It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas pullover time

December marks the month I whip out all of my winter-themed pullovers. What can I say, I just have a thing for them. They naturally make a great casual outfit with trousers or jeans, but it can be hard to dress them up, which I like to do from time to time. I went for a bit of sparkle and gold in my accessories to do the job.

(Sorry for the dead yard photos. That's one caveat of a tiny city yard, there aren't a lot of options for where to take photos. I'm not complaining, I'm happy to have a yard at all.)

Anyway, I just adore this vintage sweater. When I got it last year, the neck was bound off so tight I couldn't pull my head through. I knew I'd never find wool to match a vintage sweater perfectly in order to unpick the bind off and make it more stretchy, so instead I unpicked it and one more row, then bound off much more loosely. That was enough to juuust get it over my noggin.

The belt is one of my latest purchases and I love it so much I can't believe there was a second when I held it in my hands at the Vintage Garage that I contemplated not buying it. Admittedly, it was only a split second.

I don't know the exact era of this sweater. The deep welt is very 40s, but the design reminds me more of similarly-themed winter sweater patterns I have from the 50s. You can see from the label it's hand-knit, and presumably for the Quebec tourist trade. I love the thought that someone probably brought this home from a winter adventure as a memento of their holiday. Apparently that person was Linda, whose name was stamped on the label.

I paired it with a brooch and earring set that were my grandmother's. For years I had the brooch and just one earring because my mom couldn't find the other earring at the time she gave them to me. Then a month before our wedding, I called her up and told her to hunt down the other earring. Of course, being a dutiful mother, she found it, and so I was married in them.

Gratuitous pet shot!

 Doesn't the sweater remind you of this 1946 tourism ad for Quebec? Crisp tonic air, dry power snow...

{ Source: My Papered Past on Etsy, ad for sale here }

It's getting chilly again here after a warm spell, and wearing this cotton skirt is making me think I'd like to sew a 40s style gored skirt in navy wool for winter. Oh yes, I think it shall be done.

outfit details

knit sweater: can't recall

50s brooch and earrings: my grandmother, via my mom

 watch: Ruby Lane from absolutely ages ago

belt: Dena at Vintage Garage

skirt: The Black Pinafore

shoes: Remix