Preparing for Winter

[Deleted User]

oooh now If I was a little child I would love to come home to being wrapped in a warm fleece. One of the lovely cosy things they will remember from childhood

This acclimatising really does work and we are both too hot if we have more than one blanket on the bed at the moment. It was so dreary yesterday that it can make you feel psychologically colder. I know I had a couple of layers on myself ie t shirt and thin v neck jumper

I must find my knitted fingerless gloves as they will make a big difference as I`ll be able to get on with knitting or reading etc in them. I wear fingerless ones for cycling to T and they are easy to wear

I went mad yesterday buying moosewood cookery books on the net. I received my first one in the post in the morning and it is gorgeous and crammed full of veggie recipes. I`ll have to find more things to do on dark, rainy days

sammy_kaye18

kittie wrote: »

This acclimatising really does work and we are both too hot if we have more than one blanket on the bed at the moment.

I found this yesterday. My boyfriend went to a wedding reception last night and stayed at his mates house so it was me with a bed to myself. I was wrapped in the duvet and cuddled up to the extra pillow and was lovely and warm and when i had to wake up to sort out my little one i found i was warm, but i couldnt figure out if it was because i was so snuggly in bed or because upstairs had his heating on

squiggles

Quasar wrote: »

I have plenty of soft warm fleecy blankets, a few fleecy jackets and even a nice long fleecy dressing-gown. And very thick fleecy socks bought in Primark at £2 per two pairs - fluorescent green and mauve colours but who cares.

Last winter I managed to cut down on heating by wrapping up well. Also, although I have an electric kettle I keep also an old, small whistle kettle with water in ON top of the heater so that the water warms up quite well and then when I want to boil a cuppa it takes next to nothing.

When I cook I keep all doors wide open so that the heat from the kitchen spreads around a little, helping to keep the place warm.

i was womdering what was best to do with doors,leave them all shut to keep the heat in or leave them all open to circulate the heat

what does everyone else do please?

Olliebeak

I'm never sure on that one either - suppose it depends on the age and mobility of the people involved. If you are capable of generating your own 'body-heat' then leaving them open for the heat to circulate may be a good idea when you walk from room to room - but if leaving the room leaves somebody with poor mobility vulnerable, then I would probably shut it for their benefit.

Doesn't apply in my house anyway - we're open plan from front door, entrance area, large living room to the upstairs landing - and don't we just know it in the winter :mad:.

annie123

squiggles wrote: »

i was womdering what was best to do with doors,leave them all shut to keep the heat in or leave them all open to circulate the heat

what does everyone else do please?

my kitchen doesn't have a door so the heat goes into the rest of the place anyway but I can confirm that it does warm the place up. It gets very hot in the hall and study (room next to kitchen) in the summer:rolleyes:

Also leave oven door open after use no point in the heat staying in there when I want;)

zarazara

I shut the doors upstairs all day but open an hour before bedtime to let the downstairs heat in. the door [we only have 2 rooms] downstairs is left open.i intend not using heating in the bedrooms this wintr, just leaving the radiators on frost warning setting. I now have a woodburning stove in the kitchen and in the sitting room and am hoping not to have the radiators on there either. bestthing is not to use them for drying e=ashing. i've installed a victorian pulleything and also wooden clthes horse which folds away when not in use.

Skint_Catt

:hello:

As it looks like we'll be here (rented) for another winter I'd like to line my bedroom curtains (help keep the light out too). Do I need special lining to keep the heat in ot can I use anything (must be neat as the curtains came with the house - they're not mine!)

Also we have a brass keyhole in our front doors handle which a hell of a draft blow through - how can I cover this up (we need to lock it at night but the whole handles brass so can't put one of those circular discs over it) I don't think anything hanging from the handle would be close enough to stop the cold.

Thanks C x

2cats1kid

Question re curtain linings. How exactly do they fit to curtains? We have some curtains that need those curly hanger things (what are they called anyway), some that are hung from poles with loops, and some that have big eyelets that the poles go through. Are there different types for each type of curtain, or do you attach them to the curtain somehow? (Feeling really thick now LOL)

[Deleted User]

re curtain linings. It is easy to find insulating curtain lining in curtain fabric shops. I get the impression that most people just want them as a barrier to the cold so here are a few quick ideas. Make them pretty straight across, rather than gathered, so measure the gathered width of the curtain across the top and make them a bit wider to be sure and in case they shrink after washing or if you are really good then pre-wash the lining first first. Machine hem the sides and sew the ruflette tape on the top. Attach them on the same hooks and then pin up the hem. When you have done the hem then hang them and put bits of velcro up the sides or quick hand sewing, so they stay close to the curtain

Now this isn`t best sewing practise but it is quick, effective and cheap and you can take it all apart in spring

If doing the tops in ruflette is daunting or impossible then look at tying thin ribbons or even pins at the top to attach them to the main curtains. The objective is to be warm this winter and no-one is going to look behind your curtains

These ideas ideas are not the best way but they will work, anyway the experienced sewers don`t need any ideas

kbarty

Skint_Catt wrote: »

:hello:

As it looks like we'll be here (rented) for another winter I'd like to line my bedroom curtains (help keep the light out too). Do I need special lining to keep the heat in ot can I use anything (must be neat as the curtains came with the house - they're not mine!)

Also we have a brass keyhole in our front doors handle which a hell of a draft blow through - how can I cover this up (we need to lock it at night but the whole handles brass so can't put one of those circular discs over it) I don't think anything hanging from the handle would be close enough to stop the cold.

Thanks C x

we seem to be in a similar situation. I bought some new curtains (from charity shop) and will line them so we can take them with us when we move. Thermal linings seem to be very expensive so I've been looking at alternatives. Not decided yet, but I saw a site today that suggested using a shower curtain as a lining. I think the plastic is a better insulator. Might try this, but not sure yet

It's hard with a rented house though isn't it?