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It’s Time for the Pink Toilet to GO!

Since December 2020 people have been obsessed with the pink toilet in our retro 1990s bathroom. After today's video, the famous toilet will be no more. It's kind of crazy to think that it's taken over three years for us to circle back to the bathroom renovation and finish what we started all that…

How Hard is Upside Down (Lime) Plastering?

We've been cracking on with some bits and pieces projects downstairs in our Portugal house renovation. First up I mixed a bit of lime plaster to outline the pointed stone wall to start the process of blending it in. I also try my hand at upside down plastering in one of the doorway reveals. Stick…

Four Improvements to Our SEED STARTING System

Spring is just around the corner and we're a bit late with our seed sowing for the season – particularly because we wanted to start early this year! In the past we've struggled with germination rate and we've narrowed it down to four potential pitfalls. We'll discuss the seed starting challenges we've face so…

Undoing and Redoing our Bathroom Plumbing

Some time ago we installed a flushing toilet – a most welcome addition to our renovation project in Portugal (since we'd not had a conventionally working toilet for over two years). But, when we installed that toilet we knew the plumbing was temporary and we'd have to come back to redo it – and plumb…

A Perfect Day Out

Central Portugal is a stunning place to live or visit and today we're taking a bit of a break from renovation work to do some touristing. The central region of Portugal is home to 27 Aldeias do Xisto or schist villages. These are old villages where the majority of the buildings are made with…

Our AMBITIOUS Renovation Plans for 2024

We've been cracking on with some snagging and last minute finishing touches in the ~almost~ most complete kitchen. Some decorating, some filling and protecting the 80 year old exposed wood with hard wax oil. In between ticking off all these renovation tasks off our todo list we'll take you on a short tour of…

Dealing with Burnout

After three years of extensive renovation works, we're no where near done but we *are* completely exhausted. After taking some time off over the holiday season we realised we weren't just tired or tired of the project but burnt out and in need of more rest and a change of pace for the future. …

We’ve MOVED IN! (to One Room)

In a mad dash to end 2023 on a high note, we've finished the kitchen floor and tackled a couple of other last minute projects so we can move in to one room of our house just in time for a small celebration at the end of the year.

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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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