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Help...me...resist....
Altrec.com has the Icebreaker Nomad on sale with a coupon for $84. I know I don't *need* it, but that's a really good price. Someone make me stop shopping for wool!!!!!
ETA: Oh no. They have a lot more than that on sale. Cannot resist...
(Looking at the Quantum Pants and City Lily Pants. Anyone have experience with Icebreaker's pants?)
Bleecker,
Got my TE order today and thanks for telling me to get that smartwool midweight zip.... it is indeed seriously comfortable! I tried it on and haven't taken it off since! :p
You're welcome! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Kelly728
Now you'll need a second one for when the first one is being laundered....because you'll want to wear them every day.
I'm assuming you know the basics about merino wash-safe items:
You can wear them more times than you'd think and they won't get smelly like cotten or poly- just hang them out to air overnight. Washing them after every wearing will just wear them out too soon. They are wool- they don't get stinky for a while. ;)
When you do wash them- gentle cycle, gentle temps.
To dry- lay out to air dry is best, but you can dry them in a dryer if you set the temp on LOW and take them out as soon as possible. Sometimes I half-dry them in the dryer (to help get the cat hair off) then lay them out to finish drying by air.
Have fun! :)
Shhhh we already know I'm a push-over!Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
Alright weenies I am tempted by your dark side. How does Ibex fit? And yes I realize you have probably answered this 10x in the 180 pages but searching is hard!
I got $100 left from Christmas and with our mild yet a bit chilly for me Spring coming the El Fitos looks tempting. I am a large size 8 or small size 10 (meaning I am stuck between the two in my weight loss at the moment!), in most cycling clothes I wear a medium now because large is getting just a tad too big. Does Ibex fit all Euro where I need to go big or like American brands (PI and Cannondale are the majority of my things) where I am a medium?
Aggie....I grabbed a pair of El Fitos a couple of months ago when TE sent me a 20% coupon. LOVE them! Like the wool tops we all love, they keep me wonderfully warm, but the fabric breathes, too.
I'm 5'3", pear-shaped and generally wear a 4. The Small is perfect on me, unlike the Smalls of some other brands (Gore, Castelli, Descente). If you're not sure which size would work best, it might be worth ordering pairs in different sizes and just send back the one that doesn't suit you. :)
For those who remember my questions about the sizing of the Shak and Carrie and so on....I've decided to keep the Carrie in S and return the Carrie in M. But before I do that, I wanted to offer it up here (since the REI price was a really good deal). If anyone here is interested in the gray Carrie hoodie in M, send me a PM -- it would be $74.93 plus shipping.
Will most likely keep the Shak, though if I change my mind, I'll also let you all know first. Thanks for all the advice!
So I just picked up my Ibex Shak full-zip (thanks to Triskeliongirl who pointed out that REI Outlet had my size in black in XS only for an excellent price), and I wore it today for the first time. I absolutely love it! Why in the world did I wait so long? :rolleyes:
Now the company I work for has filed for bankruptcy protection, and until I know if I'll still have a job in a month or three, I don't feel like I can spend any money....so I'll have to make do for now, but I sure would like some more Ibex someday. A girl can dream... :D
Wow, I think the black full-zip Shak should be the official TE uniform--seems like most of us have them (yes, I got one from that sale at REI too)!!
I saw some more Ibex I'd love on sale at backcountry outlet, but no more spending for me. Hopefully soon I'll find out I have a "secure" (or relatively so, in this economy) job and can buy a few more pieces...
Emily, hope your job situation improves. So glad you got hooked on Ibex. I have been living in my black and brown full zip Shaks. Then on the other days I wear my Shak hoodies or my Icebreaker stuff! Well, next week I go back to classes at the university, so I will have to rotate my clothes a little more.
I don't know what I would have done without Lisa hooking me on this stuff!
Well, you could have been vacationing in Tahiti or something, with all the money you would have saved. :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
I do think the Ibex full zip black Shak has to be the ONE item that most encompasses the WoolWeenie spirit....it should be our flagship. :p
I agree. Here's a challenge for everyone who has a black full zip shak...Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
Take a photo of yourself wearing it (or post one if you already have one!) and post it here! Let's put together a wool-weenie collage! :D
Yeah, my black Shak got me through some chilly airplane rides and evenings in Mexico over the past 5 days. I love it.Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
Not sure if anyone got a picture of me in it.
Hi Weenies,
I come to publicly prostrate myself before the Wool God and profess my undying love and devotion to all that is wool. I love wool. Wool is the Way. I care not for un-wool things. Let the Wool shine down on me.
Ah-men
quick question: can anyone help me with a fit issue? I got an Ibex woolie crew in size L. It fits great except its too short for me. I do kinda have a longer torso, I suppose. I wonder if I try an XL is the length going to increase much? I could use a good 2 or 3 inches more in length and I like the fit otherwise....
I'm not sure I put myself in the weenie category, though I'm rediscovering it now that there is washable wool (I love wool socks if that counts...), but I pulled a good coup yesterday. $1.99 for a Neve sweater - soft, warm, cozy and good looking. :cool:
so how did you buy a sweater for $1.99? where?Quote:
Originally Posted by Eden
Thrift store find - my other best find is a pair of brand new Kenneth Cole shoes for $10
Here's my picture:
Wow Robyn, that shak fits you perfectly! Nice fireplace. :)
Laru- I bet if you call Ibex they will be all too happy to measure the length difference for you right over the phone- they are very helpful women over there.
I only have a full-zip in the Boucle. My black Shak is a hoodie.
What do I do? Does that mean I'm not woolweenie?! :eek:
I would say any kind of Ibex SHAK would qualify- full zip, half zip, hooded....any color.
And if you have no shak, it does NOT mean you are not a wool weenie! A wool weenie just loves any kind of wool.
If anyone wants to issue a call for pix of any other item they think others might have too- feel free to do so!
We are one! :D
OK, here goes. Here is one my son took of me in portugal last month in my black shak. Notice I also discovered SCARVES on this holiday. The one in the pic was a xmass gift from my kids. This one is not wool, but the kids also bought me a beautiful wool one I wore a lot as me moved to colder places. The pose was my son's idea too, not quite sure what it means but he liked it, something about being a 'cool mom'.
I don't own a Shak... and I'm not a big fan of zippers on close-fitting apparel. But here's me last year in my Duofold wool crew - and I'm glad I pulled out this picture, because this is right after the finish of the same race I'm doing Saturday, and inspiration for a better time this year.
I just picked up my brown shak fullzip from REI tonight, I haven't gotten around to looking at it - just came back from a ski trip.
Some of the guys over on goingprepared.com are reporting finding icebreaker ski and hiking socks at TJmaxx lately. Apparently on Jan 22nd, it's going to be 15% off purchases at Tjmaxx or Marshalls nationwide (they're the same store). A friend I saw in Salt Lake had found a really nice smartwool v neck sweater with striped arms at a Tjmaxx in Salt Lake. I let her wear my ibex backcountry pants one night in Jackson Hole, and barely managed to pry them away from her.
I found a smartwool bike jersey for $25 at the REI superclearance in Salt Lake... I also dropped into the patagonia outlet in salt lake which was doing a 30% off everything sale and was quite upset to find an empty rack with a "merino wool cardigan $30" sign over it. But I got a lot of the nice patagonia organic cotton & hemp stuff to make up for it.
Time to wash all my wool, it & I did pretty well skiing.
Trisk, I got hooked on scarves when I went to Europe, too. It was damp and rainy when we got to Siena, so I bought a pink pashima there. Then when we went to Prague, before the cycling tour, it was also cold, so I bought a blue one. Too bad that they are both so long and wide that I rarely wear them. I am also a dunce when it comes to tying them. I can do one "style."
When Steve went to London in November I had him search for a wool scarf that fits the dimensions of a great cashmere one I have that was my dad's. I have no idea how I ended up with it, but it's perfect for a short person! The one he bought me is the same length, but it's just too wide.
I will keep searching.
Me in my black full zip shak....DH got a kick out of taking this picture this morning. :D
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/...2978022706.jpg
You all look great! Trisk - I love the scarf!
I cannot believe that I don't have a single photo of me in my black shak! I have one of me in my green one taken in China, but it's really blurry and not worth posting.
I'll have my H take one of me in the black shak tonight. :)
I need to remember to make my pictures smaller. My husband told me not get my silly smile when I look like a deer in headlights, so the one I posted ended up looking rather like I was ready to kill someone.
Can you practice being photogenic?
Today is the first day I haven't worn a Shak in 5 days!
You have a lovely smile- don't be afraid to show it!Quote:
Originally Posted by Crankin
Here's the pic I took at Ralph's, with you in the red jersey (ignore the fact that no one is wearing wool in this picture!) :eek:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/...5046953d0e.jpg
Well, I am just one of those people who really is un-photogenic. Once in awhile I get a good picture of myself, but it's random.
On the other hand, my hair is so long now, compared to last summer. I am happy with it, but it will be h*ll once cycling season comes. I am hoping to grow it to chin length and be able to pin it back with barrettes under the helmet. Or find a buff that is small enough for my head and wear it all summer.
Back to wool.
The Arcadian Shop in Lennox, MA now has an online store and currently has all their Ibex at 25% off. They seem to have the full line of Ibex in stock in most sizes. Check it out at http://www.arcadianshop.com/.
Robyn and Lisa, I'll be the Berkshires on Jan 31 and should be hitting the shop around 3 pm.
Thanks DebW for the cue!Quote:
Originally Posted by DebW
I could not bear being a WoolWeenie without a full-zip black Shak. So I ordered one! :p
Deb, you had to tell me about Arcadian being on line????
I don't think I'll be able to come out to the Berkshires on the 31st, but I will let you know as it gets closer.
So, this is probably blasphemy... But I'm not feeling the love for my ibex full zip shak that I just got from REI. I keep reading new posts in this forum about how much you guys love yours, and go back to look at mine... and nope, just not feeling it. Maybe it's because I bought the brown color.
But I still love my half zip shaks & hoody.
how much don't you love it? are you my size? :D
I'm not keeping it. It's a brown small. But it's stretchy!Quote:
Originally Posted by Biciclista
The ninny who owns the condo above me left the heat off, which led to his pipes bursting and me needing a new ceiling. So I'm gonna be a bit cash strapped until I can get said ninny to repay me - so no keeping things that I don't love. :(
I have a new love: Ibex Woolies Sleeveless top. Just got it from TE at 25% off. I love my Woolies long-sleeved top too, but this one I can wear under something else without overheating indoors, or alone in the summer. The Ibex site doesn't have these any more, so maybe I should order a 2nd one from TE?
Of course you should. If you only have one, what do you wear when it's drying? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by DebW
Behold the power of wool:
It was between 35-40°F for yesterday's ride, so I wore my SmartWool crew as a base layer, a synthetic jersey over that, and my PI Vagabond II jacket on the outside. This morning the jerseys were dry enough to throw in the laundry pile, so I gave them a sniff before tossing them down the chute.
The jersey I had on over the wool positively reeks. I'm sure the jacket could use a washing too. I'd already worn the SW once for hanging around the house, but even though it was the closest layer to my skin, it still doesn't smell. Amazing.
I notice this all the time! If I wear just polyester jersey...it smells afterwards.Quote:
Originally Posted by OakLeaf
If I wear a merino wool base layer and a polyester jersey over it...the wool base layer doesn't smell at all but the poly jersey still smells!
Apparently the teeny bacteria that multiply and cause underarm sweat to smell just don't like the environment of wool- they don't breed and multiply in it much. But when they get into other fabrics they have a field day and multiply like mad....and then smell. Armpit bacteria does not multiply easily in wool- that's why wool can be worn quite a few times before it gets any odor under the arms. :)