Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Scratch that Itch

Thursday, March 31, 2011

This sweater drove me NUTS all day long! I don't know why, but I thought it was made from some kind of soft material, and I ignored how it actually felt when I put it on (kind of picky) and didn't put on a shirt underneath -- not even a camisole.

sweater -- Preswick Moore Sport (thrifted)
skirt -- Anne Klein 
boots -- Dansko (outlet)

And all day long, it was pick, pick, pick ... I'm sure you know the feeling. And it was extra warm in my office, so my skin was on red alert, and super sensitive to the pick, pick, picking all day long. By the end of the day, I was so miserable -- I just wanted to scream. When I got home, I ripped off the sweater, and as it turned out, the sweater was 60% polyester, 21% acrylic, 16% MOHAIR, and another 3% WOOL. No wonder I was so miserable!


I have been a sewer all my life, and I was also a materials engineer. But you know, I didn't really know the difference between all these fibers. I had to look them up.
  • polyester is a polymer that contains the ester functional group in their main chain. Polyester typically refers to polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
  • acrylic is a polymer that contains at least 85% acrylonitrile monomer. Typical comonomers are vinyl acetate or methyl acrylate. Dupont created the first acrylic fibers in 1941 and trademarked them under the name "Orlon."
  • mohair is made from the hair of an Angora goat. It's one of the oldest textile fibers in use.
  • wool is obtained from sheep and other animals. Mohair is a form of wool.
Now that we all know the differences between the fibers (???). Actually I need to do some more research so I can better understand and explain the differences between acrylic and polyester?!

Anyway, suffice it to say that I think it was the wool and the mohair that made me so miserable in this sweater. 


I wasn't real happy with this outfit. I had such high hopes for it too -- the color seemed to be perfect for me. I thought that I was going to look like Northeastchic (a very cool lady!) in her Robin Redbreast post -- I think she actually inspired me to wear this outfit. But I couldn't pull it off. Maybe it was just more of a "fall" color (Northeastchic's colors were a lot brighter), and mine weren't quite right for the "spring?" For whatever reason, it just seemed dull and boring again. And I think I was overkill in the necklace department again.I haven't yet figured out what is the right way to balance my necklaces.

What do you think I could have done to jazz it up? Any ideas?

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for the kind words Kari! I'm like you with the sensitive skin, and can not do wool unless there is a layer underneath. As for the necklace dilemma - maybe try a longer necklace? I find that if the neck of my top is crewneck I go longer with jewlery, and if its a deeper v-neck I do a short necklace. The boots and skirt are a great jumping off point for many different looks. I think you look lovely - itchys notwithstanding.

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  2. Hi Kari -

    Thank you for stopping by my blog and commenting on my thighs. lol.

    To be honest, I think one of two things is going on with my thighs. One is that I don't have large thighs and I've just convinced myself that I do for whatever reason. Two is that I do in fact have large thighs and am fantastic at disguising that fact with my clothes. I like to think it's the latter because that would make me a styling genius.

    Truthfully, it's probably a combination of the two. I have very strong legs from years of running and now riding my bike. Are they as big as I think they are? Probably not, but they're not small either. Basically, they're manageable, but I like to mess with their heads by accusing them of rebelliousness.

    And you say you're sensitve about your thighs too, but you look nothing but slim and trim to me. I guess it's just hard to see yourself sometimes. Also, I can't believe anyone called you thunder thighs - they totally would have gotten pushed down if that were me.

    Enough about me and my thighs. I like this outfit - the proportions are great - but I understand what you mean about the colors not being quite bright enough for spring. I still like it though.

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  3. @northeastchic -- Maybe if I had just worn the black necklace, it would have been better. Today, I am all over the globe again with necklaces ... aggh. I don't know what it is with them. And I dunno -- I just felt dull as dirt.

    @Gracey -- hahaha ... I actually don't have a problem with my thighs anymore. But when I was in high school? An entirely different story. Oh my, did I hate my thighs. My thighs were big in proportion to the rest of me, and it was sort of like it was with button-down shirts -- if the pants fit my thighs, they gapped so bad in the waist that it was just horrible. If the pants fit my waist, then no way would I have been able to squeeze them up over my thighs ... The invention of stretch denim and low-rise pants were my salvation :-)

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  4. Count me in as your newest follower. I truly enjoy your humorous posts. I scrolled down and read a few extra. Interesting one on Elizabeth Taylor. Your peeking around the corner photos at work are the bomb! Or maybe that's the bomb.com as my kids would say. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving kind comments! I enjoy finding new blogs and meeting new bloggers.

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  5. scratchy scratchy sweaters are no fun! at least you didn't wear the scratchy sweater on monday when it was 75 degrees!

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  6. I like the color of the sweater...and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the manufactured fibers that proved to be the irritants. Did you get a rash from it?

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  7. @Debbie -- Thank you! It amazes me when people tell me that they find me funny. I feel like I ramble and that I'm all over the globe ... and that it takes me forever to get to the punchline! (sort of like now, for instance). Thank you for your comments :-). I liked the one of me peeking around the corner too, but then I had a hard time figuring out how to work it into my post! I ended up editing my post a few days later, which my daughter (the nenny commenter below you) realized. I don't know if that's kosher to do (edit a post after it's been published ...

    @Terry -- I read that people tend to be allergic to acrylic-coated yarn, but I'm pretty sure it was the wool. No rash -- just pick, pick, pick all day long. agggh. I thought I was going to scream.

    @Nenny -- you've been in my office though -- it's pretty warm in there!

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Thanks for reading. Honest opinions and constructive criticism are always welcome.

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