2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Cherryfudge

Beautiful Laura: I love that you've mixed yarns and cleverly found an agreement among them. It also looks super-comfy.

TwibbleDee

Today I learned that if a recipe calls for parchment paper liners, you better use them.
Anybody want a pumpkin muffin (low carb, even!) that you have to lick off the cupcake liner?

Cherryfudge

TwibbleDee said:

Today I learned that if a recipe calls for parchment paper liners, you better use them.
Anybody want a pumpkin muffin (low carb, even!) that you have to lick off the cupcake liner?

Me please.

Cherryfudge

I thought the lovers of vintage among us might like to see these patterns I found (amongst others) in my Mum’s things.

PipneyJane

Cherryfudge said:

I thought the lovers of vintage among us might like to see these patterns I found (amongst others) in my Mum’s things.

That dress is lovely.  Totally impractical - it'll drop - but beautiful.

TwibbleDee said:

Today I learned that if a recipe calls for parchment paper liners, you better use them.
Anybody want a pumpkin muffin (low carb, even!) that you have to lick off the cupcake liner?

Me, please! 

Ohhh... Yummy!  Please share the recipe.

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

I love the hats, and the dress although it is hard to imagine either knitting it or wearing it. Lovely jumper too, Laura – that colour really suits you.  

Did we say that fabric bought specially for making masks with is exempt, like blackout fabric? I bought a pack of fat quarters from one of the four-letter German supermarkets, I can’t remember which one; they were not very good quality but I did manage to squeeze some more masks out of them. I’m hoping I don’t have to use coupons for that.

I have bought 2m of pink fabric with cats on, what on earth was I thinking, it’s going to make cushion covers for my office chair. So that’s six coupons to declare.  Unsurprisingly, I have bought no clothes or shoes this summer, so I think my total now stands at 19.5 coupons spent. 

My aim this year was not to buy anything new, but thanks to Covid I have succeeded beyond my expectations!  I have hardly been shopping, and even if I had there is no point in buying new clothes. It looks as if I will be spending the winter in jeans, T-shirts and fleeces apart from wearing work clothes for a few hours 2-3 times a week. It’s amazing how little you need when you don’t go out anywhere, I think I probably should invest in some new pyjamas as they are getting more wear than usual!

PipneyJane

PollyWollyDoodle said:

I love the hats, and the dress although it is hard to imagine either knitting it or wearing it. Lovely jumper too, Laura – that colour really suits you.  

Did we say that fabric bought specially for making masks with is exempt, like blackout fabric? I bought a pack of fat quarters from one of the four-letter German supermarkets, I can’t remember which one; they were not very good quality but I did manage to squeeze some more masks out of them. I’m hoping I don’t have to use coupons for that.

I have bought 2m of pink fabric with cats on, what on earth was I thinking, it’s going to make cushion covers for my office chair. So that’s six coupons to declare.  Unsurprisingly, I have bought no clothes or shoes this summer, so I think my total now stands at 19.5 coupons spent. 

My aim this year was not to buy anything new, but thanks to Covid I have succeeded beyond my expectations!  I have hardly been shopping, and even if I had there is no point in buying new clothes. It looks as if I will be spending the winter in jeans, T-shirts and fleeces apart from wearing work clothes for a few hours 2-3 times a week. It’s amazing how little you need when you don’t go out anywhere, I think I probably should invest in some new pyjamas as they are getting more wear than usual!

Facemasks are coupon free, so let's assume the fabric you bought to make them was blackout fabric and also coupon free.

I'm assuming the covers/cushions will make your office chair more comfortable.  If so, those 6 coupons were well spent.  I can't imagine what the fabric looks like, with cats on it.  Photo please.

Personally, I have 19 coupons remaining and I'm starting to make spending plans for them and the 2021 brethren.  I will need a new pair of trainers to run in, at some point in the next six months.  I'll also need to invest in some new bras.  The ones I have are OK, but they're getting older so will start to deteriorate.  Work-clothes-wise, I haven't worn a suit since March.  I've got three that fit well and are in good nick, two that could do with some repairs and three that were too tight/too small before Lockdown.  It's probable that I'll need another suit next year.  Yarnwise, if I buy anything, it'll probably some more Doulton Border Leicester.

Speaking of yarn, I've finished knitting the Trott sweater.  Just need to sew up the sleeves.  I threw my swatch into the washing machine yesterday to test it with my usual wool wash, and it shrank beyond all recognition.  Given that I will have to handwash it, I am wondering how much wear I'll get out of this jumper and whether I have wasted two months of knitting time.  I'm not even sure it'll handwash well.  The thing is, I wasn't impressed with this yarn when I was knitting the swatch but persisted because I wanted to use it up.  It's 75% wool, 25% soy fibre, loosely spun in a single ply worsted weight yarn.  I still have 9 balls of the stuff in cream, but I know now that I'll never use it.    It is NOT good yarn - if you want something to felt, do let me know, otherwise I plan to donate it when the charity shops reopen.

In the meantime, I've dug the remaining 10 balls of unidentified, pale pink, 4-ply weight, pure wool out of my stash and started knitting the Lady's Lacy Jumper from a Golden Eagle pattern book from January 1940.  This is the same yarn that used to knit my Jan Sweater back in 2014. (Photo below.)  It's soft and squishy and wears beautifully.


- Pip

maddiemay

@PipneyJane the sweater is great and you look lovely wearing it. x

PipneyJane

maddiemay said:

@PipneyJane the sweater is great and you look lovely wearing it. x

Thank you.  Very sweet of you to say so, @maddiemay .  That’s the Jan sweater.   

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

I think you look lovely in the Jan sweater too @PipneyJane!

But oh how heartbreaking about the Trott's wretched yarn... I remember you working out how to use the amounts you had... 

You could always use the cream to knit the hosues we wear in winter - you knit huge floppy loopy oversized socks, using huge needles, and making them a good 2-3 inches longer than your foot as well as too big round the way, and then you wash and tumble-dry them carefully til they full down to be thick, cosy warm slipper-socks.... (hosue being my classic typo of house-socks...!)