The Two-Minute Cardigan
Even though we are in the midst of the hottest part of the year, sometimes you need an extra layer. Nothing too heavy or sweater-y, mind you. Just a simple layer that's easy to pull on or throw off as needed. This might sound like madness, but stay with me.
I had no idea how much I should've appreciated Upstate New York summers when I was growing up. In my defense, it was all I knew. The rest of the year was kind of rough, weather-wise, but man, July and August were PERFECT. We spent every possible moment outside. We ate every dinner on our screened porch or in the back yard. We had no A/C and just slept with the windows open. There seemed to be endless daylight, but when the sun set, you sometimes needed long sleeves. Long sleeves, I tell you.
I now live in Arlington, VA, and let's just say it's a bit different here. And by "a bit different", I mean summer is the exact opposite of what I just described. July and August are the WORST. We spend every possible moment inside. The humidity cannot be fully described, so I'll let this picture tell a thousand sticky words:
That's not rain. That's just the air landing on the window. It's also how it lands on your body. Blech.
It's oppressive and horrid and every summer I truly wonder why we live here. I just did the math, and this is our 19th summer here. NINETEENTH. You'd think I'd be acclimated. You'd think I'd at least realize no one can do a darn thing about it and just stop whining already. Nope. Never. In my mind I will always cling to the idyllic summers of my youth....
Wait, what were we talking about? Oh, right, layers! If you live in a God-forsaken swampland like I do, you probably still have a need for a light layer. I know that sounds counterintuitive when the only way to survive is to wear the least amount of clothing allowed by law. And when you hear the weather guy say things like "Heat index of 110F", the first thing that comes to mind probably isn't "carry a sweater". (It's probably something like "How many days until October?" or "Maybe I should move to Canada.") But sometimes you end up in a place with crazy strong A/C pumping and there you are, legally but practically naked, and all of a sudden you are freezing.
Enter The Two-Minute Cardigan.
All you need is a long-sleeved t-shirt. An old one, a brand-new one, one that used to be pajamas, whatever, they all work. In two minutes you will have a comfortable, thin, breathable layer that you can easily throw in your bag and have at the ready.
Here's how you "make" it. (I'm using that term liberally here).
Find a long-sleeved t-shirt that you're willing to forever alter. For this tutorial I grabbed an Old Navy t-shirt that I've had for at least 6 years:
Mark the middle of the neck. You can fold it in half and line up the shoulder seams to find the middle, or you can just eyeball it. Like so:
Then mark the middle at the bottom. Again, you can fold it in half and line up the side hems or just eyeball it. Total precision is not necessary.
Then using a straight edge, draw a straight line from top to bottom, like so:
use a ruler, the side of a piece of cardboard, whatever you can find.
you can kinda see the line I drew, right?
Using sharp scissors, cut on the line from bottom to top:
And you're done! Seriously, that's it. Because t-shirts are made from knit fabric, they won't unravel. The edges may curl slightly, which only adds to the look in my humble opinion. I have made at least 8 of these over the years and they are great to have on hand at the movies, in the car if the driver likes the climate to resemble a traveling meat locker, in your air-conditioned house when you first wake up and a robe is too much but a tank top is not enough. Obviously these work in spring and fall too!
So go searching for your long-sleeved t-shirts, find two minutes in your busy schedule and make yourself a cardigan! And forgive my dorky face as I model this for you:
And remember, October is only 10 and a half weeks away!
