It's Autumn . . .
Oh yes. It really is. More and more chilly - I hear the furnaces cut on and off pretty regularly now, and it's not even two weeks into October. The longest I can ever remember going without a winter coat was October 14th. I think that was 1994 or 1995.
There are leaves on the ground (lots of wind here lately) - and the trees are turning. With all the rain we've had this year, they are already bordering on spectacular. Golds, browns, yellow, still some green, and that amazing red that the Sumac (don't touch!) and Maples turn. I love Chicago in the autumn. Oh let's face it - I love Chicago any old time :-)
I had to break out my winter coat one day this week - it was 43 degrees out - just too cold to walk to the train in my raincoat. Of course it was 60 by the time I left the office for home, so I was carrying it over my arm. I heard that there might be snow mixed with rain at some point this weekend. :-S Yikes! That's early.
I have a new coat this winter. Actually, it's an old coat and I'm reasonably sure it was my mom's. I found it in the front hall closet about a month ago. I'm trying to imagine her wearing it - but I have no memory of her in it. It's quite long, which makes me think that she might not have worn it much, but it's perfect for me.
I have a theory about winter coats. I think you should get a new dress coat every 10 years. In other words, spend a substantial amount of money and get a really good coat in a classic style that's going to hold up to 10 years of wear and fashion fads (classic style, people, classic style). I have one in the closet that's at least 20 years old. It's what used to be called a cigarette coat - long, broad shoulders tapering to a straight cut, black tweed, double breasted, and a deep V with a sheared lamb collar. Popular in the 80's but deeply classic. Really warm, too. I'm waiting for it to fit me again ;-D Maybe next winter . . .
My last coat was purchased in 2003. I had just come back from Southern California and my old winter coat was in tatters and it was too small (crap). So I got a new coat at Carson's. I've worn it every year since. It made it 6 years, and if it was not so seriously too big, I would continue to wear it for another 4. However, the wind just whips in under it and that's not functional for life in the Windy City (OK - I know, that's a political moniker, not a weather descriptor, but it just seemed to fit there :-) ). When a substantial portion of your commute is hoofing it across the Loop, it's all about the warm.
Being warm is key. Critical. Essential. Pick your adjective of choice. They are predicting another brutally cold winter here . . . I imagine the Industrial Strength Hat and Scarf will be getting a lot of wear this winter. So, anyway, this coat I found in the closet that I think was my mom's appears to be really warm and I like the cut of it - more of a swing coat with a standup collar. It flares out nicely from the shoulders and it's quite long. It could probably use one more button with my height, but it will do as it is. It's my new 10 year coat. We'll see how it does - I don't know how many years it already has on it from my mom. But I like it and if it's as warm and it appears it will be, I think I have a winner.
Another yarn trade made - the Granatapfel that I traded for the Wollmeise lace arrived yesterday. OMG it's perfect and I wish I had enough of it to make a sweater. So beautiful. Speaking of sweaters . . . I'm wearing the pink one that no one but me likes. It lives now in my office and it's too big. But man, is it warm . . . ;-D
There are leaves on the ground (lots of wind here lately) - and the trees are turning. With all the rain we've had this year, they are already bordering on spectacular. Golds, browns, yellow, still some green, and that amazing red that the Sumac (don't touch!) and Maples turn. I love Chicago in the autumn. Oh let's face it - I love Chicago any old time :-)
I had to break out my winter coat one day this week - it was 43 degrees out - just too cold to walk to the train in my raincoat. Of course it was 60 by the time I left the office for home, so I was carrying it over my arm. I heard that there might be snow mixed with rain at some point this weekend. :-S Yikes! That's early.
I have a new coat this winter. Actually, it's an old coat and I'm reasonably sure it was my mom's. I found it in the front hall closet about a month ago. I'm trying to imagine her wearing it - but I have no memory of her in it. It's quite long, which makes me think that she might not have worn it much, but it's perfect for me.
I have a theory about winter coats. I think you should get a new dress coat every 10 years. In other words, spend a substantial amount of money and get a really good coat in a classic style that's going to hold up to 10 years of wear and fashion fads (classic style, people, classic style). I have one in the closet that's at least 20 years old. It's what used to be called a cigarette coat - long, broad shoulders tapering to a straight cut, black tweed, double breasted, and a deep V with a sheared lamb collar. Popular in the 80's but deeply classic. Really warm, too. I'm waiting for it to fit me again ;-D Maybe next winter . . .
My last coat was purchased in 2003. I had just come back from Southern California and my old winter coat was in tatters and it was too small (crap). So I got a new coat at Carson's. I've worn it every year since. It made it 6 years, and if it was not so seriously too big, I would continue to wear it for another 4. However, the wind just whips in under it and that's not functional for life in the Windy City (OK - I know, that's a political moniker, not a weather descriptor, but it just seemed to fit there :-) ). When a substantial portion of your commute is hoofing it across the Loop, it's all about the warm.
Being warm is key. Critical. Essential. Pick your adjective of choice. They are predicting another brutally cold winter here . . . I imagine the Industrial Strength Hat and Scarf will be getting a lot of wear this winter. So, anyway, this coat I found in the closet that I think was my mom's appears to be really warm and I like the cut of it - more of a swing coat with a standup collar. It flares out nicely from the shoulders and it's quite long. It could probably use one more button with my height, but it will do as it is. It's my new 10 year coat. We'll see how it does - I don't know how many years it already has on it from my mom. But I like it and if it's as warm and it appears it will be, I think I have a winner.
Another yarn trade made - the Granatapfel that I traded for the Wollmeise lace arrived yesterday. OMG it's perfect and I wish I had enough of it to make a sweater. So beautiful. Speaking of sweaters . . . I'm wearing the pink one that no one but me likes. It lives now in my office and it's too big. But man, is it warm . . . ;-D
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