2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

Pip, definitely do post a comment on Rav as that's what people rely on when they are considering buying a yarn!

The sparkly yarn is the same as the white-flecked on, there are two identical - it's 100% cashmere laceweight in a glorious bright chestnut colour (exactly th colour of the gleam on a conker!) with a copper-gold lurex thread wrapped round...

maddiemay

Hi everyone, back from a lovely 12 day holiday in South Wales (Gower Peninsula and Pembrokeshire), no wifi for most of it so catching up on posts.

I bought 2 pairs of leggings whilst away, thicker grey pair for PT sessions and normal black ones with a wider flat waistband to wear on especially bloated days. I think that they are 2 points per pair, total of points left is now 29. Found a lovely black cord boho style maxi skirt in a CS:) I now have 2 maxi skirts that I can wear with ankle or knee length boots this winter and add leggings if it becomes really cold.

Laura I love the dyed yarns and also your brilliant descriptions of the colours. No progress on my knitting, hands (mostly the left one are so very painful) not sure if it is the RA or RSA, holding a book and using a keyboard are painful and kitchen work a real challenge, but we are still managing to eat:D

Laura_Elsewhere

maddiemay wrote: »

Hi everyone, back from a lovely 12 day holiday in South Wales (Gower Peninsula and Pembrokeshire), no wifi for most of it so catching up on posts.


Laura I love the dyed yarns and also your brilliant descriptions of the colours. No progress on my knitting, hands (mostly the left one are so very painful) not sure if it is the RA or RSA, holding a book and using a keyboard are painful and kitchen work a real challenge, but we are still managing to eat:D

No wifi can often make a good holiday really wonderful!

Re your hands... I had several years when my spine collapsed when both arms were near-useless, and although it was frustratingly slow in those days (2006-8) I did eventually manage to write part of my PhD thesis using voice recognition software - it has come on in leaps and bounds since then, and I would heartily recommend exploring your computer, laptop or tablet or phone's inbuilt voice commands if nothing else.
There are two separate sorts: voice recognition dictation, where you dictate text, and commands, where you use a known codeword to tell the computer to start listening and then use a specific command phrase, eg "computer, scroll down". You may only use it for some things, but maybe it might mean it takes the pressure off your hands enough to make it more bearable.
I also found book-rests invaluable, the sort you used to have for cookery-books with little swivelling bits to hold the pages open - I have a wooden one I got at Blackwell's bookshop back then that I still use every day as I still struggle to hold books open easily for any length of time, especially heavy books. Mostly I use it on a table, but sometimes I put it on my lap, sitting up in bed to knit, which is nice.

Obviously, what works for one person may be utterly useless for another, so don't worry if those are things you've tried and found made it worse, or just so awkward you gave up! I just thought I'd mention it anyway.

Laura_Elsewhere

Hand-sewing today for me, sewing crocheted lace edging onto cotton leggings cut short - being tall and plump, tights are a complete nightmare for me and the only ones which actually fit are the ones that are a tenner a pair and that's no good for everyday. So I cut leggings off to mid-thigh for summer and just above the knee for winter, and then add an edging to stop them curling up, and they are marvellously comfortable, and cool in summer and cosy in winter. In winter, I wear long stockings made by cutting thick cotton-rich tights off at the crotch - I'm a size 18 for Primark trousers and leggings, but their XXL tights won't go past my knees as the hip part is so narrow, but the leg parts make excellent over-the-knee stockings I do have some over-the-knee socks, too but mostly those tend to be too narrow for my (perfectly normal!) legs.
I made garters that don't cut off my blood supply by folding a piece of lining fabric twice to make a strip three times the width of my leg's circumference just below the knee, and machine-stitching to make three channels with a space each side, and putting three bits of elastic in. Holds the stockings, doesn't cut in or curl up or slide about, etc.

It may sound a faff, but it's lovely and comfortable and much easier for me than tights! And far far cheaper...

And it isn't that much of a faff - most larger women I know wear knicks, then tights, then another pair of knicks to hold the tights, then socks over the tights... I just wear knicks, the "long-legs" as I call the cut-off leggings, stockings and garters. Far less uncomfortable and constrictive!

CAFCGirl

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

Hand-sewing today for me, sewing crocheted lace edging onto cotton leggings cut short - being tall and plump, tights are a complete nightmare for me and the only ones which actually fit are the ones that are a tenner a pair and that's no good for everyday. So I cut leggings off to mid-thigh for summer and just above the knee for winter, and then add an edging to stop them curling up, and they are marvellously comfortable, and cool in summer and cosy in winter. In winter, I wear long stockings made by cutting thick cotton-rich tights off at the crotch - I'm a size 18 for Primark trousers and leggings, but their XXL tights won't go past my knees as the hip part is so narrow, but the leg parts make excellent over-the-knee stockings I do have some over-the-knee socks, too but mostly those tend to be too narrow for my (perfectly normal!) legs.
I made garters that don't cut off my blood supply by folding a piece of lining fabric twice to make a strip three times the width of my leg's circumference just below the knee, and machine-stitching to make three channels with a space each side, and putting three bits of elastic in. Holds the stockings, doesn't cut in or curl up or slide about, etc.

It may sound a faff, but it's lovely and comfortable and much easier for me than tights! And far far cheaper...

And it isn't that much of a faff - most larger women I know wear knicks, then tights, then another pair of knicks to hold the tights, then socks over the tights... I just wear knicks, the "long-legs" as I call the cut-off leggings, stockings and garters. Far less uncomfortable and constrictive!

Some say faff, I say INGENIUS!

Laura_Elsewhere

There are "comfort shorts" of course, to buy - but they cost a LOT more than a pair of cotton leggings and ime they all assume that plump women want to look skinny so they are horribly horribly constrictive "shapewear" which just makes me bulge above and below, which looks far worse than just being plump!

And they look pretty, I think... the cotton crochet lace I used to buy online, but now crochet myself - surprisingly simple and quick. If you can do a Granny-square, you can do the nice lace edging!

diminua

Another 6 coupons gone - on trousers. Very boring, grey, straight legged, but that's what I want for work. And the shop (Uniqlo) do free alterations, so took them up a couple of inches for me, which was a big factor in my choice.

That leaves me with 33 coupons. I'm feeling the pull of the cosy jumpers at this time of year but am resisting buying more, not just to save coupons but because I own six already. Does anyone really need more than six jumpers?

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

There are "comfort shorts" of course, to buy - but they cost a LOT more than a pair of cotton leggings and ime they all assume that plump women want to look skinny so they are horribly horribly constrictive "shapewear" which just makes me bulge above and below, which looks far worse than just being plump!

And they look pretty, I think... the cotton crochet lace I used to buy online, but now crochet myself - surprisingly simple and quick. If you can do a Granny-square, you can do the nice lace edging!

Vouch! Re crocheted lace. I used to sing with a girl who was saving towards buying her own home. (She lived with her parents at the time.) She'd sit in rehearsals adding a crochet lace edging to extremely plain table linen and bed linen, which she'd buy for a song in the market. When she finally bought her house - a colonial style villa - it all fitted in perfectly.

- Pip

CAFCGirl

diminua wrote: »

Another 6 coupons gone - on trousers. Very boring, grey, straight legged, but that's what I want for work. And the shop (Uniqlo) do free alterations, so took them up a couple of inches for me, which was a big factor in my choice.

That leaves me with 33 coupons. I'm feeling the pull of the cosy jumpers at this time of year but am resisting buying more, not just to save coupons but because I own six already. Does anyone really need more than six jumpers?

I didn't know they did alterations! Let alone free ones. I think there's a store at Bluewater near me so I'll be investigating that. I'm struggling so much with trousers!

PipneyJane

diminua wrote: »

Another 6 coupons gone - on trousers. Very boring, grey, straight legged, but that's what I want for work. And the shop (Uniqlo) do free alterations, so took them up a couple of inches for me, which was a big factor in my choice.

That leaves me with 33 coupons. I'm feeling the pull of the cosy jumpers at this time of year but am resisting buying more, not just to save coupons but because I own six already. Does anyone really need more than six jumpers?

Yes, me. Particularly when I'm working in a cold portacabin, day-in-day-out. I'll wear a different jumper each day, under my work fleece. Given my ability to spill liquids on me, I probably need 10 jumpers in winter, just to keep up with the laundry.

- Pip (I just have to look at a glass, for it to spill. I once covered the entire kitchen in squash, having knocked a pint glass that contained 1cm of squash in the bottom.)