Dark Days & Warm Knits

I haven't adjusted to the time change. By time change I mean how it gets dark at 4:30 these days (if it's a clear day, if it's overcast it feels dark earlier). As a night owl I'm always slow to stir in the mornings, so the days feel horribly short now. I took Solomon on a walk at 6PM the other night with a flashlight because it's when he would normally get a walk and it seemed a shame not to go just because it was pitch black outside, although I have to say walking through the woods in total darkness even with a wolfhound by your side is a bit spooky. Still I suppose that is just the thing to do in these winter months, forge on and not let the dark skies or colder weather keep you inside, because it's not going to get brighter or warmer any time soon! I bundle up a bit more appropriately for long walks, but this sort of look is one I come back to again every autumn. A favorite old tweed jacket, and jewel-toned skirt, these shoes I've had since 2013, and a cute, cozy knit top. This one is from my favorite vintage-inspired brand Emmy Design which I also come back to every autumn as they make the best knitwear. This is the "little Fair Isle sweater" and it comes in five different colors, but I love the richness of the navy version. It's so soft and beautifully knitted and warm too; wool is rather infamously itchy, but they've treated their yarns for a softer feel and it makes for the coziest sweaters with zero itch. Did you know the term "fair isle" actually refers to Fair Isle in Northern Scotland, a tiny island midway between the Orkney and Shetland islands? The colorful knit patterns we know now as "fair isle" originated on that island and are still inspiring knitters today. It's fascinating to me how different islands and regions developed their own distinctive knitting patterns. Aran sweaters refer to knits from the Irish Aran Isles (not to be confused with the Scottish Arran Island). Most Aran sweaters are traditionally in a natural white or cream color, but each family or clan would have their own distinctive knitting pattern passed down from generation to generation. I have a knit cap from the Aran Isles that I've been wearing lately and it's making me want to go back to those islands and get a proper sweater for myself!