When green is all there is to be

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why?

Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!

And I think it's what I want to be.

~It's Not Easy Bein' Green by the Muppets

The Green Revolution has really taken off. Organic food, hybrid cars, energy-saving light bulbs, small steps and ways to make a difference is everywhere. I like to think that buying handmade is a part of this, learning how products are made, and where your sources are coming from. It all matters.

I started knitting to keep my hands busy in grad school so I could concentrate on the lectures, but, tragically, I am allergic to wool. I am teased and tantelized every time I walk into my LYS and see the rows and rows of beautiful skeins that I cannot knit with. So I was forced to find alternatives to wool, and the most popular was acrylic, imagine my dismay when I discovered that acrylic is petroleum based. So I was basically knitting with oil? So I switched to cotton, that's earth-friendly, right? Well better than acrylic, but then as my research shows here cotton has it's downfalls too, unless you get organic, and many companies are realizing this.

So now that I have found suppliers for organic cotton, is there a call for it? Sort of. Customers would like it, however when push comes to pennies and dollars, many want to save the extra dollars and buy my regular cotton hats. I will continue to make and offer them, but I know they will never be popular as my other items. I am also a member of NaturalKids, an Etsy team dedicated to natural products for children.

However, like many things in life, it comes down to marketing, and that is where I heard about Cosa Verde. This is a place to showcase your earth-friendly wares, but your don't sell from there, you link to your selling venue like Etsy and Artfire. What I have noticed, they bring a lot more attention to my organic hats, and with this trend becoming more popular, all it can do is help. And it is a direct place for the people who like to shop with the earth-friendly products in mind.

Build-a-Bunny

Bunnies abound! With all the great yarn out there, there are many different kinds of bunnies you can get for your little bunny from my Etsy shop!
This nice cotton blend yarn is perfect for newborns and small babies.

I also sell it with the book, The Runaway Bunny, perfect for showers or Easter gifts!

I make a Peter Rabbit hat out of a snuggly soft acrylic yarn that is sadly no longer made, so I am on the lookout for new colorways in cotton yarns. But in the meantime I am using up my stash that matches the sepia-tawny browns of Potter's illustrations of our favorite bunny. While supplies of the yarn last I sell the Peter Rabbit hat with or without the book.

I also have an organic cotton Bunny available. This snuggly-soft yarn has been grown without chemicals and dyed with low-impact dyes. A true delight and an heirloom gift for years to come!

Many more styles are available, as I love custom orders, and have an array ofcolors in stock of 100% cotton, organic cotton and acrylic yarn. So celebrate spring and bunny season in style!

CPSIA Changes?

Well, there is hope.

My cotton yarn and organic cotton yarn hats have been deemed lead free by the government.

Duh.
And now resellers, such as thrift stores, and consignment shops have some reprieve from this strict law. http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

Or do they? Read it carefully, it says that they can sell it, but at their own risk if it contains any lead. I'm not sure how many consignment shops and thrift shops are going to take this news. Exempt should be exempt, and that's that. These are not individually recalled items.

But like I said "The two-member commission, reacting to complaints from manufacturers, also agreed to exempt natural products such as gems and cotton from mandatory testing for lead. "

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a0Xr2Iw1Vi_8&refer=us

So this is good news for now.

And read this wonderful blog post from Rick Woldenberg , I especially love the title, but the entire post is dead on.

http://learningresourcesinc.blogspot.com/2009/01/cpsia-emperor-has-no-clothes.html

Natural Kids in the Blog!

http://www.etsy.com/storque/spotlight/featured-team-natural-kids-team-2941/

NaturalKids made the Etsy Blog!

It's a wonderful article about a fabulous team I belong to, all my cotton and organic cotton hats are tagged with "team naturalkids".

"This week's Featured Team, NaturalKids, makes sweet, wholesome products for your little ones! We love the way these toys inspire creativity while staying true to their natural materials. You'll find these items are crafted with a lot of love, and it seems this affection pours into their Team as well! The NaturalKids Team has a great website and blog to promote their work and also holds weekly promotions in the Forums. We love how they've created their own co-operative advertising program within the Team and have ads running on parenting websites! To learn more about this Team (including how to join) check out their Team Profile. To see all the products made lovingly by NaturalKids Team members, simply search "naturalkids team"."

Butterfly Design Cotton Acorn Hat

butterflydesign says, "I love being a part of the Natural Kids Team because they celebrate the joys of childhood and the earth all in one Team. And we only have one of each, shouldn't they be celebrated?"


This isn't my favorite hat, but hey, making the blog is pretty cool!

Organic Cotton: What's the difference?

With the green movement becoming so popular, many yarn companies have developed "organic cotton" yarn. And it's a good thing too. According to the Sustainable Cotton Project and Pesticide Action Network North America cotton crops used about 23 percent of the world's insecticides and more than 10 percent of all pesticides. And then these toxins are passed on to us, the consumer.

So what is organic cotton? What does that mean? From my research, I have determined that there are three types of organic cotton for the consumer.

• Organic cotton undyed


• Organic cotton organically dyed


• Organic cotton chemically dyed

Now, for each of these types you have to take your good with the bad. All have a place in the market for color varities, weight, and brand. But the thing to remember about all of them, is that if they are USDA certified organically grown, you have already helped the environment quite a bit.

And always be sure to read the package, and check the website. If a company does not claim to be USDA certified, I do not count it as true organic yarn. And if it does not give credit to organic dyes, then I assume the dyes are chemical dyes.

Organic Cotton Undyed
Undyed organic cotton is cotton at it's most natural state. No chemicals were used in the growing process, and you will get very few colorways from your suppliers. Most will be in shades of off-white and brown. Many big name brands are now producing certified organic undyed cotton.

Blue Sky Alpaca:

Woodstock Bare:

Plymouth:

Inca Organic

Lion Brand:

Pakucho Ecobutterfly : NearSea Naturals Yarn On the Cone:

Organic Cotton Organically Dyed
Organic cotton that has been organically dyed has not been grown that color, but has been dyed without the use of harsh chemicles and bleach. You will get more colorways than undyed cotton, but the hues are still rather muted. And I have not tested many for longevity of the color, so fading may or may not be an issue.

Woodstock Knits:

Lion Nature's Choice: Rowan PureLife:Sublime:

Organic Cotton Chemically Dyed
Organic cotton that has been chemically dyed is still organically grown, so long as it bears the USDA label. But bear in mind, these yarns have been chemically dyed, so even if the companies claim that they have used "low-impact" dyes, there is not goverment regualtion or clarification on what defines "low-impact", so this could mean anything. Typically these dyes are still caustic and are running off into our waterways and land areas. The organic cotton, which started off as a good thing, could become so chemically treated, that it defeats the purpose in the end.

But the big debate is, should Chemically Dyed Organically grown cotton be considered organic cotton yarn? Only you, the consumer can decide.

In my opinion, this is still a better choice over traditional cotton yarn. Why? The yarn is still organic in the beginning stages. So we as consumers are taking a stand and saying that there needs to be more regulation on cotton growers to insure a less caustic, less chemical way of growth.

Chemically Dyed Organic Cotton can be amazingly soft and comes in a variety of colorways. So in the end, the choice is up to the consumer of what they choose to knit with.

I can only hope that one day there will be amazingly soft organinc cotton in a wide variety of colorways that do not use caustic dyes.

Patons

Blue Sky

Going Organic at Coonamessett Farm

Memorial weekend is coming up and the weather should be beautiful on Cape Cod! I will be at the Coonamessett Farm Fiber Festival and Crafts Show, and really I can't wait. I have been knitting up a storm for months and have many hats to sell, some one of a kind. The festival will be complete with alpacas and sheep, demonstration of fiber making, felting crafts for kids, and much more!

http://www.coonamessettfarm.com/id224.html

I am also planning to launch my exciting line of organic cotton hats. I figured why not, at a Fiber Festival? The organic cotton is wonderful! Super snuggly soft, and so many companies are going organic that the selection is increasing with price and colors. I also realized that organic has many different meanings, so you have to be careful. I like to look for the certified pesticide-free grown cotton, and pesticide-free dyed cotton, I will eventually offer dye free organic cotton hats. I just need to make them. So this butterfly is being a butterfly and making a difference and embracing the world of organic cotton!