that I would still have water easily accessible down at the cabin, and this was solved with a non electric water 'pump' of sorts that won't freeze in the cold, and pushes the water down underground till it's ready to use. (Watch the video below to see how easy it works, and how much water pressure blows out tha' thing!)

To Make a Gravity Fed Spring Water System You Need::::

• Water source
  
• Tank(s) to catch the water (more tanks create more pressure)


• Pipes to get the water where ya want


• Digging power to bury pipes & tank in colder climates


• Ability to connect it to your house plumbing


• Something simple to 'box in' the source if critters might be a problem

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Here is a walk through vid I did today of the improved water system...
(guest appearances from JuJu the donkey, the chickens and my neighbors dog!)


Xoxoxxo

Hand Washin', Hang Dryin'

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There are several alternatives to using an electric powered washing machine... all of them have their specific design benefits, but one thing they all have in common is you no longer depend on the grid (aka electric energy) in order to get your laundry squeeky clean...
I happen to have the Lehman's Hand Washer (which is almost the same exact design as the well known James Washer!) Whenever anyone comes over to visit at the Luck Cabin they love to see how the Hand Washer really works - children are especially into it (i know, shocking!), they'll beg me for more laundry to wash. I bet you parents out there don't hear that often (ever?)!
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Here is a quick vid to show how the hand washer works in the real. I included some deleted scenes at the end. ;)
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PS --- I could not get this video to ever edit captions and sounds in sync, so I had to leave out the captions... the last four scenes after "the end" are the deleted scenes. :))) Eventually I will figure out this technology shit.
Xoxoxox

DIY: Big Button Down Shirt Made To Fit

This won't be my most dazzling sewing project, but the idea of altering clothes to make them fit is a noble upcycle endeavour and I wanted to share my attempt. Taking a button down shirt that was too big for me (a men's medium), and sewing it down to a more fitted shirt my size.
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My original idea was to somehow turn this into a mini-dress (i like to turn everything into mini dresses)... but it didn't work out since the length of the shirt was too short, and well.... you'll see...

SUPPLIES YOU NEED:

• push pins
• sewing skills (machine or needle/thread style)
• thread
• maybe a friend to help
  

STEP ONE:

I turned the shirt inside out and put it back on.

STEP TWO:

If you have a friend, have them put the pins along the right & left side of the shirt to make it fit to your personal curves, including the sleeves. Leave space for your sewing seams.

If you don't' have a friend over (like me) then carefully try and place the pins yourself - or use measurements. I hate measuring things so i tried standing really stiff and put pins in myself, but it wasn't as accurate as it should have been.

STEP THREE:

Sew along the seam lines you created with the pins.

AND....

You are already finished (or at least i am)!!! This would be great for making a new winter wardrobe on a shoe string budget, because thrift stores are packed with men's button down long sleeve shirts of all colors, patterns and solids which you could tailor to fit your body.

Funny Lookin' Fail ::::

I also did a lil' experiment with adding another layer of shirt at the bottom, which could make a really neat look if you have the right contrasting colors... which I did not. Stark white, with nice subtle plaid is a recipe for a terrible horrible no good country-fied look, but ya know what? I modeled the Sewing Fail for ya'll anyway.......

The Dolly Looks Better. (aka, this might work if ya have big boobies, sassy hair, and long tall legs. Being able to line dance & sing would help too.)

The Baggy Art-TEEst. (This look will work if you like your clothes swaying, loose, half buttoned and probably half assed.)

The Front Knot! (my personal favorite. This shit was hot in the 80's and we all know whether we like it or love it that pushing obscure 80's ideas is totally in style. Maybe not in my rural neighborhood {cause it never went out of style here}, but in Brooklyn, yes. Besides a front knot on a tight plaid shirt is so movie star country girl, roll in the hay - who doesn't like that? I am bringing this back to the fashion forefront right this minute.)

Maybe I can't win them all, but the whole idea is onto something good. ;)

Xoxoxo

Rain Barrels To The Rescue

This is my friend Paul Van Heden. He makes really pretty, cute, fun, fancy artsy rain barrels here in Western North Carolina! Today he came over to drop off two hand picked & painted barrels so i can start collecting rain at my cabin, and most importantly at my mini-barn where JuJu the donkey and my chickens live. I have a small spring coming from underground where the animals stay, and also spring water I fill up in buckets at my cabin and drag down to the barn, sloshing water on my jeans and down into my shoes all along the way. These rain barrels will make watering the animals a hella easier...

And seriously... aren't they cute? Nothing wrong with a ridculously adorable & eco friendly rain barrel!

These have two holes at the top with a net over them, so I have to set up a gutter/down spout to direct the water into the tank... until then it'll be all about getting the right aim in the rain. :)

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"One inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof will yield around 600 gallons of water, the average American uses 100 gallons of water per day." (water conservation)

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We give these water barrels two thumbs, hooves, claws, and paws up!

Xoxoxoxox

Up On The Roof (Scrap Wood, Handsaw & Milk Paint)

This is the BEFORE picture :::::
(Before I put the red scrap wood "sunburst" decoration in that triangle below the roof...)
I had some thin long pieces of scrap cedar that had been cut off larger pieces of wood used on my deck - I decided to paint them with red Milk Paint and use them for a lil' exterior cabin decorating. I was inspired by my longing for the ornate houses of my childhood in New Orleans - a city where people don't hold back on the splashy colors and elaborate carpentry work. While what I did so far isn't quite as fancy as the French Quarter, it certainly gives my Luck Cabin the funky flare I love to come home to!

SUPPLIES I USED::::

• Scrap wood
• Milk paint
• Handsaw
• Hammer & nails

This exterior beautification project cost me under $5 (some money for the paint) and only a few hours of warm tanning time on the roof - it took VERY little skillz. Pretty rad when it's cheap & easy, right?

So I brought all the supplies up on the porch roof - I decided to measure each one by eye'ing it artistically, then using my handsaw to cut the angles to make it fit. I was not a perfectionist about it, but I wanted it to look symmetrical and have a good flow.... aka: SunBurst-y feeling!

The easiest way to start this, is by placing the one in the middle first, since it is perfectly straight up and down - then 'burst' outward from the center point.

So the only skillz you really need, are to push the paint brush around to paint with the milk paint, and to push a handsaw back and forth - and to hit a nail with a hammer....

AND WA-LA.... totally cute & affordable home improvement! This idea can be added onto, while I was up there I began to think of shapes that could be added, variations on the pattern, and other colors I could add in too.... circles or squares, gingerbread decor - I may keep going with this.

Here are some photos of the end result from afar..... AFTER....

Compare them to the top photo for a full Before and After ::::::

I love it! Makes me wish the stupid power lines were not in the way.... anyone wanna get me some solar panels!?? ;)

Xoxoxo

(My) Reasons For Being Earth Friendly

I was always drawn to it... nature, but I grew up in the most spotless chemical cleaned suburban house in the city of New Orleans. Everyone evolves, and I'd like to think I came from one extreme but my soul decidingly bridged the gap by seeking the other (huge city to huge forest). It didn't happen overnight, being eco wasn't a trend I picked up, in fact if anything it made me very 'uncool' as a teenager and beyond- only as an adult is my lifestyle (sometimes) appreciated for what it is :::::
a life that doesn't destroy our basic resource & lifeline, nature in it's wildest form.
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It's nothing I discuss often with others, but here are some reasons why I live the way I do::::
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• I refuse to take part in the pollution that I believe causes chronic diseases and human suffering (like the auto immune disease i have...)
• I feel that all creation is equal and the plants, animals, trees all should have respect- the food chain and survival chain should be used wisely not selfishly
• I only want to put energy into supporting a lifestyle that which won't continue further destruction (long term or short term) of nature- putting my energy into skills for homesteading, rewilding, and organic minded activities.
• I don't want to support with my $$$ any asshole company helping pollute on ANY level (that goes for chemical, fashion, food, and also big Pharma putting drugs through bodies and into our water)
• I believe that children deserve the peace and experience of true wildlife, for reasons mental, spiritual and vastly biological- i think without it kids are detached and will behave detached in many other aspects of their life (and when I am an old lady those kids are going to be running sh*t, ya know!)

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I don't walk on eggshells, have less quality of life or suffer by refusing to clean my house, paint my house or fix my house with chemicals. I don't suffer because I refuse to buy any clothing slave made of chemical fabrics (unless thrifted), I feel good about what I put on. I don't have less a life because I go by car very little and instead I choose to enjoy & explore the area I actually live in.
I realized many years ago that our lives are formed mostly of (raised) habits, and as many times a day as I am told by people "it's cool you live like that, but i could never do it".... i know from experience that we all really could.

XOxoxoxo
(ps- the pic above is from this summer when my sister's kid came to visit me.)

Eco Cabin Exterior Facelift Ideas that are FREE

My cabin, is a bit more of a shack... I'd like to think of it as the Love Shack though! Let's just say it's been known to be called such names as "rickety", "not year round", and "hunters cabin" - but since I have moved into the tiny wonder back in March I have happily put a ton love labor into making the once seasonal shack into a year round cozy home.

Some projects are more affordable to start then others (a more efficient roof VS. gray water system), depending not only on your budget but on your personal level/ability to do your own labor OR maybe having some huge group of friends who somehow wanna spend their time fixing your house instead of theirs. :)

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Here are three simple, free and beautiful ways to transform a rustic cabin into a WOW, HOW AWESOME rustic cabin:::::

1. Change all the outside poles/columns/supports from the square store bought ones to small tree trunks. How is it eco to cut down the trees? Well I used a hemlock tree next to my house which was dead, I not only opened up more sun to my front herb garden, but made use of the wood in a way that took my cabin out of the "rickety" category and into southern rustic beauty.

I am using the hemlock trunks all the way around the porch. It's awesome how well it blends in with the forest!

If ya don't believe me what a HUGE change using naturally shaped trees make on the cabin's appearance, check out this BEFORE picture below... (that is the Luck cabin before I moved in and made any changes, the porch poles were rotten 2x4's....)
2. Cut your own railings! The forest is full of downed trees/thick branches, and it takes little effort with a hand saw to cut some porch railings, gather them and then get really creative about adding them to the outside or inside of the house. If you don't live in a forest, there are people having branches cut off their hardwood trees in the city all the time, why not ask a local company if you can pick some up one day.

3. Stones! I can never really have enough of them, I am a total sucker for the look of a stone path. I got these rocks (pictured below) from when the pipes for my gravity fed water were buried and these were dug up...if you don't have alot of big rocks, or enough rocks think of all the things you could do with even just a small amount of rocks - mosaics on stepping stones made of concrete (which is cheap), mosaics on a bathroom floor or wall, around some windows, decorating a hand built cob oven.

The main point is, wherever you are there are some resources that are probably free or cheap, so start looking around. I find that when I am forced into FREE creativity, things just turn out so much more interesting then anything Lowes or Home Depot could sell me.

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EXTRA TIPS FOR CHEAP & ECO HOME IMPROVEMENT:

• Buy from thrift stores when decorating! Piles of fabrics, fun lighting, lamps, quilts, pictures, paintings and then some wait for you for only dollars.
• Need new thermal windows, try your local HABITAT FOR HUMANITY first - tons of house building supplies for much cheaper.
• Use your own skills, and the skills of local people around you!
• One man's trash is another's treasure, think out of the box - someone somwhere is throwing away what you need... go find it.

YAY for DIY!

PS- if anyone has done similar minded projects I would love to see pictures, send links!

xoxox

Making Kudzu Rope with a Drop Spindle

Remember back in the day when Bort came over and showed me how to make natural rope from the Yucca plant in my yard.... (probably not cause that was soooo winter 2009, check it out here.)
Yesterday he came over with a hand made Drop Spindle he carved from wood and weighted down with clay, and showed me how he used it to make rope from kudzu vines!
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FIRST STEP - He took the kudzu vine and bash-n-smashed it between two pieces of wood to separate the fibers (see top pic). Then it made it easy to peel away the strong outer layer used for making the rope. (On the really young vines the inner layer was too soft.)
SPINNING IT :::::
Take the piece of plant fiber/string and hook the center of it to the spindle, folding it over into two pieces...

...then begin twisting it tightly, holding strong tension so that it doesn't fold in on itself....

as you go along, you add in pieces to the twisting, just kinda stick them in there and make sure they get caught up in the twisting. Put them in long before the piece you were working with is going to run out...

If you are doing this project alone (which most the time I am!) then it's best not to make it longer then your arms length for each section, that way you can still hold the tension when you have to remove the first length of twisted kudzu....

PULL the twisted rope off the hook at the end while holding the tension --- you can use both hands, another person, or like Bort, ya TeeTh! After you pull one end off the hook wrap it around the spindle in order to make room for the next section of rope....

...wrap it close to the end you were working on, then double wrap that end to the hook again and start the process over... this is how you get the rop to be longer, and longer and longer.....

(BTW- your arms will be hurtin'!)

I took a turn to make the next length of rope on the drop spindle and then once it was the length I wanted and I was ready to move onto the next step, I tied a knot in the end I had been working on. STILL holding the tension.

Take the knotted end and tie it to something (especially if you don't have someone there to help you!) .....

WHile holding the tension TIGHT unwind the rope that is wrapped around the spindle, and make sure when you get to the end you are holding that end piece tight also ( I accidentally let it drop and it lost some of it's tight quality).

Hold the tension tight, and find the center of the rope....

THEN the MAGic ::::::

Fold it in half at the center, let go, and watch it twist onto itself!!!

Pretty freakin' rad? yes?!!

There is something primal and fulfilling about knowing how to make your own rope... F the Home Depot type stores, there is plenty invasive Kudzu on the side of the road!

PS- I thought about making a rope halter for JuJu my donkey out of the kudzu rope but she likes to eat it. :))))

Xoxox

DIY: White Trash Jungle Jean Shorts

Yesterday when I was working around the cabin I ripped the knee of yet another freakin' pair of organic jeans! Luckily I got them for a nominal price off e-bay, so I had no problem turning the ailing denim into a pair of short shorts! In fact, I was kinda waiting for something like this to happen so I could try out my idea....
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MATERIALS NEEDED:

• old jeans
• scissors
• string, ribbon, hemp, cord or something similar
• hammer & nail w/ small piece of wood (OR) an awl

STEP 1: I took a pair of shorts that already fit me so I could get a basic measurement for the length of my new jean shorts... only with denim it's better to cut a lil' extra first cause you can always cut more off later after trying them on.
I added an extra 2 inches (plus) when I cut the length, cause I wanted to be able to roll them up.

STEP 2: I then took my side seams and cut them completely open. Since the jeans were a little loose on me, i cut out an extra quarter inch to help them tighten up (once I laced them back together.)

STEP 3: Since I don't yet own an AWL, I decided to use a hammer and nail with a piece of wood to punch holes up the side seams. These holes are going to be used to lace up the sides of the shorts like a corset.

STEP 4: For laces I used chemical free brain tanned buckskin, in order to make the ends easy to lace with I put a tiny bit of oil on the edge and then burned it. This makes the brain tanned buckskin harden and can be used as it's own needle.

I laced evenly up the sides using the holes punches with the hammer and nail....

Once I laced from bottom to top, I simply tied a knot at the top, then did the other side of the shorts exactly the same way.

Best CheCk It BeFoRe Ya Wreck It!

These jean shorts are the best kind of rock -n- roll jungle safari trash style!!! And with those laces, it's adjustable! :)))

FINISHED SASS & TRASH SHORTS :::::::

YAY!!!! Now time to go back to work, and I hope these don't rip like the jeans did...

XOXOXoox