2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

CAFCGirl

Well after much deliberation I have decided on a new loom knit project for myself....
It involves many squares but only 4 colours. None of which I have of course, so coupon spending is on the horizon when the money starts coming in again.
I may finally have to succumb to doing a test swatch though to make sure I know how many pegs and how many rows per square to achieve the desired size... what a bother!

PipneyJane

Did anyone catch the bit on BBC Breakfast this morning about yarn bombing? Apparently, knitting/crocheting "toppers" for Royal Mail Pillar Boxes is now a "big thing" and a journalist has created a book full of photographs of them.  (All proceeds to charity.)  The ones they showed were beautiful.  

(Note:  If you have to look on iPlayer, it was broadcast at about 7.50am.  BBC Breakfast is only available for 1 day on catch-up.)

Liverpool_Anne said:

@Laura_Elsewhere, thanks for the explanation re worsted weight / worsted spun. You are right, these transatlantic terminology changes can be very confusing. I sometimes struggle with American crotchet patterns and usually resort to u tube

@Liverpool_Anne.  You need a good list of crochet abbreviations, one that describes how many times you wrap the yarn around the hook and pull it through, with both British and American names.  Having crocheted since childhood, I never remember which stitch is which, so always resort to the abbreviations listed in this book from the Australian Wool Corporation.  Sadly, it's out of print. 

(Yes, that is my "Shlock".  Made for my MIL out of yarn that she bought me.  If I ever make them again, it'll be in pure wool and I will try to shrink it a little afterwards.)

CAFCGirl said:

Well after much deliberation I have decided on a new loom knit project for myself....
It involves many squares but only 4 colours. None of which I have of course, so coupon spending is on the horizon when the money starts coming in again.
I may finally have to succumb to doing a test swatch though to make sure I know how many pegs and how many rows per square to achieve the desired size... what a bother!

Good luck with the test swatch, @CAFCGirl.  You know it'll be worth it in the end.

- Pip

PipneyJane

wit40iwtwan said:

Question time... how many coupons would a wetsuit count as?  I have recently taken up stand up paddle-boarding and while I am adamant I do not need a wetsuit I may find after my first fall into a UK Lake that this is stupidity... 

PollyWollyDoodle said:

Hmm that’s a tricky one - ‘overalls, dungarees or like garment’? That’s six coupons

Yes, I think you're right, @PollyWollyDoodle .  6 coupons for a wetsuit, @wit40iwtwan.

- Pip

CAFCGirl

@PipneyJane
I didnt hear it but I do follow a group/page on FB that shares their works and in Thirsk market square (should anyone be in that area) I did notice some bollard toppers (Smaller than a post box obviously) and there is newsagent in Darlington that has one which changes regularly (currently it has a bee theme). Its such a joyful thing to do...

PipneyJane

CAFCGirl said:

@PipneyJane
I didnt hear it but I do follow a group/page on FB that shares their works and in Thirsk market square (should anyone be in that area) I did notice some bollard toppers (Smaller than a post box obviously) and there is newsagent in Darlington that has one which changes regularly (currently it has a bee theme). Its such a joyful thing to do...

Oohhh..... I'll have to message my old Project Director - he lives in Thirsk - and ask him what he thinks. Also, IIRC, Thirsk was the setting for the BBC TV series of "All Creatures Great And Small".

- Pip

CAFCGirl

PipneyJane said:

CAFCGirl said:

@PipneyJane
I didnt hear it but I do follow a group/page on FB that shares their works and in Thirsk market square (should anyone be in that area) I did notice some bollard toppers (Smaller than a post box obviously) and there is newsagent in Darlington that has one which changes regularly (currently it has a bee theme). Its such a joyful thing to do...

Oohhh..... I'll have to message my old Project Director - he lives in Thirsk - and ask him what he thinks. Also, IIRC, Thirsk was the setting for the BBC TV series of "All Creatures Great And Small".

- Pip

Driving past signs for World of James Herriot signposts tell me you're remembering correctly
I've only lived nearby for 4 weeks so I'm still finding things LOL

Laura_Elsewhere

I always feel dreadfully guilty about yarn-bombing. Because I knit and crochet, friends often send me links or post pics tagging me, and I never know what to say to them, because I always think yarn-bombing looks awful. I know it's meant to look cheerful and colourful but it only ever looks awful to me - and I can't help thinking of how all that labour and skill and yarn could have been used like they do in Canada, to make beautiful scarves and hats and shawls to leave on statues, trees and benches in cold weather, with a tag tied on saying to take it if you need it...  

Laura_Elsewhere

PipneyJane said:

 Having crocheted since childhood, I never remember which stitch is which, so always resort to the abbreviations listed in this book from the Australian Wool Corporation.  Sadly, it's out of print. 

Having taught myself to crochet in 2016, I never really grasped the names of stitches, and tend to call them big knots or long bars or short bars to myself - but luckily for me, about three-quarters of the world doesn't write down its crochet patterns, it does them as diagrams which make perfect sense - an elongated T is the one for the most common 'long-bar' stitch, and no need to look up whether it's double- or treble- or whatnot, because it has a short diagonal line across its middle showing how many times the yarn is wrapped round - one bar for the standard, two bars for the longer one, etc. Life is a lot easier when you crochet from these charts like they do in Japan, China, Korea, Russia, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, the Baltic states.... in fact, so far as I can see, everywhere that doesn't have English as a main language! 

CAFCGirl

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I always feel dreadfully guilty about yarn-bombing. Because I knit and crochet, friends often send me links or post pics tagging me, and I never know what to say to them, because I always think yarn-bombing looks awful. I know it's meant to look cheerful and colourful but it only ever looks awful to me - and I can't help thinking of how all that labour and skill and yarn could have been used like they do in Canada, to make beautiful scarves and hats and shawls to leave on statues, trees and benches in cold weather, with a tag tied on saying to take it if you need it...  

I do share that sentiment when it comes to simply yarning around say a tree... and its say a shawl type piece that's knotted or tied on with seemingly no purpose other than to cover something with something, but the decorative toppers and scenes do spark joy to me.

Cherryfudge

@CAFCGirl, both Thirsk and Bedale have some enthusiastic yarn bombers! I find the results fun to look at but I do tend to worry about acrylic going into landfill so I've not investigated joining in.

@PipneyJane, they were filming a cinema scene for All Creatures Great and Small the other night - DH wandered across it while getting fuel and was able to stay and watch for some time so he has photos of James and Helen outside The Ritz and the beautiful 1940s shop front that was created next door. Sadly dismantled now. One of my neighbours knew James Herriot and in non-Covid times works at The World of James Herriot: I've been here long enough to remember when he was still in Yellow Pages (practice number was next to my friend's practice) which delighted me as I've always been a fan. I can also remember him being admitted to our local hospital after an altercation with a patient! I never met him but did have a brief chat with his son at a book signing.