What skills do you have?

[ironmaiden]

I was at the library and grabbed a Reader's Digest Book called "Back to Basics - How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills". I looked through the book and thought "wow, the average american today knows how to shop and use a computer and not much else". All the skills that were considered necessary years ago are pretty much lost and if the power went out, people would be screwed. What do you think?

Here's a list of what this book covered:
How to build a house including fireplace
Using wood, waterpower, windpower, solar energy for energy for your home
Kitchen gardening
Growing grains for flour
Fish farming
Beekeeping
Raising livestock
Preserving produce
Preserving meat and fish
Making cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt
Baking bread
Spinning
Dying yarn/fabric
Hooking rugs
Quilting
Making rope/twine
Tanning and leatherwork
Woodworking
Broommaking
Metalworking
Stenciling
Soapmaking
Candlemaking
Basketry
Camping
Fishing
Canoeing

So we are outsourcing our skills too - people rely on take-out, prepared foods, frozen foods, the new fad are these cooking prep centers; we buy everything and make nothing; we can even outsource the laundry by dropping it off at a fluff and fold.

[staceyy]

I don't know how to do much but I'm learning. I can cook and bake from scratch, I'm learning vegetable gardening, and I can make bread, icecream and yogurt from a machine. I can also make soap balls from soap scraps. Sad, I know.

[Emerald_Mommy]

Sounds like a good book. I don't know how to do much on that list, although I can do a few things. The problem is I really don't want to do much on that list. For instance, I know I could garden but I don't like gardening. Something for me to think about and try to do better!

[justpeachy92]

I don't know how to do alot on that list, but if I had to learn it in order to provide for my family I would. As for my I am not interested in perfecting every skill there is, I only want to do what interests me....and even then some convience is needed to keep my sanity. I like to sew, that doesn't mean I want to grow cotton, spin my own thread, weave it into fabric and then make a shirt.

[Missy]

How to build a house including fireplace nope, but with norm abrams, bob vila, etc i could
Using wood, waterpower, windpower, solar energy for energy for your home nope, id like to though
Kitchen gardeningyup!!
Growing grains for flour nope
Fish farming uh...do goldfish count??
Beekeeping um i saw a bee on one of my roses...if i catch it, is that the same thing?? LOL
Raising livestock would love to keep poultry, but dh won't let me
Preserving produce i know how to can
Preserving meat and fish i know how to dehydrate
Making cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurtnever did it
Baking breadyup
Spinning till i fall down dizzy
Dying yarn/fabric yes, thanks to the makers of Rit
Hooking rugs yup
Quiltingyup
Making rope/twine never tried
Tanning and leatherworkagain, never tried
Woodworking dh has that under control
Broommaking my broom cost a buck, i can't imagine getting the supplies cheaper
Metalworking dh again
Stenciling yup
Soapmakingyup
Candlemakingyup
Basketry yup. my gram taught me
Camping yup
Fishing i can and enjoy it, but i am allergic so it's just dh that can eat it...or i could stock my "fish farm" with em...
Canoeingas graceful as i am on land i can only imagine i'd drown in about a minute

[monkeywrangler71]

Does this book actually tell you how to do all those things? I know how to do a handful of things on the list and am working on a couple others.

Shouldn't sewing be on there?

[Neeley]

I don't know how to do alot on that list, but if I had to learn it in order to provide for my family I would. As for my I am not interested in perfecting every skill there is, I only want to do what interests me....and even then some convience is needed to keep my sanity. I like to sew, that doesn't mean I want to grow cotton, spin my own thread, weave it into fabric and then make a shirt.

I really only have a true interest in one, maybe two of the items listed. I can fish and I would like to learn how to quilt. But I can promise everyone I am not beekeeping, making my own broom or building a house.

[TheRootedNomad]

What a neat thread....really gets ya thinking.

I can't do many things on that list.
I can:
~bake bread
~Quikt (thoough not well)
~hook rugs
~garden
~fish

I also think there are lots of things missing from that list which would probably be more useful to the general population than some of those things (like bookmaking) Here are a few I can think of that could be considered lost skills as well.

~knitting
~crochetting (can do)
~foraging
~butchering
~sewing (can do)
~pasta making (can do)
~hunting
~pottery - like for dishes

[sunshine]

Here's a list of what this book covered:
How to build a house including fireplace -- not alone, but I've helped my dad build houses, helped a local carpenter build them too
Using wood, waterpower, windpower, solar energy for energy for your home --we do some of that, and I've studied enough, and assisted others with their systems that I could do a small version if needed
Kitchen gardening -- I do that
Growing grains for flour -- I do that
Fish farming -- have done it in the past-- would love to do it again, and could if needed
Beekeeping -- have done it in the past-- afraid to do it now, because dd is allergic to bee stings
Raising livestock -- have done most domestic animals in the past- do small livestock currently
Preserving produce canning, freezing, dehydrating, root cellaring, brining, salting, smoking - I do them all
Preserving meat and fish -- yep- see above
Making cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt -- yes, I have and do make them all
Baking bread-- I do this at least weekly
Spinning -- we raise angora rabbits, so I do this with a drop spindle. I've never used a wheel, though
Dying yarn/fabric -- purchased dyes, kool-aid, natural dyes . . done them all
Hooking rugs -- hooked, braided, crocheted
Quilting -- appliquéd, pieced, whole quilts
Making rope/twine -- I CAN do it, but it's a hard thing to make a decent amount
Tanning and leatherwork -- we tan our rabbit skins, I've done deer hides, coon, coyote, squirrel
Woodworking -- I can do small items and simple things.
Broommaking -- I've done it, but don't do it on a regular basis
Metalworking -- I leave that to my sons . .. they are both excellent welders
Stenciling -- yeah, but don't care for it.
Soapmaking -- yep- learned the hard way about what lye does to a wood table :O
Candlemaking - yes- from paraffin, from bear fat, etc.
Basketry - only simple ones, I envy those who can do intricate patterns

Camping -- tent, RV and survival
Fishing -- I can do it, but I don't like it. TOO boring most days
Canoeing --never tried this one.

[julieb]

I can quilt, crochet, sew and preserve food. I would love to learn how to spin.

[sunshine]

What a neat thread....really gets ya thinking.

I also think there are lots of things missing from that list which would probably be more useful to the general population than some of those things (like bookmaking) Here are a few I can think of that could be considered lost skills as well.

~knitting
~crochetting (can do)
~foraging
~butchering
~sewing (can do)
~pasta making (can do)
~hunting
~pottery - like for dishes

I was thinking the same things. . .

From your list:

~knitting (can do)
~crochetting (can do)
~foraging (can do)
~butchering (can do - even have nails and hooks on my barn for doing this)
~sewing (can do)
~pasta making (can do)
~hunting (can do - I can out shoot most of the men in my area)
~pottery - like for dishes. . .. hmm .. . never tried pottery exactly. . I've done some ceramics, but in a sruvival type setting wouldn't be able to use a kiln. I HAVE made wooden bowls, platter, spoons.

Other skills I think are important:

bartering (can do)

build/make a fire without matches (can do)

read/follow a map (can do , but I'm surprised at how many cannot do this)

weaving (can do)

[Luv2BeFrugal1]

I can bake bread from scratch (even grind my own wheat), sew, have remedial quilting skills, learning gardening... I've fished before (and cleaned them), but it's been ages.

My Dh wants us to build our own home (I'm game) and he wants to keep ducks. He also wants to learn to do blacksmithing.

I'd love to get better at cooking from scratch. And I'd like to learn to make soap and candles.

We have a couple different books that sound like the one the OP is talking about. We really enjoy thumbing thru them!! Hoping to expand on skills once we get to the lower 48 and buy a home.

[Ceashels]

I belong to a yahoo group called Lost Arts, and there are people out there that are already doing things like this. I would absolutely love to homestead... but that isn't happening for a long while. In the mean time, i'll simply learn as much as I can.

I picked up a used small fridge for $30 that will become my "cheese cave." I just need to get my garden in first and find the time to try making a hard cheese.

Oh, i have so much to learn!:surprise:

[peanut]

Sunshine, you're my new hero! I want to come learn from you! Here's what I can do on the list...

How to build a house including fireplace - nope
Using wood, waterpower, windpower, solar energy for energy for your home - yes to wood, possibly solar...DH is looking into it for hot water.
Kitchen gardening - yes, container gardening
Growing grains for flour - no, but would love to learn
Fish farming - never saw the need, my BIL was a fish farmer
Beekeeping - again, BIL raises bees
Raising livestock - nope, we live in the city
Preserving produce - yes. One of my favourite frugal activities!
Preserving meat and fish - nope. Never tried, but would like to.
Making cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt - Yes to sour cream, buttermilk and yogurt. No to cheese and cream cheese, but would love to learn!
Baking bread - yes
Spinning - drop spindle spinning of raw wool
Dying yarn/fabric - yes...all kinds
Hooking rugs - yes, all kinds
Quilting - yes
Making rope/twine - yes
Tanning and leatherwork - no
Woodworking - DH does this
Broommaking - no, but I'd love to know how to make a nice thick corn broom. You can't buy those anymore!
Metalworking - no
Stenciling - yes
Soapmaking - yes, from animal fat
Candlemaking - yes, from paraffin and beeswax
Basketry - yes
Camping - yes, survival camping
Fishing - well, my SIL showed me how once, but we didn't catch anything.
Canoeing - yes

Interesting what didn't make the list. If we're talking true traditional skills, we'd also be talking plant/tree identification, so we knew what material to use. Mushroom picking is a traditional skill. As is finding plants to dye cloth and yarn with.

Also the skill of sizing up a tree and turning it into usable lumber.

Making a snare and setting a trap line is also a traditional skill. I remember my brothers catching rabbits for rabbit stew when we were younger.

Using ice from the creek to churn in the butter churn to make ice-cream has definitely got to be a lost skill! In fact, making and using a butter churn period is a lost skill!

Lots of lost skills out there.

Jean

[ewokgirl]

Based on that list, I only know how to bake bread. Oh, and I can stencil. What's so hard about that, unless the book is talking about something other than using a stencil and some paint?