WoolWeenies Club

[Triskeliongirl]

Well I am *very impressed* with my Kate. I did manage to get out of bed and go to work. I started with the Kate as my base, a light silk/cotton blend T-neck and my shak, and wool pants, but then I spilled some egg on the shak, and by the time I removed the stain, I decided the garment was too wet to wear so I just left it home drying. I found an old wool ski sweater, its 20 years old and while it doesn't say merino wool its also a very tight non-sratchy weave (got it in europe). It would itch me with just a silk base layer (somehow the wool fibers would get through the holes in the silk and irritate my skin) but so far I am very comfy paired with the Kate and T-neck. And I can't believe that I can wear wool on my skin, but the kate is that ultrafine merino wool.

My upper body was toasty warm even in my cold underheated house. But, I was cold on my lower body, even with wool pants, so I put on an old pair of terry drifit cycling tights as a base, with the old very thin chamois, and again I am toasty warm. But, maybe this means I do need to think about some Ibex base layers for my bottom. I am not gonna run out and pay full price, but what pieces do you gals recommend and I will watch the sales. Also, do you think light weight or mid weight are best for base layers? My idea is they will double for everyday use and active sports?

[Triskeliongirl]

Ooh, wouldn't this look great in thistle over my thistle shak and kate: http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...uct=Bella-Vest

While I like Lisa's idea to double shak it, its too late since I bought my full zip shak in small and not medium. But with the kate base, the full zip shak in small, and I am guessing this vest in medium, I should be toasty warm, right? But, not sure, even on sale its still a lot of money and I may have enough pieces for now. And, I do have my nice terry vest, so I don't really *need* this piece, but wouldn't it look nice in the same color as the shak?

I also hesitate cuz now I understand what boucle means, its the weave and I did find the carrie hoodie too scratchy which is boucle, although once I tried it on with the kate underneath I was fine.

[Triskeliongirl]

Hmmm, I started looking at bottoms. I like both the roaster boxer and the long Janes. Any comments on these pieces, advantages of boxer vs full length, etc. Do the boxers ride up? (I have some from VS that do and it annoys me). These are mid weight. Some reviews of the lighter stuff like the woolies say they get holes easily.

[KathiCville]

I don't know about the Ibex boxers, but the pair of Smartwool boxers I have DO ride up...a little. (Probably more to do with my anatomy than any design flaw in the boxers! ) I find that I don't wear them much--NOT because they ride up, but because I usually wear long thermals if it's realllllly cold.

I nabbed a great pair of Ibex wool tights with a windblocker facing on the front on sale on a ski shop website about two months ago for $85 (regularly $130 or so). LOVE them! (No name for the style; I think they were probably from a few seasons ago.).......And I also have a pair of Terry's good winter tights (bought at the 1/2 price sale a couple of months ago). Both are so warm that neither seems to require another layer underneath, at least down to, say, 25F. In fact, they can be *too* warm, so I only put them on when the thermometer is definitely below 35 and likely to stay that way during the ride.

I do have one pair of light, long Smartwool bottoms, but I only wear those under hiking pants now that I have the two seriously warm tights mentioned above. They would probably work very nicely under a pair of my loose tights, but I prefer a one-layer approach for my legs. Funny, 'cause I love multiple layers on the top half!

My BF teases me that I have clothing combos for EVERY conceivable temperature and precipitation! AND I carry back-ups in my truck "just in case" I leave something at home.

[Triskeliongirl]

I must confess. I did it, AGAIN, I made ANOTHER Ibex order. But I did restrain myself. I removed ALL ITEMS from the cart that I didn't really need or weren't on sale before hitting the submit order button. And those were a lot of items! I removed that pretty vest in the same color as my shak, cuz I have vests and don't like the boucle weave. I removed the pretty cyling jersey on sale that matches my bike, cuz I have enough cycling jerseys. I removed the tights that weren't on sale cuz my drifit tights really do work as a lower body base. So what did I order?:

Ibex Knee and Arm Warmers. They were great prices and I really did NEED them. And one more base, this time a mid-weight. The mulberry ribbed crew: http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...t=Ribbies-Crew

I liked that this is mid-weight, heavier than the light weight Kate, and let me see if my skin can tolerate the 18.5 micron wool as well as the finer 17.5 of my Kate. I also thought it would like nice with my charcoal gray wool suit at my DC meeting.

I really want a zepher, but not till it goes on sale! I am also now realizing what a great bargain the organic sweater was, seemed really expensive when I made the order, but now that I understand this stuff, I can't wait until it arrives. I promise a review for all!

[Triskeliongirl]

Here is another item I put in my cart but stopped myself from ordering, cuz I don't need anymore shorts. But if you do and wear a size small its a good deal:

http://www.westhillshop.com/index.as...ROD&ProdID=235

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have a couple of those ribbies too...in Sand color and blue Larkspur (a no longer available color). They are NICE, and make great base layers. Thicker and warmer than the lightweight base layers like the Woolies and SW microweight. They have teeny tiny ribbing. But the cuffs do make them look a bit like long johns. I love them, and they are a good price at $55. I almost got one of those same mulberry color the other day, Triskellion! The Sand is a nice sort of pebble color. (Don't confuse them with the light weight LW Ribbies, also on sale right now.)

As for bottoms....
I have tried on the Ibex Loose Tights and had to send them back. They look so GREAT on my slender hipped friend, but awful on me with my hourglass type figure. They just don't drape right on me. I tend to look better in capris and leggings and tights rather than traditional pants.
I really lucked out last year with Ibex tights. At that time, they didn't yet have the new "Energy" tight: http://www.ibexwear.com/shop/Product...t=Energy-Tight
They had the Approach tight, which was the same as the energy tight but without the ankle zippers. Anyway, when they got the new Energy tights in, they put the Approach tights on sale last autumn from $120 to $60...and I grabbed them up! I got one for each of my two daughters and their girlfriends for Xmas, plus 2 for myself. My girls all wear theirs all the time now.
They are like the new Energy tight, a very heavy stretchy wool with a bit of spandex for stretch. I would say they are like stretchy shaks for the legs.
I just love mine, and wear them just like ski pants in the day or else I put a little black skirt over them....and I also wear them to sleep in at night, I love the wool-massage feeling they give my legs. Keep your eyes peeled in the Spring for when they put heavier winter stuff like the tights on sale.

I often wear one of my ribbies and my tights to sleep in. On less cold nights I'll wear a Woolie and the tights.
Wool is addictive in a wonderful way. It just makes me feel good all over.

[Triskeliongirl]

So, Lisa how was the sizing on the ribbed shirt? Do you have your standard medium? Is it dressy enough to wear by itself or only as an undershirt? I was definitely a small in the Kate and it even fits a tad loose but it is described as semi-fit whereas the ribbed shirt is described as fitted. I noticed this after I ordered, I hope the small is OK. My problem is that while I have a slender waist and hips, I have serious boobage (34D), but if the ribs stretch without pulling I'll be fine. I probably should have waited till morning and phoned the order in so I could chat with them about it. I just thought if I made the damn order already I could get wool off my mind and get back to work.

This wool thing is driving me crazy. WHO KNEW? This is not the same wool I tried to wear 20 years ago. In fact I am sitting here now in a 20 year wool sweater that is fine with a wool base, but itches me with a silk base. WHO KNEW? I even made a post on this thread a year ago that I was allergic to wool. Now I feel bad that I spent all that money on cotton stuff that won't keep me warm. It doesn't help that we are in the middle of our coldest days ever stuff (lows in the 30s). I actually think that its worse for me since my house lacks central heating, than being in a place where its cold all the time but at least the interiors are properly heated.

[KnottedYet]

Hmmm, I started looking at bottoms. I like both the roaster boxer and the long Janes. Any comments on these pieces, advantages of boxer vs full length, etc. Do the boxers ride up? (I have some from VS that do and it annoys me). These are mid weight. Some reviews of the lighter stuff like the woolies say they get holes easily.

I have 3 pair of Roaster Boxers and 1 pair of Long Janes. (the gray ones that match the Boxers)

The Boxers are my all-time favorite underwear for EVERYTHING. I love them! They do NOT ride up (unlike Smartwool) They are incredibly comfortable.

The Long Janes are a great weight (they are just long Boxers) and I wear them for running, biking, sleeping, and as long undies.

My boxers get washed after every wearing, and are going strong. The Janes get washed about once a week, no sign of problems. Even the inner thighs (where I always wear out fabric... my thighs are big from muscles, yeah, that's it...) have no thinning or pilling or friction damage.

[Triskeliongirl]

So do the boxers have seams, i.e. do you use them instead of panties or with panties?

[KnottedYet]

So do the boxers have seams, i.e. do you use them instead of panties or with panties?

They have a full gusset, so no seams in icky spots. I wear them as underwear/panties. I'm a boxer-brief gal, regular underwear just isn't comfortable and tends to creep around on my, umm, "voluptuous" hips. Out of about 6 different brands of women's boxer briefs I own, Ibex is the clear winner. I wear them winter and summer.

[Triskeliongirl]

OK, I have to fes up.

1. I started corresponding with Knotted about my wool needs *IN PRIVATE* cuz I was too emabarrased to admit it to the rest of you.

2. I ordered MORE WOOL. Yes, I said it, I *DID IT* but help, I *MUST STOP*. Some of it is prompted by our unseasonbable cold weather here. Club rides were cancelled, it was in the 20s in the Hill Country where our rides were supposed to start from this morning. I can't get the first floor of my house above 60, and thats with the gas radiator, stove and all burners lit. So, now you see, I just HAD to order more wool......... But it is a sickness, and I MUST STOP NOW.

3. I WILL return some of it. I actually do MEAN that cuz this time I double ordered some pieces in small and medium to try on. But, will I be able to return as much as I should???? I DON'T KNOW???? But, I will stick to my gotta really love it rule.

4. So, what did I order? What made me do it?

Everyday that I wear the few pieces I own I am amazed more and more. I never cycled in wool cuz I worried I would overheat, but now I get it. Instead of wearing clothes that make you cold for the first 10 minutes, and warm towards the end, WOOL ADJUSTS. It really does!! So, then I realized owning pieces that take me from cycling or other outdoor winter sports to everyday use is what I MUST DO.

I never used to buy cycling jerseys without back pockets, but then I realized that my screaming yellow PI Vagabound jacket, in either jacket or vest mode pairs perfectly over my shak, so voila, pockets AND visiblity are taken care of. If its raining, no problem, same thing with my screaming yellow Craft Rain Jacket. If its really cold, my terry headwind vest adds more warmth with pockets to boot. So what did I do? I ordered a second full zip shak on sale at Uncle Dans, this time in black. It also helped that the first one looked and fit so nice after laundering. I told myself that in return I will return the Ibex organic sweater when it comes, but if I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT, I *may* keep it. I ordered it in M to either layer over my S shak, or my heavy cotton sweaters, but then I realized I wouldn't need to do that if I ordered some mid-weight zip bases to put under, and I already have the terry headwind vest to put over if necessary. I also realized that I would rather have a sweater that I can cycle in or dress up in, than one for dress up only.

But, I couldn't find Ibex bases on sale in styles I liked, but I got a sierra trading post 20% off coupon yesterday so I ordered some zip T-necks in Icebreaker bodyfit 260 http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,...For-Women.html as well as the matching long janes: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,...For-Women.html , all with the wise counsel of Knotted via a lengthy PM exchange (thanks Knotted!). Now, is Knott a wool enabler or is Knott a WOOL ENABLER??? To quote from Knott: "Absolutely buy some Icebreaker! It's good stuff!" Let's say it, KNOTT IS A WOOL ENABLER.

I also ordered the base bottoms, cuz the thought of wearing cycling tights with chamois under my everyday clothes for a week in new england was just too unappealing. And now I don't need to buy a flannel nightgown either!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Woo-HOOOOO!

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks Lisa and Knotted for all that great info. Well the roaster boxers and energy tight are next on my list, but I will wait for them to go on sale. Lisa, you live near Boston, any stores in Boston/Cambridge I might check out for Ibex sales in February? (Lisa, did you know I also bought my titanium Isis at Harris Cyclery, they were the only shop that had one left in my size so I purchased it there on a trip to the cape).

I agree Lisa, I need time to wear the pieces I have just bought. Each day is a surprise. Like today, my shak was still wet on my drying rack from its first wash so I put my Kate on under a cotton ribbed henley, and found that I was amazingly warm even without another layer. How can something so THIN, give me so much warmth? The clerk in the store was so wrong, no wonder they ended up unsold and on the 50% off winter clearance rack. I bought the 2 black smalls they had, didn't buy the lime greens cuz wasn't sure that color would go with my clothes, but I am oh so tempted to go back for them..... But restraint, I already have the mid-weight ribbed crew on the way.

I always considered my shebeest drifit long sleeve cycling jerseys as my 'base' and then just cover them with my PI gavia jacket if its cold. But do you guys wear these wool bases under that kind of jersey? Also does anyone cycle in the energy tight? Do you need to size up if you want to put it over a cycling short w chamois? Is it warmer than say a shebeest or terry cycling tight (I have what terry calls the cool weather not cold weather tights). I do find my legs feel cold in them when the temp. drops below 40, which is probably why I don't ride in the 30s. If I ride I can put my goretex pants over them, but not really fond of riding in a pant.

[mimitabby]

Trisk, it's fun to watch you opening your packages.

I wear wool under winter jerseys, yes. The best of all worlds (in sub 40 degree weather) I wear a wool base layer with a lined zip up jersey on top followed by my raincoat (Showers pass)
This way I can unzip the raincoat and the jersey when necessary.