Four Things And A Knitting Photo
1. Thank You!
Wow, thank you so much for all the great responses to my last post! The comments and emails have given me a lot of food for thought, and it's been wonderful to hear about your experiences with, and thoughts about, knitting and blogging. I've had a few notes from people saying that you want to respond, but have to sit down to write the epic email. Please don't feel you need to write a novel, or answer every question I've asked; any thoughts or information you want to share will be appreciated.
2. New Blog In Town
My beloved mother-in-law has started a blog! She and my father-in-law are making a major change in their life, and I have been enjoying her email updates so much that I entreated her to start a blog. Do check it out, and say hi. She's funny, interesting, and a great writer, and her blog will be worth reading (no pressure, Deb!!).
3. I Promise, It's Not Just Whining
If you read any other Vancouver-area bloggers, you will have already read whining about the heat, but that doesn't mean I can resist whining myself. I do very poorly in the heat, and was quite sick from it on Friday. It's cooled down slightly, but is still on the un- side of bearable. I'm panicking a little, because it's supposed to be hot in Santa Clara this weekend, and I can't lay around in the light dresses and things I've resorted to this last weekend. (I've mostly been wearing the rejected "practice dresses" (muslins) I make to test dress patterns.)
This leads me to ask a question. I think many of us can agree that light skirts and dresses would be the very best clothing choice for hot weather, were it not for one thing: the dreaded Thigh Problem. From an unscientific poll, it seems like people of most body types have issues with thighs that chafe when skirts are worn in hot weather without nylons or tights. I've been thinking about this for the last while, trying to come up with solutions for things to wear that are as cool, comfortable and attractive as skirts and dresses, but will alleviate the Thigh Problem. Shorts are just not as flattering on many people, nor as much fun. (Again, I'm being unscientific here. Highly biased, that's what I am.)
I'd really love to hear about solutions you have found to summer dressing. Please share; I'll compile any answers and post them, along with anything I come up with. Unfortunately, my sewing room is in the hottest part of the house, so I'm not sure if I'll be brave enough to venture in there before I leave for Santa Clara! Your answers, however, will benefit future generations. Really.
4. The Ex-Tee
You may recall this thing which I was knitting with R2 Paper. It was going well, looking hot, taking advantage of Paper's ability to make a great, stretchy fabric, suitable for figure-hugging garments.
Then I remembered that I hate wearing figure-hugging garments, no matter how good they may look when I'm standing up, sucking in my stomach ever-so-slightly.
It has been ripped.
I took this terrible photo for pos-terity. You can clearly see the three radical-ly dif-ferent shades which, I remind you, all came from the same fricking bag. You will, no doubt, notice that the sweater is rather short. It wasn't really this short; I just knit it without a non-curling edging, so it rolled a lot. The plan was to pick up around the bottom and knit ribbing down, which is a favourite design choice of mine. You can also see the circular needles hanging out of the neckline; I was going to make the neck ribbing a little deeper.
I've started a new sweater at the same tight gauge (16 sts = 10 cm on a 6mm (US 10) needle), with a looser fit. I'll show it to you when there's something to show. I plan to dye the new sweater, because I'm knitting it in that lurid Pastel Green.
One day when Angie and I were callous and strange high school students, we were hanging out at her place, painting. A colour resulted at one point which we tastefully named "Dead Baby Green". This isn't it exactly, but I'd say it's close.
posted by Mandy @ 1:57 p.m.
17 Comments:
Mandy, check out Bodyglide skin lubricant. The applicator is like a deoderant stick. Works wonders!
Signed Zib,
in very sweaty sticky chafing Thigh Problem prone Sicilia ;)
Bike shorts under the skirt work well, but sometimes the waistband will show through the skirt fabric if it's thin.
I've found that in Georgia in summer, it's so humid that there's always a slick of sweat on my legs. It's gross, but it means that I don't get chafing. Now that I'm back in the normal heat and humidity of Canada, however, it's blister city. Ugh.
I read yesterday that using antiperspirant on the inside of your thighs helps. They say that it's the sweat that gives you heat rash. I tried it today and it kind of worked. I might try it again next time I wear a skirt.
Mandy -
Delurking because I too "suffer" from the thigh problem.
My solution has a surprising special feature. I wear a foundation garment...yes a girdle. But not one of those "10 pounds in a five pound bag" kind. I get a proper size so that it doesn't constrict too much.
It's not just me - I found this article from Salon http://www.salon.com/mwt/time/1998/08/05time.html
~ Nancie
Dead Baby Green!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my-in high school, I christened a friend's rec room lounger "Shit Brindle Brown", reminiscent of baby diapers gone very, very bad-I guess it's the high school "thing". Now- in terms of clothing for heat- I favour capri length pants, made out of linen blends, but built soft and drapey (one of my faves has a drawstring waist). It gives the illusion of a skirt, with the advantage of fabric to reduce the thigh issue. My favourites are a pair of "traffic cone orange" linen-and yup- I am tall and a big girl, so I do stop me some traffic! Good luck.
I lived in Hawaii ten years... my answer was long floaty dresses, minimal underwear (don't tell my mother) and Gold Bond medicated baby powder applied regularly (like, every bathroom run, or even more often). It would be SO unattractive with a short skirt, but with a long one you can blast that stuff everywhere.
Good luck.
second to jodi's bike shorts (or even those made for the slimming effect - they come in colors easier to pass under clothes). although i've seen ads for the bodyglide, i've never tried it.
good luck!
A split slip,made in fine cotton lawn. Like this one :
http://www.makingitbig.com/product/485/13
Dude, invest in a pair of Spanx. They're like nylons but are cut like bike shorts and are a lot cooler. They also get rid of the panty line problem when wearing a thin skirt. They work for me... no sticky thighs, and I actually don't mind wearing them all day, unlike regular nylons.
i second the spanx - now, i've never tried them (i have additional issues to the Thigh Problem!) but a girlfriend of mine swears by them. lighter and thinner than bike shorts, not as binding as a girdle. and this girl is picky about her comfort, so if she vouches for them, they must be good!
I used to go for Baby Powder when it was hot. A couple of years ago I went to a "Fantasia" party and they had Honey Dust. It's actually a KamaSutra product which I've seen in some naughty stores. It's a natural product, smells lovely, is light but works very well! I now dust with this in the morning and it helps!
I also tend toward dresses in the summer. They are so easy - no thought clothing. Throw on and go. I love it!
I cut the legs off nylons and use those.
I have also been experiencing the 'Thigh Problem' however at work we're wearing miniskirt length skorts so there's no help for me there. I'm going to try the antiperspirant thing. What about some athletic boxers? Like bike shorts but come in white. CK used to sell a ladies version in a cotton/spandex blend. And those Spanx sound cool.
dead baby green dead baby green ahhh those were the days - I remember that listening to the cure.....
i need to cheack out that body glide stuff but in the meantime I have been wearing tje spanx things too - just some under things I found at the bay - think I mentioned them too you. even wear them under shorts that the crotch hangs too low. gotta have em!!!!!! got mine at oakridge mall....
BODYGLIDE. I second that. You just rub some on the thighs, and no chafing ALL day. You can get it at a running/sports store.
I hope I see you on Sunday!!
xo
I remember in the UK I bought some Nylon shorts that were made for the purpose of wearing under skirts however I don't think they were ever tested! It was like "The Inferno of Battle" each time my thighs rubbed while I walked, so avoid it at all costs!
I hate this weather for a number of reason but the main is getting dressed in the mornings as it's such a chore. My classrooms are not equipped with air cons the air flow sucks and the kids and I are sweating like we're in a sauna. My skin is getting worse as I suffer from prickly heat. Need I say more?
Good Luck Mandy!
There are some good tips here for the curvy-thighed out there (like me!). I would also recommend the Honey Dust and it's great for the underarms and underboobs as well. I use the shorts under the skirt too, but I must try the Spanx.
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