2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Laura_Elsewhere

@weenancyinAmerica - I hope you do get the help- that does sound overwhelming indeed...

So far so good here- Mr E has sorted out a whole car-full to take to the tip shortly for recycling- so much stuff that we just don't need to keep. For example, the clothing cut off his son by medics after the car hit him, which needed to be kept for the courtcase (ie yes he was wearing a grey coat but it was mid-grey and would ahve shown up in headlights, not near-black as the defence argued, that kind of thing). We really don't need to keep that bundle of cut rags, esp as it was never cleaned and, well, you can imagine. But also, just a huge amopunt of Stuff... 
I'm sitting next to about eighteen external hard-drives which were already obsolete before Mr E's tech business was shut down 25 years ago... I think at the time it was too emotionally painful to make decisions, and since then it's just not been a priority... 

Lots of stuff going... 

And fish-and-chips tonight... 

PipneyJane

alicef said:

@PipneyJane the yarn purchases (ahem).   I blame Susan Crawford's recent releases from the Stitch in Time vol. 3 colourwork; I've added to my Jamieson's & Smith stash. as one day I will definitely, absolutely knit 'Bobby'.  

I can totally appreciate the temptation, @alicef.  “Bobby” is lovely.  Can’t wait until the book is finally released.  I preordered it (as I did A Stitch In Time Volume 2, back in the day).   I’ve knitted several things - and queued dozens more - from both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Moving on swiftly - the reading challenge is 'Marvellous Makers'.  Our librarian will, hopefully, set out a framework!

Fingers crossed.

@MrsCD that cardigan looks lovely.  Beautifully crocheted. 

In my own crafting news. I’ve counted the stitches on my swatch for my next project, reswatched on larger needles - getting the same stitch count! - and have concluded that I’ll never make the gauge specified in the pattern. After doing some maths, I’ve decided to go with the larger needle size (5.5mm) and stick with the 44 inch/110cm size that I’d originally planned to knit. Unless my stitches relax a bit, it’ll come in smaller at 42 inches, but I’m well aware that the next size up will swim on me.  I have to resolve this today, because we’re off on manoeuvres tomorrow and I’d like to take it with me to knit in the evenings.  I’ll knit on my sock, when travelling.  (Going to spy out the beaches for our liberation of France.)

- Pip

MrsCD

Thank you for the kind words about my cardigan. I made it slightly on the larger side so I could wrap it around me iyswim! I wanted a snuggly cardi that I could also wear in winter with a thicker top underneath. 

MrsCD

Just looked at your new project, @PipneyJane. It looks gorgeous, but a bit complicated for me! It'll keep you warm when the coal man can't get around in the snow!

Nelliegrace

I enjoyed the church summer fair yesterday. The rain held off, and various groups provided entertainment, with music, dancing, and some active youngsters doing a P. E. class. 
I like the handicraft stalls and bought a lined bag made out of remnants, and a baby cardigan, to add to my collection. I wasn’t asked for any clothing coupons. Friends’ grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren, seem to arrive faster than I can knit for them. I like the handmade wooden buttons, a very good idea for make do and mend, like wooden toggles. 
I was very pleased to find some bead necklaces in glass and agate. Granny would have called them Woolworths beads, but they are pretty and brighten up a plain outfit.
Some women had donated their skills and youthful treasures to a good cause, so I enjoyed haggling the price up to show my appreciation, and do my bit. It is fun. 
I bought a few books too, at the Fair and the fund raising shop, including Fashion in the 1940s by Jayne Shrimpton. 

Laura_Elsewhere

Oooh, what a fab haul, @Nelliegrace! 

Hmmm, that gives me an idea... I shall think a bit...

Laura_Elsewhere

Would anyone be interested in some kind of village fête?

I haven't thought it all out, but I was reading Nelligrace's post about her church summer fair, and it made me wonder if we could organise something similarish?

I think we could manage a couple of competitions- maybe a fancy-dress competition, not for us ourselves but perhaps for a banana? Best costume for a banana?! Or a potato, maybe, given the scarcity of bananananas in wartime? 

Those of us who make things could perhaps make something, and then we can sort of raffle it (are we allowed to, in MSE forums?)- whoever makes the highest donation to our chosen charity gets that item posted to them (I think they'll have to pay postage too).  

If we did it at the beginning of December, then it could be all lovely and Christmassy...

What do you think? And we could all try to find a time to be online at the same time to have a nice cup of tea together! 

Would anyone be interested in a Christmas Fair, here in Little Mending on the Borrow?

PollyWollyDoodle

Can’t quite get my head round how it would work, but yes, I’m definitely interested!  Great idea. 

Watty1

Dropped back in after so long away and find you discussing a Christmas Fayre. How lovely.

Cherryfudge

I have had a busy few days/weeks (not sure when it began or how close it is to ending) and here you are discussing Christmas! More time has passed than I thought.

I think I need it all explained please, in nice easy words... and with a cup of something to keep the brain going.

By the way, was it here that someone mentioned O Douglas? I've now read two of her books on a very cheap Kindle compendium and they are such a good way to wind down. One of them seriously lacked plot but made up for it in charm, the other worked better for me and both gave me time in the beautiful Scottish Borders, so thank you to whoever mentioned them. It's also time in those inter-war years: Penny Plain is set immediately after the first World War, just at the point my Dad was born, and what a different world it was from today - and yet they are adjusting to a very different world from the pre-war years.