2023 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

I've finished my Shetland shawl, hurrah. I haven't weighed it yet, but it was less than five balls of Shetland laceweight, so less than 125g or about 4oz- wool I've had hanging around for aeons, so I'm pleased to have used it up, and look forward to this being my 'coat' for much of this winter for wet and cold weather. 

It's about 86" across and 37" down the central spine. 

EDIT: it's 146g, or just over 5oz

Auti

@Laura_Elsewhere - that is beautiful.

flamingo747

Wow, gorgeous Laura!

Very interesting info on what was worn

skogar

Lovely shawl Laura.

Cherryfudge

Exquisite, Laura!  

PipneyJane

Beautiful shawl @Laura_Elsewhere.

But otoh to be fair, I think she probably has got it right re jumpers because a woman's jumper at the time was very often a short-sleeved, fitted, fine-knit jumper intended to be worn beneath a jacket. Normal clothing outside summer for an adult was very often a skirt and jacket suit worn over a thin jumper, with or without a matching cardigan (the famous twin-set). Rural women wore it, urban women wore it, working women wore it, housewives wore it... there were dresses, but they were much more a summer garment. 

In which case, her calculation re the cost of wool makes it £15 per 2oz/50g ball of 4-ply for an average jumper.  Pricey but not impossible and you would seriously appreciate the garment if someone made it for you.

- Pip

Baileys_Babe

Laura your shawl is beautiful.

PollyWollyDoodle

Beautiful shawl, Laura.  I've got a lace shawl in my UFO pile that I really need to finish.

The other thing about wartime was that it was quite usual to unpick a wool jumper, wash the wool and knit it up into something else, probably children's jumpers or something smaller than the original. People would buy from jumble sales or perhaps re-use something damaged or worn.  

Auti

PollyWollyDoodle - I remember buying old knitted jumpers from charity shops in 80’s so I could make clothes for me and my babies/toddlers (money was very very tight) and having to patiently unravel the yarn (would be mixed fibres) and re knit it into cardies and jumpers, leftovers would go into snuggle blankets. 

Yarn is so expensive now (still tight money) compared to cheap clothes that I still look for items to unpick to make things for me and child but few and far between

Cherryfudge

I had the impression from my Mum, who was a teen during the war, the fair isle was popular as it added some colour and interest to knitwear and used scraps of coloured yarn salvaged elsewhere. Similarly, embroidery cheered things up and gave them a new lease of life.

I think the equivalent now might be visible mending.