Hand-spinning as a Hobby and a Business

Author: sophiemcfadden

Hand-spinning is one of the best known hobbies in the world. More than just being a hobby, it is also being recognized as an art form. Some individuals see hand-spinning as a potential business, especially when the yarns produced are developed further into finished products.

Modern spinning traces its origins from ancient India, Egypt and China, but perfection has been achieved with the invention of the drop spindle and the spinning wheel. However, when things became mechanized during the Industrial Revolution from the 18th to 19th century, the distinction between spinning threads for mass production and manual hand-spinning has been set.

Despite not being an easy hobby to perform, a lot of individuals, particularly women, turn to hand-spinning. Spinning fibers on spindles and weaving them on looms have become pleasurable activities. What makes them even more excited is the fact that their effort pays off well when they see the finished products - yarns of vibrant colors and great designs.

Every turn of the spinning wheel produces fine yarns that can be used in weaving finished products. Among these products include mittens, hats, gloves, mats and clothes. The earning potential for these products is high, especially when placed on a market filled with those looking for high-quality handicrafts.

To serve the needs of spinners, specialty shops dealing with the sale of spinning wheel accessories, equipment and fibers have sprung up around the country. These businesses do not only offer products but they also offer workshops to those who are interested and willing to learn the craft. Of course, there are also equipment builders who eventually sell spinning wheels and looms to the specialty shops.

From hobbyists who simply wanted to experience the joys of the craft, to those who wanted to bring things several notches up by selling spinning supplies, yarns, equipment and finished products, hand-spinning is capturing the attention of a lot of people. It should not surprise anyone to see the renewed and greater interest on hand-spinning now. Hand-spinning goes beyond just being a source of pleasure to anyone, for it is now an art form that is being valued everywhere, and a potential source of income for the enterprising and hardworking.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-ideas-articles/hand-spinning-as-a-hobby-and-a-business-4112446.html

About the Author

For more details, please visit us at http://www.woolery.com.
   

How To Achieve Self-Sufficiency

Author: Robijyoti Bhattacharjee

For a sustainable living, self-sufficiency is important. But to achieve self-sufficiency, the first thing we need to do is to bring a change in the overall way we work, think and live. No specialized course on self-sufficiency can teach us how to change ourselves. It is 'we' who need to initiate things for our own cause; to secure our today and improve our tomorrow without being dependent on any external source.

Here's a quick guide on how to get one step closer to a sustainable living.

First, let's understand what does it mean to become self-sufficient. It is a state of being independent where you no longer need any aid, support, and assistance from anyone else other than yourself to survive and sustain. So, you self-govern yourself because you have all the resources required to lead a happy life. When you achieve the state, you become mentally stress-free (to a large extent), and economically independent.

Now, let's get back to the point, "How to achieve self-sufficiency?" As mentioned earlier, it all starts from within. You need to explore the possibilities of what can you do depending on your abilities and resources available. To start a sustainable living, you need not to step out of your home in search of help. You are the power person and your home is your happy lab.

Start from doing little things, as simple as plant your own vegetables in your own garden and save the useful seeds for future planting, begin rain water harvesting by preserving it naturally, begin worm farming to produce great fertilizers, raise dairy cows to get your daily dairy products, cut tree branches to build your home furniture, use solar panels to meet your home energy requirements, do fishing if you love to, value the effectiveness of renewable resources instead of relying on non-renewable resources.

These are just a few of the many ways self-sufficiency can be achieved. It will take time in understanding, analysing, and practicing these activities, but it will earn you a complete sense of certainty with every passing day.

Practicing the above-mentioned things relieves you from being dependent on any external source. Like when you plant trees, raise cows or begin rain water harvesting, you are no longer dependent on shop or municipality. While you become self-sufficient, you do your bit in improving the ecology.  For example, without throwing away the dinner leftovers, when you use them into the worm compost for worm farming, worms eat these; make great fertilizers as well as help in maintaining ecological balance. Thereby, by becoming self-sufficient, you are improving your abilities to raise and grow your own stuffs as well as helping in maintaining an ideal environment where we can breathe trouble-free.

However, is it practical enough to say you can grow all your foods on your own? Do you have enough time and resource to live your daily life without taking anyone's help? Perhaps, this is where the difference between self reliance and self-sufficiency comes. That's the topic of our next article. Don't miss reading.

This is the first article in our series of complete guide to self-sufficiency. I would glad to hear from you on how you found the post.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/how-to-achieve-self-sufficiency-5675832.html

About the Author

The author is an avid blogger, permaculture practitioner, new media enthusiast and a member of Varanasi Estate, who believes there's a life beyond economic shakeout, social dogmas and mental stress. Here to share his views, learning achievements and observation on how to lead a happy, healthy and deliberate life.
   

Tips On Starting Your First Spring Garden

Author: Sian Francis

If you are starting your first spring garden, you are on your way to becoming a regular gardener.  You will need to start off right so that you can have a positive experience with gardening and not hit too many frustrations too soon which will put you off to the whole subject.

The first huge mistake that most make when starting their first spring garden is making it too big.  You need to start off with something small.  The reason is because you need to get comfortable with your garden.  It will be much easier to manage when it's a small project.  If it's too large, it will become overwhelming and won't be fun to do anymore.

Consider starting with containers.  These are smaller and easier to manage than digging up your soil or building complicated garden bins.  You will have more control over a container than a garden in your backyard.  Plant as many containers as you think you can manage.

Focus on getting quality soil.  The better soil you have, the better your plants will be.  Get a quality soil so that you can see real results and feel good about your efforts.

Read and research as much as possible.  Know that your local area has a growing zone.  There are certain plants that grow well in your zone and certain ones that don't grow well at all.  Start off with plants that grow well in your area so that you can get good results.  Be sure to carefully follow the care directions for your plants as well.

If you choose to plant outside, be sure to warm your soil with a tarp before you plant.  Sometimes the ground will be too cold from winter to actually grow anything.

Watch out for the late spring snow.  This many times ruins a spring garden.  This is why starting with containers is best since you can move those inside in case of the late snow coming in.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/tips-on-starting-your-first-spring-garden-2101612.html

About the Author

Sian Francis is keen at DIY and home improvement.  She has recently purchased the power painter plus.  To read her opinions on a range of Wagner paint sprayers then take a look at her website.  Here you will also find advice on the best deals around.
   

Smart budget prom shopping

Guest post written by Mary Sherman

Going shopping for almost anything can really add up. But I don't think that I ever full realized that until I took our oldest daughter prom dress shopping a few years ago. Now I fully understand and am already prepared this time around for our second oldest daughter's first prom. We're a little more cash strapped this time around and I want to make sure that we don't go over the budget, but that also my daughter gets her prom dream.

I think that we're going to have to make sure that we have a clear budget for each different part of shopping and hair, makeup, etc. before the big day. I was doing some research on realistic expectations for each of these when I saw some info on http://debtcounseling.bankrupt.com/. Once I looked through it a little bit I decided to check it out and see if it would apply to our financial situation.

We're starting off our budget prom shopping at the mall. I've already cut out a few things, including a manicure and pedicure. We have enough nail polish to do that at home anyway. Let's hope that we can pull this off on our small budget!

Top 10 Reasons Why The Future of America Depends on Survivalists & Preppers

Author: David Morris

There has been a lot of derogatory talk lately about "preppers" and "survivalists" and I'd like to take a minute to point out 10 reasons why preppers and survivalists have always been vital to the United States and why it is essential that we have as many as possible to survive future disasters.
1.  FEMA–The cost for local, state, and federal agencies to plan, equip, and staff for EVERY disaster that might happen is cost prohibitive.  When disasters strike, government is quick to talk, quick to "ramp up", but government help is slow to come and inefficient when it arrives.
Survivalists and preppers on the other hand are able to act quickly and efficiently to take care of their own house and provide stability, structure, and assistance for their streets, neighborhoods, and beyond.
2.  Stable Base–An organization (or nation) of people with specialized skills may accomplish great things when everything is going smoothly, but it quickly fall apart when trouble comes.  The survivalist & prepper mindset of "Jack of all trades, master of ONE" makes for a stable organization (or nation).
3.  Joseph in the Bible–Preppers/survivalists have been around saving the day since the beginning of time.  In Genesis 37-50, Joseph sees trouble coming and prepares for seven years.  At the end of seven years, a severe drought/famine hits that lasts for the next seven years.  Because of Joseph's preparations, Egypt survived the drought/famine and was able to help the surrounding nations.
4.  Founding Fathers–With the Constitution and Bill of Rights, our founding fathers pushed responsibility from the federal government down to the individual citizen and promoted a survivalist/prepper.  They did it with the 2nd and 4th amendments, they did it by example (Washington leading a mostly barefoot army across the Delaware,) and they did it throughout their writing, "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.  Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote."  –Ben Franklin
5.  Siege warfare–Many of the things that happened after Katrina are textbook examples of why siege warfare is so effective.  The normal city has a 3 day supply of food.  The normal prepper has a 6-24 MONTH supply of food.
Which do you think is more stable in the event of a siege that is due to disasters or war?  If you ONLY focus on food and water supplies, a city/county/region/country with many preppers will be much more resilient to being cut off from outside help than one with few preppers.
6.  Independent from the government–How much leverage does an energy tax (or most other taxes) have on a family who's living off the grid?  The more self-reliant you are, the less control the government can exert over your life through taxes.
7.  Criminals fear the aware and prepared–This is fairly straight forward.  Preppers & survivalists gradually become more aware and prepared than the average person.  This will show itself in your walk, in your eyes, and how you carry yourself.  In short, you stop looking like a wounded gazelle and more like a badger…cute & cuddly, but ready to do anything necessary to stop a threat to him/herself or loved ones.
8.  Tyrants fear survivalists and preppers–In addition to living a lifestyle that insulates them from siege, some taxes, and being nannied, survivalists and preppers are usually well armed & seek advanced training.  Good men have nothing to fear from an armed populace, but tyrants who seek to control the lives of others will always try to disarm them first through confiscation, taxation, or pressure through media and the educational system.
It worked for Hitler, Mao, and many more narcissistic, mass murders suffering from munchausen by proxy throughout the ages.  So far back, in fact, that Aristotle spoke extensively about how, in any society, those who control the arms control the state.
9.  More preppers = fewer refugees & faster recovery from disasters—After a local, regional, or national disaster, the number of refugees will be inversely proportional to the number of preppers & survivalists in the area.  In other words, the more preppers you have in an area, the less strain the hospitals, volunteer organizations, and government run refugee centers will have.
10.  More able to help their fellow man—After a disaster, you're not going to see very many refugees donating their food/supplies/time.  It's not that they don't want to, but rather it's because they are in a fight for their lives and may be dehydrated, hungry, and tired.
Preppers and survivalists who have food storage, water or water treatment tools, and who have prepared themselves psychologically for disasters will be able to help in several ways.  First, they're less likely to become refugees or use the time/resources of first responders.  Second, since they ARE prepared for disasters, they can help the people in their immediate area which will lessen the load on first responders and reduce the number of refugees.  Third, by helping themselves and their neighbors, preppers will increase the quality of care for people who DO end up still needing first responder care or to relocate to a refugee center.
In short, the more survivalists and preppers that we have, the more stable our families, cities, and the country as a whole are.  If you believe in this message, please forward it to your friends and family, tweet it, and link to it from your website or Facebook page.
And, if you have any interest at all in preparing so that you can survive disasters in urban environments, you really need to check out the SurviveInPlace Urban Survival Guide.
Other people like you who've taken the course agree that it is the best book or course on surviving disaster in an urban environment that they've ever read.  Here's what Doug in California had to say:
"In 23 years service in the Air Force, I completed both arctic and jungle survival training, many combat/battlefield skills courses, and I served under daily fire in Vietnam. I think I'm fairly well prepared to survive the environmental hazards.
However, your course has significantly broadened my perspective when it comes to urban survival and surviving both the good and malicious intent of my fellow citizens.  Thank you so much for digging out the information and for shortening the learning process."
-Doug (Retired Air Force) in California
All I can say is, "WOW!" Thanks Doug.
To see the special, limited time offer and get signed up, go to:
www.UrbanSurvivalGuide.com/index.php
www.secretsofurbansurvival.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/top-10-reasons-why-the-future-of-america-depends-on-survivalists-preppers-1466853.html

About the Author

David Morris
www.Twitter.com/SurvivalDave
SurviveInPlace.com
UrbanSurvivalPlan.com

   

Why Buy a Hobby Farm

Author:

Ben Tan

Buying a small farm is generally an emotive experience. Every purchaser has a unique set of reasons for taking such a step, however, general themes can be identified and several broad categories of hobby farmers can usually be observed in most regions.

For Investment Interest

Astute investors will often purchase a parcel of land close to the urban fringe with the expectation that the urban sprawl will inevitably produce handsome profits from subdivisions or redevelopment. Such farmers will often carry out a minimum of work and may graze some animals in order to keep the property tidy. It is unlikely that long-term activities such as re-vegetation will take place.

For Lifestyle Or Privacy

More commonly hobby farmers have a desire to live away from the prying eyes of neighbours, but be near enough to the city in order to commute to work. Some owners may have little interest in working the property as a place for agricultural production, and as a result, carry out a minimum of work maintaining the site.

A pleasant environment for the children is often cited as the reason for moving to a rural property. Others may combine the benefits of a rural lifestyle with the personal aim of land regeneration. The land may not be used for agricultural purposes, but there is a desire to see the site nurtured for the sake of fauna and flora. These are certainly noble ambitions.

For Retirement And Memories

I have met quite a few older migrants who want to relive past rural experiences, similar to their native homeland. Many such people migrated to the city, spending a lifetime working at menial tasks within a factory setting. An element of nostalgia is apparent, yet they take lavish pride in their farm and usually develop highly productive farms. Often these farmers choose to live in the city near their families and commute to the farm. Unfortunately, time is often against such people, and due to an inability to maintain the property with age, there is no choice but to sell.

For The Enterprising Spirit

There is also a brave and adventurous group of hobby farmers who want to try their hand at something new or novel. The range of enterprises is only limited by one\'s imagination and in general a few years are needed before the enterprise is deemed a success or failure. In the meantime the owner may work full time, operating the enterprise on weekends. The majority of such enterprises are doomed to failure, but this is often a learning experience leading to success in the future.

A very wide range of enterprises such as emu growing, native bush foods, snail production and garlic cultivation may be attempted. From hundreds of new projects, some will be a success, but the majority will be a learning experience at best and a financial disaster at worst. In many cases insufficient planning and research is carried out, or the owner soon comes to the conclusion that far too much work is involved for the potential returns.

For Passion And Challenges

In my case I have no great illusion or grand plan, but I look forward to the physical challenges involved in maintaining 5 acres with limited capital. I hope one day to look upon my farm with pride and to grow and share some of the fruits of this labour.

This article is taken from Alf\'s Hobby farm site at My Hobby Farm. Alf also writes in details on farm machiney and implements covering Tillers and cultivators as well as Farm Tractors.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/why-buy-a-hobby-farm-235489.html
About the Author
Ben provides assistance and consultancy to real and virtual estate owners in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Ben is also in the process of publishing a eBook on hobby farming.