the Splurge

There are a lot of things in life that make "going back" difficult. For instance, when we moved into this house, my husband and I bought a king-size bed. And now we could never possibly go back to sleeping comfortably in a queen. I mean, where would the dogs sleep? How would I stretch out properly? What would I do with all of my cute linens?

Or, as another example, when I purchased my first small bottle of mineral makeup and wore it around town, I knew that I wouldn't be going back to liquid or cream or any other variety of potion. I had found my cosmetic soul mate, and wouldn't be looking back.

So when I decided sometime last year to try out a few "authentic" yarns (aka not acrylic) to see what all the fuss was about, I understood that I was taking a risk.

A risk because I knew that if I discovered that I loved (LOVED) nice yarns, I might have a difficult time going back to the run-of-the-mill (aka cheap) variety.

Needless to say, I was right. Here I am, a year or so later, wearing what is certainly THE SOFTEST SWEATER I have ever owned or worn in my entire life.

Softer than my dog's ears.
Softer than a baby's skin.
Softer than cashmere. (okay--maybe it's as soft as cashmere...)

This yarn--a pale gray color that I think is perfect for spring--definitely debunks the notion that knitting is an affordable alternative to buying mass-produced sweaters from...say...J.Crew. Because not only is it THE SOFTEST SWEATER I have ever owned, it is also the most expensive. It was, in a word, a splurge.

This expense, however, is tempered by the satisfaction I got from knitting this sweater from scratch. And from learning new techniques (like making an I-cord, for instance). And from knowing it will stay with me for a lifetime. All things that I could not have gotten from buying a similar sweater from the store.

In other words, sometimes not going back is worth every penny.

What is your favorite splurge? Share by posting your comment here!

note: for the curious, this is the Faux Wrap Sweater from the fabulous book, Reversible Knitting.

Little Luxuries

This past weekend, while enjoying a leisurely Saturday, I encountered an old article I had stashed away featuring a select handful of fashion industry leaders. The article, titled "Women in Luxury," was something I had clipped out years ago because I found it inspiring. The women, I felt, possessed a unique blend of business savvy, strength, and femininity.
Upon reading through the article again, I was struck by one particular statement made by Valerie Hermann at Yves Saint Laurent. She said that though she grew up in the midst of a culture of science and medicine (many of her family members are physicians), she was always attracted to an atmosphere of "quality and beauty."

That's it! I thought. That is precisely what I'm attracted to! The latter part, beauty, is of course easy. I've always gravitated toward lovely places and pretty things. As for quality...well that has taken me a bit longer to appreciate.
Quality, I've come to realize, is not as easy to spot. Something can indeed be beautiful but of poor quality (think of cheap cashmere and vapid runway queens). This, I fear, is especially true in our modern world of mass-produced fashionable, convenient and "affordable" goods. "Affordable," of course, meaning "cheap"--both in price and in quality.

Now I'm not suggesting that in order to be a lady we must all start spending oodles of cash on only the finest things. Because although that would be simply wonderful, most of us can't stomach the expense. But I am saying that beauty and quality should go hand-in-hand as often as possible.
For me, this involves creating more of my own clothing, gifts, food, and home accessories using materials that are special. Like the soft yarn you see below. Or the pencil skirt I sewed last week. Or the farm-fresh milk we drink every morning from cold glass jugs. They are luxuries--little ones--that make up that "atmosphere" Hermann was referring to.
Of course, additionally it also involves combining my outside appearance with my internal character (both are always evolving and...frankly...requiring constant maintenance). I don't just want to be a beautiful person--I want to be a quality person, too. Someone who is generous and kind and patient and persevering. Someone who is not wasteful or crude.

Because good character, I suppose, is one of the best luxuries a lady can have...

What is your favorite little luxury this week? Mine is definitely the super soft merino and baby alpaca yarn that I purchased last Friday. And also perhaps those chocolates you see above, too. A girl needs her chocolate... How about you? What are you enjoying?