Starting a New Project + Give Away @ Crunchy Catholic Mama

When trying something new, whether it's cooking a new recipe, learning to knit, planting a garden or raising animals, the ability to access the right tools and information has a huge impact on the success of the project. This is especially true when the project isn't a common affair, like tanning rabbit furs (I still haven't figured that one out...).

Over the last few years I've learned a few things about starting a new project.

Accessing Information

The first thing I do when I want to try something new is I learn about it. The library and the internet are great places to check for information. I'm a bookish person so I usually like to read first and have a basic understanding of the project before checking the internet.

I believe that learning from another person is ideal for many projects. Learning from another person makes the project more fun and interesting, plus you are more likely to complete the project. When we learn from other people we are also building connections within the community.

But we live at a time when most of us don't even know our neighbors so how do we find someone to teach and mentor us? Finding people with knowledge about your project of interest might be as simple as asking a friend, frequenting small shops (knitting) or farmers' markets (vermicomposting) or may be a little more complicated like joining a club, guild (quilting) or association (bee keepers).

At times there might be no one that can mentor you. Don't fear! With the resurgence of homemaking and homesteading (urban or otherwise) there is a plethora of DIY books that are being published. Just check your local library.

The Right Tools

Finding the right tools or supplies can be a challenge depending on where you live. Sometimes no matter how hard I look there isn't anywhere I can buy the supplies in town. If that happens to you, don't fret, there's always the internet. You can buy almost anything you need on the internet. The caveat? The shipping cost can be killer, especially for international shipping. So when you can't find it in town, you've haunted the thrift store and buying from the internet is not in your budget - what do you do?

Sometimes I write a list and the next time we go on holiday somewheres I make a point of finding it then.

But today Crunchy Catholic Mama has a wool felt giveaway. This is one of those items that I can't get in town and hadn't found an affordable place to buy from online. The supplier for her giveaway is Felt on the Fly and the shipping costs are quite reasonable. So, I may have found an affordable place to buy wool felt after all!