Do It Yourself!

Discovering the pleasures of a handmade life was a longtime dream for urban homesteader Jenna Woginrich. At 24 years old, living in an apartment in Knoxville, Tennessee, and working as a computer designer, Woginrich was nurturing her dream of learning to homestead. Now, at 27, she’s settled on a rented farm in rural Vermont, where she cares for two working sled dogs, chickens, a flock of sheep, honeybees, a couple of geese, fluffy Angora rabbits, and a backyard garden that provides much of her own food.

Part memoir and part how-to manual, Made from Scratch recounts Woginrich’s growing independence and the successes and missteps she experiences as she learns to more fully live off the land. By turns upbeat, dramatic, and sometimes sorrowful, her story embodies the experience of the new homesteader  one who is committed to reducing dependence on commercially produced goods while still working a day job to pay the rent. Woven into the narrative, readers will find easy-to-follow instructions for making clothing, playing a musical instrument, preserving fruit, brewing the best pot of coffee imaginable, and much more.

Now available in paperback, this new edition features additional material on moving from Idaho to Vermont, a topic that will delight fans of her blog.

There's something so satisfying about stenciling: It's easy, affordable, and it yields such impressive results. Especially when all the design work is done for you by the talented textile artist Lotta Jansdotter. Lotta's hand-drawn stencil motifs are cut out of durable plastic so they can be used again and again on all sorts of surfaces, from walls to fabric to furniture. Simply wipe the stencils clean with soap and water and stow in the handy storage pocket provided. Project instructions and photographs demonstrate how to repeat a design on a structured grid to achieve the look of wallpaper (for a whole lot less money), or apply designs randomly for a unique, playful effect. At just $24.95, this package is a DIY decorator's delight a real bargain, and beautiful to boot!

For avid gardeners, the biggest downside of the hobby is the limited growing season in much of the country. Gardening during the winter is often reduced to tending houseplants and browsing seed catalogs for next summer’s tomato choices.

Master Gardener and builder Roger Marshall enthusiastically presents his case for home greenhouses with a thorough examination of everything the potential builder needs to know. Marshall’s coverage of the subject begins with a careful consideration of the various purposes served by greenhouses. Will the structure be used as a damp, warm hothouse for rare orchids? A tropical paradise for banana and citrus trees? A friendlier environment in which to get a jump on a summer vegetable garden is the goal for many gardeners, while an inviting setting for a year-round hot tub surrounded by lush greenery has an undeniable appeal. Whatever its eventual use will be, Marshall helps the reader examine every option and make an informed choice.

After determining the type and style of the structure, Marshall progresses, chapter by chapter, through the construction elements of the greenhouse — from choosing a site, to laying the foundation and determining which glazing material will work best. Plumbing, heating, supplemental lighting, misting, and automatic venting systems are also covered for the truly committed reader/gardener.

The final section of the book includes detailed plans for nine actual greenhouses, from a simple cold frame to an elaborately detailed framed, detached structure. Whatever the greenhouse goal, Marshall opens the way to longer growing seasons, abundant organically grown fruits and vegetables, and many more happy months playing in the dirt!

A comprehensive guidebook to urban exploration, a thrilling, mind-expanding hobby that encourages our natural instincts to explore and play in our own environment. Includes everything you need to begin exploring little-known urban spaces like abandoned buildings, rooftops, construction sites, drains, transit and utility tunnels and more. Features chapters on

* training

* recruiting

* preparation

* equipping

* social engineering

and other subjects important to the successful urban explorer.

Cob (an old English word for lump) is old-fashioned concrete, made out of a mixture of clay, sand, and straw. Becky Bee's manual is a friendly guide to making your own earth structure, with chapters on design, foundations, floors, windows and doors, finishes, and of course, making glorious cob.
"I believe that building with cob is a way to recreate community and experience the joy of working together while taking back the right to build our own homes and look after our Mother Earth."
She loves doing something that makes sense in a world where lots of things don't.

As a wave of foreclosures sweeps the country, many people are giving up hope for owning a home of their own. They have good reason to turn their backs on the banks, but not on their dreams. In this revised edition of Mortgage Free!, Rob Roy offers a series of escape routes from enslavement to financial institutions, underscored by true stories of intrepid homeowners who have put their principles into action.

From back-to-the-land homesteads to country homes, here is a complete guide to strategies that allow you to own your land and home, free and clear, without the bank. Included is detailed advice about:

• Clarifying and simplifying your notions of what’s necessary;
• Finding land that you love and can afford;
• Taking control of the house-building process, for the sake of sanity and pleasure;
  and
• Learning to take a long-term perspective on your family’s crucial economic decisions, avoiding debt and modern-day serfdom.

Sam Tracy, a radical-minded bike aficionado with a 90-pound toolbox, distills his breadth of knowledge into this handy, pocket-sized repair credo, organized by the major bike components-wheels, seats, stem/handlebars, brakes, and drivetrains. With the mindset of a stranded rider, Tracy efficiently chases down the sources of mechanical woes and describes how best to tackle these repairs in a time-conscious fashion to get riders speedily back up on their bikes. Those planning longer journeys are encouraged to peruse this guide prior to departure both to understand the range of potential repair scenarios and ensure that all the right tools make it into the repair kit. With Roadside Bicycle Repair, Tracy talks repair first, bike politics second-though there's always room for a little social agenda. This is the book for bicyclists on the move.

Since the 1990s the craft scene has soared in popularity, but where exactly does this new wave of domesticity stem from and how can those of us who have never picked up a needle get involved? Ever tried knitting a trout or making a chandelier out of a kitchen colander? This new manual explores the new crafting movement that is sweeping the globe, through a series of over forty creative projects for any wannabe crafter to experiment with designed by the most well-known of the new contemporary craft movement, including the people behind Craftster, Subversive Cross Stitch, Craftivism, Knitgrrl and others.

Amy Spencer not only gives practical advice but also examines the politics behind the various crafting trends. Today's crafters are aware of the impact of their actions, some create as part of a radical form of political protest, others take a stance against sweatshop manufacturing by making their own clothes, some produce as part of a self-sufficiency lifestyle, others start knitting groups as a way to meet new friends. Contains detailed instructions for fifty projects, with full colour illustrations, photographs and diagrams throughout.