Showing posts with label diy MYOG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diy MYOG. Show all posts

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Jack Wolfskin - a sustainable outdoor brand?

I am still looking for solutions for making sustainable, hopefully more environmentally friendly outdoor gear. Including clothing.

That is not a simple task!

I think there will maybe never be the ultimate solution, but we always have a choice, and we can choose between different materials, and different brands.

So today, on a peaceful, rainy sunday morning, I was surfing the internet for inspiration by googling "making your own sustainable outdoor gear" and somehow stumbled upon a  brand I have known for over 20years.

Jack Wolfskin is a German brand, known for their outdoor apparel and equipment since 1981.

The four items I have owned/still own from the company are:

- a set of synthetic isolating, a long-sleeve shirt and longs (made of 100% polyester fabric by Polartec®)
- a T-shirt (still have it, after 20 years!)
- a 18L backpack, which sadly, had to go into the trash, since it had become completely unsable, after having replaced zippers, been washed, and taking care of, the bag had become unrepairable and unsable - I removed all the usable parts for re-use though, and still have the rain-cover)

All I have known about Jack Wolfskin throughout the last 20years, it that the company makes great quality apparel and equipment (I still remember a visit by a friend of mine who had gotten herself a new jacket - from Jack Wolfskin - and it looked amazing on her - the perfect combination of daily weather protection that also easily would keep you dry, and maybe even comfortable, through a mountain hike - I wanted that jacket, too, very badly - it was purple).

So, back to the article - here it is, by GearJunkie :
Screenshot from the article at GearJunkie.
Because why should I re-write a good article that sums it up so well.... "Most-Sustainable Gear? German Brand A ‘Quiet Leader’" found on the GearJunkie website.

(Btw I am not sponsored or anything - just expressing my thoughts and reflections)

Sunday, December 17, 2017

Creative Crisis!

I am and have always been, a creative person.

This is one thing that may just "lie in my genes" but also, I want to give my parents credit for that. My mother was always creative. I remember her sewing table in the bedroom,  the sewing machine and all the sewing accessories.
And: the classical butter cookie or toffee box that contained sewing accessories instead of the original contents - definitely something I wan to do, too).



She was making costumes, altering pants (I'm the younger sister so I had to use some of my older brother's clothes - sometimes they had to be altered to fit) and sewing everything in the house, both useful things and for decoration (I mean - decoration is useful, too., btw).

Well but sometimes I get so obsessed with my creativity that it actually stops me from creating. That is, some days, I can be creative in my mind, and have lots of ideas, but just don't have the patience to get going.

Or, if I try to get started, I am just too much in my head to continue.
And I can't find the material I know I have somewhere, my appartment is a mess, I am hungry, or thirsty, or cold, I can't decide what material, and so on.

Today was a day like this.

It started with an innocent exchange of ideas with my best friend, B, over FB chat.
So many cool stuff to find on pinterest!
Look at this, look at that! 😊

While deep down inside, I wanted, yes, deep DOWN inside, I wanted a DOWN skirt.
The SKHOOP Short Down Skirt 
I have suddenly become obsessed with the idea (yes, I am definitely OCD today) that I NEED a down skirt. An athletic type - that is, both athletic and cute.

And there we have the SKHOOP  skirts coming in.

A week ago, I had actually taken the step and ordered, not only one, but two.
Then, after some days, when I didn't get the usual notice about "Your order has been dispatched" I called the shop and one of the skirts was no longer available.

Since I kind of had ordered more spontaneously than well thought-through (I had also ordered expensive merino pants and an ever more super expensive, but perfect alpine skiing and snowboard backpack from Osprey) I canceled the whole order.

The reason for that sudden purchase was, that I had almost a trip to our capital planned for this week end, to meet someone from my childhood days I hadn't seen for twenty year. And that deserved a "signal garment":
You see, I live in Norway, and "We know how to dress proper AND stylish in the december cold." (my friend was coming for a super short trip from Germany, Hamburg, that is, usuallt mild and wet in the winter).

Have a look at the SKHOOP website - soooo much nice! I want it all!!!!! 
Well - no SKHOOP skirt for now.
(The one I had decided to obviously had a full-length zipper at one side, bit could not be detached completely - something I definitely need).

But I got so fond of the idea of an insulated skirt that I ordered an athletic Dynafit skirt, filled with primaloft instead of down, and more athletic looking. It hasn't arrived yet, since we have had some troubles with our mail due to snow, and the shop I ordered from is an actual shop (not only net shop) in Tromsø in Northern Norway!

Looks cute and athletic and wearable - and it has Primaloft fill, I like that.
Check out the Dynafit TLT Primaloft Insulated Skirt on their website!


But - what better place to order an insulated skirt from?

Now - I feel like my next skirt has to be on sale, or either super perfect to buy a regular price for.

More about what I mean a "perfect" insulated skirt should look like, later.
I also consider making a skirt myself.

Preferably with synthetic fill, since the thought of working with actual down in my appartment doesn't appeal to me at all.

So - today I had thousands of ideas - with those down skirts in my head - and the question: should I order a down skirt and return it if I don't like, but then at least I have seen how they are made?

I couldn't agree with myself today.

I tried to mend some of my merino clothes, but the result was too lousy, so in the end, I went for a walk with the dog.

At least I got fresh air, and feel my could bum that was craving some sort of insulated skirt thing!

While walking, I created a smart 3/4plants, and then short fleece pants, and insulated pants, just to distract myself from the down skirt obsession.


When I got home I tried to finish some of my mittens I want to sell, but I couldn't even find the right needle to do so.

So the mittens will have to wait.
I actually felt a bit like being in some sort of micro "manic" episode - obsessed, creative, unfocused, irritable, chatting in super speed with my friend, being really witty and all, but at the same time, I couldn't get things done. And even though I was hungry, I didn't "need" food.

Well, I am not bipolar, so I guess that is just my super interesting changing personality - not one day is the same and it never gets boring.

Tomorrow is another day.
We'll see what I can do then :D