New Skills - what are you learning for 2015

[lightningxl]

New skills are great prep lightweight with no batteries.

Gonna learn how to metal weld - have had a go in the past using a stick welder want to try mig/tig? don't know anything about it, also fancy a go on a plasma cutter just cause it sound like something from Flash Gordon. If i get good enough might try making a solid fuel stove form a gas bottle load of vids on youtube.

Let me know what skill you hope to learn for 2015?

[Plymtom]

For me and mine it's got to be Reloading, Bushcraft, Foraging, and if we can run to it, Basic Blacksmithing, none of which are completely new skills, I've had an interest in them for some time, and been building the kit needed for decades, chances to get out there and do it for more than a couple of hours have been slim, for a few years, but junior's got a bee in his bonnet about bushcrafty type stuff and who could say no reloading is just a progression of the shooting hobby ( I emphasize hobby because it's unadulterated fun and has little place in UK prepping as we know it) whilst Blacksmithing is a local opportunity coming along that is hard to pass up on.
We also want to use the Archery gear more ( and airguns and catapults )... I have a cunning plan

[aldhelm]

The wife and I went to an archery club at the beginning of the month, I used to do a bit a thousand years ago when I was young. Much to the wife's amazement she really enjoyed it and has asked to go again, unfortunately she's been a bit unwell the last couple of weeks but we should be going back this week hopefully.

[nickdutch]

I want to get my head around foraging properly and to practice more food preparation methods for health.

My round looms are due to arrive on Wednesday-ish so I will be practicing the skill of knitting with looms and want to make stuff to sell ideally, but one thing at a time. I really can be a right one for rushing ahead of myself!

I also have tried some short term fasts in the past and that was ok, but quite hard to stick to, and I thought that it would be a good idea to get the body trained up to be able to do without for a while incase I have times of scarcity. Fasting can be very hard for me in particular for some reason. Fasting itself isn't starving, but having a good planned fast and sticking to it can be hard when you have food addictions.

[featherstick]

I want to do more leatherwork. I shall mess about for a while, then fancy making a pair of sandals or similar.

[lightningxl]

Also trying to learn navigation using star consultations - check out this guy good clear real world techniques...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2nx8VqvfQY

[mongrel]

For me, knitting!! why? try buying a good quality woollen jumper. they are either such poor quality as not worth buying or so expensive I can't afford them.
I did once when I was at technical college knit a scarf but that was 30 years ago, but my target is to be able to knit for myself and family by the end of the year and Oh, yes I'd love to be able to sharpen my axes, like they do on youtube, you know to shave your arm hairs but knitting first, its a great prepping skill to have.

[ForgeCorvus]

New skills this year:
Flintknapping, just got to get me and John Lord in the same place at the same time
Spinning, something I've always wanted to do
Knitting, what else am I going to use the yarn for

Going to have another go at Basketry (last tried over thirty years ago ) and start Archery again.
Rebuilding my smithing kit

[nickdutch]

For me, knitting!! why? try buying a good quality woollen jumper. they are either such poor quality as not worth buying or so expensive I can't afford them.
I did once when I was at technical college knit a scarf but that was 30 years ago, but my target is to be able to knit for myself and family by the end of the year and Oh, yes I'd love to be able to sharpen my axes, like they do on youtube, you know to shave your arm hairs but knitting first, its a great prepping skill to have.

I have been playing with my knitting loom set, round looms. I have discovered that you need a pretty chunky weave yarn and cheap yarns from the 99p shops don't cut the mustard unless you want to make something with the resultant texture of a string vest or a classic baby blanket.

I practiced making a wooly hat out of cheap acrylic yarn, ghastly babyish colour it was. It ended up very airy. May still be able to use it as another layer of insulation under my existing "thinsulate" hat with the thinsulate bit going AWOL, so you can still find purposes for your knitting mistakes.

The larger hoop on my round loom set, if i was to use it for rectangular panels, could make one that is up to 32 inches (approx) on one side which really does expand the possibilities.

Did have a pipe dream of using the thin acrylic to make an air trapping blanket but the quantity of work and time that it would take would be pretty big. More practice is needed!

[prepperG]

I hope to improve my foraging, growing veg and learn archery. also still working on qualifications in case i have to change jobs.