2022 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

florianatwobob

@CAFCGirl glad you’ve reclaimed or put in motion the reclamation of your online information and managed to deal with your anxiety and panic attacks. A sweat treat is well deserved. 

@OldWomanWhoLivesInAShoe I thought they looked familiar, I like a trawl of the Toft freebie patterns. 

skogar

Mrs O - What lovely gloves - very pretty. I have also found youtube videos very helpful for knitting. I have to repeat the bits I am working out how to do and stop them a lot. I learnt to knit flat and certainly didn't produce anything as fancy as Laura's sock as a first knit. I agree that circular knitting is easier in some ways - partly because you can knit stocking stitch without being able to purl as it happens automatically and it is easier to make something that has a shape. I think I would have found learning on double pointed needles very difficult - I am not a natural. I suspect though with Laura as a teacher I could maybe have done it. My preference would be to try for something that could be knit on a small circular needle as it's fewer new things to learn at once. The most difficult bit or circular knitting (whether on double pointed needles) or a circular is joining the ends to make the circle. So another way to try would be to practice casting on and the knit stitch on some straight needles and possibly learn a decrease (knit 2 together) so that you can decrease and then perhaps give either a circular needle or the dpns a try. With those skills if you got on with the dpns then you could knit wrist warmers or a hat. For the wrist warmers you wouldn't need to decrease. If you went for the circulars you could knit something like a head band, a snood or a cowl. I think the important thing is to find a method that you can knit something with and anything you do will help you learn things that will help you with the next thing you knit.

CAFC girl - sorry to hear about the hack. Sounds like you have been really efficient at trying to get it sorted out. Must have been a real shock.

Sounds like you have a great sewing maching Nannygladys.

PollyWollyDoodle

Just wanted to add my sympathies to @CAFCGirl - I’ve had my cards stolen and it’s absolutely horrible, leaves you feeling violated. I shop online a lot, and I’ve noticed how banks are tightening up lately, asking for verification codes and so on but there are some very cunning people out there.

Thank you for the pattern link Mrs O.

skogar

Laura - I don't like acid yellow either. I remember the dreadful time that acid green was "in" - horrid. I don't believe that you will every think you look good in a colour you loathe - you will just think YUCK! Aqua is an odd colour for me - I don't actively dislike it but can't imagine wearing it. Strange. I love the idea of your colour seasons - it sounds really nice.

Pip - Many thanks for the advice on charcoal. I think it would go and I do like the colour but I am thinking at the moment due to the things I would want to wear it with I might end up with things looking quite drab hence why I am dithering. Before I had to consider coupons I would probably have bought it. In the meantime I am playing with the items I have. Due to the discarding of things that have worn out (in some cases many years ago) I no longer have the things that I wore some of the things I have with (like the navy and green linen skirts so I am experimenting with the rather odd selection of tops I have currently to see what I can find that works together. Pity the poor people at work who are going to be subjected to these experiments. Hopefully it will give me some ideas. 

PipneyJane

CAFCGirl said:

Well I had a dither of a day with two of my accounts being hacked from an IP in Russia.

I feel violated!
Had a rather ugly full blown panic attack (which I've avoided by sticking to just basic old anxiety attacks which I've been able to manage) at the thought of how much information they'd get a hold of, the levels of access to me is online etc and all round just wanting to sign out of the digital arena and close the door to my little hidey hole under the bridge.... and then went and ordered another 9 items of clothing because post panic, I was feeling completely disassociated!

Luckily though, common sense and rationale eventually prevailed and I'd already taken all the measures to attempt to recover my accounts, 1 is back in my hands and the other is in some form of 'holding' whilst Bill at the Gates investigates whether I actually own my account or whether it belong to the Russians..... and then I managed to cancel the clothing order and am waiting on the refund to land in my Paypal, and the coupons are safe once again.

Then cancelled my bank card for good measure as that may have been saved on my account as seems to be the norm, so that'll stop me spending for a short time too LOL

I've been reading with interest all this sewing machine talk and sitting in awe and wonder at what you lovely lot are capable of.

To the biscuit tin to eat my feelings!

Oh @CAFCGirl !  I am so sorry that this has happened to you!

- Pip

PipneyJane

OldWomanWhoLivesInAShoe said:

PipneyJane said:

OldWomanWhoLivesInAShoe said:

PipneyJane said:

OldWomanWhoLivesInAShoe said:

I am having a particularly good day. A present arrived from my mother in the form of crochet work gloves, which will give my poor hands a break from freezing while I do most things. Also in the parcel was a bar of dairy milk, EACH!

Being gifted that's zero coupons and almost a kilo of chocolate without using our food ration. (We're the odd family going all in this year for hose who haven't met us yet!) 

So to end January my declaration is minimal. I've only bought one pair of tights for myself, 2 vests for hubby, 1 jumper for DD1(15), 1 cardigan and 1 pair of boots for DD3(5) and nothing at all for the other 3 children.

Those gloves are lovely @OldWomanWhoLivesInAShoe.  Very kind of your mum and what a lovely surprise!  (If your mum would be willing to share the name/source of the pattern, I'd be tempted to make a pair for myself.)

- Pip

I'll ask for you Pip but I'm not sure there was one. She is one of these awfully clever people who just knows how to do these things through some kind of witchcraft.

Makes me green with envy. 😒

Today I purchased a 'how to knit' And a 'how to crochet' book.(Lidl £2.99 each RRP £12.99 if anyone is interested) they actually look like they may be easy to follow. Myself having zero to no skill in these subjects will be the perfect test of them!!!

That would be very sweet of you.  If she just gives you a vague formula, I'll be happy with that.  It'll give me something to work with.

Re learning knitting and crochet from books, you may find it easier to use video tutorials from YouTube.  I'm a visual learner, so video makes more sense to me. 

- Pip

Mother said to let you know that the pattern is one from Toft 🙂 full message response below:

" https://www.toftuk.com/home.aspx

Many free patterns on here (many more not free) - but they are for two stick and one stick crafting, I cannot do two stick things. That's Witchcraft."

Thanks MrsO.  Please thank your mum for me, too.  I love her comment

I’ll have a browse.  I’ve bought several skeins of sock yarn from Toft over the years and am on their mailing list but their monthly email only ever seems to talk about soft toys.

- Pip

LegitTrying35

Hi all 👋

I would like to join in for 2022 please?

I basically had a new wardrobe last year and invested in pieces that should last me a long time. 

I really want to cut back and only buy what I NEED and no WANTS this year. I want to make the most of what I’ve got first. 

I’ve read through the previous years so I think I’ve got the challenge rules right. 

Here’s to less clothes spending in 2022!!

MrsCD

@CAFCGirl, how awful for that to happen to you! There are some 'really horrible'(insert your preferred description here) people out there. I can't imagine how you must feel. Have a nice cuppa and a sit down for a bit. I'm pleased you have managed your panic attack well though. Hope you get it all sorted out soon xx

CraftyLittleLisa

@CAFCGirl

What a horrible thing to happen?  I keep thinking I want to escape all digital things because of this risk but sadly we all need it now to manage "everything" it seems.  Glad you managed to get it sorted and recover from the shock.

I have just finished making myself a long sleeve shirt this weekend.  I have been spending too much time in jeans and t-shirts and I really need to kick that habit especially as I'm starting to go back into the office a couple of days a week.  We don't have to dress "office" dress but I would like to be smart casual.  The shirt I made using fabric in my stash so no points spent but it is one item down on my Make 9 challenge I have decided to have a go at.  

The next thing to do (I might start tonight) is to find some wool and a pattern in my supplies to make myself some fingerless gloves - I get so cold sat at the computer working when working from home and I really don't want to start to put the heating on more than I have to.  I also need to do some adjustments to some pyjamas so that I can wear them without getting too hot.

CapricornLass

CAFCgirl, I hope you are are feeling a bit more settled.  Chocolate is very good for the nerves and I've made some little chocolate crackle biscuits - just the thing to go with a cup of coffee or tea!  I'll stick the rest by the kettle for anyone else who wants one...

I'm in the middle of doing the yoke pattern on my jumper.  I spent all last night doing the first row of the next section of pattern repeats and putting in the markers to show where each repeat started- only to find that I got the very first one wrong.  So that is 360 stitches I will have to carefully unpick, and redo again.  (Sigh!)