Lopping Off The Locks

Admittedly, I love having long hair..for the most part.  But there always comes a day when I just can’t take the length a minute longer, and out come the hair cutting scissors.  And today was one of those days.

I cut off  almost 5 inches of hair (yes, I do it myself), and it felt good.  This summer I had cut off a couple inches, but since the cool autumn weather has arrived, I felt moved to let go of some more of my tresses.  It’s below my collarbone so it still has some length, but it it seems so much thicker, sleeker, and bouncier.  I always do a straight blunt cut which seems to suit my hair very well.  My hair just can’t tolerate any sort of layering, tapering, or razoring ends.  This is one of the main reasons I gave up going to the salon – they would never do a simple blunt cut.

I have also started coloring my hair a darker color than usual.  I am now using a dark golden blonde color, which surprisingly is quite dark, almost brunette when I first color it!  It still keeps the golden red cast to my hair (I am a natural redhead), but seems to add more strength and body.  I was going the light or medium golden blonde route for years, and it really seemed to frizz out my hair; especially my long hair.  Lightening the hair color tends to do that, or so I’ve found.

So while I still have longish hair, I’m enjoying the new length.  Autumn seems to bring out these changes.  🙂

~Marilyn Huttunen

Vintage Perfume Season

The change of seasons means a change of scents for me; I like to switch it up with the weather.  So as we head more deeply into fall, I am doing a bit of experimentation with my array of vintage perfumes that I seem to collect with amazing speed (I can’t help it, I’m utterly besotted with vintage fragrance).

My general trend is to wear lighter, more sweet floral scents in the summer, and then wear the spicier Oriental scents for fall and winter.  This past summer was really quite warm, and since scents heighten rather alarmingly on warm bodies (especially my warm body), I used scent sparingly over the summer.   When I did wear scent, I tended toward Skin Musk Perfume Oil by Parfums de Couer.  It’s a really sexy floral scent with sandalwood and musk to cut the sweetness.  Sort of makes me feel all earthy and natural.  But a little goes a long way.

On one of my thrift store shopping ventures, I found a bottle of Champs-Elysées eau de toilette by Guerlain.  Of course I snatched it up immediately!  I love it when I find perfume treasures at the thrift – it is a rare occasion when that happens.  The scent is very sweet, almost too cloying for me, but I wore it anyway.  It was a fun summer scent adventure to wear something so very French and elegant and different.  A bit jarring to my olfactory sense perhaps, but it is good to not get into too much of a scent rut.

Now that autumn is here, I’m rethinking my scent choices.  Of course, my perennial scent for 30 years has been Opium by Yves Saint Laurent.  It is and will be forever my signature scent.  It is the only scent that I get almost a primal thrill from – it goes deep!  It is also the only scent that I consistently get compliments on when I wear it, “You smell so GOOD!”; so I figure it is a perfect match for me.

In the winter, I like to dabble with the other various vintage perfumes that adorn my dresser top.  And since I’m usually under about 3 layers of sweaters and freezing cold, it’s nice to add a layer of scent to warm things up a bit.  Winter just seems more suited to scent for me, and I indulge freely then.  Here’s to smelling wonderful!

-Marilyn Huttunen

 

Spider Webs and Clotheslines: Autumn is Here

We have had an amazingly long and beautiful summer here in Seattle – oh wait – it’s autumn already!  I rather feel like I’m living in an alternate universe; this uncharacteristic dry and warm weather feels like we’ve been transported to California.  I can’t remember the last time it rained, but I can definitely say that I DON’T MISS THE RAIN ONE IOTA!

I have been able to continue on with hanging laundry outside on the clothesline, even in October.  But there are a few subtle clothesline-hanging differences that come with the change of seasons – mainly spiders and their webs in the fall.

I like spiders, when they are outside the house, that is.  I love how they are so industrious, spinning their webs with amazing speed in unusual places.  I really like it when they trap those pesky mosquitoes and bugs in their webs.  Inevitably there are always one or two giant webs on the clothesline, like there were this morning.  I always try to be respectful of the spider’s work, and hang my laundry around the web, but more often than not I will catch the perilous attaching line and off it comes.  And then I feel bad.  But I try.

Sometimes the spider will huffily get back to work spinning a new web, which makes me feel better.  My laundry can dry in peace, and the spider gets a new home.  😀

“Bittersweet October.  The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter.”  ~Carol Bishop Hipps

-Marilyn Huttunen

Vintage 40s Leopard Print Hat & Gloves Knitting Pattern

I adore – ADORE – leopard print!  Especially vintage leopard print anything.  It is one pattern that stands the test of time, and always manages to look classic and yet very modern.  It’s always fun to use leopard print as an accessory – it will add pop and pizazz to even the most mundane outfit.

For your knitting delight, here is an incredibly FABULOUS vintage 1940s knitting pattern for a Leopard Pattern Hat and Gloves.  I would love to see evidence of anyone making this, because it most certainly won’t be me (my knitting skills are basic, at best).  But I would certainly love to wear this!

Download pattern here

Ooops!  Forgot to include this.  Here’s the pattern for the palms of gloves:  Remember to send me pics if you make this (or any other pattern)!  I will feature it on my blog. 🙂

~Marilyn Huttunen

Yes, It Is Okay to Wash Your (Cashmere, Wool, Mohair, Angora) Sweater!

I have spent the morning washing vintage sweaters; one intricate hand knit wool Norwegian sweater, a fluffy white angora sweater, a beaded vintage angora/lambswool sweater, an alpaca sweater, and a cashmere sweater.  Yes, I washed them in actual soap and water as I have done for years…and even more shocking, in my washing machine.  I know!

This issue comes up regularly on many of the vintage and clothing boards that I frequent: can sweaters be washed, or should they be dry cleaned only?  I am here to tell you that not only sweaters can be washed, they will be better off for it.   Personally, I detest dry cleaning.  DETEST IT!  Not only is it expensive, but it fills your clothing with harmful chemicals.  Sweaters especially, end up brittle and flat from those yucky solvents.

Sweaters are made to be washed in soap and water.  Think about it – the natural yarns come from either the angora goat (mohair), angora rabbits (angora), cashmere goat (cashmere), alpaca (alpaca), or sheep (wool).  These wonderful animals live out in all sorts of conditions, and I’m sure that at some point their fur gets wet and is not harmed by it.  I can say for certain that most of them are not exposed to chemical dry cleaning solvents out romping in the fields or mountains.

I’ve written many posts about washing sweaters, but here’s a quick review on how I do it.  I turn the sweater inside out and place in a mesh lingerie washing bag (I just found some fabulous ones at Target).  I use cold water and a gentle detergent like Woolite in my washing machine on gentle/hand wash cycle.  I put the sweater in the machine and agitate it slightly, just enough to work a bit of the suds through the sweater.  Then I stop the machine and let the sweater soak for awhile, depending on how dirty or heavy the sweater is.  Heavy woolens I have soaked for hours; more delicate angora or cashmere, I soak for 10 -15 minutes or so.  Then I agitate it a bit more and let it drain and spin.  Then rinse, drain and spin.  Voila!

It is important that when the machine is filling, to not let the water pour directly onto the sweater.  Also remember to use very little agitation, just a little swish through.  A lot of agitation can cause the fibers to warp and felt.

Of course, when you take the sweater out of the machine be sure to air-dry it.  What’s especially nice about machine washing is that it spins all the heavy water out – no need to mess around with rolling it up in towels as you have to when hand washing.  I block it into shape and let dry naturally on a sweater dryer.  It will turn out gorgeous and soft and clean and smelling wonderfully.

Happy Autumn and Sweater Season! 🙂

~Marilyn Huttunen

Knit Up a Fluffy Mohair~Angora Super Dress!

Now that fall is finally here and winter soon to follow, it’s time to take up the knitting needles once again and work on a great project.  I found this fabulous vintage 1976 knitting pattern for The Super Dress.  Knit in fluffy mohair, it is midi length with long sleeves and a cowl neckline.  It just looks cozily warm, and the simple styling stands the test of time.

I think it would also look fab in fluffy angora!  Think of the entrance you’d make wearing that!  And the angora would be so soft and warm against your skin, adding to a more luxurious winter.

Download Instructions Here

“Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.” ~Elizabeth Zimmerman

~Marilyn Huttunen