I've been working away on the door throughout the summer. It's a bit difficult because I am having to strip the paint and the surface of the door is uneven. But it's almost done, just need to sand and reassemble, cut, adjust, insert windows, and paint - and when finished, I should have a TARDIS style door ready for my yurt.
Adding to the expenses list are paint scrapers and sandpaper - let's say about $30.
During the last two years, I've accumulated a few sheep fleeces that should be good for felting. I think this is going to need a lot of practice to make large sheets of felt. But I don't mind, any excuse to work with wool.
The thing that really has me down with this project is that I've run out of funds. So I think I'll start selling seeds on my etsy shop. I have some winter vegi seeds ready, like medieval fava beans, and bread poppies. Soon I'll have some Mongolian Giant sunflowers that grow 12 to 15 feet tall. I grew mine this year with zero irrigation, in a nasty drought year. Ground water and dew were all it seemed to need. DEEP roots that grew quickly to draw up moisture and deep nutrients. Huge seeds, not to mention the stems can be dried and used as firewood (I'm also experimenting with them as a textile source). I think, for selling seeds for this project, I want to only use my more resilient seeds, ones that have been selected to grow with minimal external input like water and organic fertilizer.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Sunday, February 22, 2015
If I were to place an ad for wool - or should I say when?
WANTED: Don't toss that wool!!!
Even if you think the wool is no good. Even if it's a meat sheep. Even if you think I'm daft for wanting to build a yurt with traditional materials. Please don't toss that wool.
Seeking 100 free fleeces for a very ambitious yurt building project. I'll be making a half inch thick felted wool cover for my yurt, on a very tight budget.
I know there's a lot of you out there who feel your wools is only good for compost, but it is probably good for this project. Please don't compost it or burn it. You have to shear your sheep anyway - unless you have katahdin of course - but for those with wooly jumpers, here's your chance to donate your fleece to something a bit unusual.
Can pick up on the saanich peninsula. Further afield requires a bit more organization, but can be done if there's enough wool to make it worthwhile.
I don't need all the wool to come from the same place, so even if you have a dozen spare fleeces, feel free to get in touch.
White wool, not-white wool, it's all good.
Moths aren't good.
Why haven't I posted it yet? No space to keep the wool... yet. In the middle of a big spring clean with lots of stuff to take to the charity shop.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Thoughts about sustainable wood sources
Natalie. Thank you for your comment. Yurt Week sounds like a lot of fun. We would love to have you stay... only... I'm a complete git and misplaced your email address. I have a horrible feeling this isn't the first time either. It's a completely unforgivable personality flaw. Please forgive me.
Now, let's get our wood on.
I've spent a good deal of time this winter, thinking about wood. How can I find the yurt building materials that match my values? What are these values that I want to match? What kind of wood is available where I live?
What I would like from the materials I choose is for them to have a story of their own, to be affordable, and to have some consideration for environmental sustainability.
There is the standard big box store supply of wood. This is convenient, surprisingly affordable, and even sells 1x2s in 8 foot lengths. Buy 100 of these and I don't even need to turn on a power saw. For very slightly less I could buy 25 2x4s 8 foot long and rip them down to size. Or x number 2x6, or ... you get the drift. They have a large supply so I could simple pick out the best ones they have that day and go from there.
However...There is nothing amazing about this wood. No story, no history, just clinically precise, practical hunks of wood. I have no idea what sort of forest management these boards would come from, Or who milled them, what were their work conditions like, or how far the wood traveled.
Next thing that came to mind was to find a local mill and buy wood from them. These are surprisingly difficult to find, although I'm told there are many. I managed to find one, about an hours drive from home, and visited it over the winter. I was impressed with the variety of products and the general operation.
However... The prices from the local mill were more than triple the big box store, and well beyond my budget. What's more, I got the 'girl treatment'. This what we call wood, this is what we call lumber. I try so hard to be polite. When I told them the size range I'm looking for and the final purpose for the project, they acted all impressed and then insisted I needed to buy something that impossible to use for this project. 4 foot lengths of tongue and groove stuff, less than 1/2 an inch thick. How does one make 8 foot long 1x2s from that without going completely batty? It was obviously leftover stock they just wanted to shift.
Reclaimed wood has completely captured my heart. I love this idea, of using wood that has a previous history and would otherwise be destined for the chipper heap. If I could find this, I would be all over it, gushing poetic, happy as Larry (Larry being the name of one of our particularly joyful sheep). I would even drastically alter the dimensions of my yurt if I could find the perfect reclaimed wood.
However... There are concerns as to the previous life of the wood. Was it from a home filled with asbestos or some other highly toxic whatcha-thing? As wood ages, it hardens... if it's kept dry like in a house. Eventually it gets so hard, you need special tools or lots of saw blades to make a dent in it. And then there are nail and screw holes, which may reduce the structural integrity of the wood. Also, I'm not currently dating a demolitions guy - I couldn't find one that would wrestle a ram for me on his day off... his loss I'm sure.
I could rivie my own wood with a froe. This is a very old method to cut a log by hand, lengthwise. Wooden shakes (shingles) are made using this tool. It can also be used to make long boards by cutting the log to length, then riving it with a froe. On our farm, we have a small, managed forest that we use for firewood on occasion. I could cut down some especially straight alders - a very fast growing tree of which we have many - and use it to make my yurt wall lattice. I figure I would get 10 to 15 pieces per tree - so that's 10 trees.
However... I've never rivied before, never used a chainsaw, never felled a tree taller than myself... These are actually quite daunting to me, especially the chainsaw. But the most problematic aspect of this wood source is that the wood I create would be green, aka wet, aka, not dry. It will probably go a bit twisty as it drys, which I think might cause problems later on.
If I could have my druthers and acquire the most renewable wood I know, I would use coppiced branches. This is an amazing source of wood, and highly renewable. The root is left alive, and from time to time, the branches are cut off. Then more branches grow from the stump, grow especially straight, and when they are large enough, are cut off and used, and new branches grow...
However... although common in europe coppicing is seldom seen here except by the occasional basket weaver. To acquire 3/4 to 1 inch thick, 8 foot long branches, I would have to find a managed coppiced forest, or wait half a dozen years until my willow is large enough.
These are the sources of wood I've found so far. To tell the truth, given my budget and how eager I am to get on with building the yurt, my least favourite source is the most likely. Good old box store lumber... la sigh. But not quite yet, there's something that doesn't feel like it's time to buy the wood yet... some sort of instinct saying that a better option is coming soon.
That's okay, I'll get back to working on the door. It's looking good, if a bit slower going than I had hoped.
Now, let's get our wood on.
I've spent a good deal of time this winter, thinking about wood. How can I find the yurt building materials that match my values? What are these values that I want to match? What kind of wood is available where I live?
What I would like from the materials I choose is for them to have a story of their own, to be affordable, and to have some consideration for environmental sustainability.
There is the standard big box store supply of wood. This is convenient, surprisingly affordable, and even sells 1x2s in 8 foot lengths. Buy 100 of these and I don't even need to turn on a power saw. For very slightly less I could buy 25 2x4s 8 foot long and rip them down to size. Or x number 2x6, or ... you get the drift. They have a large supply so I could simple pick out the best ones they have that day and go from there.
However...There is nothing amazing about this wood. No story, no history, just clinically precise, practical hunks of wood. I have no idea what sort of forest management these boards would come from, Or who milled them, what were their work conditions like, or how far the wood traveled.
Next thing that came to mind was to find a local mill and buy wood from them. These are surprisingly difficult to find, although I'm told there are many. I managed to find one, about an hours drive from home, and visited it over the winter. I was impressed with the variety of products and the general operation.
However... The prices from the local mill were more than triple the big box store, and well beyond my budget. What's more, I got the 'girl treatment'. This what we call wood, this is what we call lumber. I try so hard to be polite. When I told them the size range I'm looking for and the final purpose for the project, they acted all impressed and then insisted I needed to buy something that impossible to use for this project. 4 foot lengths of tongue and groove stuff, less than 1/2 an inch thick. How does one make 8 foot long 1x2s from that without going completely batty? It was obviously leftover stock they just wanted to shift.
Reclaimed wood has completely captured my heart. I love this idea, of using wood that has a previous history and would otherwise be destined for the chipper heap. If I could find this, I would be all over it, gushing poetic, happy as Larry (Larry being the name of one of our particularly joyful sheep). I would even drastically alter the dimensions of my yurt if I could find the perfect reclaimed wood.
However... There are concerns as to the previous life of the wood. Was it from a home filled with asbestos or some other highly toxic whatcha-thing? As wood ages, it hardens... if it's kept dry like in a house. Eventually it gets so hard, you need special tools or lots of saw blades to make a dent in it. And then there are nail and screw holes, which may reduce the structural integrity of the wood. Also, I'm not currently dating a demolitions guy - I couldn't find one that would wrestle a ram for me on his day off... his loss I'm sure.
I could rivie my own wood with a froe. This is a very old method to cut a log by hand, lengthwise. Wooden shakes (shingles) are made using this tool. It can also be used to make long boards by cutting the log to length, then riving it with a froe. On our farm, we have a small, managed forest that we use for firewood on occasion. I could cut down some especially straight alders - a very fast growing tree of which we have many - and use it to make my yurt wall lattice. I figure I would get 10 to 15 pieces per tree - so that's 10 trees.
However... I've never rivied before, never used a chainsaw, never felled a tree taller than myself... These are actually quite daunting to me, especially the chainsaw. But the most problematic aspect of this wood source is that the wood I create would be green, aka wet, aka, not dry. It will probably go a bit twisty as it drys, which I think might cause problems later on.
If I could have my druthers and acquire the most renewable wood I know, I would use coppiced branches. This is an amazing source of wood, and highly renewable. The root is left alive, and from time to time, the branches are cut off. Then more branches grow from the stump, grow especially straight, and when they are large enough, are cut off and used, and new branches grow...
However... although common in europe coppicing is seldom seen here except by the occasional basket weaver. To acquire 3/4 to 1 inch thick, 8 foot long branches, I would have to find a managed coppiced forest, or wait half a dozen years until my willow is large enough.
These are the sources of wood I've found so far. To tell the truth, given my budget and how eager I am to get on with building the yurt, my least favourite source is the most likely. Good old box store lumber... la sigh. But not quite yet, there's something that doesn't feel like it's time to buy the wood yet... some sort of instinct saying that a better option is coming soon.
That's okay, I'll get back to working on the door. It's looking good, if a bit slower going than I had hoped.
Friday, January 2, 2015
recurring yurt dreams and an idea about seeds
I've been having a lot of dreams lately about yurts. There are three or four different dreams, that have been repeating themselves almost every night for the last two months. Perhaps my subconscious is trying to yell something at me.
These different dreams share a similar theme, they all address food security issues.
For example, one dream occurs in the near future. There has been a breakdown in the long distance food supply for some reason. Lack of fuel, major strike, political unrest, all or none of the above, I don't know. Dream doesn't say why. But it happened and it didn't happen yesterday. It's been several months, approaching a year without the major industrial food supply and people are slowly starving. There is an intense interest in Victory Gardens (small home garden plots where once there was emerald green lawn). But what does all this have to do with a yurt?
In this dream, some philanthropist has hired me to give free lessons to the community on how to harvest, process, dry and store seeds, which I give in my yurt. Yurt is awesome for this because the walls can be adjusted to let more or less air in, depending on the weather.
Another yurt dream involves a time when it has become illegal to grow or even cook your own foods. 3D printed soy and corn based meals are considered the only 'safe' alternative, for some reason. Maybe the bees finally bit the dust, or some major food safety scare, or whatever. But it's considered not only illegal but impossible to grown your own vegetables. Yet, here I am, living off-grid in my yurt, blissfully unaware of this known fact, that it is impossible, and have a lush garden filled with tasty things from grain to flax, to mangel wurzels for my goat.
The third yurt dream that really stands out is one where I live where I do now, have the garden I have now, save seeds, raise sheep, grow and cook my own foods, all things I do know. Only difference is that I have a yurt. A lovely large-ish yurt. In this yurt I host small tutorials on how to do everything from plant seeds, to ferment wine, to bread baking, to miso club gatherings, to curing and smoking meat.
This dream is my favourite because it could be possible.
Maybe that's the motivation I need to make this yurt happen. Maybe it needs to be less about me, and more about teaching self sufficiency. That is what a yurt symbolizes to me, self sufficiency - and to use the yurt for teaching those skills to others. Now that would be wonderful.
I have the skills to teach, and the love of sharing what I know with others. The act of getting my arse in gear and organizing actual events - and getting the word out - that is my major shortcoming. But here's motivation to remedy that.
But then again, I need a yurt first... catch 22.
How can I use these dreams to inspire me? One of the biggest obstacles to having my own yurt is funding. Why not take the idea of food sustainability and monetize it slightly? I can sell seeds!
Yurt Seed - what do you think? Good name for a line of seeds?
It could look something like this:
Burgundy Grain Amaranth
A. hypochondriacus
Open pollinated
Grown by me since 2012, plant has grown true every year
Seeds harvested in 2014 for planting 2015-16
Germination test (in progress)
Beautiful bright red plant, grows 1.5 to 2m tall. Useful in floral arrangement, or mature for seed which can be used in cooking, ground for flour, or for planting. Young leaves also tasty and cook like spinach.
Includes instructions on how to grow, how to harvest, how to save seeds, and three recipes for cooking.
$6 for 5g seeds (roughly 3000 to 6000 seeds)
$2 for 1g seeds (roughly 500 to 1200 seeds)
shipping not included
I imagine the price is okay. The local seed company charges a couple dollars more for the same amount of seeds and includes minimal growing instructions and no recipes. Or maybe I should charge the same amount as them because I'm harvesting and sorting by hand instead of mechanically like they do. Then again, I also want to encourage people to grow their own food, and if I price it too high, it becomes prohibitive to those who need it most. No, I think I like this pricing. It is what I would feel comfortable paying for the same amount of seeds.
So far the only seed I have ready is the Amaranth, but as I sort through my seeds, I may find more ready to sell. I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but it's worth a try. Especially if it stops the nightmares I keep having of a dwindling food supply.
These different dreams share a similar theme, they all address food security issues.
For example, one dream occurs in the near future. There has been a breakdown in the long distance food supply for some reason. Lack of fuel, major strike, political unrest, all or none of the above, I don't know. Dream doesn't say why. But it happened and it didn't happen yesterday. It's been several months, approaching a year without the major industrial food supply and people are slowly starving. There is an intense interest in Victory Gardens (small home garden plots where once there was emerald green lawn). But what does all this have to do with a yurt?
In this dream, some philanthropist has hired me to give free lessons to the community on how to harvest, process, dry and store seeds, which I give in my yurt. Yurt is awesome for this because the walls can be adjusted to let more or less air in, depending on the weather.
Another yurt dream involves a time when it has become illegal to grow or even cook your own foods. 3D printed soy and corn based meals are considered the only 'safe' alternative, for some reason. Maybe the bees finally bit the dust, or some major food safety scare, or whatever. But it's considered not only illegal but impossible to grown your own vegetables. Yet, here I am, living off-grid in my yurt, blissfully unaware of this known fact, that it is impossible, and have a lush garden filled with tasty things from grain to flax, to mangel wurzels for my goat.
The third yurt dream that really stands out is one where I live where I do now, have the garden I have now, save seeds, raise sheep, grow and cook my own foods, all things I do know. Only difference is that I have a yurt. A lovely large-ish yurt. In this yurt I host small tutorials on how to do everything from plant seeds, to ferment wine, to bread baking, to miso club gatherings, to curing and smoking meat.
This dream is my favourite because it could be possible.
Maybe that's the motivation I need to make this yurt happen. Maybe it needs to be less about me, and more about teaching self sufficiency. That is what a yurt symbolizes to me, self sufficiency - and to use the yurt for teaching those skills to others. Now that would be wonderful.
I have the skills to teach, and the love of sharing what I know with others. The act of getting my arse in gear and organizing actual events - and getting the word out - that is my major shortcoming. But here's motivation to remedy that.
But then again, I need a yurt first... catch 22.
How can I use these dreams to inspire me? One of the biggest obstacles to having my own yurt is funding. Why not take the idea of food sustainability and monetize it slightly? I can sell seeds!
Yurt Seed - what do you think? Good name for a line of seeds?
It could look something like this:
Burgundy Grain Amaranth
A. hypochondriacus
Open pollinated
Grown by me since 2012, plant has grown true every year
Seeds harvested in 2014 for planting 2015-16
Germination test (in progress)
Beautiful bright red plant, grows 1.5 to 2m tall. Useful in floral arrangement, or mature for seed which can be used in cooking, ground for flour, or for planting. Young leaves also tasty and cook like spinach.
Includes instructions on how to grow, how to harvest, how to save seeds, and three recipes for cooking.
$6 for 5g seeds (roughly 3000 to 6000 seeds)
$2 for 1g seeds (roughly 500 to 1200 seeds)
shipping not included
I imagine the price is okay. The local seed company charges a couple dollars more for the same amount of seeds and includes minimal growing instructions and no recipes. Or maybe I should charge the same amount as them because I'm harvesting and sorting by hand instead of mechanically like they do. Then again, I also want to encourage people to grow their own food, and if I price it too high, it becomes prohibitive to those who need it most. No, I think I like this pricing. It is what I would feel comfortable paying for the same amount of seeds.
So far the only seed I have ready is the Amaranth, but as I sort through my seeds, I may find more ready to sell. I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but it's worth a try. Especially if it stops the nightmares I keep having of a dwindling food supply.
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