2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Gem-gem

Super news @thriftwizard.  I am so pleased that Mr TW is home. My husband was fitted with a pacemaker over three years ago. Every now and then the hospital checks it through a machine that does in our bedroom. If they have any concerns they ring him and discuss the readings with him. 

@PipneyJane good luck with your next round of chemo next week.

No new spends to declare re: clothes. I have received a new cardigan from my Mum, it is now too big for her. It is in immaculate condition. 

I have been cracking on with my poncho that I started 20 months ago. Now on row 30 out of 41. I am assisting an extra four rows to compensate the extra lift caused by my bust. I have already counted the coupons for the wool back in 2022.

I am envious about all the knitted socks being made, I wish that I could make them too. Enjoying looking at your different designs. 

MrsCD

A few weeks ago I discovered an ancient WIP baby cardigan that I had started over 20 years ago! I must have given up on it because the pattern was too flouncy, so I gave it to my friend to do some with it.😅 She redesigned it and made it more wearable, then it was passed on to another of her friends who was collecting baby clothes for Ukraine. At least it eventually fulfilled its destiny! The yarn was still as good as new, but it was washed before it was handed over.
Hope all goes well @PipneyJane.

Baileys_Babe

@Laura_Elsewhere I prefer your choice of design for the baby clothes, I would happily wear the myself.

I detest the mint, lemon, pink and blue colours that baby clothes used to come in.

@PipneyJane I hope your next round of chemo goes well and you recover quickly 🤗

dND

Hugs to all having stressful times and wishing you as pleasant as possible hospital stay Pip.

Just about to graft the toe on the first sock.  Starting the second's fun will begin with trying to remember just how I cast on.  Not being a knitter I have always muddles through until I got the correct number of stitches so the actual look changes from cast-on to cast-on.  🤣 Time to decide on a method and stick to it I think. xx

PipneyJane

Thanks everyone for the good wishes.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

@Laura_Elsewhere, your choice of coloured stripes is much nicer for baby garments than plain white.

dND said:

…

Just about to graft the toe on the first sock.  Starting the second's fun will begin with trying to remember just how I cast on.  Not being a knitter I have always muddles through until I got the correct number of stitches so the actual look changes from cast-on to cast-on.  🤣 Time to decide on a method and stick to it I think. xx

@dND I usually use the ‘Cable Cast-On” unless a pattern specifies something else, e.g. long tail cast-on.  Any cast-on method is valid but, with socks, make sure that you keep it as loose as possible, so that they’re easy to slip over your heel.  (My friend, K, who usually uses the long tail cast-on for socks, does it over two needles, held tightly together.)

HTH

- Pip


PS:  FWIW, when I teach knitting, I usually teach the “knitted-on cast-on” which is created exactly as it sounds, so is the easiest to do.  Make a slip knot and put it on your needle, then knit into that and, rather than sliding the slip knot off the needle - as you would if you were knitting - slip that new loop onto the needle to form your next stitch.  Knit into that loop and slip the new loop onto the needle.  Repeat until you have enough stitches.  (Make sense?)

potplant

I do hope the hospital stay is as good as can be,  Pip.  (And I never even knew there was more than one way to cast on, the only one I know is the one you've just described!)

CapricornLass

I'd rather have lemon and mint baby clothes than white!  As soon as you know what sex the baby is, then you can knit in different colours.  I made jumpers in very dark red and darkish blue for my two boys when they were about six months old.

I've tried various methods of casting on, including one using your left thumb and a needle... (I always have to go and look up how to do it!)

Nelliegrace

I bought DH some new rubber garden shoes using his coupons. I wonder if it is possible to repair the split up the centre of the back of his old ones. Would the very old tyre repair kit work, or a patch applied with Araldite? DB is seriously allergic to the latter. 

Laura_Elsewhere

Nelliegrace said:

I bought DH some new rubber garden shoes using his coupons. I wonder if it is possible to repair the split up the centre of the back of his old ones. Would the very old tyre repair kit work, or a patch applied with Araldite? DB is seriously allergic to the latter. 

I’d try the puncture repair kit- it’s what it’s designed for, after all (and dries flexible which Araldite doesn’t) but it may not be possible to keep the split together unless you can find a way to glue it with a support going side to side. Just glueing the two bits together probably won’t work- maybe ask at a bike shop for an old inner tube to cut up to use as a kind of glued-on bandage?

Nelliegrace

I used a larger sized needle for casting on knitting, especially for the cuffs of baby cardigans, which new mothers could find difficult to get a tiny hand through.