Preparing for Winter V

silverwhistle

've had the sweep visit and for the second year running it didn't actually need sweeping, showing the advantage of a good stove, dry wood and burning hot. Annual gas bill of £60 is nice too and £5 for the visit (free last year).

I scrounge and season my own wood, but for all of you getting in loads I hope you're splitting and checking a bit with your moisture meter as there as some dodgy suppliers out there.

Is there any snow on the tops yet round Braemar? From the south coast it's easier to go skiing in the alps but I always like the sight of snow-topped mountains! :-)

babyblooz

We have just ordered a much more efficient gas fire and it's going to be installed in the next week or so. I can't wait! The old one looked pretty but a huge amount of heat went straight up the chimney. Next job is to get a new window in the living room It's a four pane bow window so it's not going to be cheap but it needs doing so we will just have to get on with it.

Laura_Elsewhere

The NetWeather Autumn forecast is out - based on good solid scientific precedent and comparison, unlike some.

https://www.netweather.tv/weather-forecasts/uk/long-range/seasonal

My summarising of it - Sept likely to be drier and half a degree warmer than average; Oct probably going to be half a degree warmer than average but nobody is sure about precipitation; November like at present to be colder than average but no indication of by how much - although the cold affecting the West side of Britain more than East side.

smeeth

As it's now September a quick reminder to those eligible to apply for your warm home discount through your energy provider.

Onebrokelady

Hello,yet another lurker coming out of the woodwork,I've only read a few pages and to be honest I've never been a prepping sort of person,more of a "oh it won't be that bad" kind of person......(runs and hides in shame) but after getting badly caught out last winter I decided this year will be different and I'm going to try and do what I can to make life a little easier this year

Last winter during the snow I had to spend a whole day out in my garden during a snowstorm dismantling my chicken run so I could get to the condensate pipe for my boiler in order to defrost it because it was full of ice
I knew it needed lagging but hadn't got round to doing it so that's a priority this year
I've just tested my heating and discovered my wireless room thermostat is broken so I'm in the process of trying to get someone to come and replace that before it gets cold and I need the heating to work properly
I'm going to be stocking up on a few essentials in case of snow andnor illness and not being able to get to the shops
Last year our water was off due to burst pipes,it was literally 24 hours but it brought home to me how much we rely on our water supplies and take it for granted,we had no notice of the water about to be turned off so I hadn't had chance to save any for drinking or anything,it was a night mare,the water company came up the following morning to give us bottled water for drinking so we were lucky in that respect and I was going to work so was out all day while the worst of it was fixed,I saved some of those bottles of water and put them away just in case it happens again,I'm going to be prepared for it happening this year that's for sure

I'm also looking at knitting some warm socks but havent done this before so it will be a learning curve for me,I can knit but I've never done socks,my DD knits them and I've got a couple of pairs she had made me for Xmas,they are soooo much nicer and warmer then shop bought,so if I can make my own I will

Laura_Elsewhere

Hey, onebrokelady, you can jolly well stop the running and hiding in shame bit!


We all do things to different extents - I don't have a huge woodpile and stacks of kindling, because we're in a rented flat Others live further from mains resources and own their own and have more of their own resources... it's different for us all.

Re the socks. I absolutely guarantee you that you can knit them. I love my hand-knitted socks - it is totally addictive
Why am i so sure you can knit them? Because they really aren't that difficult. People think they are because it's unfamiliar nowadays but children aged 5 and 6 used to knit socks, in the 17th century onwards, so how difficult can it really be?!
You will be fine.

babyblooz

Do hand knitted socks wear out quickly? I asked my mum because she did it when she was very young She said they wore out really quickly so it was a thankless task as they didn't last long and were fiddly to do. Are the yarns you can buy now more hard wearing than they used to be?

alice-mary

babyblooz wrote: »

Do hand knitted socks wear out quickly? I asked my mum because she did it when she was very young She said they wore out really quickly so it was a thankless task as they didn't last long and were fiddly to do. Are the yarns you can buy now more hard wearing than they used to be?

If you buy proper sock yarn, it has 25% acrylic and 75% wool, whereas it used to be just wool. The acrylic makes the yarn much harder wearing, so socks knitted nowadays last MUCH longer than they used to.

HTH

Alice
x

babyblooz

It probably was pure wool that Mum used, she is in her 80's!:)

pws52

My husband wears socks that I knitted about four years ago and there are no signs of holes.
When there are I will be darning them!