2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

BabyStepper · 11 January 2019 at 7:22AM

I went shopping yesterday and bought 5 bras and 6 pairs of pants. So 19.5/66 coupons used this year so far. Badly needed, but I can't do this every month or I'll run out of coupons by April.

I researched a bit about clothes and fabric rationing, that's where I read about curtains, but I've decided not to count them for the purpose of this challenge.

Well done to everyone with all the creativity on here. It's inspiring.

vintagegal · 11 January 2019 at 10:07AM

Laura_Elsewhere wrote: »

Dead easy - promise!

Do a practice piece so you can experiment, but really, it is dead easy. Start with the decreases, as they're simplest. I promise you, you can do this!

Decreases: two sorts, one that produces a look of a diagonal with the top leaning to the left, and one a diagonal with the top leaning to the right. Structurally it doesn't matter but sometimes it's nice to have paired decreases looking symmetrical, ie at the back waist of a fitted cardigan.

Left-leaning: when you reach the two stitches you want to become only one stitch, put the tip of the right-hand (RH) needle into the first stitch as if you're going to purl it. Don't purl it, but just slide it onto the RH needle (it's called "slip purlwise"). Now knit the second of those two stitches as usual. Now you've got both stitches on the RH needle, the first one unknitted and the second one knitted. Use the tip of the LH needle to lift that first one, the slipped-purlwise one, up and over the second one, so you can drop it right off the RH needle, and now your two stitches have become only one, and there's a neat left-leaning diagonal.
Right-leaning: when you reach the two stitches you want to become only one stitch, put the RH needle in as if to knit, but put it in through the second stitch and the first stitch, together. Then knit the pair as if they are one (sometimes it takes a bit of fiddling and checking to make sure you haven't split the yarn or have put the needle through part of the stitch of the row below, but a bit of practice sorts that out). Now you have only one stitch on your RH needle and a neat diagonal leaning to the right.

Thank you for this! It didn't sound too bad when you explained it. When I've finished the scarves I have I could try a hat, I bought a kit last year that's waiting for me to be brave enough.

One pair of the trainers wasn't really floating my boat so they are being sent back today. I'm wearing the other ones though

Reading babysteppers post about how many coupons underwear can quickly add up to has made me glad no one sees mine - I want to save my coupons for shoes and dresses!

PipneyJane · 11 January 2019 at 3:07PM

vintagegal wrote: »

. Now just to learn how to increase/decrease stitches....:eek:

Laura's covered decreases, so I'll have a go at increases....

M1 aka "make 1". This is the least visible of increases, in my opinion. You can do it as a knit stitch or as a purl, but I'll explain it as a knit stitch so that you get the logic. (The purl is essentially the same.) It is worked between two stitches. Knit the first stitch. Now, with your right hand needle, pick up the bar of yarn between the two stitches. Twist it and slip it onto your left hand needle. Knit that "stitch", then continue to knit following the pattern. If you don't twist the bar of yarn you picked up, you will get a hole.

K1 through front and back This is the second most common increase and is a Ronseal instruction (it does exactly what it says on the tin). Knit the increase stitch as normal through the front but before slipping it off your left needle knit again through the back of the stitch, then slip it off your needle. The knit-through-back stitch that is formed will give a bump like a purl stitch.

Yarn Over Used in lace knitting. This will create a hole, which is normally compensated for with a decrease somewhere on the initial row. When knitting two stitches, knit the first one then bring your yarn to the front or wrap it round your needle and knit the second stitch. On the next row knit or purl this bar of yarn per the pattern instructions.

Finally, another decrease for you, similar to Laura's Slip1-Knit1-Pass-Slip-Stitch-Over (the left leaning one). This one is called SSK or Slip-Slip-Knit and is also left leaning. Slip your first stitch knitwise from your left needle to your right; slip the second stitch knitwise from your left needle to your right; then knit both of those stitches together. (Knitwise = as if to knit; purlwise = as if to purl.)

Incidentally, the left-leaning decrease Laura described is often abbreviated to S1 K1 PSSO, while the right learning one is K2tog.

HTH.

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere · 11 January 2019 at 3:50PM

BabyStepper wrote: »

I went shopping yesterday and bought 5 bras and 6 pairs of pants. So 19.5/66 coupons used this year so far. Badly needed, but I can't do this every month or I'll run out of coupons by April.

That's okay - you're doing this exactly right! you bought things which were "badly needed", and now you don't need to buy more undies for a while.

It's not that you never buy any more clothes - but you think about what you buy, and how many, and when and how and whether you really need them, etc.

Don't fret!

And after all, buying new undies is much more sensible than buying a new party frock - you can always borrow a party frock for a one-off, less easy to borrow a bra!

PipneyJane · 12 January 2019 at 10:23AM

BabyStepper wrote: »

I went shopping yesterday and bought 5 bras and 6 pairs of pants. So 19.5/66 coupons used this year so far. Badly needed, but I can't do this every month or I'll run out of coupons by April.

Can I echo what Laura said? Don’t fret. You needed the bras and the undies, and they will be worn regularly. If you end up spending 75 coupons - borrowing from next year’s coupons, as I did in December for my new suit - that isn’t an issue. The real purpose of the challenge is to help us to shop thoughtfully, to build wardrobes of clothes that actually work together and are usable for more than one season. For knitters, crocheters and seamstresses, it’s to encourage us to finish our existing projects, to make the necessary corrections on items that have annoying errors (or needed concentration so get put aside and not finished/fixed) and to use up our stashes of fabric and yarn.

Personally, I probably have enough yarn in my stash to declare SABLE (Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy). I have one jumper that needs the sleeves sewn on to finish it, another that needs the collar and cuffs finished off and a cardigan that needs snaps and shoulder pads sewn in. A weekend would finish them all; I just need to find momentum (the oldest, the cardigan, has been sitting there for at least 3 years!). Then there are the two garments that need fixing to make them wearable. I’ve already mentioned my Acer cardigan, having one front larger than the other; well I’ve found another, a cotton top that I finished in 2011 and don’t wear because the body is too short. I have at least one ball of the yarn left, so will separate the rib from the body and knit down to lengthen before attempting to graft the body back to the rib. (Worst case, frog the rib and re-knit it.). My goal is to have all the above fixed and finished by the end of February. Anyone want to join me with Fix-And-Finish-February?

- Pip (still with 42 coupons intact, but I will need to spend 10-12 on knickers.)

Laura_Elsewhere · 12 January 2019 at 1:18PM

I love the idea of Fix-and-Finish February - maybe followed by Mend-It March?!

I dread to think how far over my coupons I went last year - I noticed that spiv Mr Sainsbury's girlfriend has a new coat, very plush and fancy - and have you seen those earrings Mrs Asda was wearing? They're rolling in it, those spivs, thanks to my black-market spending once I'd run out of coupons...

PollyWollyDoodle · 12 January 2019 at 11:43PM

:rotfl: you always make me smile, Laura!

I love the idea of Fix-And-Finish February, by the way. I've done quite a bit of knitting but I'm not sure I'd ever have the courage to do what you're describing Pip, do you mean you're knitting in the opposite direction to before? Top to waistband as opposed to knitting from waistband up to shoulders? I'd never considered it as a possibility, does it look the same? Sorry, perhaps this is a question for the Knitting thread.

BabyStepper · 13 January 2019 at 8:16AM

Thanks for the support around my purchases, everyone! Good to know I'm on the right track. I'm appreciating the new undies like I wouldn't have before so definitely paying more attention. Also been looking through my wardrobe to see what's what, and what I might need for the year ahead.

My heavy winter coat looks good as new, I picked the bobbles off and also fixed the button holes. I have a shorter winter coat, a long lighter one for spring and I might need a light summer jacket so need to start a charity shop search for that. I had a quick look in a couple of charity shops yesterday and the pickings were not good. I forgot it's a long term project, trying to find what you need in charity shops. Once I've figured out what I'm looking for I might start making regular trips to catch all the best stuff when it comes in.

Then there's the things you can't get second hand. So the undies, and I'm also looking at shoes. My current winter boots are cheap rubbish that will only do this season if I'm lucky and might need resoled. My lighter shoes are useless for walking anywhere, too flimsy, and my trainers are old and have the sole falling off. I don't know where to start with all this so I'm leaving it for now.

I am in serious need of trousers, I have one decent pair and 2 that are only good for lounging around at home. I saw a pair in the sale, so lovely, heavy cotton with a wide blue ribbon stripe down the side. I'll have to see how the money goes this month.

I'm also thinking about taking up crotchet again. I used to be really good at it and it would be handy for things like wrist warmers, hats and scarves. Anyone on here know how to crotchet?

Laura_Elsewhere · 13 January 2019 at 1:25PM

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

:rotfl: you always make me smile, Laura!

I love the idea of Fix-And-Finish February, by the way. I've done quite a bit of knitting but I'm not sure I'd ever have the courage to do what you're describing Pip, do you mean you're knitting in the opposite direction to before? Top to waistband as opposed to knitting from waistband up to shoulders? I'd never considered it as a possibility, does it look the same? Sorry, perhaps this is a question for the Knitting thread.

Glad to bring a grin! A very wartime attitude, keep smiling through...!

I only ever knit my cardigans top-down, in the round... I cast on at the neck, increase either for a round yoke or squared, put some stitches onto waste yarn for the sleeves, cast on some to replace them and continue down on the body, cast off after the ribbing; pick up the sleeves and knit downwards. Then I wash it, and if it's Shetland or other hairy wool I just cut it straight away, but if it's smoother yarn, I sew a piece of ribbon up either side of the centre-front, and then cut. Fold the edges under and stitch the ribbon over, then crochet the button-bands and there we go.

Outside of a cardi

And the inside of the cardi with two colours of velvet ribbon to stabilise the buttonholes

Laura_Elsewhere · 13 January 2019 at 1:29PM

BabyStepper wrote: »

I might need a light summer jacket so need to start a charity shop search for that. I had a quick look in a couple of charity shops yesterday and the pickings were not good. I forgot it's a long term project, trying to find what you need in charity shops. Once I've figured out what I'm looking for I might start making regular trips to catch all the best stuff when it comes in.

You've answered your own question - you need to keep an eye on them... but also, they have limited space so at this time of year they are putting out cosy warm things, so someone will glance in as they shiver outside at the bus-stop and think, "oooh, that jumper looks lovely..."
Come the milder weather, Easter time or so, they'll be chucking all their lightweight things on display!

I can crochet, and do, but don't actually know what any of the stitches are called, so I doubt I'd be much use other than just general encouragement!

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2019 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

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