Letters
Life with Wool: Only Bad Clothing
Greetings from Maine. We had a beautiful white Christmas for the first time in years. But on New Year’s Eve, Mother Nature decided to erase her masterpiece.
The next morning, we awoke to a balmy world of mud and grass. We celebrated the new year with coffee on the porch, something so unthinkable for this time of year, we didn’t even have chairs to sit on.
A day later the cold swept back in and froze everything solid. Winters in New England are becoming less like a Grimms’ fairy tale and more like a rollercoaster these days. But January is when things really start to get cold.
Maine has many things going for it—the beautiful coastline, star-filled nighttime skies, delicious blueberries, abundant seafood, just to name a few. But what seems to stick in people’s minds most is the winters.
That’s the first thing people ask about when they find out I live in Maine, rather like I always ask Floridians about their alligator situation.
When we first moved here, old-timers tried to scare us with stories of how bad the winters could get. They spoke of running ropes from the house to the barn to keep from getting lost in a blizzard. They told us how the bay froze thick enough for them to drive their trucks across it to Deer Isle, a distance of just over a mile. They spoke of snow drifts so high the family had to use an upstairs window to get in and out of the house.
Their memories were as recent as the early 1970s, when many people here didn’t even have central heating. There would be a stove downstairs that was stoked all winter long, which meant your kitchen was always 90 degrees while the rest of the house got progressively colder until your water glass on the bedside table froze overnight.
To navigate the shift from extreme outdoors to extreme indoors, people engaged in the delicate art of bundling up. They wore heavy wool coats and heavy wool sweaters and heavy wool turtlenecks and heavy wool trousers and heavy wool socks and scarves and hats and mittens and beneath it all they relied on the same pair of heavy wool long johns to keep them going from November to April.
Today, we get to luxuriate in our insulated houses with their energy-efficient windows and central heating controlled by thermostats that are getting so sophisticated, I half expect mine to start texting me when a storm is on the way.
But as much as things have changed, we still bundle up when we head outside.
And head outside we must!
For as much as I want to scare you with stories of frostbitten fingertips and icicles growing from one’s nose hairs, the truth is that the coldest days are the most glorious of all. (And frozen nose hairs tickle, which is kind of fun.) But you must go outside to experience them.
Stay inside and you’ll quickly build up an adversarial relationship with the winter. It’s far better to bundle up like a bird in its puffer jacket and make friends with the cold. The more you engage with winter, the more you see, the less daunting it all seems, and the better you feel.
It all comes down to layers. Oh sure, it may be warm and beautiful in places like Hawaii and Arizona. But you can only remove so many layers to cool down before someone calls the police. And even if you did strip naked, you’d still be hot.
You can, however, dress for warmth, simply adding and subtracting layers like you’d adjust a thermostat. I once counted 16 items of clothing during one particularly cold winter walk, nearly all of which, from underwear to insoles, contained some amount of wool.
Forget the high-tech high-performance outdoor fibers fabricated in a far-off laboratory, I’ll take a sheep’s coat any day. And in the end, wool’s ease at riding out extremes may be its greatest gift, especially as our climate slips deeper into extremes.
Properly bundled, you’ll be fine in a Maine winter. Seriously fine. More than fine. Fine enough, even, to drive your truck across a mile of ice and still get home in time to go sledding off your roof.
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Perfection! I feel like we’re right along with you though it’s slightly warmer here in WI. Thanks for sharing and glad you have plenty of wool to keep you warm.
Clara, I love you and I love wool. Wool helped my and my family keep warm both inside and out during our 20 years in AK. One daughter still lives in Fairbanks and is well supplied with wool mittens, hats, and sweaters. The other is in West Glacier, MT. Wool is her thing, too. As for me and my husband and their father, we now live in Iowa where winters can be cold, too. Guess what, I knit with wool and wear my many creations. And I don’t get cold.
You don’t get cold AND you get to keep all your beautiful handknits in regular rotation!
Thanks, Clara! Always a treat to see this extra posting from you. And the photo is always fine, too. Dog? Coyote?
Spot on! Although I am further south (in Maine) than you, I couldn’t agree more.
Right there with you! The wool union suits and wool pants. Crunch of snow under your Bean boots. Skiing under the full moon. Can’t get better than that!
Here in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, I can so identify with your Maine winter.
Layers of clothing is definitely the way to go.
Waving hello to you from across the bay!
Good Morning Janet
I feel the Winter rollercoaster weather is here to stay for all of us. Now to roll out of these freezing temperatures this week would be great!
Beautiful post and photos! Thank you, Clara! As I learned while visiting Iceland and according to a Norwegian saying “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing”. Those of us who love wool know we can enjoy the wonders of cold weather!
Totally agree with that saying! Before I owned a car in the city I walked or rode a bike everywhere. I never thought about the weather other than dressing appropriately for whatever it was doing outside—rain, wind, snow, whatever—I never stayed inside because of it. Eventually I got a car and that spoiled everything :-)))
I live in Minneapolis, and we have some very cold winters here, though not as bad as I remember from when I was younger…but I too love the winter, love the snow, and find great joy getting out in it…all bundled up in my wool!
You expressed my feelings exactly! Bundle up and go on a winter expedition, you’ll see things that you’d never see in warm weather.
Coming from North Dakota, we know the art of bundling up! Add a little wind to the mix and you might get mistaken for a sheep with many layers!
Yes! I grew up north of Albany, NY and have always absolutely loved the coldest, snowiest days of the year. Unfortunately, we have few of those days in the Chicago suburbs but when we do, out I go. Having the right clothing makes being outside in the cold joyous. Thanks for telling others!
Oh how Maine-specific! My snowy winters were more urban. Love hearing about the ropes to the barn and sledding off the roof (really??) More scary, though, than a Maine winter: the next generation of thermostats. Which will probably be A.I.
I live in Ottawa, and I couldn’t agree more! Being outside on a cold snowy day like today is totally invigorating. You know you’re alive! And by far the best way to do it is in your woolies. I especially love skating on an outdoor rink, or the canal. It’s laugh out loud fun. The only thing I hate about winter is fogged up glasses! But if you get your scarf right, that only happens when you go back inside!
Invigorating is the word! I’ve never skated on the canal but the photos make it look like magic.
I have never been to Maine, but your wonderful essay is a good substitute. Thanks, Clara.
That’s a great honor!
I totally agree with you on winter I love it!!! I’ll take winter any day over summer!! Nothing is better than a walk in fresh air after a snow fall!!
I’m right down the road from you (MDI) and agree with all of this. Lots of layers, getting outside, and the winters that rollercoaster from snowy and cold to rainy and warm. We were lucky enough to get a few more inches over the weekend so walking in the woods is much more fun!
Just checked my road to see if I can get to work- Hmmmm not at the moment. I’ll check again in an hour. I’ll let the sun do its work. 1st snow in 2 years and it is beautiful. I think I would love Maine!
Clara, I love you and I love wool. Wool helped my and my family keep warm both inside and out during our 20 years in AK. One daughter still lives in Fairbanks and is well supplied with wool mittens, hats, and sweaters. The other is in West Glacier, MT. Wool is her thing, too. As for me and my husband and their father, we now live in Iowa where winters can be cold, too. Guess what, I knit with wool and wear my many creations. And I don’t get cold.
I have always wanted to live there despite the weather. Enjoy!!
Hey, the Florida situation is real. A few years ago my mother, strolling around her yard one morning, came upon a very large alligator in her blueberry patch!
Who knew alligators were fans of blueberries?
Bright Sun and -15F today in Winnipeg and -30s windchill (C or F, you choose) I am right there with you, Clara. Wool, snowpants, a good parka, and good attitude!
It really is amazing how cozy you can be – but as you say, especially if your attitude is in the right place too.
I’ve lived in very hot places and now I live in MN, which can take on ME any day in a cold contest (currently -3 F in Minneapolis). I completely agree with you, Clara, that you can always add another layer for the cold but you can’t strip your skin off as you want to when it’s 125 F.
It really is a rollercoaster these days but January reminds us, Mainers and Minnesotans alike, that we knit so we can use, and flaunt, our creations!
Love your story!
What a fantastic writer and story! So happy to read this today, here in Vermont, USA, while watching Mother Nature trying to dump some more snow on us this winter. So far, we have received about 50 inches of snow since late October. With more promised, even this week. We love it! And the idea of bundling up in layers, especially woolen ones, is so very true and a trusted way to get through our long winters here. One thing I love about MDK is the vast diversity of writers and their comments. Thanks for bringing us this particular writer.
I do miss winter – in NH, but close enough – and wearing all my wool . When I’m away for a few days here in the Bay Area (CA) I turn off the heat – in January! It does get down into the 40s at night – even into the 30’s!!! – so heat is nice, but nothing’s going to freeze. On chill (40’s), damp, rainy winter days I can wear one of my heavier sweaters – but only if I’m sitting and weaving or knitting.
That’s pretty nice, not having to worry about things freezing if you go away like that. Every place has its pros and cons, right?
Clara, it is always such a pleasure to read what you write, but especially when it’s about Maine and wool. Thank you so much for this wonderful essay about layering with ever-effective wool and for the gentle admonishment to get outside in winter. Savoring this colder season is so important.
You’re so welcome, Carol!
Wonderful. Soul warming
So love hearing from people that enjoy winter, cold and snow. Where would we be without wool that moves with us as we work and play. Where would we be without our circle of friends who knit and enjoy all the winter activities. I’m in the mountains in BC looking out at evergreens covered with snow, sipping coffee, with a dog at my feet. Time to get out and xc ski.
Wool was our refuge in South Dakota as well. My grandparents’ stories were similar to yours. When I went to college (in the 70s), I wore long underwear from October through April – to prevent windburn. The coldest temp I experienced was -50F (-75F with windchill). Wool to the rescue!
Holy moly! THAT is cold.
Thank you for saying nice things about cold weather and layering wool, in Maine. My geographically distant relatives just say “Maine!” and shiver
I never regret my trips outside, even though it takes a bit to get ready.
Bless my dog Oscar for ALWAYS being ready for a walk/run.
I spent a year living on the shore of lake Superior, one year was more then enough!
As always, wool for the win.
Wry sense of humor. Thank you for adding joy to my reading.
Loved it. Love visiting Maine. Have volunteered for a sash saw mill festival in Maine to raise funds for restoration
Loved your article. I love knitting with wool but I live in Las Cruces, New Mexico,USA and don’t have winters like you describe. Don’t have the need for a lot of wool clothing, however, my son in law and grandsons are always asking for wool socks. The go hiking in the mountains and say that they are the best socks to wear!
Sounds like a woman after my own heart. I have several Aran wool sweaters knitted by myself. Most if them are between 10 and 20 years old and come out every winter between November and March/April. I love their warmth and classic looks. They still look as good as when I first made them and I always get lots of compliments. My family all have Aran sweaters I’ve knitted for them down to the 3 and 6 year old grandsons wearing the latest ones I knitted for them for Christmas. Unbeatable, sustainable, priceless!
I am armed with many woolly layers, even if it is *only* wind and rain. Thanks for these MDK entries, which fill in the time until your next book????
Your thoughts completely align with how I have been feeling lately. I grew up in Nova Scotia, which is geographically aligned with Maine, and I find the winters there generally quite mild. Going for walks in the evening as the snow gently falls is one of my favourite childhood memories, but we can get as much rain as snow in the winter.
Now I live in the Northwest Territories, and I really get a lot of use out of my knitting needles! We know how to do winter up here, and if you don’t embrace it you can go a little bonkers; it easily takes up more than half of the year, and getting outside is essential. However, it requires many layers: warm sweaters, hand knit socks, and really good hats and scarfs; I sometimes look like the little boy in A Christmas Story. But I feel like I have found my knitter’s purpose, and I seldom have to worry about making short sleeved t-shirts out of cotton (no offense to cotton yarns or t-shirts, but I really don’t enjoy making them).
I am loving these comments. As a little girl in Pittsburgh, PA, I figured out that thing about you could dress for cold, but hot and sticky was hot and sticky no matter how you dressed or undressed. I thought wool itched! But a friend gave me a pair of wool socks for a winter bike ride in the Pacific Northwest, and I’ve never looked back.
NEw Hampshire here just chiming in about that old time winter gear. Don’t forget the Wonder Bread bags around your socks before you put your boots on because there was nothing better to waterproof your feet than old bread bags. And this was way before Renew. Reuse. Recycle. It was sledding for hours in the freezing cold. Oh what fun.
I grew up in Buffalo, NY but now live in sunny Florida. I remember those cold winter days very well, especially the infamous Blizzard of 77. We always dressed in layers, kinda like Ralphie’s little brother in A Christmas Story. My mom always crocheted or knitted our mittens, socks, scarves, hats, etc. Love living here in my golden years, but I still miss that first snowfall and crisp, clear winter days.
Here in Minnesota, same to all of it. In fact, our knitting group will be heading “up north” for our annual Knitski Weekend next Thursday! Can’t beat the combination of skiing (and snowshoeing, skating, curling, etc.) during the day, then retreating to the fireplace-warmed farmhouse for an evening of knitting together. The weather really doesn’t matter, as we layer up for our daily skiing. Can’t wait!
Hear hear! I grew up in WI in the 60s and 70s, and we just put on more clothes and got on with it. (No handknits available to me, however.) As kids, we always were out to play in the snow and to ice skate. And to walk in the parks (I lived in a big city). The sounds were different, even. And when it was really really cold (-10 or more), giant plumes of steam rose off Lake Michigan. Nature is a wonder.
Last September I found the ultimate sheep’s coat to wear this winter in a thrift store. A decades-old shearling car coat in perfect shape. September was still hot but I snapped up that bargain! Haven’t needed my winter parka yet and don’t need any more layers under it than one long-sleeved t-shirt. It is warm, wind proof, and breathes well. The perfect winter jacket!
I miss nose hair icicles, being light enough to walk on top frozen snow without falling through. But I don’t miss wet mittens or snow getting inside my boots.