2024 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

MrsCD

Thank you for all the info. That article is mind blowing! 
Yes, Laura, my father in law was a stickler for hand washing. He was a medic (St John's trained) at the pit and he always said that there would be far fewer poorly people if they washed their hands more!

Laura_Elsewhere

Oh, of course, @Sarahspangles - healthy open windows, yes! All those Chalet School books where they have the windows fixed open most of the year in the dorms  

Well, maybe adding some sensible healthy precautions from 1942 will help us all continue to enjoy our 1942 clothing-rations in rude health!  

I was given a cardigan a few years ago by an acquaintance who had knitted it but "once I'd finished it, I just didn't like how it looked, on" so (very kindly) gave it to me after I admired the colour... @PipneyJane helpfully sent me the pattern, and I have finally got round to Doing Something About It. 
I put it on, just to make sure I was doing the right thing by unknitting bits, and Mr E pointed out that not only did the two sleeves look wrong, they were also different lengths, AND different widths, AND different at each shoulder... 
Having unravelled them right back, I have discovered that the original knitter picked up every single stitch at the shoulder where the pattern says to pick up every second stitch- no wonder the sleeveheads were so oddly full and no wonder the sleeves felt so incredibly heavy! 
I currently have a sleeveless cardigan with 23 live stitches held at the underarm, each side, and two enormous balls of wool, each weighing over 100g...! Given that most of my cardigans weigh about 300g altogether, I am expecting to have some wool leftover  
The waist ribbing is very very loose but as it was knitted bottom-up I really can't face trying to undo all of it just now! Sometime in the future, if I lose more weight I may well do- it's a very lovely eau-de-Nîl colour, and I love the body design, so... 

Sarahspangles

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I have discovered that the original knitter picked up every single stitch at the shoulder where the pattern says to pick up every second stitch- no wonder the sleeveheads were so oddly full and no wonder the sleeves felt so incredibly heavy! 
I currently have a sleeveless cardigan with 23 live stitches held at the underarm, each side, and two enormous balls of wool, each weighing over 100g...! Given that most of my cardigans weigh about 300g altogether, I am expecting to have some wool leftover  
The waist ribbing is very very loose but as it was knitted bottom-up I really can't face trying to undo all of it just now! Sometime in the future, if I lose more weight I may well do- it's a very lovely eau-de-Nîl colour, and I love the body design, so... 

This made me laugh so much! I’m sure the original knitter would laugh now (though maybe not at the time).

I’ve got a vague memory of running elastic through the back of stitches on a baggy school cardigan. Probably at the wrist, I hate flappy sleeves. ETA: I definitely remember doing it for those patterned cotton knee socks we all wore at school.

Laura_Elsewhere

@Sarahspangles - it was ever so kind of her to give me the cardigan! But I am having to fight the urge to unknit the entire thing to re-knit it! 
But no, I shall restrain myself and just knit the sleeves acc'g to the pattern (probably making them a little shorter since I only ever wear long sleeves right down in midwinter, and this colour is distinctly not midwinter-y!)

And I have certainly knitted some wonky things in my time... and sewn more! 

Cherryfudge

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I am having to fight the urge to unknit the entire thing to re-knit it! 

Do you have time and energy to reknit it? If you do, just be brutal and rip it out. You won't be happy with that waistline otherwise, and will never wear it, and how sad would that be?

We will bring fortifying cuppas and cheer you on.

Laura_Elsewhere

Cherryfudge said:

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I am having to fight the urge to unknit the entire thing to re-knit it! 

Do you have time and energy to reknit it? If you do, just be brutal and rip it out. You won't be happy with that waistline otherwise, and will never wear it, and how sad would that be?

We will bring fortifying cuppas and cheer you on.

tbh, I don't just now... I can only knit for short periods as yet (making progress well though ) so doing the entire thing would be a huge job. At present the waist fits, it's just less snug than I like, but it looks fine. 

Cherryfudge

Laura_Elsewhere said:

Cherryfudge said:

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I am having to fight the urge to unknit the entire thing to re-knit it! 

Do you have time and energy to reknit it? If you do, just be brutal and rip it out. You won't be happy with that waistline otherwise, and will never wear it, and how sad would that be?

We will bring fortifying cuppas and cheer you on.

tbh, I don't just now... I can only knit for short periods as yet (making progress well though ) so doing the entire thing would be a huge job. At present the waist fits, it's just less snug than I like, but it looks fine. 

So the main part is okay, the sleeves can be done - perhaps the waist could be modified later, even if it's a bit complicated?

PipneyJane

@Laura_Elsewhere, when you get to the point where you can’t stand the waistband any longer, may I suggest running a lifeline into the row of stitches above it and then snipping a stitch on the next row down and unravelling from there?  You can then knit downwards from the stitches you secured with the lifeline, lengthen the jumper if you wish, and correct the waistband.

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

Cherryfudge said:

Laura_Elsewhere said:

Cherryfudge said:

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I am having to fight the urge to unknit the entire thing to re-knit it! 

Do you have time and energy to reknit it? If you do, just be brutal and rip it out. You won't be happy with that waistline otherwise, and will never wear it, and how sad would that be?

We will bring fortifying cuppas and cheer you on.

tbh, I don't just now... I can only knit for short periods as yet (making progress well though ) so doing the entire thing would be a huge job. At present the waist fits, it's just less snug than I like, but it looks fine. 

So the main part is okay, the sleeves can be done - perhaps the waist could be modified later, even if it's a bit complicated?

Ummm.... "The waist ribbing is very very loose but as it was knitted bottom-up I really can't face trying to undo all of it just now! Sometime in the future, if I lose more weight I may well do- it's a very lovely eau-de-Nîl colour, and I love the body design, so... "

So yes, that is the plan  

Laura_Elsewhere

PipneyJane said:

@Laura_Elsewhere, when you get to the point where you can’t stand the waistband any longer, may I suggest running a lifeline into the row of stitches above it and then snipping a stitch on the next row down and unravelling from there?  You can then knit downwards from the stitches you secured with the lifeline, lengthen the jumper if you wish, and correct the waistband.

- Pip

And yep, that is indeed the plan!   But not just at present...