Hi Jennifer! Good morning. Well you're a better sleeper than I am then. I am envious. Thanks for the link! That looks incredible. Will dig in. Love this stuff, but pretty new to it. Looking for natural alternatives to "the tin man" FYI we uploaded the call as a recorded lesson.
Thanks for the Historic Textiles class. The first hand knitters were men. Women took it over when men turned to knitting machines. I too made Brianna's shawl from Outlander. Love the pattern and made at least six of them. Since you knit, do you know about Ravelry.com? It's a great place to document pattern notes and pictures on every knitting project. Plus free and "for sale" patterns abound. You can find knitting tips on just about everything.
Thank you for the interesting conversation :) I didn't know linen was made from flax, very cool.
Wool, even merino, the itching drives me mad in minutes. Interestingly, I get a runny nose quickly when touching wool. We live in New Zealand, completely unprocessed wool is easy to get here and I use it on my garden (nose running badly by the time I've finished placing it around plants). Wool products trigger the same response, but usually the more processed the wool, the less of a runny nose. Makes me wonder why that happens, I never used to have that issue as a child. The itchiness of the wool yes, but not the runny nose. I'm not entirely sure it's a bad thing to be fair. I may make myself a little ball of pure unprocessed wool and just strap it against my skin for a few days and see if the running eventually stops and I feel better after. Just thoughts . . .
I've been watching this guys work with wool from his own sheep:
My skin flares bad with plastic fabrics, and the rest of my EMF issues, but most immediately skin. Cotton is significantly better, but still traps too much heat. I haven't tried hemp or linen yet, on the look out.
Has anyone else noticed cotton has changed?
There are few places (fewer every year) I can get clothing that is 100% cotton, but in the past 12-18 months it doesn't feel the same. I wear pajama pants as my daytime pants as I can't afford 100% cotton dayware (it's very expensive here). The lot I bought this year feel like plastic in the way they trap heat, but my lot from last year feel like normal cotton. Same with 2 t-shirts I bought. Both said 100% cotton, but trap heat and static charge worse than my older shirts which are 95% cotton. Something weird is going on with the cotton products available in my country.
Wool products have their lanolin stripped out in the commercial washing process. I think we will end up having to make our own fabrics eventually. I'm ready to jump in and learn.
Hi Kiwi! Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I too have noticed a change in cotton. My 100% cotton shirts now feel a lot heavier, and less breathable...although they're not organic, so they could be sprayed with something. Even organic cotton could have a preservative/ spray put on at the end stage? Not sure....it could also be the change in our electrical environment, maybe certain fabrics that once could discharge easily no longer cannot....just a theory. Thanks again for sharing, I will dig into the video over the weekend.!
Thank you so much for talking about wool. It's making a huge difference for our family so far.
My youngest child and I, the most severely (overtly) affected by EMF in our family, are wearing pure wool wrist warmers I made with nalbinding. The change has been huge!
The itchiness was pretty bad when I first put the wool wrist warmers on, as was the runny nose, but it had a familiar feel to it. The skin itch was like when I spray peroxide on my skin, the runny nose was like when I took peroxide internally for the first time. Very interesting. After a few hours the itchiness and runny nose settled and I started feeling good. Now I feel worse if I take them off (I wear them 24/7).
It's getting cold here, so I've begun trawling second hand shops for old wool blankets to use for bedding and to cut up and sew into winter clothing for a fraction of the price of new wool clothing. I can't wait to see what the switch from plastic socks and winter clothes to homemade wool ones does for us :)
Hi Kiwi! So good to hear. Wow. And that your body was able to adjust to the itch is impressive! Sounds like a kind of hormetic/ beneficial/ acute stress response. Thank you for reminding me to check those second-hand stores as well - you can find some real gems there. So glad you're doing a bit better. I wear wool all year round- the company I like is meriwool layers. not the best customer service, but decent products.
Are you in America? It's crazy how cheap things are there. Pure merino wool is natural resource in my country as we are the land of sheep (New Zealand), yet merino clothing is still cheaper in the US. Crazy.
I have a family of 4 to dress in all natural fibers, and a limited income, so I'm getting creative :)
I really enjoy your podcasts, keep up the great work.
I wondered the same, is it just the increase in electric fields, but my older pair of pants feel normal for cotton to me, it's just the newer pants, so I suspect Yantra's comment above is spot on. The place I get mine still has all the same labelling, country and fabric composition etc. but feels completely different. And it was an abrupt change.
I'm also looking into wool spinning as wool is abundant here. Nalbinding is apparently a method of 'knitting' wool so that it becomes almost indestructible, so it's used for socks and such. Given my health, I may struggle with the physical part of the box felting method used by the guy I linked, but I could learn to spin and knit.
I'm so grateful for places like this where we can share practical ways to deal with this mess :)
A lot of cotton clothing, esp men's shirts (or really anything) that state 100% cotton, but tout wrinkle resistance have fabric finishes that are chemical and don't wash out for a LONG time if ever - so basically they have some kind of plastic/teflon or whatever finish. I bought a woman's shirt once like that in USA and really hated it, finally gave it away - it never really wrinkled, but also never felt or looked like real cotton. Then i read about the bastardization of "100% cotton" online somewhere.
That's so helpful! Thank you :) Reflecting on doing the washing, the items that feel wrong don't really wrinkle. The f*ckery with every aspect of our survival is unending.
You might consider investigating the micron size of the wool---very much like the difference between a newborn Caucasian's hair and an adult Asian's hair. In my experience of 60 years of knitting, and but for a few short years in the 60's, only with wool, that fiber diameter makes a huge difference in comfort. Better wool companies specify the micron of the fiber. You might also check into Rawganique (N. Carolina, USA) a company involved in growing/processing/spinning/weaving its own cotton fabrics.
You have to look into how the cotton is raised (as a crop) and then how it is processed for making fabric. Much of the raw cotton fiber is already corrupted because it has been genetically altered and is raised with poisons. To my knowledge it is not genetically modified, but it is for sure not raised organically. Raw cotton processed for weaving into fabric is often treated with chemicals.
Surely cotton fiber is better than polyester, but it is not necessarily "pure".
Search online for "cotton breeding" to research the details.
I love sleeping on my wool mattress. I also have wool filled pillows. Wool is a fantastic fiber. I raised sheep for a while and my boys are great knitters. They loved to knit the old fashioned fisherman sweaters. They went to a Waldorf school where handwork of all kinds was taught. One year, when I didn't send my wool out to be processed (it's very expensive) I left a whole fleece out on our property. It stayed in tact, without any signs of degradation for over a year. Whole fleeces from sheering can make great rugs and doormats.
Wool is itchy and I do like linen. Different uses. I'll wear a wool sweater with a shirt underneath but wool really bugs me. That's a lot of insulation.
Big on natural fibers, it's getting hard to find clothes that don't have plastic in them. Plastic is uncomfortable and it makes me stink. I've read that it's unhealthy as well.
I bought a pair of shorts a few days ago, not because I needed a pair of shorts but because I was delighted that they were 100% cotton. Rare.
I know, right?! You have to grab those goodies when you see them. You should have bought two pairs of shorts - you could have always sewn them together to make pants.
Have you tried merino wool? Wool used to bug me too, but this type is very comfortable.
I'd know how to knit as well if I could wear wool. I did get granny to show me how when I was a kid. Of course I would have to learn to relax.
I don't have to look through my clothes to weed out the plastic. Just a few t-shirts that I don't wear and didn't buy. Considering buying bolts of cotton and/or linen.
That's fantastic John...my wife just sent me a video this week about a lady who did just that - making a linen shirt from flax in her field.
Are you seriously considering doing the flax thing?
They double as really beneficial omega 3s, help digestion etc. A great way to make some chocolate (slimy) pudding - flaxseed ground, mixed with water, add maple syrup and a crapload of really good cocoa powder, plus sea salt. Ooo-FA!
You know me Roman, there isn't anything I don't consider. My mother was the best dressed woman in town, she made all her own clothes. I have all her sewing gear. Having said that, a shirt is probably one of the hardest things to make.
Conversation should go
"Where did you get that crappy shirt?"
"I made it, piss off."
I've watched lots of videos on flax. Need a refresher. I have a couple places to grow it. Should I take it past the consideration stage it might not get past the grow stage, but I would still have flax seed. As you point out it is a valuable resource. Now taking seal oil for Omega 3.
Thanks so much John...yes the crappier the better. If you're going to go hippy - might as well go 100 percent hippy, and rub yourself down in seal oil.
Where'd you get that seal oil anyway? You're a baby seal killer aren't you.
Wool is a product of sheep. Each breed of sheep has a unique wool. Personally, I hate wearing shetland wool, but adore cashmere. They are completely different products of different animal species.
Cashmere - it's comfortable wool. {smile} I've been shocked by the difference. Buy a $400 cashmere sweater from N.Peal and you have one of the most comfortable items on earth to wear. Buy a $120 "equivalent" from Land's End and you've got a beautiful but uncomfortable sweater.
For socks, both Alpaca and regular wool seem to be very soft and comfortable.
So I really think it depends on what "wool" item you buy.
Good Day John! Thanks again for your thoughtful feedback. Didn't consider alpaca as a wool, but you're right. Funny how our societies look at clothing as something disposable, trendy, yet true clothing is sustainable and an investment...at least that's what I've learned. Have you heard of Aran fisherman sweaters? (ireland) https://www.aran.com
So, I could not find an article extolling the protection from EMFs by wool, but you believe wool and other natural fiber clothing protects from EMFs? If so, that’s wonderful and also reveals why synthetics are being pushed onto us; there’s the economics of synthetics as well as the petroleum companies get richer. I will definitely investigate types of wool best for warmer climates; as a Floridian it’s tough to imagine wearing wool!🤪
Hi Cyn, sorry about that. I will be releasing an article that goes over natural shielding alternatives soon, which will include the plethora of studies I've found. I'll update this post soon as well.
As far as wool goes, it's not a complete EMF shield like silver (nothing is a complete shield against EMF) however it does help our bodies regulate their electrostatic potential (which reduces excess positive ions/inflammation) and can provide a water barrier between us and EMF as we sweat, go outside in the rain...wool has a natural barrier this way. Hope that makes sense?
Hmm... yes, I suppose technically animal fibers are sourced from a variety of different animals (sheep, alpaca, llama, etc). My guess is the key relating to EMF is the difference between a plant fiber and an animal hair.
I had not heard of "Aran" before. Thanks for the link. I'll check them out. Do you find them to be high quality and comfortable items?
Unfortunately yes, I think a large part of our societies clothing is "disposable". Cheap junk bought from your favorite source at the lowest price available, worn a bit and then disposed of. The problem with expensive items is getting a stain on them which refuses to wash out. It's a lot more "painful" to throw away a $400 item vs throwing away a $20 item.
Best sweaters on Earth! "Super Soft" in the description is no joke. Try the Fisherman or Troyer sweater. Their socks are also fantastic. There is also Skellig Gift Store and Weavers of Ireland for more choices. And don't forget Scotland. They have fantastic wool as well. 🇮🇪🏴
Aw man! Unfortunately, no. But I dream of being there someday. I'm just a Celto-phile, if that's a word.
And
I also love love LOVE the Pysanky eggs and Eastern Europe generally. Such beautiful cultures. Your Substack on Pysanky is what attracted me to your articles when I saw them on Notes. Also, Jonathan of Nerve & Muscle (Overcoming Isometrics)
Driving around England it's pretty clear that wool is a major industry there! My wife and I laughed over and over again at the "red dot sheep", "blue dot sheep" and "green dot sheep". Apparently they spray paint colored dots on them to keep track of them.
When I visted England, I saw that the sheep herds were colored. It seems the male sheep wore some dye in containers around their necks, so when they mated with females, the latter were colored with the dye. Great way to identify the female sheep who had been bred.
Great video will pass it along to friends and family who are open to it and could benefit. Realized 40 years ago that the body did not like polyester fibers. Oozy rashes, skin turning gray, and a stench so bad that a dog would not roll on it that could not be washed out, even multiple soakings in baking soda water. As and aside; The "low fat/not fat" food movement in the '70s replaced the fat in food with petrochemicals. I was working in purchasing at a manufacturing plant that made polyester resin, gel coat and fiberglass paneling. Purchased petrochemicals by the railcar, and the salesmen from the large petrochemical suppliers proudly told me they also sold everything we put in plastic in food grade. Started reading food labels and changing purchasing habits immediately. Looking through the closet: wool, cashmere, cotton, linen, hemp, silk and a couple of rayon pieces that are rarely worn. Wool mattress for about 35 years. Never met a pharmaceutical that agreed with me. Medicare does not pay for anything I would do to maintain good health; it would be useful to have if I fall off the roof cleaning the gutters.
Dobrijden Alexander. Good question. I dislike root canals - they can lead to infection. Have you looked at Weston A Price Foundation's research?
Vitamin K2 seems to be a factor in developing healthy teeth - via animal fats, fermented cod liver/ oil. Oil "pulling" with coconut oil is also good. Then there is the field of cymatics, that I want to research more - very fascinating - using sound waves to regenerate bone.
For tooth and gum problems I can highly recommend the regime i have followed for around 16 years now, with next to zero further deterioration from a problem situation back when. I was hoping for 10 years, I'd had experience with a lesser version of what i adopted, but now it's 16 and I am most grateful. This should be of increased importance now as apparently dental anaesthetic contains covi-vax-related components.
Not only no deterioration all those years but zero visits to a dentist, and not once has a toothbrush entered this mouth (plastic or other).
The key is bee propolis. My "lesser" method involved spritzing its tincture. But much more useful for the difficult situation has since been softening raw propolis chunks in vodka, enough to render them adhesive. Any holes, whether on gumline or atop or otherwise on a tooth, can be plugged with this.
Adjuncts are important as well. It is true that with eating, esp. vigourous chewing of harder foodstuffs, or of e.g. sour apples, the plugs can come away. If ingested, no problem at all. Some tout propolis as very protective against illness factors, but I think one has to ingest a great deal for that effect to be significant. So when done eating, one should rinse with warm/hot tea, i.e. paricularly black of twig from camia sinensis. Water works but tea is best. Very flouride-rich, too. Then replug as needed. It all takes little time, comparable to time spent brushing (which again I do not do; flossing is useful at times).
On rarer occasions when I have been inattentively lax and not promptly replugged and was exposed to some pathogenic factor that i began to feel within a tooth, colloidal silver held in place, repeatedly if needed, has always worked (if it can generate the Herxheimer effect a bit painful as bad stuff departs).
Now re-colouration of teeth, well, they can brown up some; but breath is pleasant. A substitute for propolis I have resorted to at times is resin from fir or cedar (thuja) especially. Also when buying propolis bring along a magnifier to examine for bits of paint, as I have found some scrapers of propolis from hives are too vigourous and uncareful. Since this is ingestible one should go for purity. There is usually some beeswax, unsoftenable in the alcohol, so best to look for low wax content. Altho' one can mix the two and extend one's propolis. Not cheap apparently but one needs pennies a day all told.
I hope this helps. It definiely helps to keep all teeth one can manage to, even fragments in place if tended properly. Chewing is important as well to increase blood flow, I figure.
Would you consider white oak bark powder? I make homemade toothpaste using coconut oil, charcoal, baking soda, peppermint and clove essential oils, and white oak bark powder. If I have a toothache, I put a drop or two on a cotton swab and hold against the tooth/gum line and let it absorb in, or put white oak bark powder on a dampened gauze and roll, then place against the gum line.
Thank you for sharing that Laura - honestly never heard of that combo - but don't see why it wouldn't work. Similar to white willow's properties as an analgesic I'm guessing?
I sleep on and under natural fibers. My mattress and pillow are made of wool. My comforter is filled with down. I have no allergic reaction to any of it.
I might add that I always carry in a pocket a small container with some propolis and a small twig as dispenser, it is so sticky, and one never knows when a plug can need replacing.
I process my own wool for spinning and knitting. I also make my own quilts and clothing. I'm building up as I go into new textile products. I'm intending to learning flax/linen next.
I learned the basics from YouTube (2009). I have since developed my own style, as I found some alternatives to the tools that people would purchase. I don't teach as no one around here is interested in learning. I do have a spinning wheel and some drop spindles (I adapted to using as supported spindles are used), a set of wool combs, a set of carders, and a dog brush.
Most people who are around me have finally noticed that I don't become ill and I have started to reverse signs of aging, including my hair returning to its natural color from the gray I developed, a surprising lack of wrinkles, no autoimmune conditions, no chronic pain, good brain function, good vision/hearing. The singular problem I do have is recurrent blood clotting, which I believe is EMF related. After 3 heart attacks in 7 years, it's getting on my nerves. Hence the reason I follow you, Roman. To figure this out before this kills me.
Thank you Laura, again, for sharing, and for your support. Are you aware of dirty electricity's effect on us? If you have any wiring errors in your home, high magnetic fields, etc...dirty electricity could be a problem as well.
I am aware. I work in an office so full of dirty electricity it should be illegal. In 2021 they installed 5G repeaters - 8 in one department's office space. The city/county/state requirements for rental properties are that they must have smart meters... so, surrounded again. I want to paint the inside of my home with lead paint, install a grounding wire to my bed, and a whole lot more... I work for a major medical teaching institution. I'm looking to find an out, and with luck, I'll start a certified herbalist training program.
Great podcast! I LOVE the photo of you knitting, Bohdanna! I'm a knitter/crocheter too - almost daily this time of year. I crochet more than knit these days since it is so quick and easy to make hats with crochet. Very interesting info re history of fabrics. I am very into natural fibers also (esp wool) but i must admit that i have a pair of ancient velour pants (~22 years old) that i ocassionally wear. The reason they have lasted 'forever' is because, although 85% cotton, they are 15% polyester. Probably all of the cotton is gone by now. (: Another thing about polyester that you touched upon but i want to underscore - it STINKS! (not those pants) but i have noticed that the microfiber "car towels" my husband bought which i sometimes use to clean up the kitchen, etc with begin to smell very bad quickly - and it doesn't go away even when laundered.
Good morningRoman.
I slept through class. 7pm is too often past my bedtime.
DIY aether collecting, healing lap blanket project based on Wilhelm Reich's work: https://www.earth-ocean.info/post/dielectric-orgone-blankets
Hi Jennifer! Good morning. Well you're a better sleeper than I am then. I am envious. Thanks for the link! That looks incredible. Will dig in. Love this stuff, but pretty new to it. Looking for natural alternatives to "the tin man" FYI we uploaded the call as a recorded lesson.
So glad you posted this. I have one of those. A small one I bought on etsy.
Thanks for the Historic Textiles class. The first hand knitters were men. Women took it over when men turned to knitting machines. I too made Brianna's shawl from Outlander. Love the pattern and made at least six of them. Since you knit, do you know about Ravelry.com? It's a great place to document pattern notes and pictures on every knitting project. Plus free and "for sale" patterns abound. You can find knitting tips on just about everything.
Thank you for the interesting conversation :) I didn't know linen was made from flax, very cool.
Wool, even merino, the itching drives me mad in minutes. Interestingly, I get a runny nose quickly when touching wool. We live in New Zealand, completely unprocessed wool is easy to get here and I use it on my garden (nose running badly by the time I've finished placing it around plants). Wool products trigger the same response, but usually the more processed the wool, the less of a runny nose. Makes me wonder why that happens, I never used to have that issue as a child. The itchiness of the wool yes, but not the runny nose. I'm not entirely sure it's a bad thing to be fair. I may make myself a little ball of pure unprocessed wool and just strap it against my skin for a few days and see if the running eventually stops and I feel better after. Just thoughts . . .
I've been watching this guys work with wool from his own sheep:
https://www.youtube.com/@123Homefree/search?query=felt
My skin flares bad with plastic fabrics, and the rest of my EMF issues, but most immediately skin. Cotton is significantly better, but still traps too much heat. I haven't tried hemp or linen yet, on the look out.
Has anyone else noticed cotton has changed?
There are few places (fewer every year) I can get clothing that is 100% cotton, but in the past 12-18 months it doesn't feel the same. I wear pajama pants as my daytime pants as I can't afford 100% cotton dayware (it's very expensive here). The lot I bought this year feel like plastic in the way they trap heat, but my lot from last year feel like normal cotton. Same with 2 t-shirts I bought. Both said 100% cotton, but trap heat and static charge worse than my older shirts which are 95% cotton. Something weird is going on with the cotton products available in my country.
Wool products have their lanolin stripped out in the commercial washing process. I think we will end up having to make our own fabrics eventually. I'm ready to jump in and learn.
Hi Kiwi! Thank you so much for sharing all of this. I too have noticed a change in cotton. My 100% cotton shirts now feel a lot heavier, and less breathable...although they're not organic, so they could be sprayed with something. Even organic cotton could have a preservative/ spray put on at the end stage? Not sure....it could also be the change in our electrical environment, maybe certain fabrics that once could discharge easily no longer cannot....just a theory. Thanks again for sharing, I will dig into the video over the weekend.!
Thank you so much for talking about wool. It's making a huge difference for our family so far.
My youngest child and I, the most severely (overtly) affected by EMF in our family, are wearing pure wool wrist warmers I made with nalbinding. The change has been huge!
The itchiness was pretty bad when I first put the wool wrist warmers on, as was the runny nose, but it had a familiar feel to it. The skin itch was like when I spray peroxide on my skin, the runny nose was like when I took peroxide internally for the first time. Very interesting. After a few hours the itchiness and runny nose settled and I started feeling good. Now I feel worse if I take them off (I wear them 24/7).
It's getting cold here, so I've begun trawling second hand shops for old wool blankets to use for bedding and to cut up and sew into winter clothing for a fraction of the price of new wool clothing. I can't wait to see what the switch from plastic socks and winter clothes to homemade wool ones does for us :)
Hi Kiwi! So good to hear. Wow. And that your body was able to adjust to the itch is impressive! Sounds like a kind of hormetic/ beneficial/ acute stress response. Thank you for reminding me to check those second-hand stores as well - you can find some real gems there. So glad you're doing a bit better. I wear wool all year round- the company I like is meriwool layers. not the best customer service, but decent products.
Are you in America? It's crazy how cheap things are there. Pure merino wool is natural resource in my country as we are the land of sheep (New Zealand), yet merino clothing is still cheaper in the US. Crazy.
I have a family of 4 to dress in all natural fibers, and a limited income, so I'm getting creative :)
I really enjoy your podcasts, keep up the great work.
I wondered the same, is it just the increase in electric fields, but my older pair of pants feel normal for cotton to me, it's just the newer pants, so I suspect Yantra's comment above is spot on. The place I get mine still has all the same labelling, country and fabric composition etc. but feels completely different. And it was an abrupt change.
I'm also looking into wool spinning as wool is abundant here. Nalbinding is apparently a method of 'knitting' wool so that it becomes almost indestructible, so it's used for socks and such. Given my health, I may struggle with the physical part of the box felting method used by the guy I linked, but I could learn to spin and knit.
I'm so grateful for places like this where we can share practical ways to deal with this mess :)
A lot of cotton clothing, esp men's shirts (or really anything) that state 100% cotton, but tout wrinkle resistance have fabric finishes that are chemical and don't wash out for a LONG time if ever - so basically they have some kind of plastic/teflon or whatever finish. I bought a woman's shirt once like that in USA and really hated it, finally gave it away - it never really wrinkled, but also never felt or looked like real cotton. Then i read about the bastardization of "100% cotton" online somewhere.
That's so helpful! Thank you :) Reflecting on doing the washing, the items that feel wrong don't really wrinkle. The f*ckery with every aspect of our survival is unending.
You might consider investigating the micron size of the wool---very much like the difference between a newborn Caucasian's hair and an adult Asian's hair. In my experience of 60 years of knitting, and but for a few short years in the 60's, only with wool, that fiber diameter makes a huge difference in comfort. Better wool companies specify the micron of the fiber. You might also check into Rawganique (N. Carolina, USA) a company involved in growing/processing/spinning/weaving its own cotton fabrics.
You have to look into how the cotton is raised (as a crop) and then how it is processed for making fabric. Much of the raw cotton fiber is already corrupted because it has been genetically altered and is raised with poisons. To my knowledge it is not genetically modified, but it is for sure not raised organically. Raw cotton processed for weaving into fabric is often treated with chemicals.
Surely cotton fiber is better than polyester, but it is not necessarily "pure".
Search online for "cotton breeding" to research the details.
https://www.cotton.org/journal/2018-22/3/upload/JCS22-191.pdf
Absolutely, it's a toxic industry from growing to processing. But it's definitely abruptly gotten worse. I suspect Yantra is correct.
I love sleeping on my wool mattress. I also have wool filled pillows. Wool is a fantastic fiber. I raised sheep for a while and my boys are great knitters. They loved to knit the old fashioned fisherman sweaters. They went to a Waldorf school where handwork of all kinds was taught. One year, when I didn't send my wool out to be processed (it's very expensive) I left a whole fleece out on our property. It stayed in tact, without any signs of degradation for over a year. Whole fleeces from sheering can make great rugs and doormats.
Wool is itchy and I do like linen. Different uses. I'll wear a wool sweater with a shirt underneath but wool really bugs me. That's a lot of insulation.
Big on natural fibers, it's getting hard to find clothes that don't have plastic in them. Plastic is uncomfortable and it makes me stink. I've read that it's unhealthy as well.
I bought a pair of shorts a few days ago, not because I needed a pair of shorts but because I was delighted that they were 100% cotton. Rare.
I know, right?! You have to grab those goodies when you see them. You should have bought two pairs of shorts - you could have always sewn them together to make pants.
Have you tried merino wool? Wool used to bug me too, but this type is very comfortable.
https://www.meriwoollayers.com/
Thanks Roman, I'll check it out.
I've considered growing flax.
"Where did you get that shirt?"
"I grew it."
I'd know how to knit as well if I could wear wool. I did get granny to show me how when I was a kid. Of course I would have to learn to relax.
I don't have to look through my clothes to weed out the plastic. Just a few t-shirts that I don't wear and didn't buy. Considering buying bolts of cotton and/or linen.
That's fantastic John...my wife just sent me a video this week about a lady who did just that - making a linen shirt from flax in her field.
Are you seriously considering doing the flax thing?
They double as really beneficial omega 3s, help digestion etc. A great way to make some chocolate (slimy) pudding - flaxseed ground, mixed with water, add maple syrup and a crapload of really good cocoa powder, plus sea salt. Ooo-FA!
You know me Roman, there isn't anything I don't consider. My mother was the best dressed woman in town, she made all her own clothes. I have all her sewing gear. Having said that, a shirt is probably one of the hardest things to make.
Conversation should go
"Where did you get that crappy shirt?"
"I made it, piss off."
I've watched lots of videos on flax. Need a refresher. I have a couple places to grow it. Should I take it past the consideration stage it might not get past the grow stage, but I would still have flax seed. As you point out it is a valuable resource. Now taking seal oil for Omega 3.
Thanks so much John...yes the crappier the better. If you're going to go hippy - might as well go 100 percent hippy, and rub yourself down in seal oil.
Where'd you get that seal oil anyway? You're a baby seal killer aren't you.
I have a hard time killing anything Roman, but thankfully I'm a hypocrite so I'm OK with anyone else doing it.
Seal oil is in gel cap supplements straight from the Rock.
Roman, can you post a link to that video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VKN04zmEjg
Thank you Roman.
Wool is a product of sheep. Each breed of sheep has a unique wool. Personally, I hate wearing shetland wool, but adore cashmere. They are completely different products of different animal species.
Cashmere - it's comfortable wool. {smile} I've been shocked by the difference. Buy a $400 cashmere sweater from N.Peal and you have one of the most comfortable items on earth to wear. Buy a $120 "equivalent" from Land's End and you've got a beautiful but uncomfortable sweater.
For socks, both Alpaca and regular wool seem to be very soft and comfortable.
So I really think it depends on what "wool" item you buy.
Good Day John! Thanks again for your thoughtful feedback. Didn't consider alpaca as a wool, but you're right. Funny how our societies look at clothing as something disposable, trendy, yet true clothing is sustainable and an investment...at least that's what I've learned. Have you heard of Aran fisherman sweaters? (ireland) https://www.aran.com
Thanks for sharing N.Peal as well.
So, I could not find an article extolling the protection from EMFs by wool, but you believe wool and other natural fiber clothing protects from EMFs? If so, that’s wonderful and also reveals why synthetics are being pushed onto us; there’s the economics of synthetics as well as the petroleum companies get richer. I will definitely investigate types of wool best for warmer climates; as a Floridian it’s tough to imagine wearing wool!🤪
Hi Cyn, sorry about that. I will be releasing an article that goes over natural shielding alternatives soon, which will include the plethora of studies I've found. I'll update this post soon as well.
As far as wool goes, it's not a complete EMF shield like silver (nothing is a complete shield against EMF) however it does help our bodies regulate their electrostatic potential (which reduces excess positive ions/inflammation) and can provide a water barrier between us and EMF as we sweat, go outside in the rain...wool has a natural barrier this way. Hope that makes sense?
Yes, Thank you! I’ll look forward to your upcoming article!😊
Anytime Cyn! Thanks for your support. FYI the article should be released in the next 2 weeks.
Hmm... yes, I suppose technically animal fibers are sourced from a variety of different animals (sheep, alpaca, llama, etc). My guess is the key relating to EMF is the difference between a plant fiber and an animal hair.
I had not heard of "Aran" before. Thanks for the link. I'll check them out. Do you find them to be high quality and comfortable items?
Unfortunately yes, I think a large part of our societies clothing is "disposable". Cheap junk bought from your favorite source at the lowest price available, worn a bit and then disposed of. The problem with expensive items is getting a stain on them which refuses to wash out. It's a lot more "painful" to throw away a $400 item vs throwing away a $20 item.
Best sweaters on Earth! "Super Soft" in the description is no joke. Try the Fisherman or Troyer sweater. Their socks are also fantastic. There is also Skellig Gift Store and Weavers of Ireland for more choices. And don't forget Scotland. They have fantastic wool as well. 🇮🇪🏴
Haven't tried the socks yet, but got a sweater for my aunt for xmas...she loved it. Are you in Ireland by chance Heather? (:
Aw man! Unfortunately, no. But I dream of being there someday. I'm just a Celto-phile, if that's a word.
And
I also love love LOVE the Pysanky eggs and Eastern Europe generally. Such beautiful cultures. Your Substack on Pysanky is what attracted me to your articles when I saw them on Notes. Also, Jonathan of Nerve & Muscle (Overcoming Isometrics)
Top of the Morning to you! ☘️
Good to know Heather! I hear you. It's a word now. Thanks so much - pysanky season is coming up. Any celtic music you like?
Driving around England it's pretty clear that wool is a major industry there! My wife and I laughed over and over again at the "red dot sheep", "blue dot sheep" and "green dot sheep". Apparently they spray paint colored dots on them to keep track of them.
Ha unreal...does red mean aggressive, and green mean peaceful? Curious what those dots mean.
The dots looked to me just like a system to keep track of who owned which sheep when they were allowed to graze together.
When I visted England, I saw that the sheep herds were colored. It seems the male sheep wore some dye in containers around their necks, so when they mated with females, the latter were colored with the dye. Great way to identify the female sheep who had been bred.
Great video will pass it along to friends and family who are open to it and could benefit. Realized 40 years ago that the body did not like polyester fibers. Oozy rashes, skin turning gray, and a stench so bad that a dog would not roll on it that could not be washed out, even multiple soakings in baking soda water. As and aside; The "low fat/not fat" food movement in the '70s replaced the fat in food with petrochemicals. I was working in purchasing at a manufacturing plant that made polyester resin, gel coat and fiberglass paneling. Purchased petrochemicals by the railcar, and the salesmen from the large petrochemical suppliers proudly told me they also sold everything we put in plastic in food grade. Started reading food labels and changing purchasing habits immediately. Looking through the closet: wool, cashmere, cotton, linen, hemp, silk and a couple of rayon pieces that are rarely worn. Wool mattress for about 35 years. Never met a pharmaceutical that agreed with me. Medicare does not pay for anything I would do to maintain good health; it would be useful to have if I fall off the roof cleaning the gutters.
Hey! Thank you for this and also had a question. Do you have natural tooth treatment recommendations and what is your opinion about dentistry?
Dobrijden Alexander. Good question. I dislike root canals - they can lead to infection. Have you looked at Weston A Price Foundation's research?
Vitamin K2 seems to be a factor in developing healthy teeth - via animal fats, fermented cod liver/ oil. Oil "pulling" with coconut oil is also good. Then there is the field of cymatics, that I want to research more - very fascinating - using sound waves to regenerate bone.
Wow that is very interesting!
For tooth and gum problems I can highly recommend the regime i have followed for around 16 years now, with next to zero further deterioration from a problem situation back when. I was hoping for 10 years, I'd had experience with a lesser version of what i adopted, but now it's 16 and I am most grateful. This should be of increased importance now as apparently dental anaesthetic contains covi-vax-related components.
Not only no deterioration all those years but zero visits to a dentist, and not once has a toothbrush entered this mouth (plastic or other).
The key is bee propolis. My "lesser" method involved spritzing its tincture. But much more useful for the difficult situation has since been softening raw propolis chunks in vodka, enough to render them adhesive. Any holes, whether on gumline or atop or otherwise on a tooth, can be plugged with this.
Adjuncts are important as well. It is true that with eating, esp. vigourous chewing of harder foodstuffs, or of e.g. sour apples, the plugs can come away. If ingested, no problem at all. Some tout propolis as very protective against illness factors, but I think one has to ingest a great deal for that effect to be significant. So when done eating, one should rinse with warm/hot tea, i.e. paricularly black of twig from camia sinensis. Water works but tea is best. Very flouride-rich, too. Then replug as needed. It all takes little time, comparable to time spent brushing (which again I do not do; flossing is useful at times).
On rarer occasions when I have been inattentively lax and not promptly replugged and was exposed to some pathogenic factor that i began to feel within a tooth, colloidal silver held in place, repeatedly if needed, has always worked (if it can generate the Herxheimer effect a bit painful as bad stuff departs).
Now re-colouration of teeth, well, they can brown up some; but breath is pleasant. A substitute for propolis I have resorted to at times is resin from fir or cedar (thuja) especially. Also when buying propolis bring along a magnifier to examine for bits of paint, as I have found some scrapers of propolis from hives are too vigourous and uncareful. Since this is ingestible one should go for purity. There is usually some beeswax, unsoftenable in the alcohol, so best to look for low wax content. Altho' one can mix the two and extend one's propolis. Not cheap apparently but one needs pennies a day all told.
I hope this helps. It definiely helps to keep all teeth one can manage to, even fragments in place if tended properly. Chewing is important as well to increase blood flow, I figure.
Very helpful! Will be buying it!
Would you consider white oak bark powder? I make homemade toothpaste using coconut oil, charcoal, baking soda, peppermint and clove essential oils, and white oak bark powder. If I have a toothache, I put a drop or two on a cotton swab and hold against the tooth/gum line and let it absorb in, or put white oak bark powder on a dampened gauze and roll, then place against the gum line.
Thank you for sharing that Laura - honestly never heard of that combo - but don't see why it wouldn't work. Similar to white willow's properties as an analgesic I'm guessing?
I found the recommendation for white oak bark powder in Dr. John Christopher's Book of Natural Healing and ran with it.
I’m using something similar right now actually to restore
i have been using green black walnut to help my enamel.... as i LOVE acidic foods especially lemon and vinegar
yeah that’s the foods that I had to limit now
highly recommend https://substack.com/@growyourowndentist
I sleep on and under natural fibers. My mattress and pillow are made of wool. My comforter is filled with down. I have no allergic reaction to any of it.
I sleep on latex foam mattress, on a down pillow, and under linen sheets and merino winter blanket, cotton for summer
My go to shoes are made of felted wool and cork. There is synthetic sole under the cork. I wear these pretty much everywhere.
Amazing! do you have a link to pictures?
Here is one example on Amazon
HAFLINGER unisex-adult Wool Felt Slippers https://a.co/d/hUvLXHh
I might add that I always carry in a pocket a small container with some propolis and a small twig as dispenser, it is so sticky, and one never knows when a plug can need replacing.
Thanks for sharing dyr! Sorry why do you do this?
This remark was belatedly added in reply to
Alexander Semenyuk's of Mar 20 I see above. I do not know how /why it got posted here. I had answered him about propolis etc qv.
I process my own wool for spinning and knitting. I also make my own quilts and clothing. I'm building up as I go into new textile products. I'm intending to learning flax/linen next.
HI Laura! Thank you so much for chiming in here. Curious - whereabouts are you located?
I'm in Iowa.
Thanks for sharing that Laura. If we may ask - Where did you learn? Do you teach this to others?
I learned the basics from YouTube (2009). I have since developed my own style, as I found some alternatives to the tools that people would purchase. I don't teach as no one around here is interested in learning. I do have a spinning wheel and some drop spindles (I adapted to using as supported spindles are used), a set of wool combs, a set of carders, and a dog brush.
Most people who are around me have finally noticed that I don't become ill and I have started to reverse signs of aging, including my hair returning to its natural color from the gray I developed, a surprising lack of wrinkles, no autoimmune conditions, no chronic pain, good brain function, good vision/hearing. The singular problem I do have is recurrent blood clotting, which I believe is EMF related. After 3 heart attacks in 7 years, it's getting on my nerves. Hence the reason I follow you, Roman. To figure this out before this kills me.
Thank you Laura, again, for sharing, and for your support. Are you aware of dirty electricity's effect on us? If you have any wiring errors in your home, high magnetic fields, etc...dirty electricity could be a problem as well.
Do you try to ground?
I am aware. I work in an office so full of dirty electricity it should be illegal. In 2021 they installed 5G repeaters - 8 in one department's office space. The city/county/state requirements for rental properties are that they must have smart meters... so, surrounded again. I want to paint the inside of my home with lead paint, install a grounding wire to my bed, and a whole lot more... I work for a major medical teaching institution. I'm looking to find an out, and with luck, I'll start a certified herbalist training program.
Does down (feathers) apparel/ blankets protect against emf?
Not sure - great question. I'll be doing some more research into EMF mitigating fabrics in the near future , so hope to have some more info for you.
I wonder your thoughts on silk. Maybe you'll be covering that in the EMF course? 😊
Great podcast! I LOVE the photo of you knitting, Bohdanna! I'm a knitter/crocheter too - almost daily this time of year. I crochet more than knit these days since it is so quick and easy to make hats with crochet. Very interesting info re history of fabrics. I am very into natural fibers also (esp wool) but i must admit that i have a pair of ancient velour pants (~22 years old) that i ocassionally wear. The reason they have lasted 'forever' is because, although 85% cotton, they are 15% polyester. Probably all of the cotton is gone by now. (: Another thing about polyester that you touched upon but i want to underscore - it STINKS! (not those pants) but i have noticed that the microfiber "car towels" my husband bought which i sometimes use to clean up the kitchen, etc with begin to smell very bad quickly - and it doesn't go away even when laundered.
Will a 50/50 merino/synthetic blend work? Hard to find 100% in stores.
I would say no....I like the site meriwool layers - check them out.