2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

thriftwizard wrote: »

I stitched over the stray pink stitches on the "second pass" after washing, PipneyJane, having found some Navy blue in a different stash, and I'm wearing it now, over a cotton polo-neck - blissful!

I can't remember what we did last year when I bought some thermals but I think we did decide they were equivalent to "combinations" - which, on reflection, is exactly what they are. I've been perusing some old copies of the Shetland Guild of WSD newsletters, amongst others, whilst looking for ideas to revamp our own Guild's editions, and have been amused to see mention of "spencers", which IIRC were a kind of lightweight, slightly lacy woollen vest. Another word that "thermals" has replaced?

If you go right back then a "spencer" was a sort of cropped waist-length long-sleeved jacket - think of Jane Austen heroines, those little jackets. I'm about to knit myself a waist-length stranded-colourwork little jacket, and have been calling the project "winter spencer"!

But yes, by the 20th century, it was a women's undervest with sleeves, iirc., as opposed to the sort with little shoulder-straps. Wikipedia says the term is Australasian but I've certainly found it in pre-war British novels! It also says it was originally a late C18th men's jacket, and is basically the modern mess jacket, Eton jacket, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_(clothing)

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire

No spends to report but I did have a very productive evening in front of the telly last night doing repairs and sewing on buttons. I now have another 4 tops/shirts I can wear again. It was also quite therapeutic. I do feel I need to get my teeth into another sewing project now so I may look to make a top that I can wear at any Christmas parties. I might have a trawl through my stash tonight just to see what I have got that might be suitable.

Laura_Elsewhere

You might recall that last autumn my parents asked if these were mine, producing on separate occasions the very last jumper my beloved Gran ever knitted me around the late 80s or very early 90s and barely-worn, and a pair of little black leather flat boots last seen in about 1991... I had assumed that, like so many other precious things, my sister had thrown them out or destroyed them.

This year they produced an ancient suitcase which they confidently announced was full of old but good pairs of curtains which we might like.

On opening it, it turned out to be a load of my fabric last seen in, you guessed it, the early 1990s, and a bag of Aran-weight pale-green wool I bought in New Zealand in 1987...!

It's starting to feel like the reason I've always thought I was terrifically disorganised is not necessarily because i was terrifically disorganised but because my sister kept on throwing my things out, and my parents kept packing them away!

I plan to dye the pale-green yarn darker shades of green and knit a kiwifruit jumper, ie another cowl-necked short-sleeved jumper but this time in shades of green...

PipneyJane

thriftwizard wrote: »

I stitched over the stray pink stitches on the "second pass" after washing, PipneyJane, having found some Navy blue in a different stash, and I'm wearing it now, over a cotton polo-neck - blissful!

It’s a beautiful cardigan, Thriftwizard. I’m glad you love it.

I can't remember what we did last year when I bought some thermals but I think we did decide they were equivalent to "combinations" - which, on reflection, is exactly what they are. I've been perusing some old copies of the Shetland Guild of WSD newsletters, amongst others, whilst looking for ideas to revamp our own Guild's editions, and have been amused to see mention of "spencers", which IIRC were a kind of lightweight, slightly lacy woollen vest. Another word that "thermals" has replaced?

On the subject of “spencers”, yes the Aussies call fine-knit, ladies’ undershirts “spencers”. I have one that is decades old, that I think is wool or wool blend and another from the same period that most definitely isn’t wool. They have a certain look to them, a diamond lace pattern and a sort of nylon trim around the neck edge.

There is definitely one pattern on Ravelry for a spencer. It’s in my queue and is from a book I bought at Readings, in Melbourne, in the 1980’s. Hopefully the photo will show... (borrowed from Ravelry)


The pattern is only in one size, tiny, so I plan to rework it. I’ve been on the verge of knitting it for years. Yarn of choice is currently West Yorkshire Spinners Signature Sock in pink.

Laura - great news about the contents of that suitcase. Forgive me for saying so but your sister must have been a right pain to live with. She didn’t respect any of your boundaries.

- Pip

thriftwizard

Laura, you have my sympathy! I live in a household where things regularly get "tidied" away (once even into a skip - that won't be happening again) but "away" is so random I'm lucky to find them again within a couple of years! Which is intensely frustrating, but yes, I'm not the only resident of this house. I think I really, really do need a studio when we move...

That's a lovely spencer, PipneyJane. But these are more the sort of thing I was required to own two of when I was packed off to boarding school as a scholarship kid. I hated wearing wool next to my skin - still gives me a rash! - but we weren't far into October before I realised why we needed them - those huge, echoing dormitories were icy cold! And we literally had to break the ice on the water in the bathroom (or sluices) to wash in the mornings. Character-building...

PipneyJane

thriftwizard wrote: »

Laura, you have my sympathy! I live in a household where things regularly get "tidied" away (once even into a skip - that won't be happening again) but "away" is so random I'm lucky to find them again within a couple of years! Which is intensely frustrating, but yes, I'm not the only resident of this house. I think I really, really do need a studio when we move...

That's a lovely spencer, PipneyJane. But these are more the sort of thing I was required to own two of when I was packed off to boarding school as a scholarship kid. I hated wearing wool next to my skin - still gives me a rash! - but we weren't far into October before I realised why we needed them - those huge, echoing dormitories were icy cold! And we literally had to break the ice on the water in the bathroom (or sluices) to wash in the mornings. Character-building...

The James Meade one you linked to is similar to the ones I remember. I might have one kicking around like it that I "borrowed" from my mum (and never gave back).

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

This short-sleeved one is the kind of thing I think of as a spencer - but all these seem labelled as!

thriftwizard

Oooh, I want one of those, wool or not! And bearing in mind that Shetland wool can be finer than Merino, (but isn't always, by any means) it might not bring me out in a rash. But then, knitting does, sadly - I'm just not a natural knitter!

Thin pickings at the recycling warehouse this week; I did liberate two rather lovely bits of knitwear for re-sale, a vintage M&S pure Shetland wool brown & cream-striped waistcoat and a green, silver & black Artigiano jacket, but found a third, a beige gents pure lambswool v-neck, had an ineradicable stain. So that's going to be made into leg-warmers and possibly another short "bum-warmer" skirt to wear over leggings, with a patch-pocket over the stain. Otherwise, it was all acrylic or things with no warmth and not much style. Some weeks are just like that!

PollyWollyDoodle

Well I have just done a round-up of my purchases this year, and I am quite shocked - I think I am a fairly low-maintenance kind of gal, but even so I have spent a whopping 64 coupons this year. A big chunk of that was new knickers - 12 coupons for six pairs seems high given that there isn't much fabric in them. I have also had to buy some new work clothes and new bras because I've lost weight. New ankle boots and a pair of shoes, some pyjama trousers and a couple of other bits and it soon adds up - new jeans, t-shirts, blouses and a dress were all second-hand and so coupon free.

Still, I look like finishing the year without having had to resort to the spivs! I did really need some of these items. I could probably have managed without the new red shoes but, you know .... I haven't done much sewing this year, I keep meaning to have another try at making knickers, they can't be that hard surely.

Needless to say, any new Christmas outfits will be coming from the charity shop!

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

This short-sleeved one is the kind of thing I think of as a spencer - but all these seem labelled as!

Laura, I have severe pattern envy! I found the listing on Ravelry, but can't find a copy of the pattern anywhere. Do you have this one in your collection?

Don't despair, Polly. The real point of the challenge is to spend your coupons mindfully and that's exactly what you've done. You haven't blown any on something that you regret.

- Pip