Absinthia Returns, Part 14

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

Who Needs Money, Anyway?

I'll admit, I have often thought that if only I had enough money for a rainwater system or a solar panel, etc., I could live a simpler life.  Well, Absinthia has news for those of us who think that!

Hello,

It makes me a bit sad when people say they need more time and money in order to live a simple life, when it is quite the contrary. My husband and I started out on this journey because we needed to live on less money, not more. So “no money” is absolutely not an issue. Not at all. All you need is creativity, imagination, and the will to walk this path. If you have someone to hold your hand when you take the leap, it will make things much more fun, of course.

One of the reasons I agreed to do this series with you was my wish to kill the myth that you need to be rich to live a simple life. Let’s remember the people that lived like this before us, our foremothers and forefathers. They lived like this because they couldn´t afford any other way. If they had had any money, I am rather sure they would have made a few changes here and there ;-).

I have found that imagination is the mother of invention in many ways. If you have money, you stop seeing the possibilities, I think. Your mind becomes a bit lazy. Instead of finding out how to make a dish brush, you throw some money at the problem.  Instead of finding out how to build your own solar panels, you throw money at it.

As I mentioned in an earlier letter, I recommend The Complete book of Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour. It’s a wonderful book with hands on instructions on how to do all you need to live what he calls “the good life.” You can find it in most libraries.

I am not trying to be rude, or anything like that. I am just saying, you don’t need money to live simply. You need to stop thinking you need money, you need to see beyond money. Money is not the start and finish of all… money is just one tool among millions of tools. That is all it is, no more than that. I promise! :-D

- Absinthia

This is the end of "Absinthia Returns." In future posts, Absinthia and I will discuss ways to eat simply.

Absinthia Returns, Part 13

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

TV--Putting Life on "Pause"

We have arrived at Part 13 of this conversation with Absinthia... a fitting number for discussing television.  'Nuff said.

Hello,

I have thought a lot about what on earth might be the reason so many people go on saying “I don't have time to live simply,” and today I think I've got it! I think it is television. It passifies you. You sit there, and you receive other people's thoughts, other people's ideas, other people's activities. You can't change anything. Nothing is in person, and no one accomplishes anything without throwing money at it.

The first thing we did when we started our path to a simpler life was we got rid of the tv. It cost money to have it and we didn't need it for our physical survival in any way, so “out with it.” And the first two days or so it felt strange, but after that it felt liberating. So much time to do fun stuff instead of stagnating in front of the “dumb-box.” Nowadays we get our news from the newspapers on the Internet.

I no longer get what the charm is with sitting there and staring at a screen with people running around saying embarrassing things. I don't get the charm in sitting there hour after hour watching others doing things, when you can DO things yourself, for real. My husband and I have talked about this more than once, and we have come to the conclusion that tv actually is more than just a very passive activity, it has to be a kind of drug.

After 9 years without tv, we just don't get it anymore. Why on earth should we want to sit on a sofa and stare at a screen showing people doing things?! Why can´t we sit at the kitchen table and drink tea, instead, where the seats are comfier, the light is nicer and the background sounds are more discreet? Or maybe go out for a walk and enjoy the weather and nature!

- Absinthia

Dear Absinthia,

I think you are exactly right when you say it’s a drug. A major reason why so many people drink a lot of alcohol or take drugs is so they can stop thinking--about life and things that are bothering them. TV works the same way. It is hypnotic and mind-numbing.

- amanda

Hello,

Hmmm, now you make me think again! ;-)

When we visit someone, we always end up in their sitting room, on a sofa in front of the tv for “something to do.” For so many people, tv is seen as normality, common, and necessary for the survival of civilisation as we know it--which of course is not the case. Probably quite the opposite, if you think about it.

I know there is a silent revolution against this kind of behavior though. More and more I hear comments like, “Let's sit in the kitchen, it is so much more relaxed and nice there.“  A small kitchen revolution has been growing slowly but surely. More and more, people would rather sit in peace and sip some nice tea. It is a silent and humble reaction, but a nice and tasty one. ;-)

- Absinthia

Dear Absinthia,

I worry that our culture is being directed by tv, advertisers, media, and Internet services.  I suppose the best thing is to do what we personally believe in, and let everyone else march to those ever-present “drums” as they choose.

-amanda

 The conversation is continued here:
Absinthia Returns, Part 14.

Absinthia Returns, Part 12

That's my girl!

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

Second-Hand Crafting: Nappies!

When my kids were babies, people thought I was nuts to use cloth diapers.  But even then, I didn't know about hand-knit wool soakers.  I went through all kinds of gyrations to find snap-front nylon diaper covers, to allow some airflow for my little ones.  I am so pleased that cloth diapers and wool soakers have become popular.  The simple life is winning!

Hello,

I also make nappies (diapers) and soakers (diaper covers) from second-hand cloth and wool yarn.

Baby Nappies

Cloth nappies are best made of cotton or linen--soft and easy to wash. I find that bottom sheets, curtains, or dish-drying cloths are the best choice for this. Duvet covers are often a bit too thin for this. If you can find cute patterned curtains, or solid colored of course, you can make lovely nappies very easily. You just make them like cloth napkins, but a bit bigger. Easy! 

My mother says a very soft cotton is the best kind of fabric to use--a “thirsty cotton, with a lot of sucking in it.” Yeah, it sounds strange I guess, but it makes a lot of sense when you say it in Swedish. I guess you know of a better way to say it in English? Absorbent?  It doesn´t have to be terry cloth or some other extra soft cloth. Ordinary dish-drying towels can work just fine, as long as they are big enough, and you wash them in the hottest cycle on your washing machine.

I make them from an old pattern my granny taught me. I make them like big, hemmed squares: 50 x 50 cm for newborns, 60 x 60 cm for medium-size, and 80 x 80 cm for older babies.

When you use your nappies, you fold them many times, like an accordion. First you fold the square into a triangle, and then you make an accordion in the middle.  When you put the nappy on the child you put it in place between the baby's legs. Then you start pulling up the soaker, while at the same time folding the nappy out a bit in front and in back, to tuck it in place more comfortably inside the soaker. Easy :-)

Here’s a link to a Swedish website with pictures showing how to fold and put on a homemade nappy.

Caring for Your Nappies

Don’t wait too long to change the nappy. Change as soon as possible, rinse in cold water.  Wash on the warmest cycle. Air-dry, don´t tumble dry. It wears the textile down very fast.

Don´t use regular bleach.  It is very hard on the fabric.  Do a “fresh bleach” now and then, where you soak in fresh lemon juice and then air-dry outside so they get bleached by the sunlight.

Never wash them with fabric softener. It kills the absorption rate completely!  If you want the nappies softer, add some vinegar in the rinsing cycle. Just a spoon, or it might be damaging to your machine.  Another way to soften them is to wad up the nappies after drying, pull gently from the corners, and then fold them. This makes the cloth less stiff and it straightens out the nappies so they keep their square shape, which makes the folding so much easier when you fold it in place on the baby.

If you do these things, your nappies can last for ages and ages. Very low cost, both monetary and climate wise. :-D

Absinthia's homemade nappies

Soakers

For soakers, pure wool is the very best (not superwash!).  I knit all soakers in “fat wool yarn,” meaning wool that has not been washed before being spun into yarn. Fat wool yarn is soft, very soft, and the lanolin works like a lotion for the baby’s sensitive skin.

When you change a nappy, change the soaker as well and let the soaker air-dry until the next change. It is enough to wash the soakers and re-soak them in lanolin about once every 4th-6th week actually. With a pack of approximately 20 cloth diapers and 4 soakers in every size, you and baby will be just fine :-D

Caring for Your Soakers

Between changes, air-drying works great for soakers as long as they are 100% pure wool. Not superwash, not wool blend, just pure wool. After the air-drying, preferably outside, just sniff it a little to make sure it's okay to re-use. After a while it will no longer smell fresh. Then you need to wash it and re-soak it in lanolin. As long as the wool is full of lanolin it will not absorb the stuff in the diaper. ;-) That is why this very simple method actually works. That is also why it is so important to make sure you soak your soakers in lanolin before you start using them for the first time.

Here you can buy lanolin (wool fat) at the apothecary. It is easy to re-lanolin soakers. Just pour a good dollop on them and squeeze back and forth until the lanolin has spread all through, then air-dry them again.

The soakers might leak a little at the beginning. They have to felt a little before they get completely “air-tight.” If you want to prevent that, wash them once or twice and re-lanolin them very thoroughly before the first real usage.

To take the best care of your handmade soakers, wash them with shampoo in lukewarm water only.  Like nappies, never wash them with fabric softener.

I think that is all my recycling tips right now. It is time for some tea.

- Absinthia

The conversation continues here:
Absinthia Returns, Part 13

Absinthia Returns, Part 11

Bed from the Early Modern period of German furniture (1500-1800)

photo by R. Engelhardt

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

Second-Hand Crafting: Bed Linens

Hello again,

In Sweden, we would probably die without duvets. Seriously! Sometimes we have duvets and blankets on top of that! We have thin duvets for spring and autumn, and thick duvets for the midwinter.  During midsummer, we don’t need duvets at all.

Here are some second-hand sewing projects for the bedroom.

Bed Sheets

Two small sheets can be made into one big sheet. The seam will be positioned across the bed at approximately knee height, so it is hardly noticeable.

Duvet Cover

Here’s how I make the Swedish version of duvet covers from two fitted bottom bed sheets.  Measure a well-fitting duvet cover. Use that as a model when cutting off the sides of the bottom sheets. With right sides together, sew the two bottom sheets together, leaving two corners at one end open enough to be able to get your hand in.  Hem the edges of the open corners.  At the other end, sew the two corners shut, and leave the short side partially open so you can stuff the duvet in later. This end will go at the foot of the bed. Turn the duvet cover right-side out. Embroider if you feel like it. If you don´t embroider, it will all be done in about ten minutes.

To insert the duvet, you push it in through the lower partial opening. Then you put one hand through one of the upper corner-holes, the other hand in the other corner-hole, grab an upper corner of the duvet with one hand, the other corner with the other hand, and then shake gently until the duvet is in place inside the duvet cover. Some people like to sew a button and a button hole so you are able to close the lower opening. I have not yet tried it, but it seems practical.

Pillowcases

Measure a pillowcase that fits well, and use that as a model. Fold the fabric you want to use so it’s doubled. Cut it according to your measuring plus a quarter of an inch to make space for hems and seams. Sew the two short sides plus one long side. Leave the other long side open (to be placed uppermost when using). Hem it. Sew nice ribbons in place so you can tie the pillowcase shut later. Turn it right-side out. This is a very classic style here in Sweden. All of my grandmother’s old pillowcases looked like this. If I feel ambitious, I can add decorations like lace ribbons sewn along the sides or some sweet embroidery.

Traditionally we add some small embroidery diagonally at one of the upper corners, the initials maybe or some cute motif, not necessarily fancy. Just something to brighten things up a bit. Everyday life needs a bit of a golden rim too, you know ;-)

-Absinthia

Dear Absinthia,

My philosophy is, "use the beautiful, old things passed down from family... or give them to someone who will."  My friend, Alice, has sold quite a few vintage and antique linens for me, to ladies who are thrilled to get them. 

- amanda

The conversation continues here:
Absinthia Returns, Part 12

Absinthia Returns, Part 10

A second-hand store in Rockport, TX

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

Second-Hand Crafting: Fabrics, Yarn

The practice of recyling and re-using is something my mother and the women in her family were very good at.  Since then, our culture has done a flip-flop on that, and I'm happy to see that Absinthia is leading the way back to this important way of life!

Hello,

When I go shopping, I go to second-hand stores. Mostly I look for curtains and bed linens in natural materials like cotton, linen, hemp, and wool. I never care what color it is. I can dye it easily if I don´t like it, as long as it is in a natural material. I mostly look for solid colored items, but sometimes I find a nicely patterned cloth too.

When I get home I wash everything as hot as possible, depending upon what kind of material it is. When that is done, I dye it if necessary. And then I make it into whatever I want to make it into.

If I find something knitted or crocheted, I buy it if the yarn is a natural fiber and in good condition. At home I frog the yarn, wash it, and let it air dry hanging with a bit of weight to make it straight again. If needed, I dye it too.

Curtains

Bed sheets can be made into curtains with very little sewing.  I make a small ordinary hem at the bottom.  Then at the top, I make a wide hem, wide enough to fit over the curtain rod. Then I either crochet a nice curtain tie-back, or if I have enough left over from the sheet, I sew a curtain tie-back. Very easy.

Table Napkins

Second-hand curtains and bed sheets can be made into napkins, as long as the fabric is cotton or linen.  Hemp is too scratchy. Just measure up what you think is the ideal size for a napkin with extra allowed for the hems. Fold the cloth into a bunch of this size, cut up, and then hem the edges. Voíla, you have a family pack of matching napkins, for almost no cost at all!  :-)

-Absinthia

Dear Absinthia,

My good friend, Alice, owns a resale shop.  She told me that often when a customer is interested in an item but hesitating to buy, she says to them:

“I don't want you to buy this if you're not going to use it or display it.  Will it end up in a closet?  The garage?  There are other people waiting to find it and love it.”

Now that's the kind of shopkeeper who helps us stay on track!!

-amanda

The conversation continues here:
Absinthia Returns, Part 11

Absinthia Returns, Part 9

Tudor-style bathroom in Leeds Castle, Kent, UK  photo by Sigismund von Dobschütz

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

Things to Make at Home: Bathroom, Pets, Misc.

Here's the final portion of Absinthia's list of things she makes at home to save money and live more simply.

Hello,

Pattern collections from online yarn companies can be very inpirational for me. I often look through Pierrot-Gosyo’s patterns to see their take on things. I look for easy solutions, very “clean” style and design. I look at the pictures and go “yeah, that’s a nice idea,” and then I start making my take on things, according to our needs at home and the materials we have here.

Like curtains in front of bookshelves. Super smart! Makes the room less “chaotic” with nice solid-colored curtains, and it protects from dust so the weekly cleaning goes much faster now.

There are some other make-it-yourself ideas out there, like ladies pads and family cloths, which I will let you discover for yourself.  ;-)

Here are my money-saving ideas for the rest of the house:

Bathroom

- scrubbies: crochet

- soaptray: crochet with plarn

- rugs: crochet

- towels: sewn and some knitted

- curtains: crochet

- hanging flower pots: made from empty buckets and crochet

- deodorant: baking soda and coconut oil

Pet Items

- dog toys: made with empty small cartons, rags, simple crocheted amigurumis

- sweaters for dog: knit and crochet

- wipes for dog: sewn

Miscellaneous

- bookmarks

- dolls and doll clothes

- Christmas decorations

- shoe-shapers: stuffed shoe-forms, which help shoes to dry and keep their shape (crochet and sewn)

- Absinthia

The conversation continues here
Absinthia Returns, Part 10

Bathroom in the Central Hotel, New Haven, MO  photo by Joanna Poe

Absinthia Returns, Part 8

19th-century cabin in Indiana

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

Things to Make at Home: Bedroom, Living Room

Here's what Absinthia makes for her own living room and bedroom areas and the book she loves for self-sufficient living.

Hello :-)

I really recommend The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency by John Seymour. He wrote a wonderful book with hands-on instructions on how to build your own stove and how to heat water with a home made solar panel system--in short, all you need to live what he calls “the good life.” You can find it in most libraries! :-D

(Note from Amanda: if you are a vegetarian, be forewarned that there are sections on meat preparation.  When I can get my own copy of the book, I'm considering taking those pages out, or re-binding the whole thing in a loose leaf notebook, with those pages left out or tucked in an envelope.  Don't want to even think about those topics.)

Here are my make-it-yourself money-saving ways in two more rooms of the house:

Bedroom

- handkerchiefs: sewn

- blankets: crochet and knit

- rugs: woven and crochet

- curtains: sewn and crochet

- laundry baskets: crochet with tarn

- baskets: crochet

- bags: crochet

- slippers: crochet and knit

- doilies: crochet

- pictures: embroidery, painted

Living Room

- rugs: woven and crochet

- blankets: knit and crochet

- pillows: mostly crochet, but some sewn

- seat covers for sofa and chairs: crochet

- doilys and runners: crochet

- curtains: sewn

- flower pots: made from buckets for which I crochet fitted holders--nice for hanging baskets, too. :-)

- Absinthia

The conversation is continued here:

Absinthia Returns, Part 9

19th-century cabin in Tennessee, photo by Thomas R. Machnitzki

Absinthia Returns, Part 7

18th-century-style Swedish kitchen

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

Things to Make at Home: Kitchen Items

Here's what Absinthia has to say about saving money in the kitchen.

Hello again!

Time is the only thing we have, always. Money comes and goes, sun and rain also, but time is always there, right by your side.

Here’s how we save money in the kitchen by making things ourselves, re-using, etc.

I save whatever cartons and buckets that come when buying things like food. They are handy when freezing, and to use as pots for plants.

- margarine: I make my own margarine by whipping butter and rapeseed oil together.

- birdfood: made from leftover bread crumbs and fat from cooking

- sourdough bread: I feed the sourdough with leftover stale bread, noodles, rice etc.

- freezer containers:  cartons and buckets that come when buying foods

- dish-scrubbies (also called tawashis): crochet, plarn (yarn made from plastic bags)

- dishbrush: tie spring birchtwigs together according to old local traditions

- dishrags: knit and crochet cotton, linen, or hemp

- towels: knit cotton, linen, or hemp.  I knit them in some nice stitch, like “feather and fan” or moss stitch.

- soaptrays: crochet using plarn

- placemats and coasters: crochet  cotton, linen, hemp, or spun tarn

- napkins: sewn

- tablerunners/doilies, etc.: crochet

- cup cozies and jar cozies: crochet cotton, linen, or hemp

- flower pot covers: crochet cotton, linen, hemp, or spun tarn. I make them to go over small plastic buckets, tin cans and jars.

- curtains: crochet

- baskets: crochet

- seat covers for kitchen sofa and chairs: crochet

- stool covers: we save every little inch of yarn leftovers, spin it together, and use it to make colorful stoolcovers, chair pads etc.

- chair leg covers (saves the floor from ugly marks): crochet cotton or linen

- mats and rugs: woven and crochet tarn or spun tarn

- hotpads: crochet wool

- potholders and oven mitts: crochet wool

- dusters, crochet acrylic.  I can make them static so they “suck up the dust.” :-)

- seat covers and back covers for kitchen chairs: crochet tarn. Very cute actually ;-)

More to come: living room and bedroom.

- Absinthia

The conversation is continued here:
Absinthia Returns, Part 8

Absinthia Returns, Part 6

18th-century American colonial flax-spinning demonstration

This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with  Living a Simple Life.

Things to Make at Home: Clothes

Dear Absinthia,

It seems like a constant battle to have enough time to cook from scratch, keep the house clean using natural materials, and still get all my money-making work done. I wish life in America wasn’t so expensive, but we’ve got to bring in enough money to pay for the required things where we live… like taxes, wind and flood insurance at the coast, health insurance, and more. It’s like running around in an endless circle.

What do you make for yourself that other people buy--foods, clothing, home items, skin care products, cleaning products, etc.?

- amanda

Hello!

Oh boy, this took some time for me to think about. Since we seriously consciously started making our own stuff, we have lowered our costs for living quite considerably!

Ok, let´s start with clothes that I make for us (mostly knitted and crocheted).

- socks: both thin socks to wear in regular shoes, and heavier socks to wear in winter boots.

- skirts: I knit and crochet skirts, and sew some. Knit skirts in flax for the warm part of the year, and ankle-length wool skirts for the winter. Warm and cozy :-) By the way, the old traditional underskirts in wool were crocheted with lovely colorful tapestry crochet borders.

- t-shirts: mostly knit in flax yarn.

When I knit or crochet with flax yarn, I often use handspun flax yarn in approx. fingering weight, and I knit with needles in between 1.5 to 2.5 mm. When I crochet I go up some in size, to maybe 3.0 mm.

- sweaters

- shawls, big and small

- hats

- vests

- dresses

- mitts and mittens

- legwarmers and armwarmers

- cowls

- slippers

- felted boots: knit wool.  Yes, they are actually felted wooly boots. We only use them when there is cold snowy weather. I knit them kind of like the old ugg boots, and then I sew on a number of layers of felted wool soles. If I feel really ambitious I make the outmost sole a crocheted one in rope. But mostly I just make it like the traditional regional “Ludda,” a low-cuffed winter boot in felted wool. When a sole wears out, I remove it and sew on one or two new ones. If you put on a nice warm wool sock, and maybe an extra felted inner sole, it is the perfect footwear for walking around the garden during cold winters. They form so nicely to your feet.  The ugg boots originate from Australia--they use this kind of boot in the desert. Wool protects very well from heat, so well that it is used as protective inner layer in firemen's gloves!

- felted soles to wear in boots

- longjohns

- yarn: we make it ourselves--flax and wool yarn. We buy wool from the local sheep farmers, comb it, wash it, spin it, and dye it with herbal dye or with food colors.  We spin flax too. It is quite a lot of work to make flax into yarn. You have to let it rot in a controllable way to soften the fibers, then crunch it, and then comb it. It is hard work, but worth it! :-)

- jewelry: I have been trained in gold- and silversmithery, so I make what I need myself.

That’s all for now, there’s more of the list to come!

- Absinthia

The conversation is continued here:
Absinthia Returns, Part 7