Remember being forced to read Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self Reliance" essay in school? You may have been rolling your eyes then, but since moving out of your parents' house, we bet you've learned the fine art of hustling to make it in the big, bad world. In the spirit of self-reliance, we're stoked for the upcoming Skill Exchange, a three-day pop-up workshop series taking place September 7, 8, and 9. Because it never hurts to teach yourself some new tricks, right?

During the three-day educational free for all, there's a ton going on, from classes about knife skills, beer brewing, the basics of photography, even the nuts and bolts of making your own lamps–all taught by local leaders of our city's brightest and best small businesses. And you can pretty much count on making a few friends along the way. Scope out all the workshops here, but in the meantime, here are the one's we're batting our eyelashes at:

• Vintage Clothing: Styling, Care and Mending, with Stephanie Madrinan of 31 Rax (SF is a vintage clothing mecca, and 31 Rax is a great and affordable place to start. We're into this class because with SF's schizo weather, we sometimes need a pointer or two about how to arm ourselves against the elements.)

• The Whole Chicken: Butchery, Carving, and Making Stock, with Jonathan Lewis of Pastoral Plate (Every cook with any self-respect knows that making your own stock is the key to culinary homeruns, and with the holidays approaching, learning how to carve a bird will definitely make things a breeze.)

• How to Shoot in Manual: The Basics of Photography, with Margo Moritz. Because we live in one of the most beautiful cities on Earth–you have to know how to shoot a good photo.

• Basic Bicycle Mechanics and Maintenance, with Dave Nelson of Public Bikes (If you're one of those types who has a meltdown everytime a tire goes flat or has no idea how to even install a new saddle, this class will definitely come in handy.)

And in true SF style, Skill Exchange will kick things off with a party on Thursday, September 6, complete with live skill demos, music, snacks, drinks and more. Best of all? It's free. All workshops are hosted by Storefront Lab, located at 337 Shotwell Street. Be sure to get clicking, because you never know when these workshops will sell out.