Preparing for Winter

lauren_1

My local oxfam sell blankets for £1, some are really nice and thick and they have old proper bed spread too.

mardatha

ab7, my SIL is from Livingston and they sometimes go up to see his mum & dad. I will tell the daughter to go in for a wee nose. When is it opening, do you know ?
Re hot water bottle covers, they are useful if the bottle is very hot, stops you getting burnt. But I just make them a bit cooler, I dont use covers

oystercatcher

I got some new hot water bottles with thick fleecy covers and was amazed that they stay warm until morning, the covers help hold the heat in as well as stop them burning you!

mardatha

O might be sort of thermal then, eh ? I'm out of date LOL

Winged_one

Thanks - might be worth making a couple then for me and DD - OH has no interest in the HWB beyond the first 5 mins to thaw out his toes (and make sure mine stay on it rather than freeze his legs!! :0 )

ginnyknit

I love my hot water bottle and couldn't be without it, I take beta blockers for migraine prevention so my feet are cold a lot of the year. I crochetted a cover for next winter and hope it keeps it warm longer save me scuttling round the house in the middle of the night to refill it!

I am just hoping the new double glazing makes a difference to this now undraughty house and to think we have only had storage heaters for a few years I gre up with only a gas fire in the living room and it was the same for most of my married life - im now officially 'nesh' as we call it - feel the cold in English!

I am waiting for Primark to get the fluffy socks in as they are fab and such a good price - or were!!!! I wonder if they are going to put their prices up? Not been in for a while

mardatha

Ginny, have you tried hand knitted socks ?? I've been testing different yarns and mixes, and found that 1 strand of machine washable wool twinned with 1 strand alpaca is THE warmest blend known to man ! I had to make them for the OH's cold diabetic feetsies.

Kitchenbunny

Thanks for the idea, Mardatha! I think even I can manage to knit a sock. (although two would be ideal ) I'll add that to my winter prep list as I always have cold feet and DH always complains about it, particularly at night.

No more winter prep done today, except for a bit of moisturising to attempt to help my circulation and a little bit of exercise to make me a little bit fitter.

KB xx

mardatha

For bedsocks you could do pure alpaca or mohair as they dont get a lot of wear. I buy Garnstudio's DROPS yarn as its softer and easier washed than Shetland, and just as warm. I use these people for the warm stuff -
http://www.scandinavianknittingdesign.eu/index1.html

ginnyknit

I have just been given 4 balls of alpaca and didn't know what to use it on just knew it had to be something special - I can only knit on 2 needles tho not 4 so have you a pattern for 2 needles?