During the stay at the Merzbarn, our lovely hosts organised a couple of rural skills workshops. I missed out on learning how to scythe hay which I was a bit sorry about but made it to the rope-making session. A lovely old man showed us how to make rope out of the hay that had been cut a day or so before, and also fleece and nettles. I've been using this since, it's not so tricky and it's a kind of peaceful, meditative thing to do. The photo below is of wool rope that I made in Cumbria.