2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

PipneyJane

Cherryfudge said:

@CAFCGirl, @PipneyJane and @Laura_Elsewhere, all I can say is... look me up when you get up here. I'm not too far away.  

PS. I think there is some sort of record attempt going on though - or is because of its being 1942 that none of you has mentioned Lewis and Cooper?

I couldn't remember the name of that shop! It's an excellent shop. I've been in there a few times and bought stuff to lug back to London each time.   In fact, I was thinking of them on Tuesday - I bought my kitchen timer from there. 

Your bag looks great!

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

@Cherryfudge oh that is lovely!

I want to make one now... did you follow your transcript exactly in the end or did you do 6, not 5, rows for that beginning-y/end-y bit?


You posted:

*Knitted bag

1 pr no 12 needles

 

Cast on 50 st.

Knit 2 rows garter st.

(K1, M1, putting thread round needle twice, k2 tog. (rpt. to end of row).

Next row: K (knit only one loop of made sts.)

K 2 rows of garter st.

 

Next row: K, but wind thread 4x round needle before bringing through st.

 

Next row: K first loop of each st. dropping the other loops off needle.

 

Rpt. these 2 rows 44x.

Work first 5 rows once. Cast off.

Sew up sides.

Make a chain of 120. Work 1 DC in each chain. Fasten off. Work another chain the same.

Thread through slots at top of bag as draw strings.*

dreamyd

Hi, I'm delurking,
I've had more time to mooch around the forums for the past year since WFH started.  I buy the majority of my clothes (bar underwear and shoes ) from charity shops, 
 I got quite a haul from the local CS on Monday , spending combined Christmas and birthday money on
three dresses ( M&S, Phase 8 and Monsoon respectively) , two work type shirts (one label-less and the other from John Lewis) a velvet v neck top and a wrap skirt from Long Tall Sally (still with tags on!)

I've also  got back into knitting, having made a number of things from my stash which I might actually wear....
I really like the vintage style knitwear, and I'm beginning to look for relatively simple patterns I can do whilst on zoom meetings, etc. I think a lot of my coupons may well be going on wool as DH gave me a £50 voucher for Hobbycraft.
I also got one for Primark, which will probably go on some domestic cantilevering, because needs must...

PipneyJane

dreamyd said:

Hi, I'm delurking,
I've had more time to mooch around the forums for the past year since WFH started.  I buy the majority of my clothes (bar underwear and shoes ) from charity shops, 
 I got quite a haul from the local CS on Monday , spending combined Christmas and birthday money on
three dresses ( M&S, Phase 8 and Monsoon respectively) , two work type shirts (one label-less and the other from John Lewis) a velvet v neck top and a wrap skirt from Long Tall Sally (still with tags on!)

I've also  got back into knitting, having made a number of things from my stash which I might actually wear....
I really like the vintage style knitwear, and I'm beginning to look for relatively simple patterns I can do whilst on zoom meetings, etc. I think a lot of my coupons may well be going on wool as DH gave me a £50 voucher for Hobbycraft.
I also got one for Primark, which will probably go on some domestic cantilevering, because needs must...

Hi @dreamyd and welcome to the Challenge.  Please take the seat next to the woodfire stove and tell us all about yourself.  Cup of tea?  Piece of cake?  Don't mind the dog - he just wants pats.

Since you're joining in April, I'm sorry to say that you'll only get 3/4 of the coupons for 2021; 50 instead of 66.  Still, given your luck at the charity shop, you probably won't miss the extra.  It sounds like you have "the gift".  (I used to work with a girl who had "the gift".  She could walk into the most disorganised charity shop and, 5 minutes later, come out with a gorgeous, co-ordinating outfit that fitted her beautifully.)

Regarding vintage-style knitwear patterns, as you may have gathered, I've knitted a few vintage sweaters.  It's amazing how far 3 balls of 4-ply sock yarn can go. For patterns, I'm a huge fan of Trove which is a project from the Australian National Library to digitise and make available for free online, all the old newspapers and magazines published in Oz.  (The link is to a Ravelry search of knitting patterns published by Trove.)  

- Pip

PollyWollyDoodle

Welcome @dreamyd - I am very envious of your charity shop haul. I haven’t had a chance to go near any yet, and I’m still feeling a little reluctant to go to busy places. As Pip says, with those skills your coupons will last you ages! 

dreamyd

Hi @dreamyd and welcome to the Challenge.  Please take the seat next to the woodfire stove and tell us all about yourself.  Cup of tea?  Piece of cake?  Don't mind the dog - he just wants pats.

Since you're joining in April, I'm sorry to say that you'll only get 3/4 of the coupons for 2021; 50 instead of 66.  Still, given your luck at the charity shop, you probably won't miss the extra.  It sounds like you have "the gift".  (I used to work with a girl who had "the gift".  She could walk into the most disorganised charity shop and, 5 minutes later, come out with a gorgeous, co-ordinating outfit that fitted her beautifully.)

Regarding vintage-style knitwear patterns, as you may have gathered, I've knitted a few vintage sweaters.  It's amazing how far 3 balls of 4-ply sock yarn can go. For patterns, I'm a huge fan of Trove which is a project from the Australian National Library to digitise and make available for free online, all the old newspapers and magazines published in Oz.  (The link is to a Ravelry search of knitting patterns published by Trove.)  

- Pip

Thanks for the clarification  I'll  add the tally to my signature

 I think i was lucky more than anything - I live in a very famous University city, which has quite a number of  charity shops, but you need to be speedy and have sharp elbows occasionally. I have been told that I have the  'gift'  think this is probably hereditary.  Mum used to take me and my sister to  the  local Red Cross, who used to have regular  evening bring and buy  sales where you got a percentage of commission if something you donated got  sold.

My next challenge is befriending the sewing machine  which is gathering dust. I've got a load of patchwork pieces taken from old shirts as a low-risk means of practising...

Laura_Elsewhere

PollyWollyDoodle said: I’m still feeling a little reluctant to go to busy places. 

Yes, we're just giving every stage a week or two to settle down, see how the case-rates go locally, before we go anywhere/ do anything we previously were not allowed to. 

@dreamyd, welcome!  

PipneyJane

Good evening ladies

I’ve just watched last night’s Sewing Bee.   No spoilers, I promise.  I was not surprised about the person who was sent home.  They were totally outclassed, which makes me wonder about the number of people who applied for the show and the criteria applied to sift them out.

Also, may I have a rant?  This is not to do with Sewing Bee.  I received a message via Ravelry tonight and it’s made my blood boil:-

“Hello , we are in search for experts who can either do crochet or knitting as our business is growing we need more. If you are interested for working with us we will provide you particular yarns for the order and will pay for £5 for each items of shoes, hats and £12 bodysuit for babies 0-1 age . After the order is made you can send us back the product and we will deliver it to the customer. We will obviously pay you the postage fees. And if you require patterns for the same we would also provide you with it (please note that sometimes we may not be able to find exact same size patterns but try all our limits ). So ideally preferring one who is flexible. We are based in London...”

My reply:

The answer is no. I am not a slave.

You are asking people to work for slave labour rates. You do know that what you are offering your knitters is below the hourly rate for the minimum wage? (£10.85 per hour.). You claim to be a craft business, but do you know how long it takes to knit or crochet a onesie for a baby? Around 20 hours, if you are knitting it; 10 if it is crocheted. Even a pair of crocheted booties takes 3-4 hours.

Perhaps you should re-think your business model.

The absolute cheek!  Don’t they know how long it takes to make stuff?  My bet is that they will charge their customers a lot of money for something for which they paid £5.  I am still fuming!

ARRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!

- Pip

ETA:  The minimum wage rate that I quoted is for London

PollyWollyDoodle

That’s a shockingly low rate Pip.  Good answer. People don’t appreciate the time it takes to make things by hand. It would be interesting to know how much they sell goods for. 

CapricornLass

Hi, everyone!  I've just spent an hour catching up - you have all been so busy!  I haven't done anything at all, except mulll over buying myself some alpaca wool.  However, I'm so busy at the moment, I don't think I have time to knit it up.....

Anyway, I've got some spends to declare.  One yellow T-shirt, because the one I have has faded to a washe out dirty cream colour and is shapeless to boot, and three more bras, because the ones I have have decided that they are going to reach the end of their life at the same time.  I've got a little time yet before they hit the bin, so I'm trying to build up a little stock-pile, to cushion the eventual blow to my purse!  I made that a total of 9 and a half coupons.