WoolWeenies Club

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My favorite (not most irreplacable though) clothing item to wear these days is my Ibex Cortina loden merino vest in Apple Green. I want to wear it almost every day! The apple green wool makes me feel good.

Trisk- we were mulberry ribbie sisters today!

[Crankin]

Trisk, I really don't think you need a down coat for Boston. Northern N.H., maybe. The temperature varies so much. The normal winter daytime temp is usually 25-38. I think prima loft with other layers underneath would be sufficient. I have a wool dress coat that's fine and a regular EMS parka type thing for regular wear. I use a Go lite jacket over my layers of fleece, wool, and silk when I'm x country skiing, snow shoeing, hiking. Some of the layers come off when it's in the 40s.
So even though the nighttime temperatures are in the teens or single digits now, the days are around 30. Just gt good gloves and a hat!
Robyn

Sorry your daughter got sick! This is the first winter I haven't had bronchitis, since I moved here. Maybe since I'm not around those nasty kids anymore...

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks for the advice Robin. My sister told me she wears a primaloft coat. The third type I ordered is one of the 3 in 1 style parkas with a zip out fleece. Do you think this would be warm enough? It does have the advantage as a travel coat of versatility.

[Crankin]

If you think the 3 in 1 would meet more travel needs, then buy it. The fleece lining will keep you warm enough, especially with a wool piece underneath. Is it a long coat? It really helps to have the legs at least partially covered, esp. if you have to wear a dress.

[Triskeliongirl]

Thanks Robin. I really appreciate the help. Actually in view of your comments I stopped the order cuz I have a very old Columbia 3 in 1 ski parka that while its a bit large on me (its a medium and I am now a small) with the waist cinched it looks fine (and I think sizes have changed over the years) and its probably better quality than the new stuff I ordered (breathable waterproof, high tech features, etc.). It is long (32"), which I like, sometimes an advantage of Mediums over Smalls. The zip in fleece liner is too big on me, but if I just layer one of my old small fleeces over my ibex shak and ibex ribbie, I think I'll be just fine. I like this idea cuz it will be easier to adjust depending on the exact weather while I am there and my activity. The worst case scenario is I'll pick up something locally.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks Robin. I really appreciate the help. Actually in view of your comments I stopped the order cuz I have a very old Columbia 3 in 1 ski parka that while its a bit large on me (its a medium and I am now a small) with the waist cinched it looks fine (and I think sizes have changed over the years) and its probably better quality than the new stuff I ordered (breathable waterproof, high tech features, etc.). It is long (32"), which I like, sometimes an advantage of Mediums over Smalls. The zip in fleece liner is too big on me, but if I just layer one of my old small fleeces over my ibex shak and ibex ribbie, I think I'll be just fine. I like this idea cuz it will be easier to adjust depending on the exact weather while I am there and my activity. The worst case scenario is I'll pick up something locally.

I think this is a wise way to go. Despite what the locals might claim, Boston is actually not Antarctica!

How are you doing with your "itchy" mulberry ribbie? Have you slept in it with nothing under it yet? That's the test of fire....

[Triskeliongirl]

Well Lisa, while I have not slept in yet, I am wearing it again today and it does not bother my skin. I tend to not sleep in long undies so not sure I'll ever do that! Itchy is the wrong word. Textured perhaps is a better word, in contrast to my kate that feels like silk on my skin. BUT I have worn it for 2.5 days straight with nothing on under it, so that says something! Thanks so much Lisa for teaching me about layering. I think my ibex, coupled with my old LLbean fleece, silk, and columbia shell, give me every possible combo I'll need! I also plan to bring my goretex bottoms just in case it snows. They too are medium, but that means I can layer them over jeans or dress pants as needed.

[KnottedYet]

I wore a nice thick cotton turtleneck Thursday. Y'know, the kind that seem more like a sweater than a mere shirt? I was miserably chilled. I put on my office sweater (cotton sweater that lives in my office) AND my Mountain Hardware fleece, but I was still clammy and chilled.

When I got home at the end of the day I finally realized it was because I wasn't wearing wool! I've been wearing wool against my skin every day for so much of this winter that cotton felt clammy! I immediately put on my Ibex Qu-T and Ibex Switchback and felt muuuuuch better.

[mimitabby]

Knot, you need a woolen office sweater!!!

do you have snow yet today?

[KnottedYet]

Yup, we had snow, but it melted.

I'm wearing a wool t-neck and my Switchback and wool long undies and wool socks. Wool on my skin is niiiiice.

Edit: wandering through Terry's sale pages http://www.terrybicycles.com/detail.html?item_no=5134

[RTW]

Hi RTW, and welcome to our forum and thanks for all the great info on the Icebreaker line. I don't even mind the raglan sleees or flatlock stictching, I just wish they didn't put the racing stripes on. I like stuff thats multi-functional, and the racing stripes just put it over too much into the sporty category for me.

Why don't you introduce yourself in the getting to know you thread?

Thanks for the welcome! Actually, I'm such a newbie that I'm not sure I'm ready for a self-introduction post -- I know much more about wool than biking (which is why I'm here and not on the get-to-know-you thread). But I did just make a couple of purchases that I think might be the beginning of a more bike-intensive phase: I got two bright reflective vests (one for day, one for night; both necessary since my clothing color of choice is basic black), and just today at the REI garage sale, I snagged a pair of Shimano Sport Shoes for <$20 — someone apparently returned them because there was a light mark on the toe box of one shoe. So when (if?) I ever try cleats, I'll be prepared.

OK, that post had nothing about wool. Now back to our regularly scheduled programing...

[Crankin]

OK, you guys are getting to me. When I was in Vermont, I saw my first "Shak" full zip. Not on sale and not my size. I signed up on the Ibex site for the free Shak contest. I've seen a few half zips on sale, but I really didn't feel like spending the $.
Today I went wool crazy. I ordered an Icebreaker sweater, 2 long sleeved wool base layers, and 2 short sleeve base layers from STP. All before 8 AM.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Save some money for when we meet up at the Arcadian Shop next weekend! They have Kates and shaks and Carrie Hoodies and everything!

[Crankin]

Well, I got 10% off of all of the stuff, which was already deeply discounted. Steve got a hooded sweatshirt, and we got free shipping. I think I ended up paying 65.00 for the Icebreaker, which is about half price.

I am coming with all credit cards in hand next Sunday!

[Triskeliongirl]

Well, my last package came today, and I am SO SPOILED BY my Ibex I just finished packing it up and sending it all back.

With that being said, its not awful or anything, I just didn't *LOVE* it. I ordered the sale merino wool t-necks, and I just didn't care for the quality or fit. I didn't like the way the sleeves and bottom are unfinished. I didn't like the way the bottom rolls up when tucked in. On me, the sleeves were a tad short, the overall length a tad long for tucking into normal waisted pants (size S). The machine stitching just didn't look as solid as on my ibex, and I worried how they'd hold up to washing (state dry clean only), and they looked sort of frumpy on me. I was also annoyed that one item shipped in the wrong color just rolled up in a plastic bag like it had just come back from a return. I also thought LLbean had better quality, but maybe that's the bean stuff I still have from a different time. On the plus side, I will say the wool was soft, and while lightweight as described not paper thin.

So, with all my posts what did I end up KEEPING (all Ibex, bought either at my local 50% off sale, uncle dan's or online ibex outlet):

2 full zip shaks, 1 thistle heather and 1 black
4 kates, 2 black and 2 green
1 mulberry ribbie
1 pair knee warmers
1 pair arm warmers

Everything I kept mixes and matches with stuff I have already to give a lot of different looks with a min. number of travel pices, and works well on or off the bike, and can be paired with casual or professional pieces.

I stuck to my promise to only buy ibex on sale, and the damage on return postage wasn't awful with the return mailers both sierra and llbean provide. Well worth it to me to try on all this stuff in the convenience of my own home!

So, now that I've had a chance to see a lot of stuff, I would rank Ibex > Icebreaker > Bean. At this point I think I have enough wool to last a good long time, but if and when I need wool again, its Ibex on sale all the way!

In terms of sizing I would say Ibex runs a tad smaller than Icebreaker and Bean. I would say Ibex's smalls are really 4-6 smalls while the others are more like 6-8 smalls.