Let Thrift shopping thrive in 25!

goldfinches

@C_J - alas, alack, due to the weather I did not make it to Orinoco so it is on my list for the coming week. I also didn't get to the Giving Garage either and got drenched at my allotment but more on that elsewhere.

@DigForVictory - I haven't managed to find the mackerel comment yet but am still looking hopefully. 

Anyway, great news about the earrings. I took them back to the Sobell House shop where I showed them to the lovely volunteer at the counter and he said "I know what to do, give them to me and wait here" so I did and lo and behold he came back with them absolutely spotless. When I exclaimed in admiration he said that what he did was to go over the permanent marker with a whiteboard marker and then to wipe the whole lot off with a dry clean cloth and that this trick worked on any permanent marker anywhere! I'm so impressed I'm thinking of writing a letter to Good Housekeeping about it!

C_J

@goldfinches If you do make to Orinoco, the DVD players were on a black stand to the left of the cashier's desk (as you face it).

Here's a pic of the giant wooden knitting needles and yarn that I bought this week. I realised it also came with a giant crochet hook. It's very quick and easy to knit the tartan fleece yarn (I have done a couple of rows) but I don't think I like it, and think I might prefer some giant fluffy yarn except I have a feeling that is really expensive. The kit came with a few balls of the tartan stuff, maybe it could be enough for a dog rug or blanket. Not sure.

Biro in photo for scale.

joedenise

Years ago my mum knitted me a dress using giant wooden needles and 8 strands of double knit - late 60s as I was probably about 16.  The needles were bigger than those!  It was a lovely dress and I loved wearing it - it was apricot colour.

Have to say I don't like the look of that tartan yarn either.

Potternerd

A very quiet week for me after recent excesses. Just a set of 4 BN in box M and S champagne flutes £3.

goldfinches

@C_J - thankyou for the extra info about Orinoco, I'll see if we can get there this week. I'm another one who doesn't like the appearance of the knitted tartan, are there any online patterns on Ravelry or YT that might be nicer?

C_J

Yes, you are all correct, the tartan stuff is not nice. I can see now why someone donated it to Oxfam!  However, knitting with the enormous needles is easy and fun so I will definitely investigate some different yarn. The problem is that the needles are only 16" long so it will either have to be something small (fluffy cushion cover?) or something which I knit in strips and sew together. Still, I think it will be an enjoyable experiment.

I must share this : a couple of weeks ago I accidentally knocked a picture off the wall when I was dusting too vigorously (this does not happen often, I assure you) and sadly the frame broke and was, despite my best efforts, beyond repair. I've been keeping an eye open, and a tape measure in my bag, for a similar style frame to turn up in a chazzer and yesterday I found the perfect one for just £2. I've just swapped the paintings around now, but hadn't really looked properly at the chazzer one, I was just preoccupied with the frame. It's an original watercolour, numbered 21/150, dated 1993. It's actually rather lovely and I looked the artist up online - she is still around, still painting, and her earlier works sell for anywhere from £500 to £2500!!!  I'm going to drop her an email and see if she could tell me a little more about the subject - it's clearly a ruined Welsh castle, so I might be able to locate it myself, but it would be nice to know more. It is lovely so I shall keep it (but now I need to find another frame )

weenancyinAmerica

@C_J - you might need to put the frame back on the original watercolour and think about selling it later! They always tell you on Antiques Roadshow to keep the original frame if possible. Sounds like a really good find.

C_J

I did wonder about that, weenancy. The original frame has a label on the back giving the name of the studio and the framer's address, so it's probably important to keep it with the painting.

Miró

Not much doing this last week-end, all the car boots were cancelled due to the weather!  On my way home this morning I popped into the YMCA chazza in Ripon and picked up a nice handbag.....by Jones the Bootmaker, a pinky blush colour, lovely thick but supple leather and has a detachable 'guitar strap' one side the same colour as the bag and the other in an assortment of colours. Doesn't look as if it has been used and was priced at £4.25. (The J the B bags are usually around the £100 mark so well pleased).  Goes nicely with a blush coloured denim* jacket I picked up on Vinted recently.


*I know us over 50's should not be wearing such things but hey ho!!!  Oh, and also ladies, according to a fashionista in the Daily Mail today, we should not be wearing lace either!!!!!



Bag looks much nicer in real life....honest!

MrsCatz

So no lacy dresses or undies!!!! in which case fashion journalists be prepared to be shocked as I wear my red lacy 50s dress with white trainers😂🥳. Knee length to boot, when I know it’s below the knee only.