Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

Tasting FOUR Homemade Wines and FIVE Beers

It's time for something a little bit different. Over the last couple of years we've tried our hand at making wine - and beer - from various fruits and vegetables that grow on our small farm in Portugal. We've made a selection of country wines from a wide variety of fruit including cherry wine,…

A Day of Plastering with a TWIST

It’s time for yet more hemp lime plastering. My sister is visiting and wanted to lend a hand so we thought we’d show her how we do our base coat plaster - from mixing to applying to the rough stone walls by hand. For the base coat we use: 2 buckets of hydrated…

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…

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)