All posts tagged barefoot

Shoe Bag

My grandpa was from the Ozark mountains in Arkansas, “barefoot arkie” was proudly used as a common term in my family’s household, and possible for that reason no one in my family suffered shoes unless necessary. I was raised barefoot , or in sandals, during Arizona’s nearly unbearable summers, and after my brief three year stint in elementary school, returned to being barefoot as much as socially acceptable. So I was no stranger to the practice of being barefoot, what changed was my perception of why we should be barefoot, and why it’s healthier for our feet, from the book Born to Run, and since then I’ve worn shoes less and less in public. Carrying my sandals in my backpack to put on for stores, but enjoying every textured sidewalk between my home and my destination. In my last backpack I had a pouch dedicated to housing my shoes. I now have a new-to-me lighter weight backpack I got at a yard sale for 75 cents, but my shoes will have to go where I put my lunch, that’s a no go! Hence, a shoe bag! I started with a circle and 6 double crochet, then increased rounds until I got the size base I wanted, next I did 1 double crochet per double crochet up until I got the height required for my sandals. Another quick easy project for the train ride!!

Plastic… Socks?

I saw this great idea at Instructables to apply plastic to the bottom of socks, as a little protection against the continuing cold of spring, before I can really walk barefoot everywhere this summer, and I LOVED the idea. I found the liquid plastic at a hardware store, and Meg and I tried it out. Our first go went terrible, we tried to use a cardboard cutout inside the sock to hold it open, and the plastic seeped through the knit and stuck to the cardboard. We had to toss the whole mess in the trash. The second try went minimally better… I researched it a little more and saw someone who put their foot in a plastic sack then put the sock over that, so the plastic sock would mold to the foot as it dried. I took a book out to the patio, applied the plastic, then read for an hour or more before removing the socks to finish drying in the garage. Sadly, the plastic made the socks shrink and now they don’t fit me right. I’ve seen several websites where this project works, so I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I probably will not try again since I’m out of the liquid plastic, but it was a fun project to attempt! And I can’t wait to be able to go barefoot soon!

Happy Birthday to Me.

Today is my birthday, I’m still in my late 20’s, and the birthday gifts I’m receiving this year are the only ones I want; to spend time with people I love. I already had my official ‘party’ when my brother came for a visit last week, and of course the only reason to have an official party is eat birthday cake, YUM!

The gift I’m giving myself is one that I’ve been working on for a while. To let me be myself. To stop trying to fit in to the society around me, and just be me. There are many things I’m changing about myself, or my lifestyle, or my family, and over the last year, through reading books and blogs of other urban homesteaders, it’s nice to realize there are many people who, like me, are trying to simplify their life and reconnect with nature. I’ve gained many insights and ideas, one of which is going barefoot. When I first read about ‘going barefoot’, I of course loved the idea, having gone barefoot around the house all my life, but this was different, this was going barefoot Everywhere. I was shy about it at first, but now, as weather allows, I am almost constantly barefoot… at home, on the way to work, on the train, at work, on the way home, on the bus, on the way to stores, on our family evening walks. It took a while to build up the endurance of my soft feet, but it was worth it. Barefeet is only one way that I’m breaking out of the mold of this culture of consumers, but it’s the most visible one. I continue to learn and grow, challenging the ideas that we were raised with, something I hope that we can all do, turning away from the culture of big business and turning toward the values of a humbler and greener society.

While on this note of barefoot, I made these barefoot ‘sandals’ from a free pattern I saw here: Bohemian Barefoot Sandals . For the girls’ I didn’t crochet the last row, shortened the ties for their shorter legs, and free handed a crocheted flower to attach to the toe loop. We love our fun and fancy free non-shoes!

From the Expression Fiber Arts website:
Bohemian Barefoot Sandals – Free Crochet Pattern
Yarn: Basic cream worsted weight cotton (didn’t have the brand name, it was just a cone of yarn and it only takes a wee bit. Not very many yards at all.)
Hook: H/8 – 5.00mm
-Ch 11, join with a sl st in the first ch to form a ring.
-Ch 4, 2 dc in 3rd chain from hook. Turn.
-Ch 2. Dc in same st as the ch 2 is coming from and in each dc across. Dc in ch 2 from previous round. So you’ve just increased 1 st. Turn.
-Repeat that last row 3 x more for a small woman’s foot. Repeat as many times as needed for a larger foot, until it nearly reaches the ankle.
-Ch 100. Tie off.
-Attach yarn to other point of triangle and chain 100.
-Weave in all ends. Wrap around foot and enjoy looking earthy and chic!
Make a second one. Or you can run around with only one foot adorned. HE HE! It’s up to you. Matters not to me!