WoolWeenies Club

[Triskeliongirl]

www.udans.com has a bunch of Ibex stuff on sale, including Shaks (my favorite piece).
Merry Christmas to everyone.

Thanks for the tip (and all the great recs on this piece as well as the sizing info. from all)! I just ordered my first IBEX sweater, the shak in gray on sale. I ordered it to go with some black and dark gray wool pants I just got, and I especially want to use it for a feb. trip to the northeast, as well as when a cold front hits us here in south texas. Based on what you guys said about sizing, I ordered the small, hope it works out!

[Triskeliongirl]

Its been years since I owned wool. Even though I live in a mild climate when I lost weight I found I got cold a lot more easily, so recently I bought a wool suit, pants and the above sweater. What do you think of those Dryell cleaning products (where you briefly put the items in a large zippered bag in the dryer w a treated sheet). Will the pieces last longer cleaned this way, dry cleaned, or hand washed?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks for the tip (and all the great recs on this piece as well as the sizing info. from all)! I just ordered my first IBEX sweater, the shak in gray on sale. I ordered it to go with some black and dark gray wool pants I just got

I'm not so sure the "Thistle heather" color is actually gray. I think it's more like a grayish purple/eggplant. On my monitor the full zip shak in Thistle looks clearly grayish purple:
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...=Shak-Full-Zip
Might go well with your grey pieces anyway though.
Anyone have a 'thistle heather" piece and can let us know?

Hope your shak fits well when it arrives!

[Triskeliongirl]

Well, if it isn't perfect I can always send it back, but the pants are a very dark grey, almost a charocoal, so even if its a purple gray I think it will work. While I got it on sale it was still expensive, and at least I didn't have to pay shipping to me, but I will send it back it I am not 100% happy with the color and fit. I am much more into owning a small number of pieces I love than a lot of so-so stuff that I got on sale. Also, when I travel I want to be able to pack a min. of pieces to get a lot of different outfits.

I am nervous about the size, since while on the bottom I am a solid small on top I am between a small and medium. I went with the small since Catherine said she is a perfec M in it, and at the moment I am lighter than her. I do like a slim fit, (will put only one light layer under it), and I do find that I prefer smalls in stretchy fabrics (its my bust that is a tad large rel. to the rest of my body), since they usually have no problem stretching over my boobs. Sometimes smalls run short in the bodice and sleeves, but the reported sleeve measurement looks good on this in small. We'll see.......

But please answer my query on wool care. I am about to put my new pants in the dryer with the Dryerell unless you guys tell me to take them to the dry cleaner.

I'm not so sure the "Thistle heather" color is actually gray. I think it's more like a grayish purple/eggplant. On my monitor the full zip shak in Thistle looks clearly grayish purple:
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...=Shak-Full-Zip
Might go well with your grey pieces anyway though.
Anyone have a 'thistle heather" piece and can let us know?

Hope your shak fits well when it arrives!

[GLC1968]

Yep, I have the Carrie Hoodie in the thistle heather. It's definitely a greyish purple color. Mine has a charcoal grey stripe and the thistle part is clearly much more purple-y than the stripe. I do think it would go nicely with dark grey or black though. Anything does...those are neutrals!

For washing, I have washed most of my knit Ibex stuff in the washer on gentle (in cold). I make sure not to use fabric softener and I air dry everything. I do use Dryel for wool work wear...particularly jackets or pants that have a lining. It freshens them up nicely and allows you to go much longer between dry cleanings.

I have also found that with the exception of dog hair (a big issue in my life!), my wool items just don't need cleaning as often as other stuff.

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks Catherine! I do think the purply tint will work well for me. I bought 4 wool pieces on sale at Ann Taylor Loft, one jacket in charcoal gray with 2 pairs of pants in the same fabric/color (i.e. a separates suit), and 2 pairs of pants in black. While I can wear the gray pants with the matching jacket to make a formal suit, I thought the shak would be good for dressing it down a little, but still looking neat, and also to pair with the black pants for I guess what one might call a 'business casual/sporty' look. Or even pair it with jeans for going really sporty.

I hope the small works out, sometimes I order both a small and medium and send one back. Catherine, based on our relative sizes do you think I ordered the right size? I could always phone them if it hasn't shipped yet and add the M to the order. For comparison, the suit I bought was size 4 in the pants and 6 in the jacket (yay for separates!). In the AFTER pic I posted on the 2007 results thread ( post #30 at http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...t=20639&page=2)
I am wearing a small in the shebeest tights and jersey. I am more often a small than a medium, but do sometimes have to size up to M, especially in garments with no stretch.

[GLC1968]

I don't have a Shak (yet) but my guess is that you probably are a small. I don't have your 'endowment' but based on the items I do have, they seem to be pretty generous in that area. I'm actually boderline between M and S, and since you are now smaller than me, I'm sure you chose correctly. I've not had any of my Ibex stuff shrink on me, either.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Trisk.- It sounds like the small shak would be the right size for you. I'm usually a medium size in tops in general, and the shak half zip in medium fits me very well. I also have a shak full zip that I often will wear over it like a sweater set, and I purposely got that in large so it fits well over the medium shak.
If you are normally small, the shak in small should fit.
I have washed my shaks quite a few times already on gentle, lukewarm water, in the machine, using Woolite, then dried on LOW dryer setting (with a fabric softener because that's the only thing that really gets the cat hair to come off), and they come out just fine and have not shrunk more than a microscopic amount, nor pilled or anything. Shaks are great.
I agree, the Thistle will go well with your black and gray items, and will look elegant but sporty.

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks Catherine and Lisa! Yeh, I love that I can move from work to play in it. Sometimes I bring my bike on a professional trip, or even go to meetings at ski resorts, so I think I will get a lot of uses from this one piece. I am convinced I'm gonna like the color but now I just hope that I will like the fit. That's the worst thing about internet shopping, you really just don't know until you try it on.

[itself]

Ok, this is going to be a long post, but we will need your recommendations! It was high forties last night, when we went for our first ride with our new Ibex Woolie Shirts and Ibex Pingo jackets. We wore light fleece tights, and backlava for our heads.

Observations: We both started out a bit chilly, but about 15 minutes into the ride, I felt great. Good enough to zip down my Pingo jacket. My stoker, however, was comfortable, but kept hers zipped.

An hour into the ride, we begin a half hour ascent up a 4% grade hill. Still feeling really comfortable. Ah, but then the descent...we both froze! But once that was done, I felt comfortable again, Laurie was hanging in there.

The Woolie shirt is comfortable, and absorbed the sweat well. The Pingo jacket was great for the wind. It's so light you feel like you have nothing on. So "A" for comfort for sure.

Two hours into the ride (it's night time!), I still felt good, but my arms were cold. Laurie was cold on her chest (and her jacket was still zipped).

Ok, so what could we change/add?

1. I perspire a lot. I definitely felt post ride that I was not frozen like I was in my smartwool mid and bellweather jacket. I think the lighter layering worked for me, but my arms were still cold. When I took my pearl izumi backlava off, my head was soked. Ideas on how I could change/add to my layering. I'm so close to being perfectly comfortable!

2. Laurie was frozen post ride. She has in the past worn a lot more layers than me and doesn't perspire and is more comfortable. Ideas on what she should add for layers?

The woolie base layer is without question, the best one I have used yet, but I was using a smartwool midweight (we used to live in Maine). Living in Arizona we can definitely lighten up, but I can't explain the cold here,it CAN definitely get to you.

Thanks for your help gals...we really appreciate any suggestions!

Lisa & Laurie
ICE X2 Tandem bike riders

[GLC1968]

Hi Lisa!

I would add layers where you are coldest. My husband and I have similar issues...when he gets cold, it's usually his arms. For me, it's my chest. I just bought an Ibex tank that I plan to wear under my wool baselayer or jersey. Often, I can get away with just a wind vest where my husband needs a full jacket. And I've also been known to keep an extra wind vest with me for cases where I'm not quite layered enough. My H, on the other hand, just purchased the wool armwarmers from Ibex. His plan is to wear them under his jacket (over the wool baselayer) to add warmth where he needs it.

Of course, neither of us have tried this yet because wouldn't you know it...our new wool arrives and we get a warm front!