2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

@TwibbleDee - just went and looked at your photo of Guadalupe - that's a bloomin' *mountain*!!!!

Cherryfudge

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I'm 5'8" if I stretch, with a 31" inside leg, so we might make a great team, @TwibbleDee - we can win that three-legged race no problem! 
...

I can't help it - I just keep looking at New Zealand and really really wishing that we could do that idea that went round on social media - declare war on NZ, and then immediately surrender, thus gaining Jacinda Ardern as our leader... 

Best idea I've heard in a long time!
Great lighting too, @Lau@Laura_Elsewhere
@PipneyJane, I feel that way about Australia, and I've only been there for two weeks as well! Best holiday ever (we did fit in flying visits to other countries too, but I could live in Sydney quite happily!) I'm not sure I could cope with the heat so I might have to hibernate part of the year, but maybe I'd acclimatise.
@TwibbleDee, go for it! We'll expect a photo from the top by June at the latest. You will be surprised what you can do with a bit of practice.

No particular activity over here... I bought some cotton thread to sew a split in a sweater of DH's which will take a magnifying glass and a strong light as the thread is dark and thin. However I think that doesn't require coupons. I wish there were darning wool but it's a dark plum colour and I searched hard but found nothing compatible so it will mean reconstructing with a tatting hook as far as possible then going in with needle and thread. DH has a real talent for splitting sweaters under the arm and this one is a bit of a favourite.

I went looking for cotton yarn too, so as to have another go at making a net bag, but the aisles were being reorganised and had been closed off. Double annoying that there was no one actually working there but I suppose I have other things to apart from knitting (like looking online to see what else is available).

TwibbleDee

@Cherryfudge Are you trying to kill me?  It'll be 100F or higher during the day there in June!  Hiking season around here is in the fall.

And I did forget that the salons and gyms were closed.  Places that I rarely visit.  I almost caused a riot trying to schedule staff photos before the salons were opened again.

Cherryfudge

TwibbleDee said:

@Cherryfudge Are you trying to kill me?  It'll be 100F or higher during the day there in June!  Hiking season around here is in the fall.

Ooh, I didn't think of that! Sorry.
Plenty of time to get prepared then, and save the roasting for the BBQ.

TwibbleDee

Cherryfudge said:

Ooh, I didn't think of that! Sorry.
Plenty of time to get prepared then, and save the roasting for the BBQ.

I do want to learn how to smoke meat...but that would require me investing in a smoker.

joedenise

TwibbleDee said:

Cherryfudge said:

Ooh, I didn't think of that! Sorry.
Plenty of time to get prepared then, and save the roasting for the BBQ.

I do want to learn how to smoke meat...but that would require me investing in a smoker.

Here you go (from a simple Google search):

https://www.homemadesimple.com/beyond-the-home/how-to-smoke-meats-without-a-smoker/

TwibbleDee

joedenise said:

TwibbleDee said:

I do want to learn how to smoke meat...but that would require me investing in a smoker.

Here you go (from a simple Google search):

https://www.homemadesimple.com/beyond-the-home/how-to-smoke-meats-without-a-smoker/

I may try it on the gas grill first...or just do it when we're down at my parents' house and I can abuse their smoker.  Smoking indoors is a no-no for me, though - too much possibility of too much scent.

TwibbleDee

Laura_Elsewhere said:

@TwibbleDee - just went and looked at your photo of Guadalupe - that's a bloomin' *mountain*!!!!

How else would you get the tallest peak in Texas?  It's a gain of 2906 feet over 4.1 miles, final elevation 8751 feet above sea level (or 885.75m over 6.6km, final elevation 2667.2m).  There is a campground 3.1 miles in, so there is the option to hike 3 miles, stay over night, hike the mile up and the mile back, stay overnight, then hike the 3 miles down.

CapricornLass

The campsite option sounds the better one to me, TwibbleDee!

I've just finished making rum truffles and peppermint creams for Christmas - yum!

PipneyJane

Thanks @Laura_Elsewhere for explaining the British Lockdown.  We're definitely a disunited kingdom.

@TwibbleDee That's a good goal to have for 2021.  Combining climbing Guadalupe with a camping trip would make a great weekend.

@Cherryfudge - Good luck with the repair.  Do you tat?  I learned as a teenager.  Somewhere in this house is a partially finished tatted lace collar that I haven't worked on for 30-odd years.  

CapricornLass said:

The campsite option sounds the better one to me, TwibbleDee!

I've just finished making rum truffles and peppermint creams for Christmas - yum!

Sounds lovely.  Yum!

I have two spends to declare.  As suggested, I stalked the Celtic Sheepskin website and a pair of those boots appeared in my size.  5 coupons spent.  Fingers crossed they fit.

My other spend was because I couldn't find my 2.75mm circular needle and ended up visiting Deramores website to buy another one.  (Is it just me, or are the knitting websites running short of basic supplies, needles and the like?)  While I was there, I bought two more balls of black West Yorkshire Spinners Signature Sock yarn - the two extra I should have bought last month.   Hopefully, they'll be the same dye lot.  4 coupons spent.  (Any leftovers will be socks.)

The Lady's Lacy Jumper has had the sleeves sewn in and all the ends.  It just needs buttons for the back of the neck, then I'll wash it and model it.  I started swatching for my next project, the When You Are Off Duty sweater from 1943, but it didn't take many rows to realise that the Regia 3-faedig I want to use is too thin for 3mm needles, hence my hunt for my 2.75mm circs.   (Finally found hiding under the couch, but not until I after I'd ordered the only ones I could find on Deramores.)

The above means that, for 2020, I've spent 60 coupons, leaving me 6 coupons to carry forward to next year.  Beyond buying more trainers - as mentioned earlier - my only plan is to take all my suits to our local dry-cleaners, to put some business their way.  (They are nice people.)  Hopefully that will be possible early in the new year.  Now that we're in Tier 4, aka "total Lockdown", they'll have had to close down again.

- Pip