AHHHHHHH.
This is MUCH better.
I got home from my shift and found the house chilly, which
is not unusual for Dakota Long Dark months.
The difference is that this time my feet were already
chilled because I’d just worn my lightweight little work shoes and lightweight
socks – and the ground is cold with freezing slush. Rather than search for my
fuzzy pajama pants and slippers and take the time to warm them on a heater, I quickly
cut out and stitched together a pair of snug woolen plaid breeks that fit like
they were made for me (ha, imagine that) and grabbed the pair of thick felted
wool sock boots Marian made for me, pulled them up over the narrow legs of the
pants about to my knees.
Immediate warmth.
I kid you not.
And so, on this night, I breathe a heart-felt (and foot-felt)
thank you to Sidhelagh and Danann and all the others who made me think it might
not be a a bad idea, and who gave me the confidence to give it a try. After all, if it worked for them why would it
not work for me as well? If they could do it why can’t I? And so I did – and now
I am snugly warm instead of shivering.
Yes I could have just slipped on the pair I already had made
but those are my dress whites, not to be worn just around the house simply
because I’ve taken a chill.
So … fold the fabric and snip snip for about a minute and
stitch stitch for another five, turn ‘em right side out, and put them on.
Amazing.
I’m wearing a belted sweater with them at the moment because
it was right there, but these match the saffron tunic so I reckon that’s what I’ll
wear with them generally. There’s a fringed end piece left over that will work
great for a belt, and the other end (also fringed, which I used for the bottoms
of the legs - the fringes are tucked into the boots now but if I wear shoes or
low slippers or whatever instead, the bottom fringes of the legs will be
showing) … anyway … the narrow legs didn’t take up the whole of that end fringe
so there’s enough left to make fringed forearm cuffs too. If I feel like it I can
take another of the scraps to make a headband just to pull the whole look
together.
One little plaid stadium or car blanket from the Thrift Shop
that cost me a buck or two has turned into an outfit that I think I’m going to
like a lot.
The sock boots and matching arm cuffs cost me more, but are
absolutely well worth it; they’re going to be used with a LOT of outfits.
I need to get foot-pads and leather stitched onto the
bottoms, a task that will take maybe a whole ten minutes since I already have what
I need right here on hand – then they’ll be good to go.
Ha.
Now that my legs are warmed up I turned the tops of the boots
down; now they’re short cuffed boots!
I’ll take better photos … I just wanted to see what they
look like!
These sock boots are actually a better match for my plain brown
breeks, and I’ll probably wear the black ones with these plaid ones – but I’ll
tell you what: right now they’re keeping my feet toasty warm so who cares if
the browns aren’t a perfect match?! The black ones will look just like these.
And I’ll tell you something else: for next winter I’m going
to commission Marian to make me a pair of thigh-highs. These Dakota Long Darks
are nothing to sneeze at – they’re COLD. And coastal or not, Dunnottar is even
further north than Dakota. Those winds off the North Sea have to be brutal. Those
guys better add even more trees and shrubs to that windbreak I think.
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