Sometimes it’s hard to let go of our favourite spring/summer jackets, even if there are completely unsuitable for winter. Layering thick jumpers underneath tight/lightweight jackets adds bulk and creates a deeply unflattering shape, and wearing flimsy layers underneath lightweight jackets means that you’re likely to freeze during the cold winter months…so what’s the solution?

It’s easy, wear thin warm layers! You can still wear a cool outfit underneath your jacket and look stylish once you’ve shedded your layers.

What type of layers should you wear?

Fleece

Ok so fleeces aren’t in vogue right now, but they do the job when it comes to keeping you warm and can actually (with a bit of clever styling) look pretty cool and urban. Uniqlo sell a fantastic range of fleeces which are also very reasonably priced. They provide a great way of adding colour to your outfit…try clashing a fuscia pink hooded fleece with a patterned/animal print scarf for an up-to-date look.

Wool

One of the warmest fabrics available, wool is guaranteed to keep you toasty this winter. Even if you’re going somewhere where you need to look glam, you can still get away with wearing wool – try throwing a cute woollen cardigan over a girly dress or a bright coloured knitted jumper over a pair of smart trousers. Even if the jumper/cardigan doesn’t match your outfit it doesn’t really matter – as soon as you reach your venue, you’ll be striping off your layers anyway! M&S do some great wool jumpers in a range of styles and colours.

Thermal

Thermal vests aren’t just for old people and explorers! You’ll find an abundance of surprisingly pretty thermal vests on the high street which could almost be worn on their own. Get into the habit of wearing a fine thermal vest underneath your jumper and you’ll be guaranteed to feel all cosy and warm

It is a cold and awkward day here in London, and I am huddling under blankets. Soon I will watch Mamma Mia on DVD, but for now I am opening my imaginary calendar, whose Tardis-like properties impress me greatly, and finding this delightful jumper. Why don’t I own a sequinned jumper? There is a hole in my wardrobe where this item should be, in a world where everything is fair.

S

***EDIT*** The jumper is from Joseph at My Wardrobe and if you want to spend £420 on it and send it to me via SendSocial, feel free.

This Friday I will endure a new experience. For the first time in my relatively young life, I will undertake what is called a “Twelve Pubs of Christmas”. Boyfriend has done Twelve Pubs for years; in theory it sounds fun. I’ve decided to have a go for myself.

My friends intend visiting twelve pubs in six hours. It doesn’t take Einstein to figure this is going to be messy. Generally, one should consume one unit of alcohol per hour. This festive pub crawl intends for the attendants to consume one unit every half hour. To make matters worse we have been instructed to wear “Christmas Jumpers”. Naturally, some goers will not be outdone. I’ve been informed one of my friends is wearing lights; does she intend bringing a battery?

I have two days to throw a pile of Christmas tack together as an ensemble. I’ll have to get the thinking cap on. Suggestions are most welcome.

Modern funky threads with an urban twist! Our product lines include Jeans, Trousers, T-shirts, Shirts, Jackets, Sweats, Hoodies, Jumpers, Long Sleeve Tops, Shoes and Accessories

www.blueinkco.com.uk

I am hoping this gorgeous self-patterning yarn from Sirdar (Denim DK) hides the mistakes. My first attempt at cable. At least this will be on the back, and I am consoling myself that it will look better after it has been blocked.

I keep changing my mind about the self-patterning yarn and the 3-D pattern, is it too much? or actually nice? Hmmm.

Call it a jumper or a romper it doesn’t change the fact that I want one ASAP.  At 5′1” I’ve deemed myself a little too petite for this look but I’m willing to try it anyways.  During winter my legs are mandatorily put into tights by the corporate powers above (and honestly no one wants to see how pale I really am) so I am thinking my new romper will be styled with tights, Tory Burch ballet flats (you try running around a sales floor in heels), and a cute cardi.

Reformed Rabbit Jumper: $78

The longer leg may help prevent me from looking as short as I really am..

Silence & Noise: $68

Celebrity Inspiration:

Nicole Richie in Alexander McQueen a la WhoWhatWear

Rihanna

As seen in this month’s Glamour, and on famous bodies everywhere, the jumpsuit (sometimes known as the jumper)  is becoming more and more popular. For those of you who watch the Tyra Banks show (I’m totally addicted!), you might remember seeing her wearing them all the time a while back. But it can be hard to wear a jumper right, and since they’re so new, it’s hard to decipher hot from not, so look below for some examples.

The chunky belt makes this jumpsuit hot! (Not to mention the body wearing it, love you Tyra!

The crazy p.j. pattern and non existent waist made this jumpsuit a not.

The sexy back and cleavage (not to mention a waist) makes this jumpsuit on Gwyneth Paltrow, a major hot.

The thin and short leg on this jumpsuit makes this a not!

Oh and I <3 the romper too!

Nicole Richie looks fabulous in this black romper, but then again, who doesn't?

So look fabulous this winter, and now that you know what’s hot and what’s not, look fabulous in a jumper!

So pretty, and a do-able for 48 pounds.

To find out more, click here.

I took my chemistry-with-hard-sums exam last week.  Now I have no studying for a couple of months, until my next course starts in February (although I may do a little light reading in preparation for it).   Even though my chemistry studies are over for this year, I still have plenty of new things to learn.  I’ve cast on for my bountiful bohus cardigan.  This features a couple of techniques I’ve not done before – short row shaping and steeks.

I have done short rows before, but not for shaping a garment.  The pattern does give some shapings but I’m going to recalculate my own, as well as tweaking other parts of the shaping, using my hard-won mad algebra skillz. If  I can apply the steady state approximation and understand the Langmuir adsorption isotherm then I can damn well work out where to put a couple of bust darts.

Steeks, though! Steeks are a different story.  You want me to cut my knitting?  I think I’d rather derive some more kinetic equations, thanks.  Cut. My.  Knitting! ?  This is terrifying.  But I know lots of knitters who have done it and survived, and they assure me it’s not that difficult but even so, I’m scared.  But ’tis a long way off yet.  I have started with the sleeves, by way of checking my tension calculations (my yarn is knitting up looser than the pattern so I am following the instructions for a smaller size).   I’ve made the sleeves narrower than the pattern has them – I already have one cardigan with big sleeves, don’t really need another.

I did finally finish my summer school shawl, and wore it during my exam – it gets quite cool in the exam hall after 2 or 3 hours sitting still.

pattern: Litla Dimun by Cheryl Oberle (from ‘Folk Shawls‘)
yarn: Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Yarn, shade 1403 (the red is slightly deeper/darker than it shows in these photos)
needles: 4 mm

I love the finished shawl, the Faroese shape really does stay on well. And I love the yarn, in all its crispness and slight roughness. This feels like the kind of shawl my great grandmothers would have worn. Airy lace and softy delicate yarns are good for dressing up, but this is an honest, everyday working shawl.  Although I wear it for working in  the library, rather than the fields or mills.  Ah, which reminds me …

I kniktted this ‘U’ for the Poetry Society’s Knitted Poem.  They asked you to tell them your favourite poem.  One of mine is Digging by Seamus Heaney

But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.

Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I’ll dig with it.

He is all settled in and happily eating everything he can reach. It was quite chilly here today and I didn’t get a chance to get unsheeted pictures. He is quite affectionate, and really took a shine to Kevin (husband). Like many TBs, he’s a bit ticklish about getting groomed but loves a good scratch. He unloaded like a champ, was a little restive standing around in a new area, and after a good look at his new stall, began to relax quickly.

I noticed already that he’s bigger than he looks! Lots of leg and I’m pretty sure he’s going to go up at least a blanket size when I get some muscle and condition on him

Figuring out the auto-waterer

yeeesssss?

Look at those ears!!

I’m really excited about this guy’s future.  Now just gotta figure out a barn name.

I am drooling over the imagery in the promo photos for Dear Creatures autumn ‘09 line of clothing. In an homage to all things campy and retro, they have recreated iconic imagery from Girl Scouts of the 1960s to showcase their fall/winter duds. The adorably kitschy woodland aesthetic works so well as a backdrop against fun, uniform-inspired clothing. In a nod to mod, they’ve captured the best of classic ’60s beauty: thick black cat-eyes, voluminous hair, and flawless porcelain skin. Tons of images after the jump!

And because I absolutely fell in love with these images the moment I saw them, I had to repost some of the images from Dear Creatures Autumn ‘08 collection. Again, ’60s-style beauty steals the spotlights of these soft-focused, grainy black-and-white photos: full, glossy lips; thick-yet-impeccably-groomed brows; impossibly voluminous, teased hair; heavy black liner; and a thick fringe of lashes. Stunning.

Be sure to check out Dear Creatures website; there’s so much more to look at!

The benefits of manual therapies like massage are not limited to the high performance equine athlete. In fact, the pleasure/trail horse enjoys a more direct benefit than the horse in active training.

Like the human weekend warrior, the trail or pleasure horse has periods of inactivity interspersed with periods of exertion- for example, if an owner rides primarily on the weekends or even 2-3 times per week. While turnout can account for some physical activity, it does not aid in developing suppleness or even muscle tone. This makes the pleasure horse uniquely vulnerable to muscle imbalance.

Muscle imbalance occurs between tonic and phasic muscles. Tonic muscles are those responsible for postural control, balance and coordination. Phasic muscles are those responsible for creating movement. Inactivity frequently results in a decrease of suppleness and flexibility. Just like with people, a horse without an exercise routine becomes stiff and out of shape. This initiates a vicious cycle where the tonic muscles experience overload becoming tight and shortened. The resulting stiffness increases weakness in the phasic muscles, putting even more stress on the tonic muscles.

While many horses will never experience a catastrophic injury as a result of muscle imbalance, it contributes significantly to the risk of lameness and joint inflammation, especially as a horse ages. Preventing and minimizing muscle imbalance can assist in extending a horse’s working life.

For the pleasure horse, muscle imbalance sets up an increased risk of injury. When a relatively inactive horse is asked to exercise (whether in an arena or on a trail ride), the weakened phasic muscles are easily overloaded. Shortened, tight tonic muscles are more quickly fatigued, reducing coordination and balance. This can be particularly hazardous when trail riding over uneven terrain as the horse is less able to correct or catch itself in the case of a trip or stumble. Even without a stumble, a horse exercised once or twice a week is vulnerable to the intermittently overloaded phasic muscles causing inflammation of the joints they move.

Bodywork can be a powerful tool in minimizing the effects of muscle imbalance for the pleasure horse. Massage and stretching can reduce the tightness in the tonic muscles and stimulate circulation in the in the weaker phasic muscles. In relieving the tightness of the shortened tonic muscles, bodywork prevents the protective, guarded movements that result in short strides, a hollow back and inverted head carriage. Regular bodywork can assist the pleasure horse owner in preserving the health, soundness and comfort of an important partner. Owners can be proactive in this process by committing to a regular program of stretching both on the ground and under saddle to preserve suppleness and minimize muscle imbalance.

Remember Pippi Longstocking? Like the colorful girls before her and after her (Annie, Punky Brewster) she lived a hard life as well. But she was so full of hope, wonder, and optimism, and imagination. Pippi didn’t let life get to her, and it showed in her clothing. She would wear large jumper dresses with colorful stockings and boots. Even though she was a tomboy, she had a girly side to her. (And we can’t forget that hair!) But she gives us hope when we watched her, and that’s what we all need…Especially in this rough economy.

The Look for Less from The Fashion Guru:

Bib Denim Shirtdress by Pepinnery, $59.00 at www.shopruche.com

Tie Dye Boot by Doc Martens, $103 at www.brownfashion.com

Frill Hem Jumper Dress, $31.00 at www.yesstyle.com

Women’s Stripe Waffle Tees, $10 at www.oldnavy.com

Rose Colored Tights, $30 at www.modcloth.com

Vintage Doct Martens Flower Boots, $75 at www.vintage70sclothing.com

I know these aren’t cheap, but they’re perfect!!!!!

Timberland Lucille Lace Up Boots, $290.00 at www.timberland.com

Bounce houses party rentals inflatble movie screens residential and commercial www.thepartyonthebeach.com come on lets party football ufc we have it covered

Bounce houses party rentals inflatble movie screens residential and commercialwww.thepartyonthebeach.com  any occasion big or small we have what your event needs and wants contact us today at www.thepartyonthebeach.com

It’s that time of year to snuggle up with your knitting. Although I happily knit all year long, now the jumpers I have been working on are starting to get more necessary. Still trying to finish the three jumpers. Since the baby boy booties made in May, I have only managed to finish another pair of baby booties (pattern image for booties and matching cardigan in Sirdar book).

Yesterday frogged the Rowan cotton braid jumper so I can re-make this for Spring/Summer 2010.

This empire waist jumper has spring written all over it.  A faux button-closure waistband gives way to a peek-a-boo pleat of bright fabric.  Trimmed with pretty eyelet lace.

2T – 5T

Fully lined.  Empire waist.  Orange button closure.

$48.00

Machine wash with like colors.  Tumble dry low.

Need a jumper for fall?  This little jumper is perfect with a soft corduroy skirt.  It would be darling paired with tights and a cozy turtleneck.

3 months – 24 months

Olive and blue print, lined bodice, olive medium whale corduroy skirt, and light green ribbon waistband.  Brown button closure.

$40.00

Machine wash cold with like colors.  Tumble dry low.  Only iron corduroy skirt with a pressing cloth.

This is a sweet little sun dress in a purple floral and stripe.  Lined bodice with a gathered skirt.  Button straps.

From 3 months -12 months

$35.00 each

Machine wash cold with like colors.  Tumble dry low.