The Really Great AbbyShot Blog!

It is getting so close, we can almost taste it! The season 4 premiere of Outlander is less than a week away. On November 4th we will once again be able to immerse ourselves in Jamie and Claire’s epic love story. This particular wait between seasons of Outlander has been an unusually long “Droughtlander” to endure. Whether you have been actively indulging in Outlander-related activities since the finale episode of Season 3, or just quietly biding the months away in anticipation of the return of Outlander, the excitement is increasingly more intense as we get closer to witnessing the adventures of Jamie and Claire in the New World.

As the weather turns colder and becomes “dreich”, and our thoughts turn to the much anticipated end of Droughtlander in November, we may see some rain showers headed our way. 

How nice it would be to have a beautiful umbrella, or “brolly” to shelter you, much like Jamie’s love continues to shelter Claire from the storms that surround them. An item that is distinctive, as well as beautiful, that will prevent you from becoming “drookit”, or completely drenched, when the weather is mimicking a “smirr” in the Scottish Highlands.

In Outlander, season 1, episode 1 “Sassenach”, we see an apparition of a Highlander who is looking intently at Claire through the window of Mrs. Baird’s Bed & Breakfast in Inverness while she is brushing her hair.

Frank comes upon the scene and notices the Highlander watching Claire. As Frank approaches the Highlander to ask if he can help him with something, the Highlander brushes past him and vanishes into thin air. We later surmise that this was an apparition of Jamie who was staring at Claire, but how, or why, did he come to be there?

This masterpiece sports different design details compared to the popular Crombie style. One feature we were fanatic about was the secret pocket. I’m pretty sure my face looked like the 😁 Beaming Face With Smiling Eyes emoji! I looked at Bonnie and said, “Wait until the Whovians see this, they’re going to love it”! Did you know about this mysterious pocket? Do you know what color it is and why it’s even there to begin with? Keep reading to find out more!

Ah, a Caribbean cruise. Just thinking about it makes me feel all relaxed and happy. Days spent lounging by the pool or relaxing on your private balcony, tropical drink in hand. Evenings spent at the onboard shows, or in the various lounges and clubs. Wandering to the casino to spend a little time (and money), hoping for lady luck to grace you with her presence. Imagine taking that very same voyage over 200 years ago. It might give you some different feelings; huh?

Some of you may remember Angela from our photo shoot we previously shared with you, taken last year in Toronto, for our Outlander Knitted Goods Collection. From the top of the Old Man of Storr in Skye to downtown Toronto, follow us along as Angela shares the story of her journey and how being introduced to Outlander influenced her to join My Peak Challenge! 

For me, this is a bit of an understatement, as I have found myself getting way off the main trunk of my family tree and involved with following so many teeny, tiny “branches.” It is very time consuming, but also so much fun! The one piece of advice that always holds true while searching for your ancestors is to start with yourself, then work back through your “proven” relationships. If someone in your family told you that you are of Scottish descent, or are related to Bonnie Prince Charlie or even William Wallace, you must start with yourself and work your way back to prove the connection. Or, in my case, while hiking the West Highland Way in my youth, I phoned home and my great-grandmother told me “did you know that your 3rd great-grandmother was born in Scotland?” That was news to me, but years later as my affinity for Scotland grew, I researched my GGG-grandmother and her family, along with many other ancestors with diverse origins and very interesting stories.

Bonnie and Julia, first opened the doors of AbbyShot in 2003. As the saying goes, they were still a little wet behind the ears when it came to the exhilarating land of cosplay, replicas and signing licensing contracts.They were determined to develop, fine tune and operate a successful, e-commerce business designing and manufacturing movie replica and TV themed clothing.

A connection to Outlander is a sensual experience. For me, at first, it was the tactile pleasure of holding the books in my hands, Diana Gabaldon’s evocative words transporting me to a place I can almost see, smell, and feel. More recently, it’s been watching the wonderful TV series which has delighted my eyes and ears with my imaginings made real. I am hooked by the heart and all five senses.

The importance of the plaid as it is known in North America became evident when Jamie and Murtagh were in Ardsmuir Prison. At that time, Scots were not allowed to wear their tartans, speak Gaelic or own weapons such as guns. This is represented by the clothing that the prisoners are wearing and how they are allowed to hunt while at the prison.

One of the great pleasures of watching Outlander includes admiring all of the gorgeous costumes and accessories that adorn all of the characters. The knitted wool items have featured heavily, and have definitely caught my eye. As I am devoid of the skill of knitting, I have a great admiration for the talent. I seem to recall hearing once, on a tour of a croft house in the Scottish Highlands, that traditionally all family members in the household would have learned to knit. Because they did not have the luxury of idle time, knitting was a task that was accomplished during times of limiting physical circumstances, i.e. winter, while shepherding, or by those who were infirm. It has caused me to wonder recently; could Jamie have knit Claire’s cowl?

While Claire in her 1940s life used laundry soap and a basic washing machine, her time traveling life did not have such a luxury. Instead, wash day consisted of lots of drinks, hand washing, and urine production.