Are you doing creative stuff this winter?

I talked to someone who had a list of knitting, learning an instrument, etc that she's doing this winter. I am still not sure what I'll do that's creative, after the gifts I'm making are done. I need more of my sweater pants (https://permies.com/t/92062/ungarbage/Upcycling-clothes#753593), I put the 3 sweaters I have for them into my sewing pile this morning. Not very creative, but stuff I need.

What are you doing? Got any fun projects cued up? Any neat ideas I or others might want to try to?

:D

Pearl Sutton wrote:I talked to someone who had a list of knitting, learning an instrument, etc that she's doing this winter. I am still not sure what I'll do that's creative, after the gifts I'm making are done. I need more of my sweater pants (https://permies.com/t/92062/ungarbage/Upcycling-clothes#753593), I put the 3 sweaters I have for them into my sewing pile this morning. Not very creative, but stuff I need.

What are you doing? Got any fun projects cued up? Any neat ideas I or others might want to try to?

:D

I'd love to add something to your list! When you make your next sweater pants, would you also write a sbs tutorial, so the rest of us can see how you do it?

Gunsmithing and building more bee hives are on my list.  I'm also building a new chicken coop in pieces in my shop to be bolted together once the spring finally comes back.  And winter here with the long dark hours is very good for catching up on all the reading I didn't get to do during the summer when I'm outside taking advantage of the weather.

I am still working on getting my workbench area organized, so as to know how big my tool chest needs to be. Once that's all set, I'm so backlogged on construction, herbal, and sewing projects, I'll never get them all done. Many are mending/ repair, some are new projects. But, the next 2 construction projects are indoor ones; first, my murphy-style cutting/crafting table, for my sewing/craft room and second, a firewood cabinet, at the side of the fireplace. Then, I'm going to build the painters' easel I've always wanted, but could never justify the cost of, and Start painting and drawing, again.

I have 3 fleeces to process and choose projects for, and boxes of gorgeous yarn (bought at obscenely low prices, on sale) to turn into... somethings. It seems like every time I turn around, there is something new to add to my creative to-do list!

I'm working on the commerce BB.

I'm going to make an improvisational cooking techniques book.

That requires shooting pictures of the ingredients.

That requires some form of studio. I have opted for a fixed location so I can control the light.

Working with that location has been an organizational trainwreck.  So I'm building custom shelves to hold the thrifted plates/bowls/platters. Also learning photography, and also writing the book.

Carla Burke wrote:I am still working on getting my workbench area organized, so as to know how big my tool chest needs to be. Once that's all set, I'm so backlogged on construction, herbal, and sewing projects, I'll never get them all done. Many are mending/ repair, some are new projects. But, the next 2 construction projects are indoor ones; first, my murphy-style cutting/crafting table, for my sewing/craft room and second, a firewood cabinet, at the side of the fireplace. Then, I'm going to build the painters' easel I've always wanted, but could never justify the cost of, and Start painting and drawing, again.

I have 3 fleeces to process and choose projects for, and boxes of gorgeous yarn (bought at obscenely low prices, on sale) to turn into... somethings. It seems like every time I turn around, there is something new to add to my creative to-do list!

You would need a "Game of Thrones" winter to get all that done.

Trace Oswald wrote:You would need a "Game of Thrones" winter to get all that done.

Lol - maybe a couple of them! I tend to work 'fits & spurts'. But, once I get started on a construction project, they usually go together pretty quick. The thing is, that list is a drop in the bucket. It's just what I'm willing to admit to, that awaits me.

Our weather has stayed so nice I haven't made it inside much yet. All the firewood is stacked and covered. Both gardens cleaned up and practically ready to plant next year.

My winter is always filled with lot of books. Also getting back to teaching myself to sew fur hats. Got all the appropriate tools now I think and a couple sheep skins and some rabbit pelts. Started experimenting last winter on patterns and stitching using some pieces of an old rug, didn't want to screw up and ruin my pelts on the first try.

{add} I forgot, I'm putting together content to make a web site about my adventures breeding sweet potatoes.  I have years of pictures, research and my own forum posts. I'm thinking it's time organize and chronical it all in one place.  

I'm waiting for the sale to close on a piece of property so I can get in there to strip wallpaper, pull out carpet, and at least get a fresh coat of paint on everything. To this end, I have accumulated a ridiculous number of paint chips from Home Depot; maybe my creativity should extend to coming up with a card game that uses them.

Permanent flooring decisions may have to wait until next year, but I can at least start work on the bathrooms by installing new tile and vanity counters, and hitting the architectural salvage yards for bathroom sinks (both existing ones are horrid shades of dusty pink), light fixtures, and possibly flooring. The original vanities and wall cabinets in both bathrooms are very spacious, inoffensively plain in appearance, and in excellent condition, so I'll do something interesting to them with paint.

I'm also going to enclose the covered side porch so it can be used as a "catio"--a safe, enclosed place for the felines to hang out. One of the rooms in the basement will be the Cat Room, with egress through the window to an exterior enclosure that leads to the porch. There's a lot of wooded areas around the new place, so not only do we get coyotes, but foxes and bobcats, as well as bald eagles, and while my cats are mostly toothless, decrepit, and/or useless, I would prefer they not end up as prey.

Oh! Pearl mentioned learning instruments! Our neighbor passed away recently. He was a 3rd generation blacksmith, and his family are gifting John with some of his smiting tools (including a coal forge!), but, he also made and played dulcimers! I'd always wanted one, and his daughter and son presented me with the last of his handmade, beautiful instruments. I bawled like a baby, and now, I have yet another instrument to learn. This one is getting bumped ahead of my Celtic lyre! John was thinking about getting me a bhodran for Christmas, but, I hardly play my djembe, anymore. I've a small collection of string, wind, and percussion instruments. Some, I am ok with, others - particularly the strings, I'm a total newb with. This is yet another facet of my pursuits, I suppose. I truly have no idea how people can get bored. There's always so much to learn, make, and explore!

My sewing mojo went up when garden was done. I picked out cuts of fabrics for winter projects but kept getting carried away by something else and stil hasn't tackle those yet. Made my kid a pair of snow pants yesterday and a Lofthouse style fleece robe today. Now I am eyeballing the making 3tote bags BB and thinking of getting that done tomorrow.

A couple months ago I started trying to focus on developing a whole new body of work for my art career.  Maybe, it would be better stated as I'm trying semi-retirement where I don't focus on making much money for a year or so.  With that shift in focus I decided to try this body of work where I'm not likely to make much money at all.  Anyway, it's been a struggle so far, with not much to show for it yet, but I intend to keep at it through the winter (and likely beyond).

Because the project involved motion I all but have to get back into video production (my original major in college).  So this week I started a YouTube channel and posted my first, very basic, bad video.  I know I will need to get better cameras and delve into actual editing software.  I envision this project bringing me back into drawing, perhaps painting, lapidary work, some woodworking, and many different areas of my current specialty metalsmithing.  The end goal is to create an entertaining experience for people while hopefully quietly encouraging the notion that a series of small actions can add up to something larger, connecting and building greater things.

Yes! Quilting two baby quilts.

I have been SO slow on the first one. The baby will be 3 months before he receives it as a Christmas gift, but I finished embroidering it a week or two ago, and now just need to quilt and bind it. I haven't really quilted anything bigger than a pin cushion for about 10 year and I probably haven't embroidered in about 12 years, so it's been a big relearning process. The second one it would be good to have done and waiting for embroidering a name by early February.

Today I made progress/de-roadblocked. I learned how to install and use a free motion quilting foot (I always tufted or used straight lines on previous quilts) and started pot holders from some scrap fabric. I also went and got bias tape,so I can finish the potholders and, you know, the actual quilt. The idea of having to hand cut and iron bias tape was so dejecting that I wasted weeks putting off quilting. Buying bias tape which was onsale 50% off was, IMO , well worth the money.

Here are my potholders/trivets (sans bias binding), which were me sampling different ideas for how to quilt the baby quilt. I deliberately tried to make the stitching irregular and uneven, because I know myself well enough to know I could never manage perfectly controlled and evenly spaced stitching for a large item

If I finish the quilts, I have some garment sewing I want to do.

I have an idea for a single-row bean harvester that could ride sidecar on my little garden tractor. I'm going to try to have it built, or at least mostly built, before planting season starts.

Same with a device that I think will let me do an enclosed controlled burn on my field. It needs a good burn, but the wind is gusty enough I don't feel comfortable doing an open burn. I have this crazy idea for a slow-moving burn chamber that would extinguish as it went. We'll see if I even get it started this winter.

I have a couple of writing projects to finish this winter, a gratitude journal and a novella. As winters here are usually mild, I should be able to do a bit of gardening, getting a few more perennial food plants and herbs in along the inside edge of my mini-food-forest hedge. I'd like to work my way through a how-to workshop I purchased months ago on a free illustration app, Sketchbook, and also do a bit of painting - more design than art. Plus I have a bunch of unfinished sewing projects nagging at me! Plenty to keep me busy.
EDited to add - I also want to have fun with some of the BBs that are doable for me, so there's that, too!

So I am an adult programming librarian and am looking for fun things for our patrons to do over the winter and remotely. Here are a few that we have done...

We are also going to do a candle making kit and maybe some bird house kits.

Daniel Ray wrote:So I am an adult programming librarian and am looking for fun things for our patrons to do over the winter and remotely......

Those are nice ideas Daniel and cool to post them for remote access by your patrons.  I don't know if I  should thank or curse my childhood public library.  I just noticed that they digitized all of the high school yearbooks going back to through the 1960s.  If it previously was unknown whether the dimension of "time" could disappear into a bottomless black hole, I think I just discovered it .... :-P  
But more relevant to the thread, I'm hoping to finally nail a hand-beater/blender recipe for vegan whipped cream.ri


Edited to add a bird feeder made after receiving a spool of electrical wire.  The left-over spool was fixed with a piece of baling twine for hanging from a tree and the bottom hole of the column was plugged.  Holes (~ 1 inch diameter) were drilled along the base of the column and the column then filled with sunflower seeds.  The seeds spill out onto the large platform of the spool and all are happy!

I am hoping one day to make a partial income through writing fiction. This winter, I've been working on editing a cozy mystery novella that I desperately hope to have ready for publishing some time next year. (I'm a bit slow.)

But my real passion is for historical, speculative fiction and western genre stories (and sometimes stories that blend those genres...) and I'm happy to have a western story published this month online here, it even has a somewhat permie message, as it's all about sharing food! : http://frontiertales.com/2020/12Dec/horseshoe_nail_stew.php

(I know there is a 'sharing our art' thread - is there a 'sharing our stories' thread?)

I have been very fortunate that the weather has been nice lately so am able to work outside and finish the siding and soffit on our new home.

In my mind I see this winter:

An expensive cigar,
25 year old scotch whiskey,
Garage cleared out to build raised garden beds.

Hmmm...  I suppose I should re-organize that list a bit and have the first two items dangle on line like a carrot for when I finish a project, (project = one raised bed).

I want to make at least a dozen beds, so will need to....

Well, I really don't have enough cigars or scotch.  Guess I will have to make a trip into town at some point.

Projects are my reason for living, so I always have several irons in the proverbial fire:
1/ Quick before it snows, I need to finish the orchard fence.  Another 100 ft. to go! The posts are planted, the wire is here. It will probably be too late for *this* season, but I want to create  several paddocks for my chickens. After that,  I'll build something on wheels to move them. They have to be cooped in the winter, even with a covered "winter run" they don't have as much mobility.  As is, when they get out of their winter run, they are in an orchard: The orchard really benefits, and so do they.
2/ Fixing my apple press. I got all the how to from whizbang.com and the plans helped me for a few seasons. I hope my kids will get the hint and go together to buy me a stainless steel pan: The one I had MacGyvered from an old kitchen countertop finally gave up the ghost, as well as the thick wooden pressing discs I had fashioned. [Apparently, a 2 ton bottleneck press is too much. Who knew?!] I got some very nice 1" thick discs from webrestaurant.com: They are white polypropylene cutting boards, cut to your specs. [although it is so much cheaper to take their standard size ones]. Around $20 a piece, yes, they are pricey, but they will last for as long as I'm able to press apples, so...
3/ Winter is also for studying [and adding] a whole mess of projects, like digging a pond to raise geese, planting more fruit trees, cleaning the house better, sorting seeds and dreaming of my next garden, next year.
4/ While I will still grow crops to take care of bees, at $125 per colony, this is getting too rich for my blood. I will be concentrating on catching swarms.
5/ I plan to do more bench grafting [apples, plums, pears, cherries], as well as taking better care of them in the pruning, removing suckers, creating guilds around each one. I'm a minimalist when it comes to spraying, but every orchardist has told me that *some* spraying [with OMRI products] is needed. With this in mind, I got a little Ryobi sprayer that can deliver 30 gallons on one charge. [The tank, mercifully is only 1 gallon, so I can do little jobs, late in the evening, after bees go to bed].
6/ About chickens: Since I will have several paddocks, I could have meat chickens and egg chickens, separated since they tend to pick on each other but outdoors as much as possible. I met a guy with his partner who told me that the trick to raising Cornish Cross chickens humanely is to raise the feed and the water once in a while to make sure they *have to* move a bit. His birds were large yet in very good health: no feathers missing, no sores on the belly from laying in their crap.
7/ Taking better care of my tools is also on the agenda. As a matter of fact, I'll be buying some boiled linseed oil today.

My winter projects!  
First, building a stand for my new Horizontal Bee Hive. It is being hand painted with a unique design now so I need the stand soon. all painted and ready to take the hive.

Next:  A dull dreary task of cleaning up/out my garage to make it look more like a wood shop than a junk pile.

Next:  Finishing several projects that are "in process and held back for too long" after which I tie into projects for which I have the materials on standby.

I have a spare bedroom devoted more to canning related stuff, along with several glass items gathered from an old house that was to be destroyed, and also sever bags, buckets, boxes of emergency supplies. This all needs to be sorted, organized, shelved, and/or donated to worthy local causes.

And, of course, lots of reading!

I am always doing creative stuff. Or I consider everything I do 'creative'. I just finished some knitting projects using unraveled wool. Soon I'll start a new knitting project, involving Dutch Shetland wool (ordered online from Wools Of Holland). At the moment I have two projects here near me: knitting a new rib on an old (yes, very old) knitted piece of underwear, the other making wool-filled wool (old blanket) pillows which will be inside my 'haybox'. Somewhere else the materials for a crochet throw (bright colours of cotton) are waiting, as well as some things planned to 'upcycle'.
Before next year's gardening season starts I'd like to have an 'outdoor kitchen' made of pallet wood. And I want to do some more BBs with wood (green wood and dimensional lumber).
Photos will come later ... (I had a problem with uploading)

Learning how to make lightweight concrete slabs to use as raised bed garden walls.  A youtube site Man About Tools has a good design that I paid $6 to download, have modified it a bit (bigger) and have made 3 slabs so far.

I have 3 book projects midway: the world's longest valentine, frugality for seniors using bulk buying, and dehoarding from a reforming --> reformed hoarder. All of them require many hours of work, writing, rewriting, and real-world doing.

Website work: getting the used stuff website launched. Was ready to do this last year and Covid killed that idea. I think that with as many people out of work as there have been used stuff will be in great demand.

Still doing the book formatting, as needed for the day job. Still getting rid of too much stuff, mostly books.

I made wreaths from straws a few years ago, had contemplated starting that again for sale or just gifts. Decided against it as it's too hard on my hands to do it in quantity. Thought about making them into Christmas trees, to up the price, but it also ups the work by a huge amount, so no.

I usually make Christmas or holiday cards, or at least tags. I have decorative cord set aside for this year, but no ideas otherwise. Last year, I made "Christmas Ball tags" using a 1C measure. Easy-peasy.

I'm working on the very first online PDC in Polish. I'm working on it with two friends - graphic and video/sound artist. We plan to have 14 lectures, one for each chapter of Mollison's Manual. We have already published nine lectures, and while my friends are working on Chapter 10 - Permaculture in Tropics, I'm writhing Chapter 11 - Drylands strategies. Here is 1-minute trailer of the 9th lecture - Earthworks and Earth resources.

Dennis Bangham wrote:Learning how to make lightweight concrete slabs to use as raised bed garden walls.  A youtube site Man About Tools has a good design that I paid $6 to download, have modified it a bit (bigger) and have made 3 slabs so far.

Dennis, is this the recipe? It sounds pretty interesting. Still hard work, I'll venture, but NICE:
https://www.hunker.com/12001506/how-to-make-lightweight-concrete

I am sort of modifying what was in the Youtube video.  The recipe calls for 1 part portland cement, 2 parts perlite and 1 part sand.  I am using a mix of perlite and expanded shale (1 of each). I have a lot of shale to use. I don't mind the little extra weight and hope for more strength.  
I also just completed a 2x10 inch tub for soaking the slabs to increase strength.  

What a fun thread!

I just finished making granola for the local specialty local foods market, kind of like a food hub in a very small town an hour's drive from the nearest "supermarket".  It has been tremendously successful, with local hand made pizza, locally grown vegetables, local honey, local baked goods, jams, jellies, lotion, soap etc etc etc.  All of it "legal" and in compliance with all local ordinances. (we are afflicted with over regulation in the USA these days).

And after the granola, I build some little crates out of lumber scraps that are just the size for a gift pack of three varieties of local honey.   I might make some gift crates of bath products, bath salts (epsom salts and essential oils in a kombucha bottle), soap and a washcloth.  These gift items are because it is the season of gift giving,and there aren't any craft shows these days... AND to give folks that are not permies or recyclers or crafters the idea.

The project I am working on throughout the winter season is completing the remodeling,  recycling of an old house. I have passed the halfway mark, in that the finished and nice areas are more numerous than the "hell hole and grim" places.  

And training a new pup.  She is almost a year old now, a very intelligent breed, and is to become a "service dog". I think it will be SO much fun to be able to say "Where's my phone Reba?" and have her locate it for me, also my keys, my purse...  And for her to alert me when I am walking away from something I put down to have my hands free.   She is a great companion, and is certainly "earning her keep", but, being a working breed, I think she will be much happier with these kinds of tasks, since she already keeps her eye on me at all times anyway!

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:I am always doing creative stuff. Or I consider everything I do 'creative'. I just finished some knitting projects using unraveled wool. Soon I'll start a new knitting project, involving Dutch Shetland wool (ordered online from Wools Of Holland). At the moment I have two projects here near me: knitting a new rib on an old (yes, very old) knitted piece of underwear, the other making wool-filled wool (old blanket) pillows which will be inside my 'haybox'. Somewhere else the materials for a crochet throw (bright colours of cotton) are waiting, as well as some things planned to 'upcycle'.
Before next year's gardening season starts I'd like to have an 'outdoor kitchen' made of pallet wood. And I want to do some more BBs with wood (green wood and dimensional lumber).
Photos will come later ... (I had a problem with uploading)

Is the 'haybox' you speak of a place to sleep? If so, how do you like it? Is it loose hay or what? I'm very interested in alternatives to or improvements on my moss-filled mattress.

Carmen Rose wrote:

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:...

Is the 'haybox' you speak of a place to sleep? If so, how do you like it? Is it loose hay or what? I'm very interested in alternatives to or improvements on my moss-filled mattress.

No Carmen Rose, it isn't a place to sleep and there is no hay involved in this particular 'haybox'. If you do a search for 'haybox' on Permies, you'll probably find what it is. It's for cooking (simmering) using an insulated box (after cooking on a stove for a short time). When it's finished I'll show it in the haybox-topic that's somewhere on Permies.

I saw some others did writing. I forgot to mention that. I am writing a book on permaculture for young people (teenagers, young adults, beginners). It's being edited now by a friend who publishes books (including children's and young person's books). She likes the subject, she did not yet know about permaculture before she started editing my text. So she has the right questions, for which I have to give the answers in the story ...

My other half and a handful of friends took care of a gal who was in the last stages of cancer and passed away. She asked me to create an unobtrusive bracelet to commemorate the event for that circle of friends. I am finishing up the bracelets which have a silver ribbon on the side and I will place a pink tourmaline in a gypsy/flush setting above the ribbon. If they ever need to add another stone I can do that. Progress before stone setting and final polish. A contrasting gold ribbon is what I originally proposed but they wanted it subdued.

After the Original Post I made here, I have been thinking. I have been doing emotional/health therapy that has a lot to do with I feel split in my life: I live in a rental I dislike, but my heart is on my property that I love. Part of that is I don't feel like the parts of myself are mixing, very distinct division between them, it's affecting my health and sanity. So one of the things that makes me feel most like me is to wear my pretty things, clothes, jewelry etc. But in my crawling under the tractor, getting grubby life, I end up wearing grubby camo jeans and black or brown shirts to match them and hide the dirt almost all of the time.

I have to go to the city tomorrow (EEEW!) and I'm going to stop at a huge cool fabric store, and pick fabric that I can make pretty work pants out of. Needs to be tough, and gaudy printed! I'll take a pattern off my most comfortable work pants, and add lots of pockets in the places I want them (which isn't really where they end up being on the men's pants I buy and modify to fit. Maybe I can feel more like the parts of me are tying together, less split in my soul, if I can be my bright gaudy self while I work, instead of my tired grubby oh so practical self.

Thank you all for inspiration to do it!!

:D

Pearl Sutton wrote:Maybe I can feel more like the parts of me are tying together, less split in my soul, if I can be my bright gaudy self while I work, instead of my tired grubby oh so practical self.

I think it's pretty much impossible to be whole, if you can't be YOU! I am looking forward to seeing what wholly Pearl pants look like!! <3 <3 <3

I miss my spinning wheel as it’s in storage. So I looked on Pinterest and found a way to make a Turkish spindle. I enjoyed my walk in the bush in search for the perfect sticks needed, came home and cleaned them up with a sharp knife, put it together and voila, I made my first ball of yarn. It’s slow going but relaxing non the less:-)

Anita Dwor wrote:I miss my spinning wheel as it’s in storage. So I looked on Pinterest and found a way to make a Turkish spindle. I enjoyed my walk in the bush in search for the perfect sticks needed, came home and cleaned them up with a sharp knife, put it together and voila, I made my first ball of yarn. It’s slow going but relaxing non the less:-)

Anita, do you have photos (of the spindle, the making of it, the spinning, the wool)?

Besides the usual indoor cleaning/upgrades, this year I've started making my own incense from scratch. I'm so sick of the nasty, overly sweet stuff that's sold. I've lost track of how much "sandalwood" incense I've bought that doesn't smell anything like sandalwood.

Yesterday I made sticks of frankincense (from resin), white sandalwood, and burgundy pine resin. It's woodsy and a little sweet from the frankincense. I made some Egyptian Kyphi last week. That was an adventure. It took almost a week to make since there is a fermentation/curing step (the base ingredients are raisins, honey and wine). Now it will be a few months for it to finish curing/drying. I never knew there were so many types of incenses in different cultures. It's been a lot of fun, and using the whole resins, woods, herbs, etc. has improved the quality of what I'm making.

Great thread Pearl!
There is an invasive plant in the Rio Grande bosque called Tamarisk. This fast-spreading plant sucks up water and raises the salinity of the soil. Because it is a problem, I cut the young pliable branches and form dark red wreaths. The bendable material makes a beautiful and structurally sound base for decorating with seasonal plant trimming and leavings: red pyracantha, pine cones, rosemary, cardoon thistles, wasp nests.... The wreaths make beautiful, 100% compostable gifts. Any pliable willow-like material or long grass is useful for this project. When Spring arrives, new seasonal findings replace the Solstice trimmings. I'd send a picture but need a lesson in dropping in a photo.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:.... I think it will be SO much fun to be able to say "Where's my phone Reba?" and have her locate it for me....

LOL....be careful what you wish for Thekla.   Here's our Tasha Rae, ...NOT bringing the phone to me but using it to send selfies to her friends!    

[kidding...but somewhat convincing....  ]

Robin Katz wrote:I never knew there were so many types of incenses in different cultures. It's been a lot of fun, and using the whole resins, woods, herbs, etc. has improved the quality of what I'm making.

Is there a book or website you would recommend that has instructions and recipes?

I love incense, but haven't used it in years. Learning to make my own from home-grown ingredients is on my list of things to do someday.