A few of my Favourite Things #8 (October)

AA Cable Knit Pullover in Blossom;
Topshop Joni Jeans 

Currently wearing

 Cable knit

I took a big spending plunge with cable knit recently and purchased an American Apparel Cable Knit Pullover. Then I might have been really naughty and purchased a second one! After spending years buying cheap clothing, I now value 'investment pieces' so much more. The quality of these knits are great and the cropped fit suits my petite frame. I prefer a high content cotton mix because I feel these are more hardy and long-lasting than acrylic. These cable knit sweaters go with absolutely anything and can be made to look smart for work with a pencil skirt or suit trousers. I am so happy I paid a bit more because these are going to be staples in my wardrobe for years to come.

A few of my favourite things #7 (September 2014)

Currently wearing

  Cute slippers

I purchased these adorable slippers from Next last month and they haven't been off my feet since! They cost £12 and they are really warm and cosy. I love how they are knitted with some metallic thread interwoven into them as it makes them quite festive. I wouldn't usually buy myself slippers (they're the type of thing I might get bought at Christmas), but I needed something to wear around the house other than socks.

10 Modern Folk Treasures

Over the last six months or so, I've got into folk music in a big way. I've started to explore the genre, listening to 60s and 70s folk, through to modern folk bands. I was lucky enough to see some great acts at Wickham Festival (and posted about it here). It was really hard to compile a playlist of only 10 modern folk tracks that I love, but I managed to whittle it down eventually. So click here for my '10 Modern Folk treasures' playlist.

 

Roll the Woodpile Down by Bellowhead: 

Bellowhead are an eleven-piece folk band who source traditional folk songs and writings to turn into dynamic masterpieces. They were amazing live and this song was even more uplifting than the album version. This song's origins lay in the Southern states of America, coming originally from the songs of African slaves. Bellowhead's CD inserts are really fascinating to read as they tell you where their tracks are sourced from and how far they might date back; it makes you realise how powerful the folk narrative and song tradition is, and how important it is that we are keeping it alive by participating in the traditions today, in one form or another. 

Many of the picks from my playlist inspire this notion in a far more powerful way than I could ever put it.