Washing Laundry By Hand

 Washing Laundry By Hand

Recently my washer was mistakenly disconnected and moved by a neighbor. Then there was the fact they took the hoses off my washer and hooked their washer up to my hot water. So, things happen. Then it was decided that the landlord should hook up and fix the washer situation. This left me about 5 days without my washing machine. Not a huge deal, but yes it is. 

My washer is 36 years old, a Kenmore relabel bought from Sears and Roebuck. It doesn’t owe me a thing, given all the laundry that bringing up children entails, all the quilts, clothes, etc. it is a best friend. So, I panicked, what would I do without my washer.

I started to price washers, just in case when they moved it, it had decided it was done. $600.00 to 999.00 for a washing machine. This led me to an easier solution. I think people take their washing machines for granted, I know I did.  Here is a wonderful video by a family that lives “ off the grid” demonstrating how to do laundry with a washboard. Yes, a simple washboard.

Why You Need A Washboard

So a new washer isn’t in the foreseeable future, and even though my current washer was reconnected, and does work, it is, after all, 36 years old. So I started looking at washboards, wash tubs, washing plungers, and at laundry soap.  I have to say, some of it is expensive because of a recent hip lifestyle of “ off the grid”. I feel some of the items should be more affordable.

I started with a bamboo washboard for 11.99 to get the feel of a washboard. It’s beautiful and works very well, but I didn’t’t stop there because wood wears down with use. There is one company in the United States that has been making washboards since 1895. The Columbus Washboard Company out of Logan, Ohio.  THey have a few different washboards, and some are mentioned in the above video. I purchased the “Standard Family Size” for 52.00. I will be using this one for the general laundry including jeans, sweatshirts, sheets, etc. I also purchased an 11.00 plastic washboard because the surface is very smooth, I can use this for more delicate items.

What I did not purchase is the galvanized washtub, nor a heavy clothes wringer. These are more pricey, and maybe in the future if I have no washing machine at all, I will make these investments, but I don’t think so. Unless you are homeless, you more than likely have a kitchen sink and a bathtub. I feel these are the modern day washtubs. Just in case I am camping or homeless, I purchased three 5 gallon Home Depot buckets that will specifically be for laundry. Wash, Rinse, Carry to clothesline.

Placing a crocheted poncho and Zote soap in the kitchen sink in hot water. I used the Columbus washboard to wash this.

After washing and rinsing in the sink, I am using a mop bucket I already had to wring out the poncho a little at a time, and then will hang it on the line.

Zote soap

The Columbus Standard Family Size washboard

 The Columbus Standard Family Size washboard

Hanging the poncho to dry on a laundry rack.

A few notes: Zote soap is pungent. Not like Dial, Ivory, or Irish Spring. It suds up easily and cleans very well. When I first told family I may not look for a new washer, but might do it all by washboard, most people thought I was , well, wrong. Several said they would never consider not using a washing machine. I have been washing clothes by hand for over 50 years, but most things other than 

'hand-washables" have gone into a washer. I actually currently think it’s easier to do it with a washboard, and not lugging large laundry baskets up and down stairs. A bathtub and an average washer can both use about 30 gallons of water. Five gallon pails or my Genuine Joe mop bucket at 6 gallons are much easier to handle than a 15 gallon washtub or two.

Genuine Joe Mop Bucket and Wringer

15 gallon galvanized washtub

Clothes wringer

Home Depot buckets

Zote bar soap

Columbus Family Size Standard Washboard

Bamboo Washboard

Plastic Washboard

Backstrap Weaving

 Backstrap Weaving:

One of the skills I learned many years ago was weaving.  Weaving fabric gives one a way to make their own clothes and household items, usually with the greatest economy of yarn.

Backstrap weaving is a very simple way to weave, utilizing sticks for a back and front beam, a rigid heddle or string heddles, and simple combs or beaters to keep the weft tightly packed.

Regarding Veterans, a backstrap loom can be rolled up into a small package, easy to carry. You can "tie up" to a tree to weave. As homelessness gets worse, for both Veterans and civilians, having a backstrap loom can help you rebuild your textile supplies after eviceion or after being "swept".

I have small backstrap looms premade- if you are a Veteran and would like one, please email me at laeom33@yahoo.com and I can mail you one. It will have a narrow warp on it, a way to get you started and give you a feel for weaving. It will be similar to what is shown.

What isn't shown is a roll bar, but I will include one if I have one.  I have several videos up about Backstrap Weaving at this link.  There are many videos on that playlist, scroll down for any pertaining to backstrap weaving in particular.

Refresher-Weaving Basic Fabric

Backstrap Weaving Long Warp

Wider Warp for Weaving

The Kitchen Sewing Table-Backstrap Woven Pull Over Vest

In addition, there are two or three very good videos from other sources that show the techniques and tools.

From El Salvador

Backstrap Weaving 1

Men's and Women's Weaving from Africa

We should not be afraid to dive right in and make our own fabric, clothes, blankets, reusable paper towels, anything we need.

Violin - Rosin The Bow

If you are taking up the violin for PTSD, stress related issues, or just for fun, the first thing you have to do is rosin the bow. I do this before I tune the violin.

  Violin - Rosin the Bow

PTSD - Language - Music - Violin

 In the past year we have all had something new to face - Covid-19. In addition, both I and my Service Dog have had to have surgery. Miss Coco Bean has actually had two surgeries. Perhaps due to these life-changing events, my PTSD and subsequent seizures have gotten worse.

Much of the time, I lose the ability to speak after a seizure. The PTSD resulting from a car accident many years ago, has wiggled its way into several forms or sets of symptoms over the years, many of which conventional therapy methods do not help with.

Coco is turning 13 this month, and twice now I have had to face a reality that she might not have made it through surgery. She did make it, she is currently fine, but what will I do without her?

My current language issue is not completing a sentence- at any given time or place, or seemingly having two conversations with myself. I will be doing something, and all of a sudden, I am speaking about something entirely different.  I think this may be connected to the fairly common symptom of PTSD and running thoughts- only I speak them - or not.

I am going back to my violins for some help.

Going back to when I was a child, I have played violin, flute, piano, guitar, and worked out some theories regarding PTSD on cello, viola, violin, a recorder (instrument), penny whistle, clay indigenous flute.  Out of those last instruments, I have found the soprano "voice" of the violin is closest to the white noise I hear all the time from PTSD. Only a couple of those instruments inspired me enough to actually take playing to a daily level, and the violin is one of them.

Video link:  (not music) PTSD-Language-Music-Violin

Cecilio CVN300 is a very good starter violin, even when purchased used. They also make a good starter electric/silent violin. You need an amp to project the music. This is a halfway decent small amp to start with for a silent violin.

When I went back to playing a violin, I happened upon "tab" music. Tab is simply an easier way to "read" music. There are several books available for violin in tab, but I have used two from Cindy Miles for several years.

Here is another thing I have discovered about PTSD - My PTSD is from a car accident-when I go in a car it causes seizures for a few hours after the ride. I have recently had a seizure that threw me back to images of Army men and Batman-two recurring themes.

By using "figures" (a Batman 5 inch, Luke Skywalker 4 inch, 3.75 inch G.I.Joes) I have realized that when I go in a car I hear background music. The Star Wars Theme, The Batman Theme, The Marine's Hymn because of a trip to the base my uncle was stationed on.

When I had my car accident, I got "fried" to the Batman theme song- both because my son wasn't killed in the crash and because I loved Batman as a kid. I thought it was the violence of the crash, but it wasn't- it was and is the MUSIC always in the background.

Here's another example - when I was a kid, I LOVED Alvin and the Chipmunks - which and again because of the theme songs of the movies my son used to watch - well the chipmunks became the song "If I Had Words"" (Mice version) from the movie "Babe".

Notice that both songs are surreal and in the Babe song, very high pitched background noise. Very unreal, yet constantly there. I am going to record my playing onto an mp3 player and take the mp3s in the car when I have to go in a car, bringing the background noise to the level of fun listening.

The background noise is a slower calming noise - and real life is where the reality is. It is why I say people with #PTSD are actually normal as they are- I believe we find a way to sustain ourselves inside no matter what we look like "outside".

Below is an example of what "tab" music looks like- from the books by Cindy Miles.

 Thank you for your Service Navy!  This quilt set went today to a U.S. Navy Veteran.

Iused my 1937 Singer 15-88 in a treadle for the larger quilt, and as well for some machine quilting on the medallion quilt. The center design of the medallion was hand-quilted.  Face masks were included!

Face Masks for Veterans

 Last March, 2020, I had made many face masks- both for Veterans and for civilians.  I have designed a few different types. This month, I designed a five-layer face mask, because many people were wearing two layers, and I myself don't like to wear two masks, if I can wear one that has enough layers.

Most of my face masks are two layers of tightly woven cotton. My five-layer masks are that, with an inner, enclosed lining of the surgical mask fabric, which gives a total of five layers.  Because the surgical mask fabric is entirely enclosed, it never gets contaminated.  

White researching this, I found a set of three links regarding the study of how well fabrics block contaminants, including fabrics that people had to rely on last spring.

These links are:

-Scientific Comparison of COVID-19 Face Mask Materials: T-shirts, Socks, Jeans, Vacuum Bags, N95
-Respiratory Protection Engineering Task Force
-Ability of fabric face mask materials to filter ultrafine particles at coughing velocity

 

I recommend reading each of those aspects of the studies if you are making your own masks.  Below is a photo of two five-layer masks - I have made these for and Air Force Veteran and his wife, and a Navy Vet and his wife (so far, I just started these a few days ago).

Rope To Cope

"Point of the Spear" Lucets and a "Rope to Cope" (c) laeom

I'm working on "Point Of The Spear" brass screw lucets for Veterans to make their own "Rope to Cope" (c) laeom . These two angel statues are two of my lucets. PTSD is real.

Luceting a rope gives one the ability to think and resolve their own issues, fears, or accomplishments, and you end up with a truly Personal Rope (c) laeom. PTSD often needs to be focused or controlled and luceting a rope does that.