2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

PollyWollyDoodle

It’s lovely!  

thriftwizard

Wow, that's lovely! And will certainly keep you warm...

MrsCD

That's a really nice jumper! Worth all the work that's gone into making it. Well done!

Laura_Elsewhere

PipneyJane said:

Finished jumper to show off.  This is the Caradon HIll Jumper which I cast on in April, using the DK yarn that I bought from New Zealand.  It took exactly two months to knit.  Only modifications were to the neckline, where I added 6 rounds after completing the shaping and a ribbed collar.  (I didn’t like the original boatneck.)

What a lovely photo of you - you look so carefree and relaxed. The direct result of successfully completing all those cables?!  
And is that a seamless construction too? Raglan sleeves WITH cabling? Whew... you're good! 

maryb

That's amazing to knit that in just two months!
I almost spent some coupons on the never ending quest for summer-shoes-I-can-wear-with-a-skirt, but I am sending them back as they don't do half sizes and the 5 is too small  but the 6 would definitely be too big.
I did buy some fabric at the recently re-opened fabric stall at our local market.  But as it's for masks I'm taking the view it's the equivalent of blackout fabric which was unrationed

Laura_Elsewhere

maryb said:

I almost spent some coupons on the never ending quest for summer-shoes-I-can-wear-with-a-skirt, but I am sending them back as they don't do half sizes and the 5 is too small  but the 6 would definitely be too big.

If it helps, I bought a pair of these in December and have worn them and worn them and worn them - they look great with my calf-length, full skirts and ankle-socks, but a friend wears similar with colourful cotton tights and shift dresses. 

The website is a one-man-band and he can sometimes be a bit slow to respond, but I had no problems at all - oh, except that when my shoes arrived I thought he'd sent the wrong size as US sizes are printed the other way up, so I read (US) '9' as being a (UK) 6 when I'd ordered the 7... 

the reason you might like to try them is that because they are properly-made, in good leather, they are a very snug fit to begin with, and then stretch over a few days wearing round the house to fit your own feet perfectly. I had *completely* forgotten that - back in the olden dayes - it was totally normal to have to 'wear in' your new shoes like this! Being stitched and with a solid heel, these can be repaired, re-heeled, etc., but I glued on rubber soles (bought with glue from e-cobbler on eBay) and ordered Blakey's non-metal segs online and nailed those onto the heels - dead easy and means the leather sole and heel don't get worn away on hard pavements. 

Scroll down to the "WW2 US WAC Shoe" - £55 plus a few quid postage, and I think the soles/segs cost me another tenner at most, and these should last me 5 or 10 years, with annual re-soling/segs which I can do myself. If you are normally a half-size, I would send him a message (email or phone) and ask his advice. I suspect a 6.5 UK would be a 7 if you're wide in the foot, but possibly a 6 if narrow all over. I have bunions on *both* sides of both feet, but narrow heels and it is an absolute blessing to wear these shoes - I haven't had aching feet in months!

https://www.quartermaster-stores.com/Footwear.htm

maryb

They do look good, Laura.  More suited to autumn/winter for my style but I have bookmarked.  I see myself in those with a swirly cord skirt and a Rowan knitting catalogue type cardigan.  Preferably with a smouldering young Celt dragging me across wild moorland.  Oops, out of stock

PipneyJane

Thanks everyone. Very sweet of you to say so. < blush >

Laura_Elsewhere said:

PipneyJane said:

Finished jumper to show off.  This is the Caradon HIll Jumper which I cast on in April, using the DK yarn that I bought from New Zealand.  It took exactly two months to knit.  Only modifications were to the neckline, where I added 6 rounds after completing the shaping and a ribbed collar.  (I didn’t like the original boatneck.)

What a lovely photo of you - you look so carefree and relaxed. The direct result of successfully completing all those cables?!  
And is that a seamless construction too? Raglan sleeves WITH cabling? Whew... you're good! 

Yes, Laura, it’s seamless construction.  It’s designed to be knitted in the round, although I was surprised that the instructions for the sleeves assumed you’d knit them singly, not two at a time.  I took a class years ago from Annie Modesit, which included teaching us to cable without a cable needle.  I think I’d have gone nuts if I’d had to use a cable needle on this - something every second row for the central cables.

It went much faster than I’d expected.  I guess that’s because I’m home all the time, so have more knitting time.  (No choir.  No pub quizzes. No football matches at the weekend.)

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

maryb said:

They do look good, Laura.  More suited to autumn/winter for my style but I have bookmarked.  I see myself in those with a swirly cord skirt and a Rowan knitting catalogue type cardigan.  Preferably with a smouldering young Celt dragging me across wild moorland.  Oops, out of stock

Yes, I know the very catalogue you mean - sadly, out of stock when I tried too...  

I feel lots of clothes-making coming up, not just for wedding ideas, but because I've now lost 10 1/2 lbs this year, which I'm a bit surprised and very pleased by. 

@PipneyJane how on earth could you knit two sleeves at the same time if it's seamless? Surely you'd have to pick up the armhole stitches and knit down, one sleeve at a time? I don't understand how you could do it two at a time?

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

maryb said:

They do look good, Laura.  More suited to autumn/winter for my style but I have bookmarked.  I see myself in those with a swirly cord skirt and a Rowan knitting catalogue type cardigan.  Preferably with a smouldering young Celt dragging me across wild moorland.  Oops, out of stock

Yes, I know the very catalogue you mean - sadly, out of stock when I tried too...  

I feel lots of clothes-making coming up, not just for wedding ideas, but because I've now lost 10 1/2 lbs this year, which I'm a bit surprised and very pleased by. 

@PipneyJane how on earth could you knit two sleeves at the same time if it's seamless? Surely you'd have to pick up the armhole stitches and knit down, one sleeve at a time? I don't understand how you could do it two at a time?

Sorry, @Laura_Elsewhere, I didn’t explain it very clearly.  The jumper is knitted bottom up with a yoke.  You knit the sleeves first then join them to the body at the armholes.  The decreases are shaped so that the central cable on the sleeves form a saddle shoulder.  I just accentuated that when I changed the neckline.   (The body was something like 240 stitches.  Once the sleeves joined at the yoke, it was 360 stitches round.  Took ages to get around.)

Congratulations on the weight loss, Laura. 

- Pip