Ecobaby Yarn

This week I came across the new Ecobaby Organic Cotton Yarn from Debbie Bliss which sadly, has not yet hit our shores down here in NZ. This yarn looks beautiful and is manufactured from 100% organic, fairtrade cotton within an ecologically and socially conscious process through the Bio Re textile chain, which integrates farmers, their families and the textile industry as equal partners. The yarn is dyed with non toxic dyes in recyclable water, giving a palette of 16 gorgeous shades making it perfect for all manner of baby knitting projects.

I can't wait to get my hands on it as I love the texture and drape of cotton for some patterns like the Wavy Cashmere Blanket from my book. Because this wool knits up the same as Baby Cashmerino it is a wonderful choice if you prefer to knit with cotton but love the Debbie Bliss color palate. I am very happy that more designers are working with Organic yarns and dyes especially for baby knitting. I plan to use the Eco baby to re-work a few vintage patterns I have in my collection and I hope to share them with you later this season.

Ecobaby Yarn

This week I came across the new Ecobaby Organic Cotton Yarn from Debbie Bliss which sadly, has not yet hit our shores down here in NZ. This yarn looks beautiful and is manufactured from 100% organic, fairtrade cotton within an ecologically and socially conscious process through the Bio Re textile chain, which integrates farmers, their families and the textile industry as equal partners. The yarn is dyed with non toxic dyes in recyclable water, giving a palette of 16 gorgeous shades making it perfect for all manner of baby knitting projects.

I can't wait to get my hands on it as I love the texture and drape of cotton for some patterns like the Wavy Cashmere Blanket from my book. Because this wool knits up the same as Baby Cashmerino it is a wonderful choice if you prefer to knit with cotton but love the Debbie Bliss color palate. I am very happy that more designers are working with Organic yarns and dyes especially for baby knitting. I plan to use the Eco baby to re-work a few vintage patterns I have in my collection and I hope to share them with you later this season.

Wool Diaper

Yes, I am a wool virgin. I fist assumed it would be scratchy. Then I pondered how to care for wool. I have no idea how to lanolize anything, no idea how I would wash a wool diaper cover, or dry one, and how long my kiddo could wear said diaper cover. I don't know the difference between shorties and a soaker. I have no idea what felted wool means or if it is very different from knitted wool. To be completely honest, I have never used a fleece cover either. Just a regular PUL cover. I want to change, but I am afraid!!!

I want a cooler option for Miss C this spring and summer. I'd prefer a natural fiber that breathes. They don't look scary. In fact, they are adorable. I am dying to get my hands on one. But I am afraid of the investment because I am sure that somehow I will ruin it.


Can anyone assure me that a wool diaper cover is NOT scary? I'd love to hear about your wool experiences!

Green Gal Pick: A B Sea Baby

A B Sea Baby has the most adorable baby clothing I have ever seen. With all this snow piled up outside my door, I am longing for the summer days I get to sit lazily on the beach -- well, in my case chase two rambunctious kids down the beach. Either way, it sounds blissful compared to this icy weather we have had lately. A B Sea offers all natural, organic, silk baby clothing -- that's right -- silk baby clothing in colors that will remind you of long, breezy summer days by the sea. Can you think of anything softer next to baby's skin than organic cotton blended with natural silk? Because I cannot.

The best part about A B Sea clothing is that they are a company that cares about our earth. They wrap and ship all orders in recycled material and their clothes are easy to care for which means using less energy. Just wash on a gentle cycle in cold water (yay for cold water washes!) and hang dry (yay for the breeze!).

Best yet is that silk is naturally wrinkle-resistant, hypoallergenic, and weather-proof. Which means these are great to carry along in the diaper bag for just about any outing. A B Sea's special blend of natural silk and organic cotton is perfect for weather all year round since the material breathes in the heat and holds warmth in the cold. Since their clothing is hypoallergenic it is safe for even the tiniest of babies. These clothes would definitely make an amazing baby gift to an expectant mother. They even have a registry right on the site.

This is the one I have my eye on for my little girl! Alexis (founder along with her mom Renee) wanted to let everyone know that right now everything in the store is on sale! So click over and check out their beautiful line of clothing for newborns up to 24 months.

Planning for My Little Guy's Birthday

I am starting to plan for my little man's fourth birthday which is at the end of March. I am so excited to have a "real" party for my boy. All of his parties so far have been at home with just family members as guests. We decided to have his party at a local nature center that also has a petting zoo. This place is AMAZING. All of their animals are rescued or injured animals that they nursed back to health and all of the money for admission goes straight to salaries and supporting the wildlife there.

I am trying to do this as eco-friendly as possible. I want to get him some recycled or natural toys, but I find that after a certain age, there isn;t as much to choose from in the toy department. He is too old for plain wooden toys and I am trying to stay away from plastic as much as possible. I love Green Toys Inc. I am going to get him the Recycling Truck from here that is made from (what else?) recycled plastic milk jugs.

I am having a tough time finding other age appropriate games and toys that are "green." I also have to find some eco-friendly party favors to hand out. I was thinking of small pots, dirt, and seed packets so the kids can plant their own veggies when they are home, but I don't know how that would go over with the parents. I know I hate bringing home bags of junky plastic toys and candy, but I don't know if other parents actually like that sort of thing. I fear I may be in the minority.

Would this be appreciated or an annoyance once you got home from a birthday party? It is a recycled Cardboard House Kit from Green Party Goods. Problem with these are that they are $6.99 each. A little pricey when there are a dozen children attending.

What kind of ideas do you have for eco-friendly gifts and party favors?

New Reviews and Giveaways

We have some exciting green reviews and giveaways coming up in March! Some of our sponsors are already up on the blog, so check them out!

I will be reviewing Apple Cheeks Diapers, Goodmama Diapers, Bum Genius 3.0, Happy Heinys, Kissaluvs Marvel fitted diaper, Thirsties covers, and Nature's Love pocket diapers as well as other green products.

These are all brands that I have purchased myself and have had months of everyday use. These diapers have really been put to the test and I am so excited to share my experiences with you!

Make sure that you are a follower here, on Twitter, and on Facebook so that you get the newest updates and qualify for every entry into the giveaways!

Laundry Finds of the Week!

I am an Etsy lover! It makes me think that I can do the things that these talented people can do. It lets me think that I live in a different time, when life was a slower pace, and shopping malls didn't exist at every major intersection. So, each week I choose a few Etsy finds and feature the shops that I love!

I am saving my pennies to buy myself one of these adorable handmade signs from The Homespun Raven. I think it would work perfectly in the room I use for daycare. It isn't too childish, but it is an actual learning tool. Perfect for a room that functions as a classroom each day and a family room by night.

I also really love this laundry sign. Though I can't see the diapers making it into the washer very often if this was the case here!

There are lots of seasonal signs, custom family signs, and everyday signs that are beautifully made. Tracy at The Homespun Raven has kindly offered our readers a 10% discount on any orders placed through her site when using the discount code BLOG, so head over and check out her site and her Etsy shop!

Kates Shoes

kateshoes.jpg, originally uploaded by brynne_knits.

Just want to share this little picture of my Mary Jane Booties Pattern (free download) hand knit by Brynne at All This By Hand. There is so much baby goodness in this photo I just had to share!

Kates Shoes

kateshoes.jpg, originally uploaded by brynne_knits.

Just want to share this little picture of my Mary Jane Booties Pattern (free download) hand knit by Brynne at All This By Hand. There is so much baby goodness in this photo I just had to share!

Ecobaby Yarn

This week I came across the new Ecobaby Organic Cotton Yarn from Debbie Bliss which sadly, has not yet hit our shores down here in NZ. This yarn looks beautiful and is manufactured from 100% organic, fairtrade cotton within an ecologically and socially conscious process through the Bio Re textile chain, which integrates farmers, their families and the textile industry as equal partners. The yarn is dyed with non toxic dyes in recyclable water, giving a palette of 16 gorgeous shades making it perfect for all manner of baby knitting projects.

I can't wait to get my hands on it as I love the texture and drape of cotton for some baby knitting like the Wavy Cashmere Blanket from my book. Because this wool knits up the same as Baby Cashmerino it is a wonderful choice if you prefer to knit with cotton but love the Debbie Bliss color palate. I am very happy that more designers are working with Organic yarns and dyes especially for baby knitting. I plan to use the Eco baby to re-work a few vintage patterns I have in my collection and I hope to share them with you later this season.

Ecobaby Yarn

This week I came across the new Ecobaby Organic Cotton Yarn from Debbie Bliss which sadly, has not yet hit our shores down here in NZ. This yarn looks beautiful and is manufactured from 100% organic, fairtrade cotton within an ecologically and socially conscious process through the Bio Re textile chain, which integrates farmers, their families and the textile industry as equal partners. The yarn is dyed with non toxic dyes in recyclable water, giving a palette of 16 gorgeous shades making it perfect for all manner of baby knitting projects.

I can't wait to get my hands on it as I love the texture and drape of cotton for some baby knitting like the Wavy Cashmere Blanket from my book. Because this wool knits up the same as Baby Cashmerino it is a wonderful choice if you prefer to knit with cotton but love the Debbie Bliss color palate. I am very happy that more designers are working with Organic yarns and dyes especially for baby knitting. I plan to use the Eco baby to re-work a few vintage patterns I have in my collection and I hope to share them with you later this season.

Shescraftyness

Welcome back readers! The kids are back to school after a very long break and I am gearing up for a very exciting year as the proprieter of Shescrafty Knits as well working on a few fun projects. My plan for this year is to use my blog as more of an online style notebook for children's knitting as well as offering other inspirations I find along the way... things I think you would like as well.

Many of you may know, my family and I had the opportunity to travel from New Zealand (where we have been living for 8 years) to New York last September. We spend 4 months being New Yorkers and it was quite an exciting time for us as we were completely inspired by all the creative energy around us. The trip co-incided with the launch of my new knitting pattern book Vintage Knits for Modern Babies and so it was a very exciting time for me. I was able to meet some lovely people when I did book signings which turns out to be a great way to find out more about my customers. I learned a lot about new yarns and was hugely inspired by NY fashion.

One of my favorite things to do in NY was searching for inspiration for new designs. I was so in awe of the beautiful children's shops in Brooklyn and Manhattan; Acorn on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn with it's beautiful toys and hand knitted baby wear. The baby section at ABC Home and Carpet on Union Square. The baby department at Takashimaya on 5th Ave and the insanely expensive kids styles at the Japanese Trico Field in Soho. Yes, I have no shortage of inspirations and so now it is time to get to work designing planning and oh yes...knitting!

New York as we all know is home to some of the worlds best yarn stores and so I also made it my mission to check out as many as I could. My local shop, Brooklyn General stocks many of my favorites and lots of beautiful new yarns I had never seen or heard of. I like to design with yarn that is practical, versatile as well as beautiful so I brought back bag loads of scrumptious yarns that beg to be designed with.

It was a wonderful trip and I can't wait to work on some new patterns and designs with New York in mind. In the meantime, please follow me on Twitter for more updates...

Shescraftyness

Welcome back readers! The kids are back to school after a very long break and I am gearing up for a very exciting year as the proprieter of Shescrafty Knits as well working on a few fun projects. My plan for this year is to use my blog as more of an online style notebook for children's knitting as well as offering other inspirations I find along the way... things I think you would like as well.

Many of you may know, my family and I had the opportunity to travel from New Zealand (where we have been living for 8 years) to New York last September. We spend 4 months being New Yorkers and it was quite an exciting time for us as we were completely inspired by all the creative energy around us. The trip co-incided with the launch of my new knitting pattern book Vintage Knits for Modern Babies and so it was a very exciting time for me. I was able to meet some lovely people when I did book signings which turns out to be a great way to find out more about my customers. I learned a lot about new yarns and was hugely inspired by NY fashion.

One of my favorite things to do in NY was searching for inspiration for new designs. I was so in awe of the beautiful children's shops in Brooklyn and Manhattan; Acorn on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn with it's beautiful toys and hand knitted baby wear. The baby section at ABC Home and Carpet on Union Square. The baby department at Takashimaya on 5th Ave and the insanely expensive kids styles at the Japanese Trico Field in Soho. Yes, I have no shortage of inspirations and so now it is time to get to work designing planning and oh yes...knitting!

New York as we all know is home to some of the worlds best yarn stores and so I also made it my mission to check out as many as I could. My local shop, Brooklyn General stocks many of my favorites and lots of beautiful new yarns I had never seen or heard of. I like to design with yarn that is practical, versatile as well as beautiful so I brought back bag loads of scrumptious yarns that beg to be designed with.

It was a wonderful trip and I can't wait to work on some new patterns and designs with New York in mind. In the meantime, please follow me on Twitter for more updates...

Green When Dealing With Snow

As another massive storm approaches the Northeast, I was thinking of all the chemicals and toxins used to deal with snow and ice. Rock salt, chemical deicers, and even snow blowers are terrible for the soil, water supply, and air. Rock salt and chemical deicers kill vegetation, ruin the soil, and contaminate our water. Snow blowers emit carbon emissions.

So what is an eco-friendly way to get rid of snow and ice? A trusty shovel and an able body. Or you can try a new Wovel. It claims to be an easier and more effective way to shovel and I have to say that I would love to try one of these! They actually look fun! If you are more of a gadget person, try looking into an electric snow blower. No emissions and if you have solar or wind energy they have very little impact!