2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Gem-gem

Thank you everyone for your comments / stories about old books. 

@Nelliegrace, I can see from the first link that you posted that a couple of Agatha Christie and an Enid Blyton were published. 
@CapricornLass, I have my Mum's copies of cloth bound Enid Blyton books from the 50's. Mum had a couple missing, so I tracked copies from the 50's down and purchased them.
@Sarahspangle, 50 million books burning how ghastly. Just to put it into perspective, there are over 13.5 million printed and electronic books in the British Library.

thriftwizard

Oooh Laura, I wish I could get up to Coventry too, that looks like a fabulous day out! But I'll be running my stall, making-do & mending down here in Dorset instead.

@Gem-gem you've just reminded me, I have a copy of Every Boy's Handbook from 1970 to take along tomorrow... if books weren't so heavy, that's all I'd want to sell! But then again, I probably wouldn't actually want to part with most of them...

PipneyJane

Ooh…. @thriftwizard hope you have a very profitable stall.   @Laura_Elsewhere I wish I could have gone to Coventry too, but I was singing in a concert last night.  If anyone gets the chance to see a performance of Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light - A Requiem, go!  And take loads of tissues.  It’s very moving.  (And very sing-able, unlike a lot of modern music.)

I have some confessions to make.  Back in June, I got new glasses.  Sadly, the sight in my right eye deteriorated further - the astigmatism got worse - so I had to have the right lens replaced in my regular glasses, my sun glasses and my “computer” glasses, which resulted in multiple, weekday trips to the optometrist, starting in August.  The car park I used meant walking through M&S.  Each time cutting through the shop, I walked past a wool-blend, black, boucle, Chanel-style jacket.  Every time I passed it, I’d find myself drawn to it.  Eventually, I tried it on.  

Two weeks ago, Mr Spencer caught me looking at it and reminded me that I had some unused gift vouchers that needed spending.  I told him that I had no clothing coupons left.  He dragged me into a storeroom, said “This one smells of perfume, so we’ll claim it’s ‘second hand’,” and sold it to me.  (It was the only one in my size.)




Hopefully, you can see the pocket details.

Ahem….

Sadly, that’s not my only overspend. Of course, you’ll remember the 75% wool, sock yarn that took me over my coupon count in the first place:



Four packets of this bought from L!dl because a) at £4.99 per packet, it’s incredible value for money, and b) I can knit a jumper in the solid colour.  Well, I started knitting a pair of socks for DH and I’m delighted to say that, for the first time ever, I am knitting self-patterning socks where the heel does not noticeably impact the pattern repeats.  (Sock knitted over 72st; heel worked for 36 rows before turning.)



Well, Friday-back-a-week, DH and I popped into not-our-usual-branch of L!dl, on our way home from a visit to iKEA.  Guess what I found?  The same Anika sock yarn, in a totally different colourway.  



Of course, I bought the only packet they had, which then sent me on treasure hunt through other local branches of L!dl.  Tuesday, on the way home from work, I found two more packets.  Mr Lidler kindly let me exchange my special stocking coupons for them. (I won’t be spending any of those this year.). He also thrust a packet of knickers at me, saying “These are your size and go on sale on Friday.  Take them!”.

< hangs head in shame >

I did try to resist but, truth be told, this is the colourway I’d have preferred to buy, when I bought the Anthracite at the start of October.  I was shocked to see it in store.  I had to try 4 other branches of L!dl to find the other two packets.  (Journeys combined with trips for rehearsals, petrol buying, etc.).   I even tried Bay-of-E, where I managed to buy a secondhand packet from a lovely lady, whose craft group had an unclaimed one (she was selling it on their behalf, to raise money for their local food bank).

- Pip

Nelliegrace

I have a date for my talk on handkerchiefs for the local WI. I said it would be a thank you for all of the cakes we have had at the meetings. A fair exchange.

The County WI does a day for members twice a year at the county showground. We are to have a demonstration of pork pie and sausage making, and Will Kirk, the skilled carpenter from The Repair Shop is the speaker for the afternoon. There will be a craft fair and the WI food market, ( a good place to stock up on new jam jar lids,) and various charities have a stall. We have been asked to donate toothpaste for the WI Resolution, Dental Health Matters.

I shall take my packed lunch and flask, and I leave a flask of coffee in the car to have before the drive home. 

Cherryfudge

@PipneyJane, surely if you had vouchers to spend, it would come from someone else's coupons, not yours? And it's a great jacket: ticks all the boxes for me.

As for the yarn, if you are knitting for someone else, perhaps they would use their coupons, or donate some to you for your jumper?

@Nelliegrace, I've just admired your new handkerchiefs elsewhere and I think I have a pillowcase with the design on the lower left box. And you are going to see Will Kirk? Lucky you! He seems such a nice person as well as super-skilled.

alicef

@PipneyJane I love the regular self stripe from the Lidl wool; I shop at Lidl but I've never seen the yarn bundles - they must be very popular.  

I do buy the OH's socks from Community Clothing, but I want to slowly replace them with handknitted. I'm knitting my first pair, (ever!), of socks as an intro to circulars & magic loop, (West Yorkshire Spinners sock yarn).

 

(Gorgeous jacket BTW!)

PipneyJane

@Nelliegrace hope you have a lovely afternoon at the Wi and that the talk goes well.

@alicef, those are beautiful socks.  That’s one of WYS Christmas colourways, isn’t it?

@Cherryfudge, sadly no.  Both the purchases at Mr Spencer’s and Mr Lidler’s were black market transactions.  From what I’ve read, not completely uncommon.  People did get the occasional thing from under the counter, or in a trade (e.g. for sugar or butter).  Where clothing was concerned, retailers would hold garments for select clients until the next tranche of coupons were released.  (Presumably, the client had paid cash for the goods, but not coupons.).

I am well over my coupon count.  (I was already overspent by 7 coupons and have added another 29.5 coupons-worth, I think.  11 for the jacket, 12 for the yarn and 6.5 for the knickers.)

- Pip

Nelliegrace

That knits up well @alicef. I bought a ball of it for DD last December to support the town market stall. Sadly the market and most of the town centre has closed down now. 
@PipneyJane I expect that you could “borrow” a few from your nearest and dearest. 
I have my eye on DH’s warm tweed jacket, He has outgrown it. 

alicef

@PipneyJane & @Nelliegrace - oh my word!  You both could give Ravelry a run for the money.  You are spot on - WYS 'Holly Berry'  - I'm sure my kntting class tutor gave us a range of options in their, (WYS), sock yarn - but (shhhh) it is approaching 'C' - so I'm sure I was influenced by my selection. The pattern is a free one from 'Winwickmum'.

basketcase

PipneyJane said:

I am well over my coupon count.  (I was already overspent by 7 coupons and have added another 29.5 coupons-worth, I think.  11 for the jacket, 12 for the yarn and 6.5 for the knickers.)

- Pip

 Hi Pip!

We can't have you going down the black market route.

Have some of my coupons.  I've oodles of them and won't be using any before the end of the year.