2021 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

CraftyLittleLisa

Sorry for the numerous posts but I have had a lot of reading to catch up on here and I didn't want to miss anyone's responses to me.  Well done with all your recently completed garments.  I really need to up my game on the clothing front.  I really don't have enough warm (not jumpers) long sleeve tops or trousers other than jeans.  I don't like ordering clothes online as most trousers don't fit me properly round the bum and waist and the fabrics I have in my stash really won't work as trousers.  I will be visiting some charity shops when they can eventually open (and I can comfortably look around them) to see what I can find.  In the meantime I may attempt to make a long sleeved dress or two to shake things up a little.

I have had a sort through my odds and sods box and have found enough of some left over fabric to make a short sleeved t-shirt for summer.  I have cut it out and will get going on that over the next few days.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

diminua

I have a spend to declare. One pair of trousers (well, culottes for your average person, trouser length on me. Long enough on me to get them horribly muddy, in fact, while walking over Wimbledon Common and along the Beverley Brook last Saturday. The ground is so saturated now that the water just sits in huge muddy puddles on top. And it's still raining!). 
I had 32 coupons left from last year, so would have started the year with 98, of which I've spent six. Which leaves me with another 92. Riches!  
We have hard water here too but because I grew up with it I'm used to the taste and tea made in soft water areas tastes strange to me.  

TwibbleDee

My brain starts pondering funky things when it's not functioning properly.

• Why does underwear come in pairs?  Glasses?  Pliers?  Scissors?
• Why on earth am I missing the files for the report from the 2020 meeting? (Because we reported on 2019 at the 2020 meeting, so I was looking for the wrong year.)
• Do woodchucks actually chuck wood?  What does that mean, anyway?

Liverpool_Anne

TwibbleDee said:

My brain starts pondering funky things when it's not functioning properly.

• Why does underwear come in pairs?  Glasses?  Pliers?  Scissors?
• Why on earth am I missing the files for the report from the 2020 meeting? (Because we reported on 2019 at the 2020 meeting, so I was looking for the wrong year.)
• Do woodchucks actually chuck wood?  What does that mean, anyway?

According to the online dictionary woodchuck is a derivative of the Algonquan language word. I expect there are lots of words like that for the names of animals and plants that were new to people as they started moving through new, to them, places. I often wonder about the origins of words. English is such a mix of languages with roots in old english, Greek, Roman, Viking, celtic as well as words brought back from other places such as pyjamas that comes from India etc. As for spelling, well after trying to teach children with special needs how to write for over 25 years I admit I sometimes resort to "I know it doesn't make sense, sorry you will just have to trust me on this". I know why they're spelt like that but it is much too difficult to explain to a child with SEN. I often ponder on why and who decided that that particular colour is called red, for example. I can lose myself for hours in a good dictionary tracking down the origins of words and now I am off to hunt down why things are in pairs  

CAFCGirl

HAHA @PipneyJane I shall simple tap the side of nose, look sideways and mutter 't'was Secret Squirrel stuff'.....
I'm in awe of how many of you have ramped up your crafty efforts with knits galore and sewing.
So my spend to report is 10 coupons OH MY, on 5 pairs of knickers which were much needed.... elastic gone and threads galore hanging off LOL

DrCarrie

I am approaching a nil ration Januaury. I have however, finished sweing a blue velvet coat that has been quite a challenge!
I have now included clothes and sewing in my budget, but have a load of fabric to sew up into lovely things. 

PipneyJane

Just quickly, before I get mired in work, I have a spend to declare.  I am currently knitting "When You are Off Duty", a wartime pattern that claims to only use 4oz of 3-ply knitting yarn.  When I started, I had 4x50g of black, Regia 3-faedig (3-ply) sock yarn.  I'm knitting in the round and, after 9 inches have just started the third ball.  The welt is 3 inches deep and I reckon that I have another 3-4 inches to go before I can divide for the armholes.  The second ball lasted just over 5 inches.  I've started to seriously panic that I will run out of yarn, so caved in yesterday and tried to find some more.  I can knit a pair of socks from one 50g ball, so I may be able to get the sleeves out of that plus the upper back, but doubt I can get them and the upper front and collar.

This yarn is discontinued and the people I contacted on Ravelry weren't interested in selling.  eBay wasn't helpful.  Eventually, I decided that I could buy the 4-ply version and it wouldn't be too different.  (I've done the reverse with socks, knitting the legs in a patterned 4-ply and the feet in a grey version of this yarn.  It is thinner but only I notice.)  I've ordered two 50g balls.  If I don't need them for the jumper, they'll eventually become socks.

2 coupons spent.  65 remain.

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

@TwibbleDee, "underwear" only always comes in pairs if you're American  

Over here it's the general term for all the things you wear next to your skin, including vests (undervests? undershirts?), knickers or pants (underpants), even in some cases including socks, tights, thermal tops, etc. 

But if you mean knickers, then the reason it's "a pair of knickers" or "a pair of pants" - for that matter "a pair of trousers" - is that in mediaeval times they were separate legs, not joined at all. Men had a linen shirt down to at least knee-level, and reached through between their legs and grabbed the middle of the back hem and pulled it forward (which was more common for underpants than you'd think, into the 290th century - there were also men's underpants, named braies, in the mediaeval period, but the shirt was still pulled forward anyway), and then pulled on their hose, one for each leg, tied onto their upper-body garment. There were oodles of names for those, but the habit of referring to them as a pair of whatevers continued even after hey had become completely joined together and centuries had gone by. 

So when those irritating fashion types refer to "a trouser being worn long this season" or "a tapered trouser" they are really making very little sense! 

Liverpool_Anne

I vaguely knew that Laura, but I knew you would have the definitive answer, thank you

Laura_Elsewhere

I googled for a pic and found this cheery Viking chap, demonstrating why it's "a pair of" leg-coverings!