2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

CapricornLass

I like the pattern, Laura.  And congratulation on losing the weight.  And the best of luck with the really hard bit  - keeping it off!!

Cherryfudge

Looking really good Laura! You and the knitting.

Sarahspangles

PipneyJane said:

You don't have to wait until the New Year to join the challenge.  If you can't remember/don't want to figure out what you've purchased since the start of the year, you're welcome to prorate your year's worth of coupons.  If you officially start on 1st May, you would have 44 coupons for the rest of the year.

I've had a good sort out now, and find there's space for everything in my wardrobe and chest of drawers.

Coupons to date this year:
Sports shoes, January sale: 5 
Swimsuit: 3
Balance: 58

I've also bought three pairs of shoelaces. Although these are coupon free, I messed up with one pair. I wanted some nice flat cotton laces in a pale blue for some canvas trainers with a William Morris print. The only ones I could find were on Amazon, £7.99 was steep enough to start with but I missed that £9.99 was being added for postage from France.... I could have bought a sachet of hand dye for less than £4.

To keep the universe in balance I've unravelled and washed nearly 200g of lovely 2ply Leicester yarn to rework into accessories before Winter.

Before I splurge any coupons I need to work out what the real gaps are, which is a lot easier now everything is hanging up!

Laura_Elsewhere

Cherryfudge said:

Looking really good Laura! You and the knitting.

Thanks, Cherry! It's a pic from last year, but I hope to look halfway-decent this year too  

Laura_Elsewhere

Sarahspangles said: I wanted some nice flat cotton laces in a pale blue for some canvas trainers with a William Morris print. The only ones I could find were on Amazon, £7.99 was steep enough to start with but I missed that £9.99 was being added for postage from France.... I could have bought a sachet of hand dye for less than £4.

I've done that before too! Some hair-clips came from the USA, taking six weeks to arrive...! 

I want to know more about these Morris shoes- I love colourful well-made plimsoles...

PipneyJane

That slipover looks lovely on you, @Laura_Elsewhere.  Please share a photo of the yarns that you’ve selected for the new colourway.

Sarahspangles said:

PipneyJane said:

You don't have to wait until the New Year to join the challenge.  If you can't remember/don't want to figure out what you've purchased since the start of the year, you're welcome to prorate your year's worth of coupons.  If you officially start on 1st May, you would have 44 coupons for the rest of the year.

I've had a good sort out now, and find there's space for everything in my wardrobe and chest of drawers.

Coupons to date this year:
Sports shoes, January sale: 5 
Swimsuit: 3
Balance: 58

I've also bought three pairs of shoelaces. Although these are coupon free, I messed up with one pair. I wanted some nice flat cotton laces in a pale blue for some canvas trainers with a William Morris print. The only ones I could find were on Amazon, £7.99 was steep enough to start with but I missed that £9.99 was being added for postage from France.... I could have bought a sachet of hand dye for less than £4.

To keep the universe in balance I've unravelled and washed nearly 200g of lovely 2ply Leicester yarn to rework into accessories before Winter.

Before I splurge any coupons I need to work out what the real gaps are, which is a lot easier now everything is hanging up!

@Sarahspangles it’s a pity about the postage, but I’m sure they’ll look great on your trainers. 

Is the yarn Blue Faced Leicester or Border Leicester?  I’ve knitted with both.  BFL is soft as silk, while Border Leicester is more corse but does soften when washed a few times.   I’ve made jumpers in both and the BFL wins every time for softness and warmth.

- Pip

Sarahspangles

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I want to know more about these Morris shoes- I love colourful well-made plimsoles...

They’re at least a couple of years old, they were from Next. This print, in blue. They came with fussy overlong white laces that frayed! https://www.mistersmith.co.uk/product/pink-rose-fabric/

I’ve got so much patterned stuff in my wardrobe….

Sarahspangles

PipneyJane said:

Is the yarn Blue Faced Leicester or Border Leicester?  I’ve knitted with both.  BFL is soft as silk, while Border Leicester is more corse but does soften when washed a few times.   I’ve made jumpers in both and the BFL wins every time for softness and warmth.

It’s lovely BFL, in berry colours, I made a swirling cable cowl with it and there was enough left over to add cuffs to some purchased gloves, by unravelling those a little and knitting into the loops with my smallest needles. But the cowl pattern wasn’t a good choice for the yarn, and I got bored of wearing it.

I don’t think I’ve ever used Border Leicester. When I started to knit I assumed that the local mills used wool from local sheep, but apparently not, which is a shame as I live in the ‘Heavy Woollens’.

PipneyJane

As you know, I’m a big fan of capsule wardrobes.  Not sure if I’ve shared this before, but here’s a link to an article/booklet re creating a capsule wardrobe in 2 hours.  I’ve downloaded it as a PDF, but not read it in full yet.

One lesson that I learned early on is that you don’t need to have just one Capsule Wardrobe.  The best wardrobes consist of multiple Capsules, ideally ones that garments can swap between.  

I’m not sure if all of this isn’t influenced by necessity, having travelled half way around the world to “go walkabout”, I spent a very long time where my only clothes were those that had fitted into the two suitcases I brought with me.  As well as regular clothes - jeans, jumpers, t-shirts, shoes, PJ’s- those two suitcases also contained a down sleeping bag, a coat, my guidebooks, some novels, a portable typewriter, a needlepoint in its frame - still not finished - and an evening dress accompanied by a pair of stiletto heels!  I couldn’t afford to buy new clothes, even if I’d wanted some, because the price of a suit was more than a week’s wages when i was nursing.  (There must have been a suit in my case, for job hunting, but I have no recollection what it looked like.)

- Pip

Gem-gem

@Laura_Elsewhere, I love your tank top. Can I order one in my size please 😀. Also, good luck with the weight loss. I'm in a similar position to you. I have also upped my exercise but have yet to start the diet (shhhh!!! Don't tell anyone!)