Yikes! Winter! One of the reasons I moved to Kentucky from Chicago is because I HATE winter. Looks like I didn't move south enough... We're having an unusual cold front that is snapping water pipes and causing a state emergency. I'm in that crowd. My pipes have been frozen for a week and I have had the luxury of two showers at a friend's house. Fortunately, I have some cold water, so I can heat it up for minor chores and cooking.
When it's this cold, there is nothing better than wool to keep an old body warm. My friend, Diane Gerlach, is a knitter and has given me wonderful woolies over the years. They are my staples during these cold months. My house here is a shack, full of holes. I've tried to stop them up as best I can and normally, it's quite livable. But, when the Arctic winds come swooping down on the South, I just want to shrivel up into a ball and hibernate.
So, I thought I would lust after some wool on Etsy. I picked myself an outfit that I would actually wear. The hat at the top of this post is one of many gorgeous sculpted felt hats by
yellowfield7. The buttons make it a bit to fancy for me, so I I would take them off and replace them with something ethnic, something more rugged. Isn't it something like 80% of your body heat leaves through your head? So, covering it is essential in the business of staying warm, and you might as well cover it with something beautiful.
Moving on down, we get to the neck. Gotta have something nice and thick and warm there.
Olivebrown's neckwarmer is 50% alpaca, so it is bound to be nice and soft. Itchy wool can be tough on the neck and alpaca would certainly be a good choice for gentle warmth!
Olivebrown is having a sale now, so you better dash over there and see what else is reduced in price!
Then we get to the top. I wanted something simple because I knew I would be looking for a knubby sweater to go over it. I was surprised to find that it was hard to find a simple gray top like this one on Etsy. I liked most of the things I saw on
duende74's store. Simple lines, earthy colors and natural fibers, color choices. With care, all the way from Tel Aviv!
Ah, the knubby look that I wanted! London based
ileaiye had lots of things I liked. I love texture and am drawn to the collar and loose look this sweater has. They are calling it a cardigan... looks like a sweater to me!
We're skipping underwear in this post, although, when it's this cold, I just must have a pair of long johns or tights on, especially if it is a green product and wool!
Stephanieteague gives you size an color options and she (I'm assuming it's a she...) does the dyeing with low impact dyes. Oh, yes!
I'll wear some vintage sailor pants over those organic wool tights, a great find in
ericaoblak's shop. Still functional after 60 years, these are also wool. Don't forget to look through the vintage stuff on Etsy when you go shopping there! That's where a lot of my stuff is, too. Etsy's search constantly defaults back to handmade, so you will be losing out on wonderful finds like Erica and I work so hard to get to market!
Yep, need those legwarmers! I thought those sailor pants would work well, too, because I could hide these chunky legwarmers under the bell bottoms. Keep that cold air out! Legwarmers are just a great accessory to have in a cold climate, and now that I think about it, I don't have any. Diaaaannnneeee!!!!! Can you hear me? (Hint, hint... )
I like both the seller's name,
talk2thetrees, and how she describes the legwarmers:
"They are hand knit with soft gray yarn, they are perfect for dog walking, sheep herding and world saving." Haven't done any sheep herding lately, but I do try for the dog walking and world saving. I do wish she had said what kind of wool she used though...
Feet! The worst part of cold in my house is at the floor. When it gets really bad, it feels like the fridge was left open up to my knees. I layer on the socks and slippers. I love everything
pawfelts has and have lusted for her slippers forever, so I get to have two pairs of her sock/slippers in this post. I'll layer them and wear them every day until spring.
I need something warm around my hands while I am sitting at the computer. A cup of tea will work here and there, but the best solution is to have a good pair of handwarmers or fingerless gloves. Gotta be able to keep on typing!
KitMit's designs are fun and you can even buy the pattern to make your own! I would feel like the Jetsons with one of these on. Unfortunately, she is offering these in acrylic yarn, which I do not like at all. It feels like plastic to me. If she will do a pair in wool, I'll take it. I picked the long arm version because I am so cold, but the short ones are cute, too.
Warm enough? Sigh.... No, not really. I need a blanket or something.... A poncho! Yes! That will work perfectly!
Dirtiebirdiesvintage (cute name!!!) calls this a cape, but it looks like a poncho to me. I think it would look great with the rest of my outfit, don't you? I spent one semester in college in Colombia (the country) and they called these "ruanas" there. Everybody wore them, even men in suits. They could be hippie looking or of the most elegant wools. Totally makes sense to wrap yourself in a wearable blanket when it is cold.
I've got my purchases. Total, please... Hmmm... let's see.. add it up.... mumble, mumble, calculate. Eeeee, gads!!!!
$963!!!!!!! Yikes! Mama Mia! Must have good taste, eh? Well, I guess dreaming was fun.... Oh, wait a minute.... my birthday is coming up! There we go! Now I have a wish list all made out. XL in everything, please!
Now, I hadn't been "shopping" on Etsy in awhile. I'm on there a lot to stock up my store, but I don't often have enough time to just browse around. I must say that although it was fun to put this outfit together, I was pretty shocked at how much the quality has gone down from the last time I was there. There was a lot more of what I consider to be junky stuff and terrible photos. I know that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but at least put some effort to make the junk look good. Hum it in your mind... "It's beginning to look a lot like eBay...." Which is fine. I sell on eBay, too, and there are a lot of good people there, but then just don't have any illusions about Etsy being a high quality site of hand crafted goods. There are wonderful things there and lots of gorgeous, expertly crafted clothing, jewelry, art, and everything else. I love being there, it's a great community,
BUT.... (you finish the sentence!)
And, the search system is still crappy in my book. I know that this is because sellers don't know how to do it right, but if after all this time, people still don't know how to tag things properly, then guess what? It doesn't work.
Have you been shopping on Etsy lately? I have a lot of friends who are sellers there and we would all love to hear more about the buyer's perspective. So, whether you have actually made the purchase or just longed for it, like I do, let us know what you think of being there as either buyer, seller or both.
Winter Wear on Etsy (My Wish List!)
