Tuesday, January 02, 2018

Hello There, 2018-Where's Your Sweater?

Like Shackleton, except I got home in better shape, and didn't lose all my booze on an ice floe.
You can see all the ducks and geese gathered at the only open spot of water in the ice for miles.
Twas cold, but I brought provisions.
I hope everyone had a nice New Year's. Ours was lovely, if a bit on the cold side. I had been complaining that most years, I never get to wear my heavy sweaters. Ooops. Do you know the expression, "From my mouth to god's ears?" That's okay, a good old fashioned freeze gives the kids something to talk about in old age.

This sweater is a Dale of Norway that was made for the Olympics at Lake Placid. It has a wind-blocking lining that works rather well, and was enough to wear without a coat in -10 degree cold with only an acrylic polo neck beneath. They're great sweaters, Expensive, yes-but durable, well made, and ultimately like buying a coat. The investment seems less dramatic if you think of it as outerwear. I own three, because my father was a compulsive sweater purchaser šŸ˜.
Danny is wearing another of my dad's purchases. Hand knit in Ireland, it was my reward for enduring a very choppy two hour boat excursion on a very cold March day that saw people barfing over the side of the boat as my dad sat reading a newspaper and eating a bag of popcorn like it was a pleasure cruise in the tropics. I'd be lying if I said pushing him overboard didn't cross my mind. After landing, I was so frozen he bought me the sweater in the first shop he could find. That was 25 years ago, and I haven't been on a boat since, nor do I plan to ever again. Anyway, the sweater fits Danny perfectly, so now it is his.
This sweater combination is another cashmere polo neck from my collection, and an acrylic cardigan from the 70's. Sometimes less bulky layers work just as well, particularly if I plan to wear a coat. The thistle brooch (and I don't know why they are inverted, but that's how the pinback was placed) came from one of the local thrift shops but for the life of me, I can't remember where. It was recent too.
 Yeah, that was really miserable. The following night was -19 but if felt worse as the wind was blowing.
My Geiger cardigans? No help, at all. Not even up to the task of keeping me warm, inside. At the rate we're going here, maybe I can wear them in summer.

I do have a cardigan I wear at home, and sometimes as a bed jacket, but it is so ugly, I won't show it to you! It is old, stretched out, grey and green and from Northern Reflections. That should tell you all you need to know. It even has twee little pewter buttons shaped like cabins. yeah, I know. I don't think I'm the target audience for Northern Reflections clothing, but that cardigan is such a guilty pleasure, I can't let it go. Like a well-worn pair of jeans that only become comfortable once they begin falling apart, I sincerely love that ratty old sweater. I still won't show it to you.

I expect you'll be seeing plenty of woolens here for a bit. My New Year's Eve Gold lame skirt and top were quickly replaced with unicorn leggings and the already described Northern Reflections sweater.

I hope your 2018 will be wonderful. And warm. But not too warm.













9 comments:

bahnwƤrterin said...

be careful with your wishes ;-)
good that you´r decket out with chunky sweaters! you can link up them at our modish matrons party "warm in knits" here: http://inthewriterscloset.blogspot.de
i made the experience that it is not so important what you wear on the outside - one only has to be sure to wear nothing cotton near the skin! i wear cotton things only between mai and september - the rest of the year woolen underwear or polyester (the knickers/bras).
stay warm over there!
xxxx

Vix said...

I don't envy you that weather one little bit. Maybe you should come over and stay in our house for a month while we're away.
Those Norwegian cardis fly off my rails when we have any in stock. I've been known to borrow them on particularly cold festival nights and, yep, they are wonderfully warm.
Danny's jumper looks great.
Kendal mint cake - my Dad swore by it. xxx

Mim said...

Seasickness is the worst. My husband's learned not to take boat trips with me after I spent a harbour trip one holiday missing all the scenery 'cos I was at the back of the boat with my head between my knees. Beats me how people can do that for fun.

I like the fact you have a ratty old sweater to treasure. I bet everyone's got something like that. Also, other people might not think it's as ratty as you do - I got compliments from the 'young people' at work about my baggy old aran cardi, though it's missing a button and I think it's a mess. (Perhaps they like its messiness.)

Anonymous said...

I have two Dale of Norway cardigans I( thrifted) and love them, have never seen the ones with a lining. I saw another one for $8.99 but someone had cut all the buttons off. Not sure if it was done before they donated it or if someone snuck it into the fitting room and got busy! I didn't buy it and later started torturing myself thinking how I could have fixed it up!
Isn't Omaha weather even worse than Chicago's? JanF

Polyester Princess said...

Although I do not envy you that cold weather, I wish we'd get a bit of proper winter here, even if only for a couple of days, so that I can wear my jumpers and furry things. Love Danny's jumper! I am actually typing this wearing pyamas which are a bit shapeless as well as a ratty old quilted dressing gown. And no, I'm not going to share it with you either :-) xxx

Radostin said...

My mum loved Kendal mint cake! Your anti-wind-lined sweater looks & sounds fantastic. Are the Geiger ones boiled wool? I'm surprised anything "made in Austria" doesn't do what it's supposed to do. My beloved and only worn at home cardigan is not unattractive in itself, but it is unflattering and not exactly attractive. It was knit for me by my husband's great aunt, I should think I'll keep it forever.

Anonymous said...

Oops, I didn't mean buttons were removed( that would be easy) I meant those Scandinavian pewter fasteners which'd cost more than the cardigan did to replace! JanF

ThriftyParka said...

Bwhahahaha! We must have been separated at birth, I also have some secretly guilty Northern Reflections sweaters/jumpers (nodding in agreement with Goody).

Of course, for those rrreaall cold nights, we top off our nighttime attire with Nipigon nylons (aka wool stockings) and a tuque.

Stay warm, eh?

Goody said...

@Beate
"Cotton kills" was something I heard from more than one winter camping enthusiast. On the other hand, my dad worked making deliveries in the cold Chicago winters and would only wear old fashioned cotton long underwear-we couldn't convince him to try the newer moisture wicking synthetics.

@Vix
There's something odd about the Kendall though-like eating a block of mint flavoured Vaseline.

@Mim
You should try to sell one of the youngsters your "Vintage" (old) cardigan as a hip item of clothing. I think the term, "Distressed" means worn to hell ;)

@Jan
Sometimes you can find those hooks at thrift shops if you're willing to go through baskets of a million buttons. The sweaters come with an extra set, so sometimes they do turn up. Omaha is MUCH worse weather-wise,though we don't get as much snow. Our winds are crazy, even on a good day, and combined with sub zero cold it really makes a person question why they live here!

@Ann
Looking at grey rain months on end wouldn't be my idea of winter either. Hang in there, spring will come eventually.

@Radostin
To really work well, a boiled wool jacket needs to fit tightly, so perhaps I am buying them too big. I wore one of the others last week, but I had it layered over a Shetland wool sweater. Sentimental items are the best, aren't they?

@Thrifty Parka
Nipigon nylons and a tuque should be a national slogan-must be in the Charter somewhere? ;)