Finally dry

   The kitchen is finally dry apart from a spot ot two like under the washing machine but that should dry up when I move it back into place, I'll be able to move much easier around the kitchen then. The plumbing still isn't 100% leak proof but I think this is as good as its going to get, its nothing major and I'll keep an eye on things to make sure they don't get worse.

  Harvested a couple more tobacco leaves and have started cutting up the ones that have dried and changed colour. I've not smoked any yet, the stuff doesn't smell like tobacco at all, more a green smell like normal leaves would smell. For next year I might look into fermenting the leaves on a small scale or drying them differently like the regular farmers do.

  This weekend I'm going to work mainly on the clothespin peg bag and see if I can finally get it finished, it was meant to be a birthday gift back in June so I should get a move on before next June swings around.

  Hope you all have a great weekend, take care folks.

Flooded kitchen

   A bit of a disaster in the kitchen yesterday, a pipe blew off while the plumber was finishing up and flooded the kitchen. I've borrowed a de humidifier and am using the cooker for heat to help dry everything out. Not a happy day all in all.

  I made a start on knitting my phone sock in a grey sock yarn but forgot to adjust the pattern for the thinner yarn or change my needle size up so its too small, a silly mistake. I've only done two rows so its not so bad, I'll frog it and extend the border pattern a couple of stitches.

  Not much else to blog about today, I'm off to wash and dry towels. Hope you all have a great day, take care folks.

Still with a leak.

   Well the plumbers just left, he's fixed two leaks around the stop tap but the other leak behind the board is still leaking. I had thought it was just a loose elbow joint from all the knocks the pipes have taken in the last few weeks but its leaking higher up. No idea where abouts, I'm going to start ripping the board off in a little while so I can get a better look. I'm really hoping this doesn't turn into a big job and half the kitchen needs riping out. Of course this means I'm still without running water, again.

   Ok, just took the board off above the worktop and it doesn't appear to be leaking from there so I guess its leaking somewhere just under the worktop. Its probably just a joint that needs re soldering, I hope its that simple. I f^%king hate plumbing!!!

  Hope you all have a great day, take care folks.

Still got water problems.

   The plumbers due back on Friday, hopefully for the last time. The leak behind the board is worse than I first thought so I've switched the water off, I can switch it on when I need water so I'm not living without running water this time but I'm mainly living out of buckets, jugs and bottles again.
  The mini heatwave we were having has ended, getting much needed rain. All my plants are doing well apart from the potatoes which I have written off. The slugs and snails mainly did them in but I've also been a little stingy with the water on the potatoes as I really needed it for myself the last couple of weeks. I didn't need too really but I didn't know that at the time. Better safe than sorry.

  I've still not done anything yarn wise, not sure why not. I've decided to force myself with some simple knitting and will knit a face cloth. I really need to finish the clothespin peg bag as well. Also need to do a little something for my sisters Birthday but time is very short for that.

  Hope you all have a great day, take care folks.

Still leaking, somewhere.

  The dogs not had any more fits in over 60 hours now so its looking good that they have passed and the increased meds are working. I even managed to sleep in my own bed last night, I really needed that.

  I need to get the plumber back out to check the pipes, I think there is a leak further along past the stop tap. I can't get at it at the moment as its behind the washing machine and boarded up but I think I can here drips coming from that area and the carpets wet around the washing machine. The nuts on the stop tap need tightening or sealing better as there dripping as well.

   I didn't get anything done yarn wise over the weekend but promise to finish the clothespin peg bag this week, I also need to make a little something for my sisters birthday. I think I'll make her a bookmark or a key ring.

  Hope you all had a good weekend, have a great day and take care folks. Happy independence day to my American friends.

Yay, running water.

   Well the plumber did turn up and managed to fix everything, up to a point. Theres a small leak on the stop tap but I think that will stop once the taps bedded in. The plumber also forgot to re attach the earth cable which I did as soon as I saw it. Don't want the house to burn down. Its really nice to have running water again and now that I have I realise the stress it has been causing me the last week or so. Glad that's over with.

   The dogs had a couple more fits, last one was at 10.30 pm so I'm hoping that was the last. I slept pretty well on the couch last night and will spend another night there, then back to my own bed if he has no more fits.

  This whole week I've hardly touched anything yarn wise, just too much going on. I'll correct that this weekend though. Today I have to bottle up some beer but will try and fit some weaving and spinning in.

  Hope you all have a great weekend, take care folks.

Waiting for the plumber.

  The dogs been having fits again the last couple of days, don't think I've slept more than 2 hours straight through in the last 48hrs. I'm absolutely exhausted. The vets increased his meds dose and his blood work has come back fine so its just a matter of time now for the increased dose to kick in, fingers crossed.

  I'm waiting in for the plumber this afternoon, the guy is useless and keeps letting me down so I'm not sure if he will turn up or not. I'm more than a little annoyed.

  Not much in the mood for blogging this week, its nearly over though. I'll keep you all informed with the plumbing and the dog.

Have a great day and take care folks.

More plumbing.

   The taps and basin wrench have just arrived so I will change the upstairs sink taps today, after this cup of coffee. I'm not sure if I'll change the downstairs hot water tap as well, its no longer leaking since I changed the washer and you can't really tell its slightly different from the cold water tap. The cock stop, main valve to turn off all the water inside the house, isn't working to great either. Its not fully stopping the water and its leaking slightly. I'll leave this job to the landlord though, I don't fancy screwing up and flooding the whole house.

  Very little done fiber wise, my minds been else where. I have done a couple of rows on the back piece of the clothespin peg bag and hope to get it finished over the weekend.

  Hope you all have a great day, take care folks.

Plumbing

   The upstairs bathroom sink tap has given up the ghost and is pouring water while turned off, the more you turn it off the worse it gets. I've turned the mains water off and will tackle the plumbing jobs today. The downstairs kitchen tap should only take me a few mins to put a new washer in, as long as the washer seat doesn't need regrinding flat. I don't have the tool to do that.

  The upstairs sink tap might give me a few problems. I'm really hoping its a 5 min job, change the washer and thats it but I have a feeling the whole taps done for. I have a spare kitchen tap that I think would work in its place but first I'd need to get the old tap off and some idiot has painted the pipes and nuts.

  ETA.

  Changed the washer on the downstairs tap, very easy and quick to do. I'm not sure if its working yet as I've not switched the mains back on but the seating felt smooth so should be ok.
   The upstairs tap is a riser spindle type, I've undone the head screw at the side(the only screw there is) but can't get the handle off. Spayed WD40 around and am now waiting for it to kick in. Second problem for the upstairs tap is I don't have any vise grips and my adjustable spanners doesn't expand enough to undo the body so I might have to take the whole tap off and replace it. Sprayed more WD40 on the painted(IDIOTS) nuts and pipe work. Tried to use a G clamp and towel as vise grip but didn't work, slipping too much.

  Undid the painted nut, not too hard but was awkward to get at. It was the wrong nut to undo at this point though, I needed to undo the top nut just under the tap but didn't see it. Put some more WD40 on, why is any plumbing always confined to tiny tight hard to reach places???

   Running out of ideas, I can't get the spanner on the tap locking nut to undo it. Just done a quick search and there are wrenches just for undoing nuts on basins.

  Bought the adjustable basin wrench and two taps, now I can replace both the bathroom taps and I will also replace the hot water kitchen tap so that it matches the cold water tap which I put in last year. I didn't do the hot water last time because to get at it I'd of had to remove a cupboard and the washing machine. Now I need to block the upstairs tap to stop it leaking until I get the new taps and wrench.

  Uh oh, the upstairs tap is no longer a tap and the water is just rushing out of it. Looks like I will be living with out the convenience of running water for a few days. I hope that basin wrench gets here asap.

  Hope you all have a great day, take care folks.