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Q&A

What Happened to…?

It's time to answer the big question. We've been making videos for the last two years but almost 18 months ago, something happened. This led to us needing to make some big changes, close down something old and start something new. In this video we'll explain the whole story to help clear things up…

Are We Rich? Let’s Talk INCOME Streams

How are we funding our Portugal renovation project? Are we rich? Do we work? Where does our money come from? Did we receive some kind of inheritance or win the lottery? Let's talk finances and how we are able to afford to do this project and live a simple – yet comfortable – life. …

Should We Knock It Down and START AGAIN?

We've done a lot of work to our abandoned Portuguese farm house over the last 18 months. We've had to rip down walls, dig up floors, remove wood-worm infested timber, deal with damp and moisture issues, replace lintels, fix holes in the floor, make new holes in the walls and do a whole lot of…

Cost of Living (Off Grid) in Portugal

How much does it cost to live off grid in Portugal? What are our living costs? What's the cost of living in central Portugal? What do we spend our money on? It's time for another Q&A session where we're talking all about what it costs to live our off-grid life (in a tent) here while…

How Did We Get Our Renovation “Skills”?

Our Portugal renovation project is our biggest yet – partly due to the size of the house and partly down to the added complexity of restoring the 3800m2 piece of land. However, this is not our first rodeo. Our renovation and DIY experience started (for Kylie at least) in 2005. Join us in this…

Why Does SHE Do All The Work?

She loves digging, math, problem solving, crochet and drinking wine. And while our Portugal renovation project, vegetable gardening and life admin are very much a joint effort, sometimes it doesn't appear that way on camera. In this video we explain how we approach dividing up the workload and show you a bit more progress…

What Did We Do BEFORE?

What did we do for a living before moving to Portugal? Were we architects? Did we work in the building trade? What do we do for work? Do we still have jobs? How did our past careers help us with what we do now? All this and more will be answered in this video.…

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    Camera Gear

    Smart Home Tech

    DIY Tools

    In the Kitchen

    In the Garden

    Yarn Projects (crochet/knitting)

    Knitting Needles

    I've only just started knitting again and have had to upgrade from my original Symfonie needles (they tend to snap quite easily). I have a set of stainless steel needles from ChiaoGoo and also an ebony set from Lantern Moon.

    I like both! The stainless steel was a little hard to get used to but yarn really glides on them. I like the look and feel of the Lantern Moon set too, but unfortunately they don't come in all the sizes I tend to use so I now end up switching between the two sets.

    Crochet Hooks

    I've tried loads of different single hooks to find the 'perfect' hook. I finally found what I was looking for in the Clover soft touch range. The hook glides well and the thumb rest is really comfortable. Unfortunately they don't seem to be available in a set, so I have a jar full of all the sizes I like to use.

    Tunisian Crochet Hooks

    My favourites are these from Lantern Moon, they're super comfortable and glide really well, and the best bit is that they swivel. They are also compatible with the KnitPro Symfonie hooks (these seem less sturdy but also glide well).

    I also have a set from ChiaoGoo made from bamboo. These are very lightweight but I find that they can snag on some yarns (a nail file often helps to make the hook head better).

    Yarn

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