2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

Hi @catherinekate, Laura’s done most of the heavy lifting already on the subject of DK socks, but here is a link to 44 free DK sock patterns available via Ravelry.  If you aren’t familiar with Ravelry, each pattern page also has a tab called “projects”, which shows links to all the project listings for that pattern and the maker’s headline notes.  I find reading other knitter’s notes invaluable.

HTH

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

Ah but @PipneyJane - those are the shorter ones. @catherinekate is seeking knee-high DK men's sock patterns... 

I am very relieved i can use the "Classic mode" Ravelry, although quite a lot of people I know are struggling now even with that as it's being altered by the new design changes - I couldn't use the new one at all, so I am assuming my time using Ravelry is limited, presumably once they stop supporting the "Classic mode" that will be it and I'll be amongst the masses who are unable to read it without feeling headachey and nauseous, but sadly they just don't seem willing to bother about that. It's frustrating. I know one advertiser who is in the process of removing all her advertising from the site who says that some advertisers have been having a drop of 60% in the number of views of their advertising, so obviously there are a lot of us who struggle with the site now...

So I just have to try and find other ways to source ideas, etc. It's such a shame... 

catherinekate

Thank you both so much! I get so overwhelmed on Ravelry.

I am going to print out the Classic Work Socks and give them a go. They're to replace holey socks my partner's gran knitted (which are at least pre-2001). I suspect she was stash busting because they are stripy and don't match, think I'll do the same. (I won't tell him they're technically stockings though!)

PipneyJane

If anyone is after a new sewing machine, Lidl are selling Singer “Serenade” sewing machines from Sunday.  They’re £99.  I have no bias - I have never used this particular machine - but the price is good.

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

I'm going to tackle a major sewing project - well, tailoring as much as sewing. 

My Intended goes into hospital in a couple of weeks, for 2-3 days, and I have only ever been alone here once and that was when he sustained life-threatening injuries, so I am planning ahead so as not to spend the whole time eating my increasing weight in chocolate and getting very morose!  

Back in the mid-1990s I bought some very very nice British wool fabric, very fine flannel suiting, lovely lovely stuff, and a lovely mid-grey. I mostly made the skirt, and never finished it properly, and the jacket never got more than a quarter of the way, although Mum "helped", whcih was kind of her but made things worse...  

So I shall check over everything this weekend and then if I need to order thread or self-cover buttons or whatever online I can do, and have it by the op-date. Then I shall dismantle the entire suit, skirt and jacket, labelling every piece with a paper label tacked on, and doing proper tailors' tacks for the notches and so on. And then I'll re-build it, only I'll do it properly. 
That should keep me busy!  

PollyWollyDoodle

Wow, that sounds challenging Laura. Should definitely take your mind off things!  

CapricornLass

Well, you are all busy bees!  
Just dropped in to say Hi, and I'm still reading.  Not buying anything clothes-wise, but I have invested in Sashiko thread, needles and thimble, and am practicing on my rather elderly and holey jeans that I use for rough jobs round the house and garden.  Seems to be doing the job and means said holey jeans will last a bit longer!. 

Cherryfudge

Laura, what a great project! Please put a photo up when it's done.
Meanwhile, I hope your other half's op goes beautifully: it's reassuring to know that the surgeon thinks it should do well.

I've been away for a couple of days as we felt we could go over to work on my Mum's old house with relative safety. We sorted through tons of paperwork and found a special document and photo that we've been looking for since Mum passed away, so we're very relieved. There was an unbelievable amount in the house which is now whittled down a lot with two items remaining to be found - but unexpected things keep emerging. This time around we found a savings book with about £100 in it... similar happened pre-lockdown.

Relevant to this group, I found a tatting hook (never tried tattling but it seems to go with the wartime theme somehow - though I don't expect people really had the time to do work like that in between knitting balaclavas and joining queues.

I also found a small bag of blouses that aren't really my style or size. I've washed them and intend to have a look through to see whether to give them away or use the fabrics. There was also a bag of knitwear that had been part-unravelled as Mum probably wanted to remake some items. (I've probably said before that she told me how they would use up scraps of wool during the war to make patterned jumpers). I pounced on a mustard-coloured chunky woollen cardi which is quite current in its way. I was all set to try it on when I discovered that a) a black cat had clearly loved the back of it as it's slightly matted and furry, and b) there is a massive unravel under one sleeve which is perhaps why the cat was given free rein. Once it's washed I'll have to be realistic about whether I can do anything with it. Lastly there's a grey patterned wool/angora/nylon jumper, commercially made so too light a weight to do Swiss darning - so pretty, but it's had a close encounter with a  moth or two. The back and sleeves are okay but the front is near-enough ruined. I'm waiting for inspiration for this one!

And I have a confession to make: I've fallen for some boots that I don't really need. What's more they're online so I can't be sure they'll be comfy as my feet are wide. They're Rocket Dogs. Does anyone have experience of what sort of fit they are likely to be?

MrsCD

catherinekate- I've just discovered a website called vintageknittingpatternarchive.com
It has some men's sock patterns from the 1950's, which are much longer than the patterns nowadays. Maybe it's more what you're looking for. They ask for a donation to their charity as the patterns are free.

PipneyJane

@Laura_Elsewhere, your project should be lovely when you've finished it.  It sounds like just the thing to keep you busy while your Intended is in hospital.  (I really hope the surgery goes well.) 

@Cherryfudge, good luck with the mustard cardigan.  Hopefully a good soak will get the cat fur out.  I used to do tatting.  My mum taught me when I was a teenager.  It's all about transferring the loop of the knot from your working thread to the base thread.  You use a tiny hook - I used to use a pin - to pull your thread through a bigger loop, in order to join two motifs together.  (Somewhere upstairs is a partially finished tatted collar, which I started in about 1991.  I wouldn't have a clue how to read the pattern now.)  

- Pip