We had our first cold day today; when Thistle and I headed out for our morning walk it was 17F/-8C. Nowhere near the cold snap that the middle of country is receiving, but definitely the chilliest weather I've seen in a few years. So obviously I started dressing with a sleeveless silk dress. Over it went my newly finished hand knit cardigan Have I shown it to the forum yet? I photographed an earlier outfit with it but I'm not sure if I've posted it. In case I haven't, it's my very first completed adult sweater, and I basically designed it (mathematically at least) myself by mashing up ideas/structure from a couple different patterns & stitch dictionaries along with the measurements of some of my favourite knitwear, and I'm thrilled with how it came out! The yarn is from a US ranch-owned small business who spin their yarn in an old-fashioned way, hence the rustic look of it. It's a heathered burgundy colour & I love how it changes depending on the lighting.

Um, sorry about the gushing. Back to the outfit! So under the dress went silk long johns, then wool leggings (not hand knit; acquired from LikeTwice) with thick hiking socks for my feet, as they've been extra fussy lately and like the extra support. This was more than cosy enough for hanging about in my apartment! I liked how the textured woolens downplayed the silk too, making it look more country. For fun I added my little fox brooch and gold rings.

For outdoors, I pulled out the big guns: lace up sturdy boots (there was snow on the ground) and one of the mid-calf fit & flare vintage wool coats I got on ebay last February. It has a detachable hood, and I thought it'd be interesting to try wearing the hood instead of my usual knit hat to compare/contrast. I opted for my mitts that have fingers but not tips so that I'd keep most of my hands warm but still have the dexterity for taking photos and picking up after a certain puppy. Honestly, I was completely warm and cosy walking about in this, except for my nose & cheeks, which eventually adjusted. It was very close to overkill in fact! I'm pretty sure I could wear in significantly colder temps without any discomfort, especially if I added hat/scarf/mittens, which is pretty exciting since I'd hoped the style of this coat would make it a puffer replacement for me. Since everyone in public only saw me in my outerwear, the little fox wanted to come play on my coat collar, and who was I to deny it?

All feedback welcome as always! Sorry I've been scarce about the forum recently; health & a sudden need to knit things like mittens & gloves has meant I've been limiting my typing.

ETA: when it's cold enough for me to be in a heavy wool coat, I put Thistle in her cashmere sweater (made from the sleeve of a thrifted men's xl sweater). Here's a bonus photo of her modelling it that I took during our evening walk! She's not terribly impressed with snow & might be acquiring some booties soon.