Simple comforts: Applying knitting and crocheting

Applying knitting and crocheting skills can be somewhat of a challenge to people if they haven't spent as much time doing those things as I have. Yes, I'm having to greatly restrain myself from throwing ideas and patterns at you. Fear not, this is not going to get complicated.... yet.

I'm going to go over two things that can either be crocheted or knit, and one thing that works best crocheted due to how "stretchy" knitting can be. I'll also give my recommendation on the best and most widely available cotton yarn.

Washcloths 

From right to left: Knit washcloth, face
scrubbers and crocheted washcloth

Let you in on a little secret: washcloths are great for learning new stitches, be they knit or crocheted, and who's to say that you can't make even bath towels that way? That would require a lot more patience (read: stubbornness) for many folks, though.

So here are the most basic patterns (maybe the simplest ever) for knitting and crocheting a washcloth.

Knit:

1. Cast on 20 stitches.
2. Do as many rows as needed to make the washcloth the size you want, in what's called a  Stockinette or Garter stitch.
3. Cast off.

Crochet:

1. Do 20 single crochet foundation stitches.
2. Do however many rows you want in single crochet.
3. Chain two after last row is finished, cut, pull through and pull on the thread end to tighten the two chain stitches down into a knot.  

Yes, I know I hear you "It can't be that simple."   Only it is that simple.  When it comes to any craft, due diligence and a willingness to put a project aside when you've become impatient is key.  No skill is too difficult to become at least competent in its basics.

Reusable Feminine Pads

Yes the one on the left is in camo.
Don't judge me.

These pads are honestly just as simple to make as the washcloths: knit or crochet them into whatever length and width you need, add two ties or wings with buttons to it, and you're done.  Heck, if you wanted to, you could use the washcloth that you just got done making.


"Isn't crochet or knitting too... holey... for this sort of thing?" I hear you asking.

No, actually it doesn't seem to be (and yes, I have used them!) For really heavy days, you can make three layers and single crochet around the three edges in order to hold them together. You will then have a thick enough pad and won't have to worry about leaks.  So far the best pattern I have found for making these is a simple crocheted oval:

See?  Not that hard to make an oval, and you can crochet or knit the pad in a rectangle if you'd prefer.

Cleaning

Just rinse them out (preferably in the bath tub) with COLD WATER and a very small amount of vinegar (half a teaspoon per cup of cold water),  let them air dry overnight, and toss in the laundry.  Seriously, that's it.

Re-usable bandages

These are the two bandages I made: one with ties and a plain one.
Here's hoping I never need to test them out, eh?

Now I know there are several of you who probably just cringed.  I'm not overly encouraging their use in the here and now, because we have the luxury of disposable bandages.  I am simply encouraging the knowledge that these are an option and that they are proving to be more sturdy than ones you might be able to make from fabric.

For anything bandage related, I recommend sticking with the single crochet or half double crochet.  Also, try to stay away from the colored cottons and stick to white or off-white so that you don't mix your re-usable bandages with any other stuff you might be making.

Green is knit, orange is crocheted.
Orange has been  used to wrap my  wrist on a few occasions.

It's also possible to crochet (for a lack of a better descriptor) ACE bandages. These don't work if knit; knitting, while excellent for making a lighter and more airy fabric, also stretches more.  Too much more actually, as you can see in my pic here on the left.  Crochet does give way as well - a small bit, but not enough to compromise it's use as a bandage however.

For the actual pattern, see "How to make a washcloth."  No, seriously, it's that easy.  Things do not have to complicated in their production in order to be useful.

Additional note: as I learned from a burn that happen on 6/11/14, these bandages soaked in cold water are awesome.  Just saying.

Materials

To keep things simple, I recommend all crocheted cloths like feminine pads, washcloths and bandages be made from COTTON ONLY.  Other yarns are made from polyesters, acrylics and wool.  Not only do these have noticeably more give in the finished product, but they are also much, much harder to clean again for re-use.   The most widely available brand of cotton is Lily Sugar'n Cream.  This yarn can be found at Wal*Mart, JoAnn Fabrics, Michael's (Not online), Hobby Lobby and of course Amazon.

Your best bets for good deals on this cotton are at JoAnn's, Amazon and Wal-Mart.  They come in a variety of colors and when making personal washcloths for individual members of the tribe, you can always choose a unique color set for each person.



There we go! Three very basic but very useful patterns that I hereby present as Exhibit A for why knowing the basics of these two skills is a very good idea. I will have updates on the use of those feminine pads, and will be providing you more patterns soon! They will show up either here or I'll throw them up on my personal blog.

Happy crafting!

Knitting and Crocheting - Tool Breakdown

I love to crochet and knit and other various thread work. However, I was greatly surprised by the lack of exploration done on how these skills would be useful for when SHTF.

What you can make from yarn

Shall I give you a list again of everything that can be made with a good measure of stubbornness? (Others might call it patience, but I digress...)

1. Bandages
2. Toys
3. Shirts
4. Jackets/coats
5. Insulated vests
6. Pants (try not to laugh so loudly at the thought of yarn trousers)
7. Skirts
8. Dresses
9. Socks
10. Capes, shawls, etc.
11. Rope
12. Fish traps
13. re-usable menstrual pads
14. Wash cloths
15. Dish rags
16. Blankets (an obvious answer but an important one nonetheless!)

If you are stubborn enough, you can find a way to knit or crochet a lot of what you need.  Yarn is great for all kinds of clothes - except for one thing: You are better off not trying to make diapers this way. I double checked with moms I know, too, and they all agree that fabric is the best for diapers.

Plus, the scraps from acrylic and cotton yarns make excellent tinder for starting fires!

What you need

Now, onto the tools.

There are a lot of folks who have zero idea what the difference is between knitting and crocheting.   That's okay - I will teach you!



I'll point out the most basic difference: knitting requires two tools, while crocheting uses just one.

Knitting Needles

Knitting needles are pointed.  (Ladies, take note: great improvised melee weapon.)

Knitting needle sizes are denoted by numbers.  The bigger the number, the bigger the needle.

Knitting needles come in a variety of sizes and materials.  Acrylic (a type of plastic), usually aluminum metal (unless you inherited some steel ones at some point) and wood.

There are three types of knitting needles.  Regular single end needles and double end needles are the most common types.  The third type is less popular and I don't have one to show, so that one will have to wait.

Crochet Hooks 

Crocheting uses a hooked implement.

Crochet hooks come in same broad range of materials as knitting needles: wood, metal and plastic.

With crochet hooks, sizes are denoted by a letter.  The closer to the letter Z,  the bigger the hook. (A = smallest, Z = largest)

There are two basic types of crochet hooks.  The first is just a basic crochet hook (it doesn't have a special name) and it looks like the ones in the picture on the left. In a later article, I will show you how to do basic crochet stitches with these.

The hooks with the plastic coming off the end, or that is really long and looks a lot like a knitting needle, is an afghan hook and is used commonly for afghan or Tunisian stitch.  The Tunisian stitch is a neat one, but not basic.  If you want to do that one you'll have to learn it on your own.

Just add yarn

And there you have it, the basic tools of knitting and crocheting. Crocheting is the method I know best, but I will be applying the KISS principle when I teach both it and knitting in later articles. I firmly believe that as long as you know the basics to any craft, all it takes is stubbornness and a bit of imagination to make useful things.

My next article in this series will have patterns for very simple projects that will allow you to practice the basics that I've taught.  I will have links embedded in the article that take you to written and video tutorials for how to do each of the stitches I teach.

Recipes: KISS* principle applies.

So you've managed to put back dozens of cans of food: beans, chicken, spam, etc. Can you actually cook with all that stuff.... and make it taste good?

I'll be sharing many of the recipes I've thrown together from foods identical to the preps I have currently. And I do need to emphasize that while salt and sugar are great preps, flavor is what keeps food from being boring.  When food is boring, it's harder to keep spirits up.

Meal times during SHTF will be crucial bonding and down times for your tribe. Have you put back ground black pepper, garlic and cayenne as examples of zesty/hot spices? What about the slightly sweet spices, like nutmeg, allspice and ginger? How about cinnamon?

Please tell me that you haven't forgotten the almighty hot sauce bottle!  Pick your favorite, and when it goes on sale, buy two bottles and put one back.  Trust me on this.  You can ask ANYONE who has EVER eaten an MRE and they sing the praises of the hot sauce bottle.

I have just one recipe for you today, but it's become a favorite of mine and my partners.

Recipe:

• 1 can of chicken (per two people)
• 1 can of re-fried beans
• OR whatever bean you feel like having
• Lettuce leaves or tortillas
• Hot sauce or salsa

Heat the beans at a medium heat with about 1 teaspoon on oil in the pan. After they come to a simmer (this is where, if they are whole beans, you remove them from heat and smash!) you add your chicken (drained). Return to a simmer and cook for a while longer.  I will usually stir it, let it start bubbling again, and then stir it again about four times. (Unless you put back a little timer or hourglass, in which case you cook it about 3 minutes.)

Pull off heat. Grab lettuce (or tortillas) and tear off pieces to spoon chicken and beans mixture on to. Top with hot sauce or salsa.


And here you were probably expecting something complicated eh?


* Keep It Simple, Stupid

It's Serious Business

So, I'll be starting off my part of this site with a barrage of questions.  Don't worry about having all the answers right now, though; that's what we here at BCP are going to be helping you with.  Now, my point with all these questions will hopefully be obvious, but if not, I'll lay it out here for you to refer back to: Details, regardless of how small, will pile up and regardless how insignificant they might seem, when you're already stressed everything tends to add to misery.  

One of the reasons we prep is to increase the chances of survival for ourselves and members of our family/communities. Another reason is to ensure you've shreds of sanity left when you find yourself on the other side of the situation.

It's going to take determination, a healthy amount of stubbornness, and an unyielding will to become a person who can survive the crap hitting the fan. Both men and women will be facing threats like rape, murdered life partners (both gay and straight), enslavement, miscarriages, suicides, and death from things that once upon a time were innocuous.

If you're cringing right now: Look, honey, I warned you in my first post that words would NOT be minced.  I will NOT sugar coat what you will be facing.   Far too many preppers do that already.

Now, this list might seem overwhelming.  However, consider this your reality check if you think prepping is easy.  Every last question is going to need answers. Fortunately, this leads us to that old saying, "Knowledge is Power."  In this case, it is power to increase your, and your loved ones',  abilities to survive. Learning everything you can now will help you maintain the calm in your home, reduce the stress of the situation and help your group feel more in control of their surroundings during times of crisis.

All right, are you ready? Here we go.

1. Do you know the bugs in your area (spiders, ticks, chiggers, etc)?
2. Do you know how to alleviate discomfort associated with their bites?
3. What works in keeping them away from you both inside and outside?
4. Do you know how to preserve food without electricity?
5. Do you know how to build a dehydrator and how long to keep foods in for?
6. Do you know where you can find a source of salt in your area? Can you extract it?
7. Can you make your own vinegar? (This can be used for things like food preservation and washing your hair.)
8. How about the preps you've done for kids? What are you going to do about orphans you encounter (and you WILL encounter them)?
9. Can you make simple toys for them?
10. What are your daily activities that you can include them in?
11. Do you have books put back for them that can teach them basic math, reading and writing skills?
12. Are you going to teach them how to use weapons? If so, which ones?
13. Back to kids, have you thought up games that they can play even now where they get to learn crucial survival skills and responsibility? (Bless children and the fun they can have in learning.)
14. Do you know the allergies that might possible for your group to develop? The diseases?
15. Have you put back any birth control/condoms or even two types of pain relief (say, naproxium sodium and aspirin)?
16. How are you prepared for the monthly menstruation?
17. Do you know any herbs that are local that help alleviate cramps and PMS?
18. What about pads? (Tampons....feh, we'll go over why those are a bad idea in that post later on.)
19. Have you figured out a reusable replacement for pads, when you run out of the nice store bought ones?
20. How are you going to clean them and also keep yourself clean?
21. Can you identify four animals good for food?
22. Can you build traps to catch them?
23. How about cleaning and preserving their meats?
24. Do you know how to turn part of the animals organs into a liquid that will let you tan their own hides?
25. Do you know the best seasons in your area to trap during and often to trap?
26. Could you capture wild rabbits and ducks and then re-domesticate them?
27. Back to weapons: can you make any?
28. Have you made peace yet with the fact there will come a time where you will have to take someone else's life in defense of yours and your family/friends?
29. Can you stone knapp?
30. Have you given any thought to safe alternatives toilet paper?
31. How are you going to dispose of your human waste?
32. What about your teeth? Do you know which trees are good to make primitive tooth brushes from?
33. How about when it comes to crafting? Like crochet, sewing, knitting, ceramics/pottery, ropemaking, thread making, weaving, woodworking, leather working, making candles, making baskets or even very basic bandages?
34. Can you build a few different basic shelters?
35. Do you know the edible plants in your area (be they wild greens or an ornamental plant in your neighbor's yard)?
36. Can you keep what will then be packs of feral dogs at bay? Do you know how?
37. Do you know the symptoms of rabies and how to treat it?
38. Do you know the symptoms of scurvy?
39. Do you know what foods (both wild and stored) are high in vitamin C in order to prevent scurvy?
40. Do you know nutrition well enough to be able to throw together a well balanced meal from your stores for someone who is weak from disease or injury?
41. Do you know what Pellagra is and how to treat/avoid it?
42. Do you put back foods that are already in your diet?
43. Have you learned how to cook those foods that are going to new additions to your diets in a variety of ways?
44. Have you put back (hidden) a few bags of candy (from which a handful can "magically" appear whenever there's a low in morale)?
45. Are you putting back vegetables and fruits, not just grains, legumes and proteins?
46. Have you put back teas, drink mixes, instant coffee for when just water gets old (which it does rather quickly)?
47. Can you spot the signs of depression in others and work with them to help get through it?
48. Do you understand PTSD? (Despite vain hope, all humans are susceptible to PTSD. Everyone is going to be witnessing and experiencing traumatic things during the collapse. Expect for many people to end up with it in a broad range of varying degrees of severity. Also expect them to be in pain from it for years. Learning how to deal with it NOW could and will end up saving lives.)
49. How about board games? Have any games of strategy (chess, Stratego, Risk), of luck (Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly) or just simple silly fun (Uno, checkers)?
50. What kind of books have you put back and is there a broad range (your favorite science fiction like Star Wars, fiction like that by Stephanie Osborn,  or biographies of people you admire)? How about reference and how-to manuals?
51. Can you raise a duck egg from hatchling to adult and then breed them for more eggs and more ducks?
52. How about milking animals? Helping them give birth or when they have an egg stuck?
53. Can you start plants from seeds?
54. Do you know how long the growing season is in your area?
55. Have you double checked to make sure your seeds will actually grow in your area?
56. Do you know how to turn waste (human and animal) into safe to use compost?
57. Food preparation: What are you going to do when the fuel runs out?
58. Do you know the trees that are most common in your area?
59. Do you know the difference between hard woods and soft woods and how long each takes to dry out before its safe to burn without it giving off smoke?
60. Have you figured out how serious prepping can be and how all-encompassing?

Because we have.