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So much DUST! Sanding Old Beams

It's been a labour of love but the sanding of our exposed beams (in the kitchen at least) is finally done! In this video we'll show you some highlights of the action and talk in some detail about how we went about the process.

WHEN Will We Fill in the Ditch? ASK #021

This is a frequently asked question that has a simple answer and a slightly more complicated one. Why haven't we filled in the drainage ditch around our Portuguese farm house yet? What's the plan for landscaping this area and when will it start looking less like a builders yard? Good question: let us explain.

Hemp Plastering over Old Laths

It's time for some more hemp lime plastering. We've done quite a bit of this already but never over stud walls covered with wooden laths. Will it work? What's the best mix consistency? Is it easier or more difficult thank hemp plastering stone walls? Let's find out.

80 Year Old Beam Sanding EXPERIMENT

What's the best way to clean up an old beam? We're going to expose the old chestnut beams in our farmhouse kitchen but they are in a pretty sorry looking state at the moment. In this episode of our Portugal property renovation we do some experiments to find the best way to sand old…

What does Kylie DO for FUN?

It's time to answer another question and today we're going to find out what Kylie enjoys doing on her days off (even though we don't have too many of those!) Patterns on Ravelry Zebra bag Shawls Cat cushion 1 Cat cushion 2 Mosaic pouf Placemats (in progress)

A LONG Week of Work

Join us for a week in the life of style video where we have a bunch of renovation bits and pieces (and a spot of gardening) to do. Take a look behind the scenes as we film an ASK video and enjoy some timelapse of a few mundane activities as well as some good…

What Are We Going to DO About THIS?

The stairs up to the front door of our Portuguese farm house have become somewhat of a conversation piece. What are we going to do about the concrete monstrosity? Do we need planning permission? Will we rebuild them? Will we expose the stone? We have some ideas but we don't know exactly the direction…

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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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