Change of Focus

I have decided to give my blog some focus. I hope that by having a more specific subject to write about, rather than whatever “strikes my fancy,” I will feel more compelled to write and become a better writer. I love talking about our DIY projects, my knitting, gardening, canning, baking, etc., and I think I have found a way to continue that, but with more purpose.

My family & I have a 5-year plan to start a path toward a self-sufficient lifestyle. To some, this is also known as modern homesteading. We have chosen to take on this lifestyle for a variety of reasons, but mostly I think it will work for us because our beliefs and the pleasure we take in doing things for ourselves. We're not "the end is coming and we better be prepared" types, though I have to say there is some comfort in knowing that if there is a major economic or natural disaster, it is likely we would be okay.

Right now, we live on a small lot in a "semi-urban" neighborhood. I say "semi-urban" because we live close to downtown, but it is a small town of about 15,000 people, on an island, in northwest Washington State. We are about 2 hours north of Seattle and a little over an hour from Canada. Part of our goal is to acquire a 3-5 acre plot in Skagit County where we can build a house and farm.

We have lived in our current house for 3 years. The house was originally built in 1949 as a vacation home/cabin. It has been added on to and remodeled over the years and has many quirks. We have yet to take on a home improvement project that was not complicated by the character of the house or the inadequacies of the previous remodel.

We live in a unique climate that some people attribute to a "banana belt" and others to the "Olympic rain shadow.” We have a mild climate with an annual average of 27 inches of rain (compared to Seattle's 36 inches), an average winter low of about 36 degrees, and an average summer high of only 71. We typically see about a week of cold in the 20s with 1-2 good bouts of snowfall and about a week of hot in the 90s. We are surrounded by a multitude of saltwater beaches (remember, we live on an island that is only about 40 square miles), rivers, lakes, and mountains. I am awestruck daily by the natural beauty that surrounds us.

We plan to use the time until we acquire our land to educate ourselves and adjust our lifestyle. I think our path to self-sufficiency will constantly change and evolve. Will we become full-time farmers? Will we be able to sustain ourselves with the fruits of our own labor, bartering or selling our goods as necessary? Will we be able to quit our "day jobs" or change to something less demanding/more flexible? Only time will tell.

Fortunately, many of our hobbies are skills that fit nicely into the homesteading lifestyle (which may be part of the reason we are so drawn to it). My significant other, Cliff, prefers to take on projects that involve power tools. He loves to build me toys (and more than a few for himself). He has a background in electronics, so he is in charge of the technical and power-related projects. I enjoy knitting, crocheting, sewing, baking, and cooking. I also hope to discuss food preservation, alternative power, and gardening.

I hope you will follow along as I share our journey... our struggles and our successes, as we learn to become a self-sufficient family.

Designs

I'm "officially" a pattern designer... I just listed my first design on Ravelry, a scarf I made for my son last fall. Its the Dragon Scale Scarf on Ravelry. If you aren't on Ravelry (shocking really!) Leave a comment or drop me an email and I'll send you a copy for free.

Mystic Farms Sale!

Mystic Farms is having a Christmas in July sale! Now through July 15, prices are marked 20% off selected products.

I hope you'll come check it out.

Mystic Farms

Buy Handmade

I have taken the buy handmade pledge, have you?




Please consider handmade/handcrafted goods when buying for yourself, your loved ones, and for gift giving.

I'm on Etsy!

I've been very busy working on my new business and my new Etsy shop the last couple months. I'm very excited to announce the launch of Mystic Farms! I make all natural lotion bars, liquid soaps, and other household products.



As part of my New Year's Resolution, as you may remember, I chose to no longer buy products that contained ingredients I could not pronounce. As a result, I started experimenting making my own liquid soap and lotion bars. In my research, I quickly realized that not a lot of people make liquid soap, and I LOVED making it. Using my family as guinea pigs, I've spent the last few months refining my recipes and coming up with a product I'm thrilled to offer in my shop. I also plan to offer vegetable wash and bug repellent stick and spray, as well as a garden insecticide spray.


I've even created a facebook page for my shop. I've resisted facebook for years, even though it seems like "everyone" is there. If you become a fan, you'll be notified of any local events I participate in as well as updates to my Etsy shop.

My products are 100% natural and contain no synthetic colors, fragrance, preservatives, or petroleum products. I hope you'll take a minute to browse my shop. I'd appreciate your support.

Starting a Revolution

I just finished watching the first episode of Jamie Oliver's new show, Food Revolution. I've been following his Ministry of Food campaign for the last couple years, and watched the success he has had reforming the meals in the UK school system. This man gets it. He has such passion for what he does, and truly believes he can make a difference. I honestly hope he does. The USDA school lunch program is a sorry excuse for nutrition, and the preservatives they stuff down our kids' throats are not doing them any favors. I hope I have set an example of better food choices for my child, although it was only in the last 2 years that I've been aware of how important those choices are.

Obesity and diet-related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are killing us. The American lifespan is actually DECREASING! Statistically, our children are going to live 10 years LESS than we will. This is appalling and something has to change. Eating fresh, local ingredients and cooking from raw (rather than processed) are SO important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and it really so much easier than most people realize. If you're timid about putting a fresh, from scratch meal on your dinner table 5 days a week, I encourage to check out Jamie's books or his website.

Please, sign the petition to save cooking skills and improve school food.


"I've been to South Africa, in the townships, and they're getting better food than your American kids. Now if I were you, I'd be really pissed off." - Jamie Oliver


The above statements are purely personal opinion and in no way sanctioned or endorsed by Jamie Oliver or his representatives. I am simply a fan and wholeheartedly agree with his campaigns.

Olympic Gold!

The Olympics are over and everyone has gone home. Being relatively close to Vancouver, there was a bit Olympic Fever here and I decided to compete in the Ravelympics Sock Hockey and Single Skein Speed Skate.


The Challenge: Knit a pair of socks, casting on no earlier than the opening ceremonies, and binding off no later than the end of the closing ceremonies.

The pattern I chose was Twisted Tulip Socks from Interweave Knits Spring 2008.

The yarn I chose was Pagewood Farms Yukon in Turquoise color.

Mods I made included a short 2 x 2 cuff and eliminating the cabled pattern on the foot.

I attended the Cast-On Party at Knot Just Yarn and I was off and running. By the end of the first weekend, I had this:


I didn't feel like this was a very encouraging start, but I wasn't going to give up! A friend & I were headed off for a fiber-filled weekend with lots of knitting time, and I knew if I could turn the heel by the half-way point, I still had a chance. By the time I headed home on Sunday, I had this:


I finished the heel flap that evening, and turned the heels the following morning. I was in the home stretch!

I finished the socks with about 36 hours to spare. Not only did I finish an awesome pair of socks, I proved that it doesn't take me an entire year to knit socks!









A big thank you to the volunteers at Ravelry who organized the event, and to Becky, Laura, and my Knot Just Yarn friends for the encouragement and the laughs.