Liza Stallsmith

What is the favorite number of dog/dogs to keep both you and your honestead/living place in working order and happy? Why do you prefer that number? Does your other half or partner agree with that number? Has the number of dogs needed changed throughout your life? Would love to hear the stories of your favorite dog.

I started knitting and it lead me to learning to spin, plus owning a flock of sheep. lol Be careful, you are on the edge of a wonderful life changer.

If you find wool items itchy I would suggest that you try merino or Finn wool. I choose to raise Finn sheep. Their wool is very soft and I can wear it next to my skin.

If you are concerned about the animals, buy yarn from the smaller local flock owners. Ask your question to them personally. I know several people who have flocks and sell yarn and fiber online. They all treat their animals very well. Of course there is always a rotten apple hidden here or there, but if you are dealing with the owner personally I am sure you will heed the warning signs.

Though I love my sheep, they are not the smartest animal I have ever owned. They love their shepherd and have a trust in you. The right pen is good for the sheep's own safety as they have no way to protect themselves from dogs, coyotes, wolves, and such. It is also good for them to switch between pens after so long in one because it helps keep them free of worms that they can pick up from eating short grass. I have a very unusual situation at my house because of where I live and the smallness of my flock  I often let my ewes eat in my yard. They mow my grass and visit me while I hang out clothes and do things. I do have two dogs that protect them. But this might change soon as we are seeing and hearing coyotes more and more often. I might need to keep them penned for their own safety.  

You can tell that your questions come from an honest heart. Questions ask this way deserve honest answers. I tried my best.

My experience with cotton and hemp yarn was not good. It was very weak and broke easy. However, I did buy it on clearance at a good price, and that might of been the reason it was on clearance. I also bought a wool and hemp blend of clearance at the same time and it was fine. I am sure you could find a stronger blend now as this has become more popular, but still I would be careful.

Also if you have never knitted it is hard to explain, but wool yarn has memory and a bit of stretch to it if it isn't overspun. Cotton and hemp fibers have no memory. (relaxes back towards it original state.)
Trying to explain how that affects your garment. The neck of the garment might need to be a bit bigger to get it over your head. Also, your garment can stretch and end up extra long after daily wear.

The pattern you choose has a rib pattern in it this will naturally add stretch to your garment which is a good thing for the yarn you want to use.

Knitting is basically just a variation of two simple stitches. But a jumper/sweater is a big project. I like to do hats, mittens, and socks, plus a few other smaller projects. These fit my personality and home life. Finishing projects more often gives me a kind of satisfaction that is hard to explain. Maybe someday I will knit something bigger. There are tons of big knitted items on my wish to make list.

So before you jump into such a big project I would suggest you take an honest look at your personality, life situation, and so on that way you can ask yourself these hard questions: Do I finish my projects, Do I really have time to make something that big, I love it, but would I actually wear it, and like how that cool style looked on me, Do I have enough money to buy the yarn for that big of a project and do I know of someone who could help me if I got confused or stuck. Is a smaller learning project a better place for me to start my knitting experience? I know tons of knitters who do sweaters and tons who won't touch making one. Which group do you belong in?

I do hope that whatever you decide that you give knitting a try. It can be a fun, practical, and help out with gift giving. Also, I have found knitters make the best of friends!

This is probably an odd answer to your question, but I firmly believe it would open all kinds of doors for you.

If I were you and could I would be looking for jobs possible outside NY that would put skills in your mental toolbox for a couple of yrs. Someone I know first worked at a greenhouse at a grocery store, moved to working in their produce department, then jump into an out of state lower paying  vegetable farm job that provided free housing and vegs to eat, From there they have moved into other jobs, mostly with free housing, that help them built their skills: Carpentry work, greenhouse work, farm work both animal and produce, herb jobs, every some fun jobs that just interested them, and only lasted a short time, and the list goes on. Now five years down the road they have a ton of skills and many friends with like interest that they have kept in contact with. It is hard to show, but hopefully you can see the built up of skills that then lets you get the next job at a higher/different level of learning. When and if my friend ever chooses to start her own place, she is no longer starting from scratch, because she not only has yrs of experience, but she has learned things that work and don't work on other places without having to pay out the hard way for learning.

If you choose to go down this route, please really, really check out the places that you are applying for. You need to get references, talk to others who have worked there, visit if you can. A lot of this kind of work is seasonal and you need to actively be working on where you are going next long before the time to move arrives. But you can also schedule mini vacations or visits home between jobs if that interests you.

No way can I guarantee that you will find a life partner this way, or that every job will be perfect and not have that impossible boss, coworker, or situation. But the blessing side is you can keep the job time frames short enough to know there is an end in sight, and always apply to go back again for another season if it is a great fit. The biggest blessing I have seen watching someone actually do this is the net work of friends that are willing to be there for them both in hands on ways and in just verbal support, plus the actual skills now on their resume.

Just my two cents worth. On to be young again, lol Nope, I am who I am with all the knocks of hard learning.

Oh, I have to add that I've said to my family I wish I could deflate my dog to half her size while she was in my canoe, and then inflate her back  to normal size when we got to land again. I would love to take her with us. She loves to go, but it just might not work out to be the best decision. Time will tell.

We live five miles from a lake so I do find myself on the water often and will use whatever canoe I get more often at home than on a trip.

All I can say is Wow! What a ton of information and ideas. Thanks, everyone!

I hope to really talk to some of our children over the holidays to find out where they are interested in going and the when part of this trip. lol A few of them have expressed interest in going with us.

Been there done that, thinking there would be enough fish caught. lol We were catching and eating crayfish. lol

Yes, to I now have more money to buy better equipment, but I still want to be practical.

One of my biggest struggles now is I know we need a new canoe, but which one. I want one to do it all and I am not sure that is possible. I want something light enough in weight that I can use it as I age. I like the idea of a tandem because it is fun and encouraging to work as a team and feel the other paddler's power. However, most of the time it is just me and the dog. I also like the idea of having room to introduce others to canoeing. But I have learned to really enjoy being able to go my own speed and explore in my kayak. I am with a group, but not at the same time.

Since there are no easy answers to this canoe question, I am going about slowly putting our gear together. Once I am satisfied with it I will have a better idea on the size of ride I need. I can't believe I am saying this, but I am leaning towards renting canoes different places this summer to help me get a feel for what I want to buy.

Again, you guys gave me some of everything to check out , places to go, gear, canoes, food sources, and on it goes. A BIG thank you! I will be referring back to this thread often as I move forward on this dream.

Anne Miller - Water purifying and medical supplies are always on the list.

Gray Henon - Boundry waters canoe area and the Quetico Provential park added to dream list.

Anne Miller and Mike Barkley - This looks so cool, but Texas is a long, long way from me. I am going to enjoy watching it though, and will probably learn something just from watching.

Catie George - Exellent questions! You are right I should of given more information.

Water experience -  Started life together by buying a high quality raft and our honeymoon trip was a rafting trip down a river. Lots of learning happened but we survived only to return more experienced.
                                  Yrs later raft rotted and we switch to canoes. Kids came along and we jumped to two canoes. Kids grew we went to kayaks. Now the kids have left and we are returning to canoes, but
                                  still use our kayaks some. My son's German Sheppard that got left behind likes to go with me so that limits the kayaking. We been on the water, but have gotten away from water
                                  camping trips, just two complicated with schedules. It was easier to do day trips. Looking forward to revisiting canoe camping trips.


Renting - Really struggling with the prices of renting because I could put that money on equipment to use again. I am really looking for light weight canoes as I have no desire to portage our old 17'
                aluminum canoe. Does anyone have a favorite? I would love one that could be used tandem or solo.

Comforts - don't want all the comforts of home, but want a good night rest for old backs. They make some increditably light chairs now. Don't owen any yet. We have never done much of the dehydrated
                   food . Do you have any suggestions?

We had planned to do the Allagash Wilderness Waterway next yr, but after the new covid norm I have decided to change plans. They are so busy that it doesn't even sound like fun to me. We are looking into the Adirondacks, but I also just got a map of Algonguin Park canoe routes and was totally blown away with how many options there are. Not sure about planning a trip outside the US right now because of how fast boarder rules are changing, but it definitely made it to the top of my want list because it is less then 8 hrs from us.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and ideas!

Not sure if I am posting this question in the right place. But I've been dreaming of week-long canoe trips into wild places. Advice from anyone that has been there and done that would be welcome. We are over fifty and want to do slowly and with a few comforts. (Mainly good bedding and food! lol) I am not sold on all the modern equipment but am also do not needing to prove myself by doing everything the hard way. I believe that I am supposed to gain wisdom with age, however, in some areas, I think I am improving well, but in other areas, I am definitely stuck in a rut.

Would love both advice about the how to end, and also about the where to go>

Deer hides with the hair on are cool. My husband tanned one that way years ago. We used it over our wooden box coffee table.  Whatever you decide to make I am sure will be cool, but just be aware that the hair is hollow and will shed and break off with use. Our hair on hide lasted a few years and then I had to get rid of it because it was making a hair mess everywhere. If it were me I would want to keep my projects simple because I would hate to invest tons of time into something that is going to shed. The shedding happens because of the hollow hair it is not necessarily because you did something wrong when tanning the hide.  My husband now braintans or barktans deer hides. The uses of hides tanned these ways is endless and they wear very well. I have a wallet that has seen over ten years of use it is just starting to get the tiniest hole in one of its corners.

You have started down your deer tanning journey. Happy trails to you!