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Preparing for Winter

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  • silvasava
    silvasava Posts: 4,433 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Wow - what a lovely thread. Given me lots of ideas to make sure we sail thru winter nice & cosy. Only thing I've done so far is visit my local launderette 'cos they have a big machine & it takes a king size quilt. Did 3 at £4.40 each instead of sending them to the local cleaner to be washed at £14 each!! Dried them outside on the line - mmm lovely smell. I've got a really good crop of pears this year so I've been boning up on recipes & I'll be blanching & freezing some too. Blackberry picking is on the cards over the next week or so - I do love a freebie!
    Small victories - sometimes they are all you can hope for but sometimes they are all you need - be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle
  • Probably everyone else has already done this but it caught us out last winter in the snow. The outlet pipe from a gas boiler (small pipe sticking out from an outside wall that can drip water) can freeze and will stop your heating working. It needs to be lagged (and can be defrosted with hot water bottles and a towel - thank you internet for saving me from a plumber's call out charge!!).

    Hope this helps someone.
    “the princess jumped from the tower & she learned that she could fly all along. she never needed those wings.”
    Amanda Lovelace, The Princess Saves Herself in this One
  • maryb
    maryb Posts: 4,717 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    smileyt wrote: »
    Hi folks

    Would this be of any use to any of you? It's an ice carpet. Might be a bit pricey for some but ok for others. It's an interesting concept anyway:

    http://www.greenfingers.com/superstore/product.asp?dept_id=191&pf_id=DD5660D

    ETA you put it down on your path and it grips on the ice, it's about 3m long.


    I'm not sure about this for the reason that we have a big coir doormat outside the front door which gets very slippery if there is any snow in the bristles. It's almost impossible to brush the snow off completely so what's left freezes.

    I'm sure it would work if you put it down on top of the snow but they are quite heavy and dusty so the temptation would be to leave it in place. Then you would be in trouble if you got fresh snowfall
    It doesn't matter if you are a glass half full or half empty sort of person. Keep it topped up! Cheers!
  • I work for a well known heating repair company, and the volume of calls we had from people with this problem last year was incredible!!! For every customer I sent an engineer out to, I must have easily sent ten off the phone with instructions on how to defrost this pipe themselves instead of waiting for someone to get to them. Definitely worth bearing in mind. Mine froze a couple of times, too, and in the end I put a plastic box wrapped in an old pillow and some polystyrene over the pipe to stop it happening. It wasn't so much that the pipe needed lagging as the water was freezing on contact with the -8 degrees outside!
    mardatha wrote: »
    It's what is inside your head that matters in life - not what's outside your window :D
    Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory. - Ghandi
  • Wooohooo I got myself a gorgeous new winter coat today! Ah I am absolutley in love with it and looking forward to the cold weather so I can wear it! It's a royal blue duffle coat with a nice big hood.

    £40 so not a bad price :)
  • Fruball
    Fruball Posts: 5,739 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 4 September 2010 at 3:35PM
    My washing machine (in outhouse) suddenly stopped working for no apparent reason... I realised it may be because the pipes froze and thank goodness i realised before the pipe burst - I defrosted it with a hot water bottle wrapped in a teatowel then I piled up loads of old towels over the pipes and made sure i ran the WM every day to make sure the water was running thru.

    (oh, and i put a oil rad in there on frost setting on the wickedest nights

    These cold winters have got to stop! :eek:
  • Pooky
    Pooky Posts: 7,023 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    A cheap and cheerful fleece blanket with a hole cut in the middle works great as a poncho...ideal for snuggling on the sofa but safer than tripping over the edge of slankets.

    If you want to go one step further then use the bit you cut out to make a pocket on the front for your remote control/glasses/tissues/secret chocolate stash :D
    "Start every day off with a smile and get it over with" - W. C. Field.
  • Pooky fantastic idea!!! very MSE too as i have MANY blankets already!

    i forsee i'm gonna have to re-teach my self to use the sewing machine :D
    Nonny mouse and Proud!!
    Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience
    !!
    Debtfightingdivaextraordinaire!!!!
    Amor et metus. Lac? Sugar? Quisque massa vel duo? (stolen from a lovely forumite!)

  • Confuzzled
    Confuzzled Posts: 2,323 Forumite
    Pooky fantastic idea!!! very MSE too as i have MANY blankets already!

    i forsee i'm gonna have to re-teach my self to use the sewing machine :D


    whilst i wouldn't normally discourage learning to use or refreshing ones sewing machine skills i will point out that it's not needed when using fleece blankets.

    fleece won't unravel so you don't need to hem the hole cut in it for a poncho. if you want to sew the material you cut to make the hole on as the pocket a simple hand sewn blanket stitch with 3 strands of embroidery floss would make a decorative bonus or use a strong cotton thread in a matching colour, less noticeable so less decorative but again a simple blanket stitch will hold it and no need for a sewing machine :T
  • %21BrtW5mQ%21mk%7E$%28KGrHqEH-EEEvDydbGIgBL03l31sjw%7E%7E_12.JPG



    Scarf and Snood
    in Wendy Mode Chunky
    Scarf
    Approx measurements
    152.5x15 cm
    60 x 6 ins
    Wendy Mode Chunky 100g
    2 balls
    Snood
    Actual Measurements
    67 73 79 84 90 96 101
    261/2 281/2 31 33 35% 371/2 40 42 44/2 4b/2 ins Wendy Mode Chunky 100g 2222233333 balls
    Scarf photographed using shade 229 Imperial. Cowl photographed in shade 223 Sweet Lilac
    2 - 7mm (UK2 - USA 101/2) Knitting needles.
    ABBREVIATIONS
    cm - centimetres; in - inch(es); K - knit; P - purl; st st - stocking stitch; rept - repeat; patt - pattern; st(s) - stitches
    TENSION
    It is important to check your tension before
    commencing the garment.
    16 sts and 18 rows to 10cm (4ins) over pattern on 7mm needles
    Scarf
    Using 7mm needles cast on 24sts.
    1st row - [K3, P3] to end of row
    2nd and all alt rows - K the K sts and P the P sts
    3rd row - As 1 st
    5th row - P1, [K3, P3] to last 5 sts, K3, P2
    7th row - As 5th
    9th row - P2, [K3, P3] to last 4 sts, K3, P1
    11throw-[P3, K3]toend
    13th row - K1, [P3, K3] to last 5 sts, P3, K2
    15th row - K2, [P3, K3] to last 4 sts, P3, K1
    17th row-As 1st
    19th and 21st rows -As 5th
    23rd and 25th rows - As 9th
    27th and 29th rows - As 5th
    31st row-As 1st
    5542
    33rd row-As 15th 35th row-As 13th 37th row-As 11th 39th and 41st rows - As 9th 43rd and 45th rows - As 5th 46th row - K all K sts and P all P sts These 46 rows form patt. Rept the patt until scarf measures 152.5cm (60ins) Cast off.
    Make 2 pom poms 5cm (2ins) in diameter. Gather cast on and cast off edges of scarf and attach a pom pom to either end. Press as instructions given on ball band.
    Snood
    Using 7mm needles cast on 75 (79, 83, 87, 91,
    91,95, 95, 99, 99) sts
    1 st row-(right side)-K1, P1,*K3, P1, rept from
    * to last st, K1
    2nd row - K1, * P1, K1, rept from * to end.
    These two rows form fancy rib patt.
    Work a further 10 rows in fancy rib patt.
    Commencing with a K row, continue in st st
    throughout as follows:-
    Continue straight until work measures 41 (42, 43,
    44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50) cm 16 (161/2, 17, 171/4,
    173/4, 18, 18/2, 183/4, 191/4, 191/2) ins,
    finishing on a wrong side row.
    Commencing with a 2nd row, work in fancy rib patt
    for 8cm (3 ins), finishing on a 1st row.
    Cast off in fancy rib pattern.
    Join back seam by top sewing, reversing seam for
    last 8cm (Sins) for turn-back.
    Fold turn-back to right side around face edge.
    Image3.gif
    For a looser fitting Snood knit with 8mm needles.

    thanks for this

    can you explain the sizing for the snood (ie why theres a choice of nuber cast on sts)

    TIA

    Shaz
    *****
    Shaz
    *****
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