Preparing for winter IV

mardatha

Oh didn't know you'd gone into spinning kittie - very good hobby!
I agree that pure wool is unbeatable in cold weather (or in a cold house). I'm knitting socks & neckwarmers now for winter, and running down the freezer.
We have a lot of powercuts, and as we're very rural and the end of the line we get reconnected last, after the populated places. So we can be off for days, and it's not worth the risk of having a freezer full of meat.
I don't know what it means, but the rowantrees are covered with fully red berries and I heard geese flying over one night... might be an early winter.

Pooky

I've seen lots of geese flying here too Mar - thought it was a bit early.

We've just had one of those "how can so much water fall from the sky" moments. I was expecting to find some serious puddles in the conservatory but nothing....typical as I've got someone coming to look at it soon.

Just remembered we all need new slippers, I want some boot style ones so need to have a good look around for those.

mardatha

Quite a nice day here, sunny and even warmish, about 16c. We've had some really cold winds last few days and the wee swallows won't be happy.
My bin is covered in sunbathing butterflies

grandmasam

Treated myself to a wool duvet, summer weight, after hearing such good reports.Dsis has been raving about hers for over a year so after researching decided to get one.
It arrived yesterday and it went on the bed last night. Brilliant, it's light in weight, not sweaty [which i find with synthetic filled ones ] and doesn't slip down the duvet cover, leaving me scrabbling for the duvet at the bottom! And good for allergy sufferers, no dust mites apparently.
The house exterior was done with insulation 2 years ago, this made a huge difference to the heating bills along with door 'sausages' and fleece curtains at the doors front and back, I use shower curtain clips to hang these on rails, old pipe, above the doors.
Next there is the store cupboard to sort out before going through the winter clothes before I hit the cs to replenish them.
Caz

Wills106

All this talk of wool is getting me excited for winter.

My Mum had a foot operated spinning wheel for her birthday the other year and I got her a knitting machine as well. Sadly she doesn't have much time to use either.
In fact I have used the knitting machine more than she has, quite fun to use as well. Clatter clatter clatter, stop clatter clatter clatter stop another two rows done.

[Deleted User]

ooh yes Mar I agree, wool is far and away the best insulator. We have sheeps wool insulation here between the floors

I have seen the effects when I wash my wool skeins after spinning, the way the yarn fluffs out and the rain runs down and away. I invested in wool duvets last year and they are the best duvets we have ever had, even better than down or silk. I got the all season combos from http://www.thewoolroom.com/bedding-wool-bedding-sets.irc?gclid=CJzUwIKqk8ACFSKWtAodQ30AWQ

we have been comfortable all summer under the thinner of the two. Dh and I sleep in single electric beds with our own mattresses and the beds are locked together, so it looks like a double. We have our own duvets and bottom sheets and tbh it is great having a demarcation line. I no longer get a no duvet or double duvet, or an arm or leg flung over in the night hehe

Mar I spin all the time but I have to alternate with combing, carding, knitting or my osteo fingers get sore. Spinning is fab. Was hard to start with and all my yarn was lumpy but I can now spin fine enough for lovely shawls

Wills I used to have a knitting machine and ribber in the 70s to 90s. I made loads of things for the whole family, was such a good and useful hobby. I have a photo of the 5 of us in about 1979 and I had made everything we were wearing, even dh`s trousers and tie and my knitted dress, tbh I don`t know how I did it as I was only 29 but it all looked very good. Phew so much energy at that age

Anyone else ready for the change in seasons? I think I am, I get fed up of continual heat. I like finishing at the allotment while it goes to sleep and drawing the curtains and getting my winter knitting out

pollys

Thank you for the link to the wool room Kittie. We are looking to replace our duvet (we have an all seasons one) there is a good offer on at the moment for the bed sets. I'm very tempted to buy one, I love the idea of a woollen duvet. My dad worked in the woollen industry many years ago making blankets.

Pollys

winterstorage

There is a very good emergency preparedness site that i am subscribed to, you get checklists every 2 weeks for fee it called

Food Storage Made Easy

it is preparedness for all types of emergencies, thought it may be of some use to some, it is useful to me, also a site called

get pandemic ready

although it is aimed at pandemic flu, it really is very useful for anything and can be adapted to suit any situation, just tailor it if you know what i mean

timehastoldme

Got a couple of good buys from John Lewis from the quick grab it board (scarf and mittens), had carpet fitted downstairs, what a difference that makes! This thin, vile dirty brown stuff was down before with no underlay, this now feels warm and bouncy and far too pale but I'm sure we will get used to it! We'd bought reclaimed parquet to go down but have been having big problems with the house and had to change to a cheaper, easier option so I'm having to change my expectations a little. Door man coming to fit a new front door (eBay) so hopefully no more sea sickness from this wonky one and less drafts! Also got a nice random rug blanket from the national trust when visiting family to add to the blanket pile, am crocheting more too. Can't have too many blankets I think.

winterstorage

timehastoldme wrote: »

Got a couple of good buys from John Lewis from the quick grab it board (scarf and mittens), had carpet fitted downstairs, what a difference that makes! This thin, vile dirty brown stuff was down before with no underlay, this now feels warm and bouncy and far too pale but I'm sure we will get used to it! We'd bought reclaimed parquet to go down but have been having big problems with the house and had to change to a cheaper, easier option so I'm having to change my expectations a little. Door man coming to fit a new front door (eBay) so hopefully no more sea sickness from this wonky one and less drafts! Also got a nice random rug blanket from the national trust when visiting family to add to the blanket pile, am crocheting more too. Can't have too many blankets I think.

Talking of blankets have you tried knitting them on a knitting loom ?it is so easy and so quick aran wool and if tou get the big loom instead of opening it you can use it double, absolutely brilliant, and while not completely cheap, is much much cheaper than buying woll, i can make a double size on in about 6 weeks, don't get knitters cramp and you can see fast results good stuff: