WoolWeenies Club

[Triskeliongirl]

What do you guys think of this piece on sale:
http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_d...=1200504852641

Smartwool Womens Routt. I gather from a previous discussion that the quality of ibex is better than smartwool, is that correct?

I am still so confused. Not sure if I should go with mediums to layer over my bulkier stuff, or start buying lighter inner layers to pair with smalls. I did call our local outdoor store to see if they carry ibex, and they said they do and its on clearance now, so I'll drop over there after work and take a look.

Do I need long wool underwear on my bottom for my trip to boston, or will lined wool pants and jeans be OK as is? I do have some old silk stuff.

Also, what do you guys think of this piece also on sale?
Ibex skyline: http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/out...061&mv_pc=r147

This stuff is just so damned expensive! So, I am also reluctant to invest in mediums while I am still losing weight, albeit very slowly at this point.

[Grog]

Hey Triskel',

I don't know what the weather is in Boston right now but unless you're very very sensitive to cold you'll probably be fine with the silk longjohns under your pants, or nothing at all. It really depends whether you're going to be walking or standing outside for long.

I find it generally true that Ibex is nicer than Smartwool, but for me it's mostly superior to Icebreaker (for outer layers). The comparison with Smartwool is less uniform.

What I like about Ibex is that, yes, they are expensive (like the other two) but they are made in the USA for the most part. (Some is made in Hong Kong.) It annoys me to pay over a hundred tomatoes for a piece of clothing that I know was made in China for a handful of dollars, like the Smartwool stuff and even a lot of the Icebreaker now.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ibex boucle on sale:

http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...Full-Zip-Hoody

Until I went back to the website, I didn't make the connection between the 'boucle' and the Carrie Hoodie...which I own!

This is the other Ibex boucle item on sale until Jan 31:
http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...uct=Bella-Vest
(but the black one is not available until Jan 23).
That's you on the right in the blueish Carrie hoody just visible under the rain jacket, right?

Triskell- I have that Ibex Skyline top and I like it very much. It is somewhat "Stark Trek" looking. Very soft and slightly lighterweight than the shaks. Here is a pik of me wearing mine:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/attac...achmentid=4883
(I have a weird look on my face because it was really hard trying to take a picture of myself in the mirror at the right angle and without flash glare. )
Like how that Smartwool sweater looks too, that you pointed out.

[GLC1968]

That's you on the right in the blueish Carrie hoody just visible under the rain jacket, right?

Yep! That's a very bad photo of me.

And I agree with Lisa - I like the smartwool sweater. It's really sharp looking!

What types of things will you be doing in Boston? I mean, if you are mostly just in and out of meetings or lectures, you may not need any additional layers on the bottom. I never wore underlayers when I lived up there unless I was going to some event where I'd be outside and not moving much all day (like a football game).

Another source for gorgeous wool sweaters is Neve sweaters. Terry carries them and has a few on sale right now for good prices. I have the one at this link and it's absolutely BEAUTIFUL but not really as 'active' in styling as my Ibex or Icebreaker stuff.

http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?item_no=5134

[Triskeliongirl]

So how does the sizing run at smartwool. I guess I could just order the small and medium and send back the one I don't like. It says its 'boiled wool.' What does that mean? WIll it be scratchy? Will it pill?

I don't mind spending this much for good pieces that will last, but I cannot stand it when they start pilling.

Do you guys know if ibex direct sends shipping confirmations? I haven't gotten one yet so maybe I could still stop the order on the 'organic sweater' which I gather you guys don't like so much. Its also more $ than I really wanted to spend, but it does look quite smart to me.

[Triskeliongirl]

In DC I will be just attending meetings in a hotel, and maybe walking at night to a restaurant. In Boston I am staying with my son at MIT, and no car, so we will walk a lot, say to to and from the subway, and maybe spend time waiting for buses outdoors. I'll just bring along the silk long undies I have, and play it by ear.

I've noticed that since my body is used to a milder climate (coldest it usually gets is the 40s, sometimes it drops into the 30s, rarely below freezing) that when I travel to a really cold place I need warmer clothing than folks who live there. I also need warm to stuff to wear in my house on those 30/40 days since our gas radiators can't really heat well in those temp ranges (no central heating). But, a day that starts in the 40s can end in the 60s, which is why I like pieces I can take off and have the inner layers be good on their own. Another thing I like about that ibex organic sweater. Maybe I'll just let them send it, and return what I don't like.

[mariposa]

Someone got a Routt for me, for Christmas. I am really pleased with it! I've had mixed experiences with the lighter-weight Smartwool stuff; I've gotten uneven seams or zippers that stick. The Routt, though is extremely well made. It is fuzzy and soft, like heavier-weight fleece. The little stripes on it flatter the figure, and don't look "too" sporty (I can wear it to work). It does run a bit big on me (I'm usually a medium but the small fits me), so size down.

[GLC1968]

I like the organic sweater. I wish I could afford to buy one for myself!

Boiled wool is usually a bit denser than regular wool. And isn't boiled wool usually woven, not knit? Or do they make knit boiled wool as well? When I think of boiled wool, I think of thick wool blazers or winter coats...that dense, thick, warm fabric that doesn't have much stretch.

[Triskeliongirl]

Someone got a Routt for me, for Christmas. I am really pleased with it! I've had mixed experiences with the lighter-weight Smartwool stuff; I've gotten uneven seams or zippers that stick. The Routt, though is extremely well made. It is fuzzy and soft, like heavier-weight fleece. The little stripes on it flatter the figure, and don't look "too" sporty (I can wear it to work). It does run a bit big on me (I'm usually a medium but the small fits me), so size down.

Thanks for the input. Can you layer the small over other moderatly heavy pieces, say a heavy cotton ribbed T-neck?
Do you have the oatmeal heather. Is it more heather than oatmeal, i.e. a light gray vs an ecru?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Boiled wool is usually a bit denser than regular wool. And isn't boiled wool usually woven, not knit? Or do they make knit boiled wool as well? When I think of boiled wool, I think of thick wool blazers or winter coats...that dense, thick, warm fabric that doesn't have much stretch.

I have a boiled wool jacket from last year that is soft, thick and stretchy.
I love boiled wool. Boiled wool is not quite as dense and heavy as loden wool, and has a very pleasant micro-knobbly texture to it. Loden wool is sort of felted, and VERY warm because it's so dense.

Tri, if you are not going to wear a sweater over bare skin, then why worry about it being scratchy? I doubt that Smartwool would be selling anything with their name on it that is too scratchy in any case- non-scratchyness is one of the things they crow about.

[Triskeliongirl]

Tri, if you are not going to wear a sweater over bare skin, then why worry about it being scratchy? I doubt that Smartwool would be selling anything with their name on it that is too scratchy in any case- non-scratchyness is one of the things they crow about.

Well, until I wore the shak, I thought I was allergic to wool. All the other wool sweaters I have make me itch, even with a silk or cotton layer directly on my skin. But something about the shak is different. So, if I am going to aquire a second wool sweater, help me decide between to smartwool rouett and the ibex organic sweater. While the organic sweater is very expensive, its also reduced more so is it a better 'value' or is that just how they fool you into spending more $ than you should really spend on this stuff???

[Triskeliongirl]

As you girls can tell, I am shopping impaired.......

[Triskeliongirl]

How do you guys compare wool to fleece in terms of wamth? I do have some older fleece sweaters, and while bulkier perhaps thats the cheap way out of this for me.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, until I wore the shak, I thought I was allergic to wool. All the other wool sweaters I have make me itch, even with a silk or cotton layer directly on my skin. But something about the shak is different. So, if I am going to aquire a second wool sweater, help me decide between to smartwool rouett and the ibex organic sweater. While the organic sweater is very expensive, its also reduced more so is it a better 'value' or is that just how they fool you into spending more $ than you should really spend on this stuff???

Merino wool from merino sheep has the finest texture of any sheep wool and so is the softest and least itchy of all sheep wool. Many people who find regular wool too itchy can comfortably wear merino wool.
When a product says "wool", it usually means sheep wool. "Wool blend" means wool mixed with other fabric fibers that are not wool. Fabrics with names like "Woolicious" or "Wooltastic" are usually blends with only part wool. I once laughed because my dopey brother was bragging to everyone about his "genuine Cashmaire" scarf, which actually was about 20% cashmere and 80% polyester. If it's alpaca or cashmere or angora (wool not from sheep but from other animals), it will usually say so. And if it's 100% merino wool, it usually says so because that's something they'd want to brag about.

In terms of warmth, fleece is pretty darned good, a good price, and certainly easy to wash. It does not breathe quite as well as wool though, so it does not regulate your body at an even temperature when moving between hot and cold. Wool also takes sweat off your skin and evaporates it out so you feel drier, also wool does not get stinky like man made fabrics do. But yeah I have some fleece things that I love.

[Triskeliongirl]

OK. I am starting to get it. So, even though the shak appears to be thin, its really warm because its a tightly woven wool knit, right? Does that also mean that a base layer like the "Kate" http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...=Kate-17.5-L/S
would be warmer than say silk long underwear? If I paired a Kate with a shak, how warm would I be?

Why all the questions. Well, after work I went to that local outdoor store that I just found out carries Ibex and Smartwool. It was nice to see and try on this stuff. My first observation was that in general, I thought the quality of the Ibex was better than the quality of the smartwool. I was able to try on the smartwool Routt and didn't like either the color (it is more oatmeal than heather) or fit (arms were very baggy more like a jacket than a sweater), AND the zipper was broken on it. I also realized that the shak is a lot softer than the carrie hoodie, so a lot of variation within the line. It just made me all the more pleased with my shak. But then they had on sale some base layers, these 'Kates' so I bought 2 at 50% off. But they still have tags on so they can be returned. I want a sense of how warm they are gonna be from you guys. The clerk at the store said they would be no warmer than the silk long underwear I have already, but I thought tightly woven wool would be more insulating? She thought for going up north I needed something called capilene 4 but I didn't like it. I also thought the Kates would be good as a base if I wanna cycle in my shak, and I can always put my terry thermal vest over that (on or off bike) to add another layer. What do the wool weenies think? Is the Kate a keeper or return? It also really changed my opinion of wool. As I said, I thought I couldn't wear it next to my skin but this stuff felt soft as silk. It looks so pretty it can be worn alone (unlike my 20 year old silk LLbean underwear) too, prettier than at the website pic.

I tried to stop the order on the organic wool sweater based on Lisa's remarks, but it had already shipped. The women on the phone indicated that it runs small, and if the full zip shak fit me in small but without a lot of room for layers that the M in the organic really should do what I want it to. She also said while its not merino wool, its a very soft wool that can be worn next to the skin, and a really lovely piece. She assured me I can return it if I don't like it, but sounds like maybe it will be a keeper.

But this is it. No more buying anymore wool for me!