A 'weather safe' merino turtleneck



In 2016, when I went to Australia on holiday, I picked up some absolutely lovely merino jersey from The Fabric Store. Most of it was used to make a Maria Denmark Rachel wrap dress, which I've shown on Instagram a number of times. But the second make from this fabric, made from the scraps that remained after the dress, has been hidden away like a well kept secret. Actually, there is nothing secret about it. It's just that it's usually layered underneath lots of other clothes (like in the photo above) and rarely gets photographed.

I'm talking about the best turtleneck ever.

It's unfortunate that the shutter went off just as I was pulling up my jeans, but the tee looks good here, so forgive my wardrobe adjustment.

As you know by now, I love turtlenecks. Not least because they are a fantastic layering item but also smart enough to be worn on their own. And the perfect pattern in my opinion is the Named Paola turtleneck tee.

So naturally I had some make one in this lovely merino. However, when I made it, I don't think I realised quite how much I'd love it.

It has become my 'weather safe' turtleneck. What I mean by that is that I can rely on it to keep me warm and comfortable in most winter weather I might encounter. I've worn it in the Alps, far up in northern Sweden and most recently in the Scottish Highlands. And it hasn't failed me yet.

It's like a great merino base layer, but looks a lot nicer.


These photos are from a reaaaaaally windy walk along the canal in Inverness. It might look sunny, but can you see in the first photo that I'm holding my hair? It's because in every photo that I don't you can't even see my face.

Later that day my friend and I were heading out for a few drinks and dinner. All I did was change my trousers and shoes and put on some lipstick. The turtleneck stayed.


And this is another reason why I love it so. It's versatile and can look perfectly smart too. In fact, its first ever wear was to one of my PhD interviews, tucked into a black skirt and worn with ankle boots. It was cold but I didn't want to wear something bulky or too many layers. The turtleneck did the trick to keep me warm.

So now I'm thinking that ahead of next winter I'll order more of this lovely fabric from Australia and make a few more of these turtlenecks in different colours. A grey and a black one are a must in my wardrobe.

Especially as there'll be many more trips like this one to Scotland. Which brings me onto the reason for the trip. A very close friend and her fiancé have moved up to Inverness. They moved some time ago but life has gotten in the way on both sides and we haven't found the time to meet up in either Inverness or Manchester until now. But last Friday I got on a 7h train and spent the whole weekend with them. And it was amazing!

Here are a few photos from the first day, before the snow melted:


(PS. Photo credit for the photos of me goes to Victoria.)

3 comments

  1. Seems like a great wardrobeworkhorse, this turtleneck. I have just gotten my hands on some merino from the Fabric Store and am tempted to just copy you and make a Paola!

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    1. Go for it! It's so warm and comfortable. I'm tempted to make another 5-6 and make it my 'uniform' next winter.

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