2025 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

Diane1276

I've gone off the rails every time I've tried this previously, but I'm going to have another go!

Diane1276

laura_lau said:

Thank you for the welcome @PipneyJane I love pavlova, so will definitely have a bite with my tea this afternoon!

I am currently knitting a pair of mittens for my StepSon (whom I will call DS from now on, as it is basically what he is). He is 17 and recently got a small motorbike from his mum's family, and he asked me if I could make him a good and warm pair of fingerless mitts for when he rides it, I chose a yellow and purple combination (he requested purple) as they have a nice long rib on the wrist and then the hand is worked in 2 colours (very warm) in what I believe is similar to a honeycomb pattern, but not quite as big. I finished the first one yesterday, Just need to add some ribbing to the thumb opening, they were really quick to make! 

Those mittens sound fabulous!

MrsCD

Here's our garden... 4" of snow. Not quite as bad as the 40cm we might have had! 😁

PipneyJane

Diane1276 said:

I've gone off the rails every time I've tried this previously, but I'm going to have another go!

Welcome @Diane1276.   Don’t worry - I run the Challenge and I very rarely get through an entire year without blowing all my coupons.  Please take a seat by the fire and tell us all about yourself.  Cup of Tea?  How about a scone? 

Looks very cold @MrsCD.  No wonder you cancelled church.  The snow settled here (Middlesex), but didn’t last for long.  

@Nelliegrace - good luck finding the oranges.  Hope your marmalade making goes well.

@Laura_Elsewhere - I am in total awe of your sewing skills.

@maryb - so sorry to hear about the duffle coat.  Like you, I’d love a waist. Even with the weight loss from my cancer, I still have a spare tyre.  It doesn’t help that I’m also short waisted, with barely an inch between the top of my hips and my bottom rib.

- Pip

PurpleAndGreen

PipneyJane said:

Welcome @PurpleAndGreen and thank you for the scones.  The jam is lovely!  I’ll add you to the list of participants.

I feel your pain re too much stash and shrinking out of your clothes.  What are you knitting plans?  While my current project is from a 1940’s pattern, the next jumpers on my list are a classic cricket sweater and something to use up some Alpaca that has been in my stash for 20 years.  I also want to lengthen a jumper that I finished this year - I have the yarn, just panicked and made it shorter - and to change the collar on this jumper to a regular one, because the one I knitted is really annoying.



My other plans for this year are only to buy yarn if I need it to finish a garment - say if I’m a ball short - and, once I’m certain my weight has stabilised, to take in various pairs of trousers and skirts.   I’ll also make the clothing for which I have fabric.  (A skirt and trousers of Harris Tweed, and a suit from the wool coating I got at a fabric swap a few years ago.  However, I am loath to do either until I know I won’t gain weight.). 

  - Pip

Hello @PipneyJane

Thanks for the welcome, glad you like the scones and jam!

Firstly, I wanted to say that I was very glad to hear that you have been given the all-clear after your episode of lymphoma last year.  Hopefully this year will be better for you and your DH.

Too much stash - it's definitely a problem resulting in knowing what to tackle first!  My plans for this year are to use some of the 4-ply yarn to make some scarves/shawls.  Like you, I'm loathe to tackle anything that will have to be altered when I lose some more weight - it takes me a long time to knit something, so the idea of undoing it all is not going to happen.  I'm currently learning Tunisian crochet and, when I've mastered it, intend making a throw and a blanket.  

Your current project looks good, how are you doing with it?  I like the jumper pictured in your post, though I can see that the collar must be a bit annoying. 

I'm on a no-buy yarn this year, I have way too much to use up and, the speed at which I knit, it will take me some time to get through it all.

I'm going to be taking in/altering clothing as well as you, though I probably won't start until the summer with some light summer clothes, they're much easier to alter.

That turned into an essay, sorry!

PAG

Cherryfudge

Laura_Elsewhere said:

Can you picture the V&A jacket made in a light curtain material? I think it could look really good, worn with modern clothes, jeans or whatever!

The shape is fairly obscured by the opulence in the velvet and teddybear version!  

I can certainly imagine that, though bear in mind I have more imagination than experience, especially when it comes to clothes. There's a huge variation in curtains, of course, and not all fabrics or prints are equal. Judging by the results you got with the velvet and 'teddybear', it will probably be wonderful.

Diane1276

Cup of tea and a scone? Don't mind if I do!
I've brought my knitting...

This year I'm aiming to knit only from stash, and I'm aiming to downsize my wardrobe by working out exactly what I like best and getting rid of the rest.


I have already bought two tank tops and some bandanas before signing up but it was this year so I'm counting them! I make that 12 coupons, 5 each for the jumpers and 2 for the bandanas (using "handkerchiefs" as the nearest equivalent on the list).
I'm also waiting for some new winter boots to be delivered, so if I keep those that will be quite the dent in the coupons!

Right, next task is figuring out how to add the challenge detail to my signature!

maryb

Daughter now quite fancies the duffle coat so I've ordered it and if it does go round my amplitude I can still get one for myself.  I just panicked and cancelled the order to avoid all the faff of sending back and waiting for a refund.  Watch this space (bet you can't wait for the next instalment!)

laura_lau

wow this thread really moves fast! Love it.
@Diane1276 thank you, I’ve actually finished the mittens this afternoon, very pleased with them. Only downside, DS left early this morning, so I finished them just about too late…… OH said we will post them to him, so that cheered me up a bit. I will post a picture later, haven’t photographed them yet. I have quite a bit of yarn left, and I was wondering if it’s enough for a simple hat to go with them. I will weigh the leftover later.

i spent some time tidying up my list of WIP.s to finish and projects to be started (yes, I have a long list and almost everything already has yarn allocated from stash), and next I absolutely have to finish my aunt’s poncho. This is the pattern I am roughly following, but I have made a few modifications, mainly on the neck, she wanted a long turtle neck, and I have held the main yarn double for the main part of the body. I need to unravel a few rows now, though, as I’ve changed my mind about the bottom part.

laura_lau

Here are the mittens. hope the picture doesn’t come out super huge, I usually don’t post pictures so I am not sure of the result, apologies in advance.