Miraculous textiles

If I wasn't starting to miss green things and liquid water, I'd be happy with this long winter; at least as happy as this fit fellow who had the little local frozen lake all to himself.

People who ski claim that the specialized, synthetic clothing you're supposed to wear, is a marvel of textile invention, seeing as it supposedly keeps a warm layer of air right next to your skin while wicking away any moisture you might be emitting from exertion. That is not how I experience it when I exert in very cold weather. What is called wicking feels more like retaining and within half an hour it feels as if I am wearing frozen plastic against my skin. Last time I strenuously shoveled snow in minus fifteen degrees, I had nothing on my torso but a long sleeve cotton tee with a medium weight down parka over it, and I was superbly comfortable. Go figure.

Rather incredible, this; making spiders work their little butts off so we can engineer the strongest textile on earth for our own purposes. It is gorgeous though.