Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer
Category image

Videos

Check out all the weekly episodes and ASK videos from our YouTube channel. Browse by category and tag to find the types of videos you want to watch most

Laying (Yet Another) Limecrete Floor

The end is in sight, we've got two small rooms left that need the limecrete floor treatment. These last two rooms are the FIRST two we dug out over a year ago. Now, after a slight detour of installing guttering, drainage, the beginnings of a rain water and grey water harvesting system and a bunch…

18 Months with OFF GRID Solar – Worth It?

We've been off-grid on solar for a year and a half. Has it worked? Have we had to change our behaviour? Do we use more or less power than we used to? How much do we need to use a backup generator? We'll answer all these questions and discuss some of our future plans…

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…

Making Summer Cordials

Cordials, concentrates, syrups and squashes - there's many names for these sweet and often fruity additions to good old fashioned tap water. In this video we preserve some of our summer harvests into concentrated sugary treats for quenching our thirst (and brightening up our G&Ts) on hot summer days. We'll show you how to…

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…

Laying a Limecrete Floor – AGAIN

We laid a limecrete floor in one third of our ground floor as part of our renovation and restoration of our Portuguese farmhouse. We didn't plan to show the process again in other rooms but the people have spoken: here we lay another limecrete floor, for your viewing pleasure. This is the first two…

Making a Small Hole in a THICK Stone Wall

Progress is the name of the game in this episode of our Portugal renovation project saga. In order to continue the conversion of our ground floor (which was previously used as a wine cellar (aka. adega) and an animal shelter) we need to install some pipes to bring hot and cold water into the…

MAKE. DO. GROW. © 2024. All Rights Reserved.

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

Around the Home

Choose Your Preferred Currency

 
Join the CLUB for £9.99 per month
OR
£99.99 per year (15% saving)