What the no-longer-drowned-rat wore

If you can imagine a drowned rat, you’ll have a good idea what I looked like this morning when I got back from my run: it was cold, grey, and very wet, but since I’m in Vancouver with a chance to run the seawall (which I love!), and since I haven’t run since I was last here, I braved the elements and was soaked when I got home. Well worth it though, not just for that powerful, healthy, invigorating feeling but even just for the fabulous flashing smiles exchanged with the very few other similarly-motivated runners whose paths I crossed on the way.

Now I’m changed into something more comfortable: not this exactly, but it will be something very like. I snapped this the other day and have to admit it’s very much like a uniform for me: black and black or black and denim with accents (see what a similar outfit I’m wearing here). Here the accent is a fun silver chain/necklace I picked up recently and, accidentally, the flash of pink from the lining of my Mackage black leather jacket (Gasp! not a leather jacket! that’s so mutton-dressed-as . . . )

While the look is pretty conservative colour-wise, I like to play with shape a bit as in these very wide pants. Hard to photograph black (especially when you’re shooting yourself!) but the shot below gives you a glimpse at the pleat.
and this one lets you see width AND length.
The beret I’m trying out here is one of a series I’ve been experimenting with, trying to knit a slouchy hat for my daughter-out-of-law. Below I’m trying it with the Birch shawl I knit last year (in a fabulous blend of silk and kid mohair that we knitters liken to crack cocaine!). I tend to wear it much more like this than I ever do as a shawl.
In the end I decided to wear the red scarf, primarily because light-coloured mohair worn with black is not always a happy combination!
Here’s a view of one of the berets (in Rowan’s Kid Classic). I think I’m going to have to offer the young lady a choice so I’ve made a few.
Now I’m warm, dry, full of yummy Red River cereal, I’ve updated you, and I’m ready to head to Robson Street and see what downtown Vancouver has to offer in the way of Christmas temptations. Had to chuckle a bit at IndigoAlison today, ’cause she made a friend a pair of beaded earrings and then made herself the matching necklace — this is often the ratio my Christmas shopping attains, so I’ve got to be careful!