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winter camping
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Debris Shelter
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 Ready For Winter - The Lost Skills Autumn Symposium

Lost Skills Symposiums feature folk and traditional arts that are rarely seen in our modern daily life, but daily life is where these skills were meant to be used.

Our Autumn theme; "Ready For Winter" is a gathering for those interested in learning about traditional arts that will prepare you for winter, or give you a new hobby to try this winter! At the end of this workshop you should be able to replicate any of the skills learned without a fancy workshop or expensive tools.

Dates: October 14-16, 2016

Location: Lost Creek Folk School, Cornucopia Wisconsin is our meeting place with a short drive required for getting to some of the workshops.

WORKSHOPS

Knitting for Beginners & Intermediate Yarn Lovers

with Ellie Kolodzieski, an avid knitter and lover of fiber arts

Come spend a cozy October day learning to knit your grandma’s favorite washcloths in our off-grid workshop. You can focus on completing one washcloth or make swatches of various patterns that you can work with later.  We’ll focus on basic stitches and skills as well as fixing boo-boos that usually arise (those darn dropped stitches!)  If you’re an intermediate knitter, we can work on some new techniques or perfect those basic skills. Cotton, worsted-weight yarn and size US 7 - 4.5 mm bamboo needles will be provided for washcloths and swatches as well as project patterns.

4 hours. 

Material Cost: $10 (inc. patterns, yarn and needles) Material fee payable to your instructor.

Bow-Drill Fire Making

with Alex "Alyosha" Breslav

In this class you will first learn how to shape chunks of wood into a bow-drill kit using a knife and an ax, and then you will learn proper body technique to bring forth the gift of Fire!  Your instructor, Alex "Alyosha" Breslav, has been teaching bow-drill fire-making at various gatherings and work shops, which he originally learned while using it as the only method of making fire during a year in the wilderness.

6+ hours

Felting Winter Clothing

with Greg Weiss

Felt is one of the warmest fabrics that you create with wool, water, and elbow grease. In this class you will have the chance to make mittens, boot liners, hats and more. It is up to you if you want to spend the time and finish your project in class or take it home to finish.

6+ hours.

Material cost $20/lb for Wool. Mittens may take $10 worth, while boot liners may be $30.

Create You Own Leather-Bound Journal

Keeping a journal is one of the best activities one can do to reflect on life’s meanings, preserve the moments of time, or record observations for future reference. In this workshop, participants will create a personalized leather-bound journal.  The front and back cover, along with the binding, will be shaped from leather and stitched together to make a one-of-a-kind creation.

4 hours

$15 material fee

 

The Story Bundle

From the dawn of time we have used and recorded myths and stories as a means of education and understanding of the world around us. They play an important role in how we relate to our surrounding environment both physically and ethically. Through the course of a few hours, we will learn and experience new ways to incorporate metaphors and stories into our lives. We will explore myths, sacred symbols, personal stories, ancient skills, and legends.  Each person will also create a personalized story bundle leather pouch as a keeper and reminder of the life-story we all take part in.  This bundle is made from leather and decorated with a design of your choice. It can be worn as a necklace or used as a little medicine pouch to hold your stories in.

4 hours + open-ended story sharing after conclusion

$15 material fee

Animal Tracking Basics

What is the glue that holds tracks together? Water! Since we most likely won't have snow during the symposium we will use beach sand as our medium to explore types of tracks and gaits. This is the foundational knowledge needed to progess in tracking in more difficult mediums.

4 hours

Crocheted Beanie Hat

Ray Sems has been crocheting since her grandmother taught her as age 6. Though she is comfortable with other fiber crafts, crochet is her go-to for simple, functional projects.

This class will cover the basics of crochet and provide the basic patter for a beanie hat (and many other patters crocheted in the round). You will leave with a "G" hook, the most common size hook, enough yarn for a had, and with some concentration, a finished hat!

Materials fee $15.

Snowshoe Making

Lace your own snowshoes with a ready made frame.

Two Days.

$60 material fee

Read more via PDF download

Seasonal Regional Herbalism

- Apothecary-keeping. Checking supplies, getting it organized, and giving it good energy.

- Nature Intelligence and Intuitive Herbalism. What have you been able to harvest a lot of? What herbs have had an exceptional year? And so what might be coming?

- Regional Herbs for Seasonal Ailments. Keeping it local, keeping it simple.

- Basics of the Menstruum (Medicine-making). Our regional, seasonal menstruum apple cider vinegar for extracting herbal constituents. And some guidelines for considering constitution differences for children, adults, and the elderly.

- Ethics. Honoring our teachers, showing credentials with honesty, and being realistic. "Seven Kinds of Medicine" and individualized wellness.

Materials fee $10

Read More (PDF)

Other Workshops in the works...

Winter Survival Shelters TBD

Cooking without metal TBD

Hide tanning with Scogin

Crochet with wool with Ray Sems. Hats/scarves/cowls. Maybe the drinking mason jar cozy also. 

Meat Processing

Wild Edibles of Fall

SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE
Friday October 14th

12pm - Meet and greet.

1pm - Head off to workshops.

Knitting for Yarn Lovers

Bow Drill Fire Making

5pm - Workshops end for the day.

6pm - Campfire

Evening activity

Saturday October 15th

8am - Meet for coffee & scones

8:30am head off to workshops

Animal Tracking Basics - 9 to 12

Create your own leather bound journal - 9 to12

Snowshoe Making - All day.

The Story Bundle - 1 to 5

5pm - Workshops end for the day

6pm Chili dinner. Bring your own drinks

Sunday October 16th

8am - Meet for coffee

8:30am - Head off to workshops.

Felting Winter Clothing - All day

Snowshoe Making - Part II - All day

Seasonal Regional Herbalism - All day

Crocheted Beanie Hat - All day

3 or 4pm - Workshops come to a close.

 

 

LOGISTICS AND REGISTRATION

The Cornucopia area has several options for camping and lodging. The best resource is at visitcorny.com. We have camping space at headquarters, but it's just a space. No ameneties are available.

 

Symposium Fees

Tuition: $145 early bird, $165 after October 1st. Includes any and all workshop instruction and listed activities. The materials fees listed are payable directly to your instructor at the event.

Can't attend the whole event? Daily Rate: $60 per day early bird, $80 after October 1st. Includes all events for the day(s) you are registered for.

Hide tanning
Felting

Crooked Knives

Primitive shelter building
Cooking over a fire
Animal Tracking
How to preserve your harvest
Register Now
Help us spread the word. Download our event poster (coming soon)
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