Meeting my homesteading goals
Posted by: TammyI periodically review the goals I have set for our homestead. I wrote them down in my homesteading journal around January or February of this year. As I’ve previously stated, I was thrilled to expand our garden and preserve more of our harvest. My marked maple trees stand ready in our newly fallen 12″ of snow to increase our sap harvest next spring. I wanted to up the fruit production in our garden, too. If you go back a few posts, you’ll see pictures of our gorgeous raspberry crop.
Overall, it’s been a positive year and step upward in our goals. Another goals was to work on creating more of the boys’ Christmas presents. I was so proud to add knitting to my repertoire of frugal skills this year! I am an experienced crocheter but crocheting doesn’t create the beautiful socks I desired. In addition, the ribbing of knitting is better than that of crocheting. I took out every beginner knitting book that the library had and pulled out my Great Grams knitting needles. I hoped and prayed that those ‘experienced’ needles would pass on some of my Gram’s knitting talent on to me. 
So, I practiced. And practiced. And bugged my experienced knitting friend in Texas. THEN I decided to attempt socks. My dear friend Debi, in Texas is a sweetheart! She was so patient with me, teaching me how to follow a sock pattern from a thousand miles away over the phone! Thank goodness for unlimited minute phone packages. In the end, I used some of my beautiful New England wool to make my first pair of socks! They’re double knitted and will keep my feet nice and warm when I go ice fishing!
With my first pair of socks down in the books, I set my sights on Christmas presents for the fellas. I ended up knitting 4 hats (3 for the boys and one for my dad) and two more pairs of socks for myself. My socks are with a much finer sock yarn this time. I can’t wait ot fid them in my Christmas stocking! Yeah, I’m silly making my own stocking stuffers but it increases my anticipation of wearing my beautiful self-striped socks. I’ll have to take pics for you. I also crocheted two pairs of slippers for two of the boys and knitted a pair of piggy slippers for my middle son who totally has a thing for pigs.
The other thing I wanted to work on was my sewing. I am a skilled quilter but sewing and following a pattern is a bit different BUT I was once again determined. I found cute flannel on sale At JoAnn’s and ended up sewing up 3 pairs of flannel pajama bottoms for the boys. The added benefit to making my own flannel bottoms for them is that I can custom fit the pants of my extra tall, extra scrawny body styles of my fellas. A HUGE BENEFIT!
I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get flannel tops done for my oldest yet. He’s the only one who wears them. The other two prefer no tops or just t-shirts. My oldest jokes that he’s cold-blooded. BUT I’m not giving up now that I know I can get the bottoms done! Step by step and before you know it, you’ve done it!
So, this might be my last review of this years homesteading goals before the year ends. I’m eagerly looking forward to creating new goals for myself and our property in the coming year. I have to say that writing down my goals in a homesteading journal and having that physical reminder of what I wanted to do has been very helpful and motivating. It’s been nice sharing it with you, too.
What are your goals for your home in the new year?
- Tags: crocheting, knitting, sewing
December 28th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Love your blog. Great that you’ve learned to knit socks. I am also a sock knitter and those sweet socks you make for yourself cannot be beat. Keep up the great blogging.
Anna from southeast Tennessee
January 19th, 2010 at 3:46 pm
finally, I found this article again. You have few useful tips for my school project. This time, I won’t forget to bookmark it.