nettle fiber

I finally have something to show for weeks and weeks of preparation on my nettle project. I can even give an opinion on a craft that I am still very far from mastering.

I must give a warning to those of week constitutions, rotting nettle stinks like poo-poo! But if you can deal with that and know that the finished product has no smell at all then it is a fun project for one who likes learning new (old) things.

Once again I took on a project out of curiosity with no practical outcome in mind. No, I take that back. If we revert to living in caves, than spinning your own nettle yarn to make garments can keep you warm as you huddle around the fire, roasting your squirrel on a stick. Awesome! THANKS TO BARRETT for taking some of the pictures for me.

The first step is to harvest the nettles, notice my thick jacket and gloves. This should be done in the fall when the nettles are very tall. I have heard it suggested that if you wait until after the first frost you won't get stung, true, but I was not going to wait. I pull up the whole plant and take them home in bundles. Then I strip the leafs in a downward motion leaving just the stalks to rett.

The next step is to rot the fibers out of our nettle stalk. I should explain where the fibers are located. The nettle plant has a thin layer of fibers surrounding a pithy center. The part we want is on the very thin outside of the stalk. This means that the fiber yield is very small compared to the size of the plant. I tried two methods of retting. The first method is to rot the stalk submerged in water. I submerged the stalks in a trash can, a pond would work also. In the trash can method you would have to dump the water a day or two after starting because the nettles start to ferment to fast due to high sugar content. The length of time for retting depends a lot on temperature, mine took about two weeks. The nettles should be stinky, slimy and when rubbed the outer layer should slip off and you should see the white fibers. Be careful not to let them get to rotten because this would degrade the fibers making them to weak to be used.

The other method would be dew retting. With dew retting you just leave the stalks on the ground for weeks until the outside rots and the fibers are free. This works in the Pacific North West where I am, but it had inconsistent results, some stalks were really rotten while others were still fresh.

Either way, you know you are done when the black slime comes off the silky white fibers when you pinch a stalk. When the stalks are ready I lay them on a flat surface and gently smash them with a flat piece of wood. This slips the fibers off to either side of the pithy, hard center. I also eased the fibers off with my hands. It is pretty disgusting yet some how gratifying to see the fibers come off the stalk. Lay them in bundles side by side so that you don't get a tangled mess to work with.

this is my messy mass, first try before I got wise!

At this point, I gently rinsed and then re mashed the fibers to release them from the sticky coating. If they were not retted enough you will never get them clean.

My next post will show the cleanish, dried fibers and what I did next!

Political conversion

I wish I was not political. I have gotten in more trouble, sticking my foot in my mouth more times than I want to count. I have prayed for God to take away my opinionated, fiery streak and make me a mild mannered Sara that never offends any one and loves everyone. I have learned through many humbling life experiences to approach things with an open mind and never be so hell bent on being right. This year I have been meditating on Peace and compassion for others. I was trying to find what my responsibility is to my fellow man. I am terribly uncomfortable with both topics because they have become political terms and I could not recognize their application. Anyways, I need to digress and explain how I came to a moment of clarity and found a political stance that I am ALMOST comfortable with and I think would help restore both Peace and compassion to America.

The other day while listening to Blues Traveler with the family, I googled John Popper. I have a habit of looking up artists that I like to find out what makes them who they are. He was quoted and saying that he was a bleeding heart liberal until he got a job. I laughed because that was my story too. Wikipedia stated that he was a Libertarian and the kids asked, "whats a libertarian?". I started to give my best convoluted response and then realized that I only had a vague idea. I said "I think they are the pot party" and "Ron Paul is one" anyways, I am always one to learn something new, I looked them up and started reading their platform aloud to the family. I read for hours, the whole website, to my husband. The information was like the congealing of so many unconsolidated ideas that have been floating around in my head for years. It was also full of strange ideas on self government and its implications.

Any one who knows me knows I am a Christian and a very Biblically conservative Christian. That means that I live and make decisions with the world view that Christ is real and part of my life and the Bible is the word of God. I know that the world at large scorns the notion because I was part of the world at large once upon a time. No big deal, I don't need man's approval. It gets complicated when it comes to being an American. I have to have an opinion on what is going on in my country and world and that makes me grumpy. The Bible is very clear on how we are to live. It is a hard road. Love others as Christ loved us. We are instructed to "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy, with out holiness no one will see the Lord" Hebrews 12:14 Peace starts with in our own hearts. Holiness is hard, if Christ is the example, we must be quick to listen to our father in heaven. The concepts of Christianity have been grossly perverted by both ends of the political spectrum. The right claims to be the mouthpiece of God more often than not. Very scary stuff, but for different reasons than the Left thinks. We do not understand the depth of God, His ways are not our ways. Christians can feel good about having certain political views and feel justified before God when in reality they have missed the mark by having no positive, one on one contact with real people who need compassion. The republicans have yet to confront their guilt in the bloating of the government rather than living the example. A huge trend in Christianity right now is to glorify the past America, everyone was more "godly " then, we are going to hell in a hand basket, if only we could go back to the good old days. I would argue that we were all wretched sinners then to. The olden days had many ugly, sad parts as well. Arrogant men made evil choices that devalued human life for greed's sake as much back then as now and some of them claimed to know the will of God. It is foolish to judge the motives of men dead 200 years and put them on a pedestal. This is why I always felt uncomfortable with the constitution party even though I identify with their beliefs about sticking with the constitution. I personally feel that the only part of the olden days to glorify is the idea that man has the right to succeed or fail and the strength of the nation will be shown when community steps in to help when hard times come.

The Left perverts the tenants of Christianity when they say the government needs more money because Christ preached compassion. I even heard someone say Christ was a socialist because he fed the hungry and healed the sick. Did he use the apostles money? once again this misses the mark because it takes compassion out of the hands of the individual and makes liberals feel good about being the compassion party when the financial sacrifice is from the taxpayer and the cycle of poverty is not affected at all because the real causes are not dealt with.

Here is where my angst comes from with the current political system. Both sides want to legislate their version of morality and what citizens need. Both parties have grown the government into an unaccountable beast that sucks the livelihoods out of the citizens and has taken the meanings out of self determination, accountability, privacy and peace.

If the Libertarian model was followed half of America would freak out about the cruelty of the nation that would hang the "poor" out to dry. This half also does not believe that Americans are capable of making good choices for themselves and need the government from the cradle to the grave. Those who are trapped in this system are not even aware there is a different way to do things. Maybe it has never occurred to the "compassion party" that this is poison not love. We have seen the fruits of the system. Poverty is not to blame. Dignity is not bestowed by one's financial status. It is wrong for our government to say they know what is best for us. That half would also freak about the gun right issue, again I would have to say, Americans will have to trust each other rather than being nannies.

The other half would freak out because we would see different attitudes about drugs and lifestyles. Can folks handle the end of a drug war? That means more pot heads, but good bye drug lords. Will Americans be there to help addicts and heal families?What about war? We would be forced to clean up the messes at home first. Freedom means living side by side with different people and heaven forbid having getting our hands dirty. Can folks handle the end of government programs and education and look to the private sector to step it up. Can Americans handle not censuring each other? Can we act like grown ups? Do Christians believe their God is big enough to help those who need it when the time comes? Do we want the freedom to raise our kids the way we see fit? Are the Libertarians pro life or pro abortian? I don't know, but I can guarantee that they will not stand behind the government paying for others to have abortions with my tax dollars. I cannot will everyone to believe the way I do. All I can do is live in peace with my community and try to help those in need weather it is with time or money. I do feel better finding a party that is in line with so much of what is important to me. and I encourage people to check them out and read what they believe. I also encourage people to look at their own lives and invest in your community. Do what you can with what you have for others. It really doesn't matter what the politicians are doing if you are cultivating compassion on your own, we don't need to wait.

Libertarian Party Web Site

Back in the good old days, if ever any one would mention a food allergy to me, I would tune out and hear "blah. blah. blah... food allergy......blah. blah. blah." I lacked compassion and felt like telling them to suck it up! I have since been humbled when I got psoriasis at 30. It started out as something small, a tiny sore on my knee and a itchy patch on my lower spine. My knee had what looked like a scrape that would not heal. Slowly new very itchy spots erupted, elbows, shins, ankles, scalp, hands, fingers. The patches started getting bigger and I could not were shorts because I looked like a leper. I was/am to cheap to go to a doctor but it was finally so out of control that I had to know what the heck was up. The doctor said it was psoriasis and there was not much I could do but rotate topical treatments. The steroid cream worked a little, the sun a little, any moisturizer would cause horrible inflammation with painful burning. I was getting worse and I itched myself raw. My skin was so sensitive I could not use soap. I tried every healthfood brand of deodorant and they all caused burning and rashes. I had become my own worst nightmare. I was one of the "sensitive people". I was stinky and depressed. I started getting the joint pain in my ankle and hands where the psoriasis was. I asked the doctor if I could be having a food allergy and he said no, it was probably just genetic. I said to my self, "to heck with that". There was no way I would live like that. I did a elimination diet where I only ate chicken and rice and veggies for about two weeks. The cracked bloody sores began to heal. I added back major allergy causing foods one at a time. The wheat was OK , eggs OK. When I had dairy I got a rash of what looked like little broken blood vessels all over me and of course the itching and cracking skin. With in about two months of quitting dairy my skin and joints were healing. I did not feel a change in my energy or anything miraculous like that! I was still a tired mama.

I hit a wall in being totally healed, some of the psoriasis would not heal. My husband googled all food additives that might contain milk. Everything has milk in it darnit! That nondairy creamer at church has milk in it, many lunch meats, even my beloved salami. That helped me to clear up about 95% of the problem.

Hear is where my anger and frustration lies. All the info I read online said foods can't really help you to much, just to eat healthy and avoid triggers. That does not offer much hope to people who are suffering so terribly. I am wanting to shout from the roof tops that my psoriasis is now under control because I do not consume dairy. I can use soap again and wear deodorant!

I want to encourage people to not stop trying to heal themselves. I know not everyone is going to have the same solution but we are not powerless to try to get better. I can cook almost everything I love dairy free and I can have goat and sheep products. It is not so bad, I have had the bonus of learning self control. Now, hopefully I can be careful not to annoy people with my talk of food allergies.

Fast forward!

Here I am, now living way out in a national forrest, working with my family at a wonderful camp.

I have neglected posting because it was just to hard to do with the technology hurdles that come from living at a camp deep in the woods. We have traveled a lot and learned a lot in the last year. It has been wonderful for all of the Gibsons to switch gears so dramatically. We have had some grand adventures, and I will have to start blogging about them.

Awe man! I have not had a computer for over a month and I have been out at my sister's in Utah! so much fun to be had, So much blogging I wish I could do! It is a hard thing homeschooling on the road! I know I will need lots of info on mobil home schooling families in the near future. If anyone has some links for me let me know.

birthdays and beans!

Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise. Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest. Proverbs 6:6-7

In some parts of the world spring has sprung and it is warm and sunny. It has rained for days on the coast and nothing says spring like pressure canning your glut of dried beans in the pantry! We so far have 19 quarts of white, black and pintos oh my! I would have rather run away to Mexico and laid on the beach but there was a lot of heat coming out of the kitchen I guess.
My little bear is now 5, I know the candle says 4 but we were in a pinch and had to make due as all the candles were missing!. Auntie Jenn let Barrett pick what kind of cake he wanted and she whipped it up from scratch. It was so chocolaty and wonderful.

Choices, Choices.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12

I am basking in the glow of the choices I have made in my life thus far. Even the act of sitting down to blog is a small miracle in light of my choices. Some of my choices seemed insane at the time and look how well most of them turned out. For example, having children. Three children are madly running through the house laughing and/or screaming. The baby is contentedly nursing and I get to type away my thoughts. Dinner has been eaten, bellies are full,everyone is happy.

My choice to have goats, a dog, rabbits and many other time consuming things my husband has disapproved of, I cannot say those things always worked out wonderfully. The point is that we should weigh our choices in the light of only having one life to live and chose carefully but I never want to be limited by fear of failure or disapproval and have regrets. (I don't and haven't). My heart is full and healthy. But here I sit, my original goal was to blog about cooking and homeschooling, but who knows what I will choose to blog about.