2023 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

skogar · 16 January 2023 at 10:01PM

Starting off the year with plans for my capsule wardrobe. I now have some good navy basics but could do with adding a few more things. I have made a list of what I am looking for and will try and stay on track. Trying to tie in some knitting projects to fill some of the accessories gaps. Wondering about a navy hat, mittens / wrist warmers (not enough confidence for gloves) and perhaps a scarf. The other thing I am tempted by is making some boot cuffs. I have some navy ankle boots but no navy socks and some boot cuffs would coordinate better I think and would be quick to make. I am not sure I have any navy wool (why?) apart from some I bought to do a jumper which I haven't dared start yet. Will have a look in my little stash but may need to order some.

Pip and Laura - do you have any suggestions for nice boot cuffs please?

PipneyJane · 17 January 2023 at 12:06AM

skogar said:

Starting off the year with plans for my capsule wardrobe. I now have some good navy basics but could do with adding a few more things. I have made a list of what I am looking for and will try and stay on track. Trying to tie in some knitting projects to fill some of the accessories gaps. Wondering about a navy hat, mittens / wrist warmers (not enough confidence for gloves) and perhaps a scarf. The other thing I am tempted by is making some boot cuffs. I have some navy ankle boots but no navy socks and some boot cuffs would coordinate better I think and would be quick to make. I am not sure I have any navy wool (why?) apart from some I bought to do a jumper which I haven't dared start yet. Will have a look in my little stash but may need to order some.

Pip and Laura - do you have any suggestions for nice boot cuffs please?

I’m really sorry, @skogar, but I’ve never made boot cuffs, so don’t have a “go to” pattern. I did do a quick search on Ravelry and it turned up 633 free patterns! Looking for a designer/source I’ve heard of before, I had a look at Lionbrand who have one which uses Aran weight yarn. It’s very pretty.

- Pip

ETA: Do you know what I was dreaming about last night? St Trinians! (What else, when the local spiv is Flash Harry?). Question for you all: shall that be the name of the local church, or do we concede it to the girls’ school up the hill in Much Mending On The Rise?

Liverpool_Anne · 17 January 2023 at 4:01AM

Hi all, I have made a purchase but I think it is coupon free as it is for the expected baby. Please correct me if I am wrong Pip. While in Mr T I noticed sale signs on the baby racks. There really was some lovely things but not much in the right size for next winter and not much suitable for summer, probably been snapped up, but I did find a sleep suit / baby grow thing, nice bright red with baby's first Christmas size 6-9 months. Perfect as the baby is due in June. Originally £10 but no sale price but all the other stuff was at least half price so I took a chance. It went through the till and scanned as 4p, what a bargain

@skogar, maybe you could do your accessories in a different but the same colour as you don't have any navy wool. Lots of colours go with navy and if you have some in your stash it would save you some coupons.

Take care everyone

Laura_Elsewhere · 17 January 2023 at 12:29PM

@PipneyJane, our village church here in Much Mending on the Borrow has always been St Trinians, I believe...

(genius, Pip, genius, yes...)

@skogar - I've made boot-toppers but all I did was knit tubes of k2p2 rib, about 8" long - ankle-warmers, basically, or short leg-warmers - which then just sit either in or over the top of boots, depending on the boot. Very stretchy, very forgiving, fairly easy...

Laura_Elsewhere · 17 January 2023 at 12:31PM

Liverpool_Anne said:

I did find a sleep suit / baby grow thing, nice bright red with baby's first Christmas size 6-9 months. Perfect as the baby is due in June. Originally £10 but no sale price but all the other stuff was at least half price so I took a chance. It went through the till and scanned as 4p, what a bargain

£10.00 reduced by £9.96 to 4p?!?!?

I think that may be the finest bargain EVER in this group! Well done!

Liverpool_Anne · 17 January 2023 at 1:09PM

I know Laura, I was ridiculously happy for hours

PollyWollyDoodle · 17 January 2023 at 2:04PM

That’s a brilliant bargain!

I hadn’t thought of ‘bootwarmers’ I like that idea, just closing that chilly gap.

I’m feeling very pleased with myself, I have a favourite pair of leather combat-type boots, unfortunately they were worn on an unscheduled walk through very wet mud and never recovered. I’d tried various polishes without success. I was on the point of throwing them out, but I found a coloured shoe cream (the boots are blue) and they’ve come up almost as good as new. I think it’s a slightly darker colour, but I can live with that – new boots would’ve been expensive and these are so comfortable.

I also did some mending for my friend’s daughter last weekend, it’s become a thing now, she saves all her mending jobs for when I visit!

Laura_Elsewhere · 17 January 2023 at 2:16PM

@PollyWollyDoodle - nice work on saving the boots!

I love my ankle-warmers - my mum loves hers and my dad has barely taken his off in 18 months, even all last summer, poor shivery bony old chap that he is! Dad's are 3-ply, k5p1 rib throughout, shaped and knee-high (I used his mother's Weldon's knitting-pattern for knee-high socks, which she used for all his school-socks, and I just left off the turnover and the foot), and Mum's are 'caterpillar' ones with stripes of plain fuschia-pink rib and Zauberball orange-purple purl, so they alternately bulge and snug and bulge and snug.
Mine are just 2/2 rib... and Mr E wears various socks or ankle-warmers of mine if he needs to depending on the weather...

No draughts round here!