WoolWeenies Club

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

GLC,
Don't you feel better after confessing your weeniedom?
Now that you are wearing your wool around all day for whatever....the next step is to wear it to sleep in. MMMmmmmmm......wool tights or knickers, wool top baselayer....snuggleeee under the covers....... There's something wicked and yummy about wearing merino wool without any underwear or bra at all...I love to sleep that way! (not sure I'll be doing it in the summer though)

I don't know about other brands of wool bras, but I hear Ibex will be coming out with a new line if wool undies, camisoles, and bras this winter sometime. Maybe others will know of some more brands with wool bras.

Also, Ibex is having a sale on some of its "Ribbies" lightweight base layer tops:
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...LW-Ribbed-Crew
Not all sizes available in all colors.

[xeney]

A question about Smartwool socks (and I'm sorry if this has been answered, this thread is too long for me to keep up): all of the Smartwool socks I bought last year are wearing out in the toes, and since I do not darn socks I'm going to have to throw them away. I've never had socks wear out so quickly so I am sort of irritated. Is there something I should have done to make them last longer? Hand washed them? Used a special detergent? I don't dry them in the dryer but I'm not sure that would have made a difference anyway. They aren't too small, but they are nearly see-through at the toes after just one season of wear.

These are my last Smartwool socks, I think, I just would like to know if I could have avoided this somehow.

[mimitabby]

I have not had that particular problem with my smartwool sox. (I have had that problem with a leading chain of socks and no longer buy my sox there)
the socks I am wearing today are on their 3rd season now and i wear them all year round. (taking off shoe to examine sock)
the bottom of the toe and heel areas are noticeably thinner but all stitches are completely intact.
maybe it's your shoes (I have no idea)
my biggest problem is some kinds of "smart" wool are not so smart; and they shrink. These however, did not

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Oh wow, Mimi, I am wearing those exact socks RIGHT NOW! except mine are with brown base color, not black.

Polyester and nylon socks do last longer than wool socks in terms of going "bald" at pressure points. Wool does lose some of its fuzz in places like toes and heels because of friction. I had some merino blend socks 2 years ago (not smartwool but another good brand) that went bald at the toes much too quickly for my liking. But so far I have had good luck with SW socks.

Xeney, part of the problem might be that you live in CA. No kidding!- it never gets so cold there that you need more than one pair of socks at a time usually, right? Much of the winter here I wear 2 pairs of wool socks every day, one of them usually fairly thick, too. And in Fall and Spring I might typically wear 2 pairs of thinner wool socks. I like to layer the colors sometimes and turn the outer cuff down. I think that keeps things cushier and keeps my toes and heels from grinding too hard at the socks.

One thing I have found that is funny is the different people wear through socks differently. A few years ago, a girlfriend and I bought the very same socks and wore them all the time. We also wore mostly the same clogs. Her socks went bald and wore holes in the toes quickly yet mine were still perfectly fine. Go figure!

[Dianyla]

Lisa, I have the Skyline top. It was advertised as a warm mid-layer but I personally find it to be more of a light mid-layer or even a heavy base-layer. Otherwise, the color contrast is very snazzy and it's a great piece. And the long sleeve/thumbhole thingies are kinda cool, too.

One thing I have found that is funny is the different people wear through socks differently. A few years ago, a girlfriend and I bought the very same socks and wore them all the time. We also wore mostly the same clogs. Her socks went bald and wore holes in the toes quickly yet mine were still perfectly fine. Go figure!

Yep, I always wear bald spots through my socks at certain places due to the large wide shape of my feet. Doesn't matter if it's cheap socks or expensive socks, it's all the same.

[elk]

maybe it has something to do with
a. how long you keep yr toenails
b. how your shoes fit...is yr toe right up against the leather or not...

[Dianyla]

How to dress, is the question, for riding in this wet 35-50 degree climate of the NW in winter?? give me some specific stuff to shop for... please.

Here's what's been working for me this winter:

Morning or late night commute (sub 40 degrees)
I usually wear about three woolly layers, varying them for the temps.
1 light wool layer next to skin (Smartwool or Ibex underwear layer)
1 light wool shirt layer (not much thicker than the baselayer) (e.g. Smartwool Zip-T, Ibex Pico)
1 warm wool layer (either a sweater like the Ibex Long Trail or a jacket like the Ibex Pingo. I don't actually have the Pingo, I have something from a few years back that's a lot like it.)
Outer shell varies by weather - for wet the Showers Pass rain jacket in Mango color, or for dry the PI Whisper jacket or vest for high visibility and wind-blocking.

Bottom (I'm sadly wool-deficient in these areas):
Bike shorts or knickers (PI, Sugoi, etc. For wool I just got the Ibex Calais shorts and love them. The El Fito's just don't fit my legs at all for some reason.)
Fleece tights or pants (PI Amfib, Craft storm pants, etc)
Alternately, I may just combine my PI Sugar knickers with knee-high Smartwool ski socks. Classy!
If rainy, Craft Rain Pants over shorts + baselayer

Extremities:
Thick wool socks (Smartwool snowflake, adrenaline, or ski socks)
Balaclava (Smartwool, or some off-brand wool-blend thingy I bought from Sierra Trading Post)
Gore Vulcano Windstopper gloves
Gore-tex overshoes
(Helmet has rain cover)

Midday commute (~50):
Stash one or more warm wool layers and the balaclava in my panniers to prevent overheating.

I find it much easier to dress for cold 30's rain than warm 50-60's rain. For warm rain, often just a thin longsleeve wool underwear top under the rain jacket (with pitzips wide open) is enough.

[DebW]

A question about Smartwool socks (and I'm sorry if this has been answered, this thread is too long for me to keep up): all of the Smartwool socks I bought last year are wearing out in the toes

All of my light hiker Smartwool socks have gotten holes at the right big toe. The medium and heavy hikers haven't had this problem. Since I usually don't punch holes in my left socks, I just wear the holey ones on my left foot so my big toe doesn't stick out. I figure it must be my right big toe nail that's shaped funny. I do keep my nails trimmed.

[KnottedYet]

maybe it has something to do with
a. how long you keep yr toenails
b. how your shoes fit...is yr toe right up against the leather or not...

+1

[xeney]

Hmm. I keep my toenails short and my shoes mostly have plenty of room, although my feet did get huge in late pregnancy ... but I wasn't wearing socks then anyway, just my huband's ratty flipflops. And these are wearing pretty thin on the heels, too.

Oh, well. I bought them for the cute factor -- I like the stripes -- but I mostly wear much thicker wool socks in the winter.

[mariposa]

Icebreaker midweight something on SAC

[GLC1968]

I don't know about other brands of wool bras, but I hear Ibex will be coming out with a new line if wool undies, camisoles, and bras this winter sometime. Maybe others will know of some more brands with wool bras.

Also, Ibex is having a sale on some of its "Ribbies" lightweight base layer tops:
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...LW-Ribbed-Crew
Not all sizes available in all colors.

Go Ibex! Can't wait for wool underwear!!

Ok, I love that top in the link but I've put off buying it because I can't decide on color. Unfortunately (or fortunately), every color appears to be available in my size - so that's no help. I LOVE the plum, but my other shirt is that color so that's the only one I can immediately rule out. Now what? My coloring is similar to the model...which color looks best on her (besides plum)???

Lisa, there is no way I could sleep in wool unless Ibex does camisoles really soon. I get too hot sleeping in anything but a thin tank top because my husband is a furnace.

Anyone have any suggetions for wool work wear? Dressier ribbed t-necks or sweater sets perhaps? Business-y looking long sleeve tops?

"Hi, my name is Catherine and I am a wool addict"

[Trek420]

"Hi, my name is Catherine and I am a wool addict"

Hi Catherine!

I'm in Wool'anon, that's for family and friends of Wool Addicts.

No offense meant to any 12 step members on and/or reading this thread. These are important programs that work but I just could not pass up the joke.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa, there are groups berating the use of wool because wool ranchers are cruel to their sheep. who knew?
I still love wool and i eat lamb too.

In case anyone is interested- the Ibex company participates in this New Zealand program: http://zque.co.nz/ which manages production of NZ wool using methods that are socially and environmentally responsible, with a big emphasis on humane treatment of animals.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa, there is no way I could sleep in wool unless Ibex does camisoles really soon. I get too hot sleeping in anything but a thin tank top because my husband is a furnace.

Yes my husband is a furnace too.
I can "sort of" understand you not wanting to sleep in wool if you live in NC.

"Hi, my name is Catherine and I am a wool addict"

In moments of weakness, review post #4 of this thread.