i am very excited to announce a new blog that is the blending of so many things close to my heart:
vansteaders
i am so blown away by this, and shouldn't be. heidi is one of the most creative people i know, and when she puts her mind to something, it shines. she shines! this is so timely for me. when i got home in may, i expected to be on the road again by july. that got pushed back, and now is on hold indefinitely.
being at the farm has been really good....the time is well spent. i have enjoyed my family and friends so much. my homesteading urge is all stirred up, though, and i peruse my container gardening bible and poke around searching out edible wild plants. and dream of doing it on the road....
another thing i have at the farm, that i don't have in the van, is a studio. my creative juices are at their peak when surrounded by the yarns and fiber and tools that i so love, hanging from hooks and draped over furniture where their colors and textures inspire me. there is no re-creating that when i have to lift the mattress and dig under the bed in the rondyvan.
i am going to use my time here in the east well. it is an opportunity to make some changes, and increase the dream. vansteaders will be a great resource! thank-you Numees!
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17 comments:
Katie, you are a person who can make every day a wonderful adventure, wherever you are. Thinking of you especially at this time of year--it was Columbus Day 1995 when I first saw your amazing studio and my life instantly began to change.
Oh I would so love to come to BC when you are there, to learn how to create one also :)
Please let me know when you are doing this!!!
Just wanted to mention again, no chickens in Taj! That picture of course is Taj's worst nightmare :) Glad you are getting your creative stuff going again Kate, since it makes you happy, I would do whatever it took to get it done. Sandy helping you to do the Vardo would be very cool! I hope that works out as planned and you can get back to some of the things you love :)
-Mike
97 Roadtrek 170P "Taj Ma Trek"
HTTP://WWW.VanTramps.Com
OMGosh, this is so great! I am so happy to share this with you! Thank you so much for the post and the *very* sweet comments! I am having such a wonderful time connecting with all the vansteaders! We are having a little vandweller gathering, but I'll be posting something new within the next few hours.
HI I have just found your blog and love it.Have read through all the old posts.
An ex nurse too and so understood what you were saying about the changing face of the health system.
I fully agree with pet smuggling to make patients happy. For some it's healing and others a bittersweet goodbye.
I am thinking of living a similar life - in a van. Love the Vardo studio idea.
A question, what is the title of your container gardening book? I have herbs growing in old food cans and doing well!
An offer, I live 1 hour south of Ashburton where Asford spinning wheels are made. If you ever need anything and i can help let me know.
Adrienne (NZ)
That's so awesome! Whenever you post stuff like this I wish I still lived in a van so I could do it too!
There's plans for tons of little pull behind houses/gypsy wagons/etc at littlehouses.com, by the way. It's where DeAnna got the plans for her little house, I think.
catherine- it's been quite the journey from those first nights in the icu! what an adventure!
kylie- i will let you know, for sure. it would be fun!
mike- i still laugh at the picture of taj, especially the one peaking out the drivers door!
heidi- as always, you inspire me:-)
adrienne, welcome to a fellow nurse! i have several friends in NZ.i would love to come there, it's always been a dream of mine. my first and only wheels were ashfords. i sold them in my shop. i downsized to spindles, as i will be blogging about soon.
my container gardening book is called "the bountiful container" by rose mcgee and maggie stuckey. i love it. i also have found some good stuff on the net, of which i am trying to locate links for future posts. i am also interested in permaculture....
hope to hear from you again!
and tara! almost missed you, my sweet friend. i have been watching deAnna's progress....will check out the website.
i envy your homestead in alaska. i will get there someday....
My little house is based very loosely on the Epu on tumbleweedhouses.com
littlehouses.com is also a great resource.
But I didn't really get plans from either one. I'm not very good at following directions, so I just didn't bother with them. Easier to figure out each step as I go.
Hi Katie....cool stuff. I love the idea of you pulling a owner-built vardo and using it to sell from!
I missed the whole washing clothes thing but something came to mind reading some of it now...
While traveling abroad, I do my laundry every night in the hotel room sink or shower....I only take two T's, two underpants and 2 pair of sox.....
The key of course is wearing a fabric that will dry by morning....
How about that in a van? My friend Jim wears one set of clothes ALL the time and when he showers he washes it all and wears it right away letting them dry right on him...very minimal and quick and easy...with the added plus of almost no room to pack them.
Cool-Max is awesome, and Supplex cloth like the Macabi is made from.
After this trip I am re-evaluating and even taking less stuff next time...I should be able to pack in a small carry-on and my Timbuk2.
Whatchu think?
Hugs,
bri
bri- i think you are spot on about the nature of the clothing. i have been switching over to the coolmax type fabrics, the convertible trail pants, fleece and, of course, the macabi skirts! i switched all my long johns from the hard to dry cottons, to the quick dry fabrics last year. with layering, you can cover just about any weather. you should see me in winter with my macabi, long johns, and mukluks! haha!
Katie I love the trailer you are going to build it is what I have been looking for to use on the coast of Maine would love to order a set of plans to build one for myself would you or your friend be willing to draft them for me and how much would you want for them also would love to see them built and how much would it coast to have one built by you or your friend.
It is so nice thanks for sharing.
Hi! That post is from a couple years ago, mine has not been done...yet. been finishing up some projects on the homestead. My friend builds those, and very possibly out of his very crafty head :-) I will pass this on to him, though.!
Do you have any idea what size trailer that this is being built onto? I would love to be able to build one for the farmers markets.
Having been more than 2 years since a meager hug thought seeds are at a low ebb . Couple of quick answers , the trailer base is 5x10' with a removable hitch and when awning was fully open foot print was 10'x 10'. There is an album on it on the yahoo vandwellers group under Ms, Katie's thought seed . As for plans pretty hard as they become very individual will building and colors. I had always wanted to have a build with Katie possibly it could be a group build of more than one each to the owners preference . Good project for the farm " hint"
Having been more than 2 years since a meager hug thought seeds are at a low ebb . Couple of quick answers , the trailer base is 5x10' with a removable hitch and when awning was fully open foot print was 10'x 10'. There is an album on it on the yahoo vandwellers group under Ms, Katie's thought seed . As for plans pretty hard as they become very individual will building and colors. I had always wanted to have a build with Katie possibly it could be a group build of more than one each to the owners preference . Good project for the farm " hint"
I'm also a Vardo fan and have been collecting supplies to build one. I had hoped to tackle it last summer/fall but had other emergencies pop up so it is now on hold until early spring. I'm also in B.C. ... any chance of connecting with your friend for advice? I loved the design you posted.
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