2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

I slept remarkably well, thanks to knowing My Intended had come through it fine and the surgeon was pleased - and today he even managed a quick 5-min video-call to show me his wounds and new stylish accessories (ie wound drain bag, etc.)  

4:30pm - suit jacket carcass now assembled. Now to add structural elements, and then sleeves and collar; finally lining to finish, and buttons (to be self-covered).

Not the neatest double-welt buttonholes, but not the worst I've seen either  

It is 29C and I am melting a little... it may be time for an ice-cream break...

 

TwibbleDee

So...it's been a fun vacation with the truck now in the shop and unavailable until after we're supposed to be home.  Since my little car can't pull our camper (caravan?) and we're supposed to be at work on Thursday, we're going to be taking the bare necessities home with us tomorrow, then coming back on Friday to pick up the truck and drive back home again on Sunday.

Hubby has said that I may use household funds to purchase a reasonable amount of yarn, so I'm assuming that means it's coming out of his clothing allowance.

I did find a yarn (and tea!) shop that is open, so I might pop in there later on today.  It's only an hour and a half away....

skogar

Hope everyone is doing OK. Good to hear that your intended is doing well Laura - wishing him a speedy recovery. Well sock has been started - about 7cm long at the moment.

Laura_Elsewhere

@TwibbleDee - oh no, good luck with the truck (conjures up marvellous images - in Britain a truck would be a big commercial vehicle, like in the film 'Convoy'! ) As for the camper - I think in Britain a campervan would be one with its own engine, but one which only has wheels and has to be towed by another vehicle would be a caravan, or maybe a trailer if it was one of the big shiny-metal American ones! 

Good luck with the yarn shopping - if it's an independent/ good yarn store, then tell them what you want, and they will be able to tell you *just* what is the right yarn, the right needles, the right pattern, the right size for you, the right length for your boots, everything...! A good yarn shop is worth its weight in gold... a box store, maybe not...  

Laura_Elsewhere

@skogar - wow, that's brilliant - 7cm of sock is a great start! 

And thankyou, everyone, for your support...  

PipneyJane

TwibbleDee said:

So...it's been a fun vacation with the truck now in the shop and unavailable until after we're supposed to be home.  Since my little car can't pull our camper (caravan?) and we're supposed to be at work on Thursday, we're going to be taking the bare necessities home with us tomorrow, then coming back on Friday to pick up the truck and drive back home again on Sunday.

Hubby has said that I may use household funds to purchase a reasonable amount of yarn, so I'm assuming that means it's coming out of his clothing allowance.

I did find a yarn (and tea!) shop that is open, so I might pop in there later on today.  It's only an hour and a half away....

@TwibbleDee Enjoy the yarn shop.  If they are lovely, do get their website address.

Sorry to hear about the truck.  I’m assuming it’s a pickup truck, what the Aussies would call “a ute” and, possibly, double-cabbed.  It’s really annoying that it’s broken down. Caravan should cover the camper - I don’t believe there is a word in British English if it is a pop up, i.e. half caravan half tent. 

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I slept remarkably well, thanks to knowing My Intended had come through it fine and the surgeon was pleased - and today he even managed a quick 5-min video-call to show me his wounds and new stylish accessories (ie wound drain bag, etc.)  

4:30pm - suit jacket carcass now assembled. Now to add structural elements, and then sleeves and collar; finally lining to finish, and buttons (to be self-covered).

Not the neatest double-welt buttonholes, but not the worst I've seen either  

It is 29C and I am melting a little... it may be time for an ice-cream break... 

@Laura_Elsewhere, glad to know you slept well.  Hope the hospital is air conditioned for  your Intended.

I am admiring your handy work.  Hope you enjoyed the ice cream.  You aren’t the only one who is melting.  It’s 33C here and not a breath of air is moving.  I am soaked in sweat and  have to concede that it’s too hot to knit.

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

I think trailer tent is the word you’re looking for, Pip?  

Pleased to hear that your intended is making good progress Laura. And  you seem to be making good  progress with the jacket as well, keep us posted. 

Cherryfudge

I was at work last night so I'm just catching up - @Laura_Elsewhere I'm glad to hear Intended is through the surgery and up to talking. How long are they expecting to keep him?
And I love those button holes: very smart.

TwibbleDee

No pop up camper here.  Ours is massive (the plan was eventually to live in it...but the more we use it, the more we get frustrated by the design).  The truck is what we would refer to as a crew cab pickup truck - big enough to fit adults comfortably in the back seat.  Basically, the most “Texas oilfield” vehicle out there.  We’ll have to arrange for my husband to come back down and pick up both it and the camper.  

Sock progress: Had about 4 inches knitted just to make sure I remember how.  Went to a proper yarn shop with my mother today.  The owner was a joy and more than willing to talk about what and how.  Mom covered my 2 100g balls of yarn, as well as a pair of needles that are connected by a cable and stoppers I can stick on the ends so everything doesn’t come off.  The owner also gave me a pattern that includes instructions for larger feet and said you can just make them longer for boots.  It has you knitting 2 socks at once (Magic Loop, I think they call it).  However, it starts with a “long tail cast on” that I’ve never used (I’ve always done the easy cast on, where you just loop it around), so I’ve been looking up YouTube videos for that, and have found instructions I can follow and managed to cast on enough using my too-big yarn for the first sock.

PollyWollyDoodle

Everyone sounds very busy. I have got some more masks cut out and partly made up, and inspired by Laura I am going to try dismantling some garments which are too large, and making them up in a smaller size rather than simply trying to take them in piecemeal.

For anyone who is new to knitting, or like me has come back to it after some years, this is an absolutely brilliant site https://techknitting.blogspot.com/  Not the blog itself particularly, if you look at the top it says “subject index” and there are all sorts of handy tips and tricks on knitting, some of them are far too advanced for me! It’s the place I go to when I come across an instruction I haven’t done before. The only thing she doesn’t tell you is how to sew up knitting, it’s my nemesis but I did find a very good YouTube video and I’m determined to crack it.

Laura, I hope your intended is feeling even better today and that you will have a date for him to return home soon.