Become a self-reliant urban homesteader.. animal husbandry, water catchment, housing, clothing, holistic medical skills, safety and personal security, working at home, and more!
OH, WHERE TO START?!?
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The new girl goat (doe) is giving us about a half gallon of sweet milk a
day. So far I've made rice pudding, cheese and yogurt. My Kid is drinking
it strai...
I found this instruction on how to make wicks for kerosene lanterns, and will probably work with candles too.
Use cotton balls!
Loosen the fibers of three cotton balls by unraveling the cotton fibers to stretch the cotton to an elongated shape.
Place the elongated cotton balls on a flat surface.
Connect the ends of the three elongated cotton balls by overlapping ½ inch of the bottom part of the first cotton ball to ½ inch of top part of the second one.
Repeat for the third cotton ball.
Then, using your fingers, roll them up together tightly to produce a long wick.
I would then dip in wax once or twice to stiffen (so it will stay in place). Cut to size needed.
Usually I buy a bag of cotton balls a month for storage purposes. I did a little more research, and growing our cotton won't be too difficult if we follow information carefully. Then, we'll harvest the cotton, save the seeds, and keep the cotton separate. It can be used to make wicks, or to spin into cloth.
Thanks for posting this link. I'd love to use it on my own blog - just the sort of information I'd like to gather all in one place for my family and friends. Keep up the good work!
Susan: the instructions used cotton balls that you buy, but I'm planning on, at our next place, growing cotton and we'll use the bolls.
I've also been wondering ... we have lots of cottonwood trees around here, and they release little bits of fluff that go by the name "cotton". I took a few bits and twirled them, and they stuck together! Not scientific but I think it would be possible to use the bits of fluff from cottonwood trees to do this too. Anyone? Vikki
We are searching for supplier of an oil extractor that works for both nuts and seeds - want to recommend to our readers. Must be reasonably priced for homesteaders, and USA made is preferred. Please e-mail: williams_et_al @ yahoo dot com.
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homesteading .. animal husbandry .. bee-keeping .. chickens .. ducks .. cow .. horse .. pig .. calving .. kidding .. goat .. sheep .. cheese-making .. yogurt .. ice cream .. churning .. butter .. urban homesteader .. hard cider .. vinegar .. wine making .. beer brewing .. outhouse .. composting .. garden .. rabbits .. ruby eyed french angora rabbit .. hand-carding wool .. spinning yarn .. candle-making .. soap-making .. soap-making .. pigeons .. storing .. disaster .. recipes .. cooking .. droughts .. floods .. community .. self-sufficiency .. blizzards .. fishing .. hunting .. trapping .. raising fish .. raising rabbits .. water catchment .. rain barrels .. tornadoes .. skills .. disease .. civil unrest .. the day after .. bulk food .. suppliers .. economy .. government .. survival .. earth changes .. defense .. intentional community .. safety in numbers .. spiritual .. survivalblog.com .. gardening .. food calculation .. urban prep .. native foods .. permaculture .. local response to economy .. raising animals .. weapon training .. first aid .. first responder .. herbs .. prep circuit .. pitchfork .. plumbing .. solar .. wind turbine .. and much more!
"An urban homesteader doesn't necessarily live on a farm but associates with nature directly. We grow our own food and strive for self-sufficiency. We work to regain the almost-lost knowledge of our ancestors: tending to plants, animals and ourselves... moving away from "consumers" to "do-it-yourselfers". Urban homesteading isn't about suffering or deprivation or militant cults... it's about reclaiming our heritage." By V.P.Lawrence-Williams
Energy: -home-make biodiesel -solar -wind -water -rechargeable batteries -line-dry clothing (over plants to drip) -energy-efficient appliances -use fireplace/wood stove to cook in Winter -olive oil lamps -soy, beeswax and/or bayberry candles -compact fluorescent bulbs -bed early -hand-powered appliances (wheat grinder, etc.) -hand-cranked radio -mortar and pestle -push mower, hand clippers -broom and rake -walk, bike, bus, carpool, reduce shopping trips
Water Preservation: -low flow toilets w/toilet lid sink -composting toilets -reuse laundry and dish water -reduce baths and showers -mulch all garden plants -handwater garden -outdoor solar shower -plant edible plants, not lawn
Learn: -Gardening for maximum produce (99%) -Seed saving -Animal Husbandry -Butchering -Canning/Drying/Freezing -Baking/cooking from scratch -Yogurt-making -Bread-making -Cheese-making -Wine/beer-making -Candle-making -Sprouting -Composting -Making cleaning products (vinegar, etc.) -Making herbal/homemade remedies -Making tinctures -Survival skills -Edible landscaping -Sewing, quilting and leatherworking -Make own paper -Carpentry -Plumbing -Building -Harvesting rainwater -Bike, auto and machinery repairs -Computer basics -Household repairs/maintenance -Blacksmithing -Weaponry/defense/casting bullets -Sheep/Alpaca shearing -Spinning and weaving -Hairstyling and cutting -Bartering -Make a solar oven / cob oven -Make a solar shower
Choose to: -Help others along this path -Do without dishwasher, microwave, clothes dryer -Buy in bulk/organic/local -Eat what's in season only -Live simply -Tell stories at night of the old days -Use non-electric entertainment (board games, cards) -Be a modern-day "pioneer" -Reduce, reuse, recycle -Shop only once a month -Shop at second-hand/thrift stores/garage sales -Consume less -Unschool/Homeschool -Use reusable bags for shopping -Buy nothing that we can make/grow ourselves -Replace cookware with cast-iron
Cool the House by: -no central air conditioning -pull up carpet; install wood floors -use blinds -plant "edible" forest to shade house -solar attic fan
Heat the House by: -no central heat/furnace -woodstove or fireplace (use scrap wood) -insulate bed with heavy quilts/blankets -dress in layers
Becoming Self-Reliant Homesteaders: -don't stress; it's not worth the heart attack -live within your means -barter or trade for necessities -cut out the extras like 492 cable channels -walk or bike whenever possible -add a new skill each month (candlemaking, etc.) -store 90+days worth of stored foods -grow your own food or buy only local produce -raise a chicken 4 eggs in your spare bedroom -pay $0 whenever possible -yard sale regularly to get rid of unwanted clutter -compost and recycle everything possible
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I found this instruction on how to make wicks for kerosene lanterns, and will probably work with candles too.
Usually I buy a bag of cotton balls a month for storage purposes. I did a little more research, and growing our cotton won't be too difficult if we follow information carefully. Then, we'll harvest the cotton, save the seeds, and keep the cotton separate. It can be used to make wicks, or to spin into cloth. 
4 comments:
Thanks for posting this link. I'd love to use it on my own blog - just the sort of information I'd like to gather all in one place for my family and friends. Keep up the good work!
I'm a little confused. Did you mean cotton balls like you purchase or cotton bolls that grow?
We grow cotton and I think this is a great idea.
Susan: the instructions used cotton balls that you buy, but I'm planning on, at our next place, growing cotton and we'll use the bolls.
I've also been wondering ... we have lots of cottonwood trees around here, and they release little bits of fluff that go by the name "cotton". I took a few bits and twirled them, and they stuck together! Not scientific but I think it would be possible to use the bits of fluff from cottonwood trees to do this too. Anyone? Vikki
carding a lot of cotton wood cotton would help in making the wicks (also to remove seeds)
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