Preparing for Winter V

fuddle

I have a machine Laura, yes. I do sew but I'm a beginner. It's definitely food for thought. Thank you.

phoebe1989seb

DH constructed a door lining kit and hung a door (reclaimed from elsewhere in the cottage after we took walls down in the summer) between the kitchen and snug today. Blimey what a difference it made this evening in the snug with the door closed and wood burner lit - so toasty

We actually reconfigured our ground floor layout from how the POs had it, combining two rooms into a large kitchen and what is now our snug used to be the kitchen. It's so much cosier as a room to snuggle down of an evening than the original living room at the front, although I have to credit DH who has totally transformed the space with panelling that looks original to the 400 year old building!

Going upstairs to a chilly bedroom was not so great, but we both hate hot bedrooms so are still not bothering with the central heating. 13.5 tog goose down duvet, hot water bottles, fleece pjs and alpaca bed socks all contribute to taking the chill off, lol!

[Deleted User]

First real frost of the year this morning and -2 out there but on the plus side sparkling sunshine too!

lessonlearned

Interesting reading all your comments about stoves etc.

As some of you may know I moved house recently and it's freezing. Built 1935, single brick, Single glazed to the front elevation, no real insulation to speak of, high ceilings, ancient gas fire to lounge, inefficient heating system.....it's a newish boiler but only a condensing boiler so seperate water tanks.

What possessed me....it's a money pit. :rotfl:

It will be nice when I've kicked it into shape. Honest. If it doesn't bankrupt me first......

I will be tackling the insulation and windows next year.

Right if I can ask for some advice....

I have two class 1 chimneys. The lounge has a gas fire as I said and the second chimney in the kitchen/diner is open. I have bought some logs and coal for practice with this winter but I was wondering what type of stoves I should fit.

I was thinking a multi fuel for the kitchen/diner and a gas "log" effect one for the lounge. What are your thoughts. Are gas ones any good or would I be better with two multi fuel ones.

fuddle

The BEST days have frosty morning with sunshine.

Laura I have lots of crafting things I need to do but I seem to have become obsessed in my mind about finding a very easy skirt pattern that would be good made from wool. My downtime today will see me fuelled immersed in very important research. thank you.

I now have a wax jacket saving jar.

greenbee

LL - you need to do two kinds of 'future proofing'.
One is for if you have powercuts (multi-fuel stove as while logs are nice, when it's cold I like to use smokeless as I get a lot more heat out of it for less effort - although I do have to clear the grate more frequently as it makes more ash!) and need heat and a way to warm up water for a hot water bottle (just a flat topped stove, no need to have a cooking ring).
The other is for when you get less mobile and find hauling logs and coal about harder. So gas would be good for that. As you have the option to have one of each, that makes sense.

Laura_Elsewhere

fuddle wrote: »

The BEST days have frosty morning with sunshine.

Laura I have lots of crafting things I need to do but I seem to have become obsessed in my mind about finding a very easy skirt pattern that would be good made from wool. My downtime today will see me fuelled immersed in very important research. thank you.

I now have a wax jacket saving jar.

Well, my winter wool skirt is a fitted yoke, a very wide shaped waistband, which overlaps over the whole front and does up with two vertical rows of beautiful pewter buttons*. Then the skirt bit couldn't be simpler, just the fabric flat-pleated onto the waist.

*those were free too. I had knitted a pair of particularly nice stranded-colourwork socks for myself with yarn I was given by a Sewing Group I used to go to, who kept handing me mystery bags of their cast-offs... after only two wearings of these lovely socks, I stupidly tumble-dried them and that was it. No longer my size-7 foot, but a tiny size-4 or so... luckily a friend's wife has little feet and loves good handknitted socks, so I posted them off to him, and he kindly and unexpectedly sent me a score of lovely handmade pewter buttons as thanks!

But for a really good pattern to make with wool fabric to reduce bulk but have plenty of movement, I would look for something like this Burda pattern, which has a link to click to buy the pattern as a PDF to download and print at home or in a copyshop, for $5.99 or you could look for the pattern number on etsy or eBay to buy a paper pattern.

https://www.burdastyle.com/projects/flared-skirt-052012?image=270256

Novice_investor101

Got up this morning to quite a bit of condensation on my bedroom window, & a small amount on the living room window. I have been cooking a lot without any proper ventilation.
Now got the living room, bedroom & bathroom windows open to get a bit of crisp fresh air in.
I'll be going back to leaving both bedroom windows open a crack as I'm not to keen on it being stuffy.

Laura_Elsewhere

We've a good hard white frost outside this morning, hurrah! Warm as toast indoors...

I'm mildly obsessed with airing the flat, and windows front and back are wide open every day, even if only for 3 minutes, even if one of us is ill in bed, even if it's freezing outside... only time I don't air the flat is if it is absolutely tipping it down outside and I'd be letting water in!

-taff

lessonlearned wrote: »

I have two class 1 chimneys. The lounge has a gas fire as I said and the second chimney in the kitchen/diner is open. I have bought some logs and coal for practice with this winter but I was wondering what type of stoves I should fit.

I was thinking a multi fuel for the kitchen/diner and a gas "log" effect one for the lounge. What are your thoughts. Are gas ones any good or would I be better with two multi fuel ones.

Before you practice with your fire, did you get the chimney swept? And have you got a balloon or similar to shove up the chimneys when you're not using them?


Multifuel would be ok if you have somewhere to store the coal and to safely fetch it when it's howling a gale and hissing down in the winter. As above, think about what you may not be physically capable of doing before you make decisions. I have the wood stored for the woodburner in the porch, it's an old fashioned one with recesses either side of the door with a porch tacked on to that so the wood will always be dry [as long as it's delivered that way that is].
It's convenient, and means I don't have to go outside or carry it far.