Green Options

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I am so impressed with the folks at Kee-Ka! They sell adorable organic cotton clothing and accessories for babies/toddlers/pets with simple graphics (sweet pea, pumpkin and lion are my personal favorites). All metal closures are nickel free and they utilize fair trade manufacturing standards.

But what makes this company truly stand out is the packaging! See, when you purchase a Kee-Ka item it comes housed in this nifty little brown box crafted of recycled paper that is ready to be mailed in three simple steps. No digging for wrapping paper, no searching for tape, no “This looks like my kid wrapped it” thoughts. Nada.

As the weather gets to be an almost unbearable 90 degrees in lovely Southern California, it’s time to hit the beach and take to the waves for a little cool down. This year, my beach bag will be stuffed with the very chic, generously oversized blanQuettes by Yumi & Laurie. The stylish and lightweight blankets are more than big enough for two people to sunbathe or four to sit comfortably and picnic outdoors.

Bamboo-Fabric Tees That Make Everybody Happy

When Kathryn Haydn-Hays read a story six years ago about forced child labor in foreign sweatshops, she realized that she didn’t know where her clothes really came from. “I really understood, for the first time, that nearly everything we purchase has a direct effect on people around the world, whether it’s an environmental or socio-economic impact,” says Haydn-Hays.

So she made it her life’s work to raise awareness and create more conscientious consumers. She started Affirm-Aware.org, a website which sells bamboo and organic cotton fabric tee-shirts, soy candles, organic reusable totes, and lovely unique jewelry — all created by 100% sweatshop-free labor.

But Kathyrn wanted to go a step further. She wanted to print affirmations on the tee-shirts so that the wearer would benefit from reading it every time he or she looked in the mirror, so she printed reverse images of the affirmations and called them “AffirmaTees.” (The “Duet” line has the affirmation both forwards and backwards, for those that want to spread the happy thoughts in both directions.) The site also features an “Affirmation Cafe” which has tips for meditation and positive thinking.

Green, Eco-Toys

I’ve just discovered a toy company I adore: HaPe Toys. This company features eco-friendly safe toys that “support children throughout every stage of development, starting at a very young age to help nurture and develop their natural abilities.” HaPe carries brands such as Quadrilla, Anamalz, and Woody Click, as well as Bamboo Collection. My family recently acquired Bamboo Collection’s Contina.

Bamboo Blocks

Contina blocks are similar to Kapla blocks, in that they are more like planks than standard unit blocks; however, Contina blocks are made from sustainable bamboo. These planks come in eight different natural colored finishes and can be combined to build many structures, given that you get 100 blocks in a set. You can stack them or line them up, and I am not sure if Eco Dad or my children had more fun when we first opened our Contina blocks.

I love discovering new companies that feature eco-friendly clothing for kids, and the market for green children’s gear is growing in both supply and demand. I recently was led to Toby and Rei: eco friendly clothes + accessories for you and baby. This Massachusetts based company, founded by designers Alanna Mallon and Kate Browning, features adorable t-shirts and lunch bags made from organically grown cotton, among many other green products for your child.

100% Organic Kids Graphic Tee

The elephant graphic tee is my favorite shirt! I’ve always had an affinity for elephants. The elephant tee is hand sketched and printed on American Apparel’s 100% organic cotton t-shirt. These sweatshop free shirts made in LA are then dyed at Red Fish-Blue Fish Dyeworks in NH “in the most environmentally friendly way possible without harsh fixing agents or formaldehyde.” This is a hip green tee for your child!

Bamboo is on the rise as a fast growing, biodegradable, anti-bacterial, and versatile fiber. Here at FGS we understand that the new (and booming) bamboo industry may not involve the most sustainable cloth treatment processes, yet we believe in recognizing those that are doing their best to create better manufacturing practices.

Oxygen Required is a new bamboo clothing brand that has a good understanding of bamboo fiber benefits and working toward sustainable manufacturing: 

Oxygen Required utilizes factory surplus fabrics in our efforts to create sustainable garments. As these excess materials are often left behind from manufacturer’s production, they provide a wonderful option to reduce waste and consume less. Our factories are ITS certified; adhering to stringent human rights and environmental standards, they facilitate the production of our collections from yarn to finished garments.     

As the worlds fastest growing plant, bamboo is harvested in less than three years and offers a renewable, biodegradable and sustainable source for fabric. The fibers contain an agent called “bamboo kun”, which prevents the cultivation of bacteria, resulting in odor free clothing. As the fibers are porous, the resulting apparel is also absorbent and evaporates moisture from the skin. 

I recently had the chance to interview O.R. creators Vivian Fang and Karen Young asking:

1. Where do you source the bamboo from?  Our bamboo fibers/ yarns are sourced from Taiwan. The fabrics are then knitted/ spun at our factories. 

Since its inception in the autumn of 2005, Passenger Pigeon has become a green fashion favorite among women of all ages and financial means. Heather Schibli and Wendy Trass have created a company appreciated for its intelligent and passionate designs.

The Canadian media mavens at GreenLivingOnline.com have allowed me to share my interview with Heather and Wendy, which was first published on GLO a few weeks ago. Keep reading for all the juicy details about the past, present and future of Passenger Pigeon - and eco-fashion as a whole!

The label was previously named Calledyourbluff and was changed to Passenger Pigeon when the brand began using sustainable textiles. Why did the collection change to eco-fabrics? Do you find working with sustainable fibers to be more limiting when coming up with designs?

Wendy: Do we feel limited? Yes and no. In the past we’ve dyed fabric because it only came in beige, and the very reason we use prints so much is because much of the available fabric is quite basic. Working within these limitations means that we have to get pretty creative sometimes, but I think that’s where the charm of our line comes from.

There’s actually a good range of eco-friendly textiles, especially for more casual fabrics like knits and twill. The one thing that we would like to see more of is affordable organic wool and other heavier fabrics for winter. However, it seems every week we get new, exciting swatches from different suppliers. There seems to be a lot happening in the textile industry to develop beautiful, new, sustainable fabrics.

Learning to knit can seem a bit overwhelming, especially if you are familiar with long-time knitters and all of their tools and many needles. At the basic level, all you need to get started is a pair of needles and some yarn. Beyond that there are some very helpful tools to consider and Victoria has already complied a great list on what to get a novice knitter. But what about those pesky needles?

When deciding on what needles to invest in, you’ll want to consider what type of knitter you are and what type of projects you’re interested in. A fair amount of patterns, from sweaters to scarves, call for U.S. size 8/5 mm or 10/6 mm needles. So you’ll probably want to own these sizes. If you find yourself enamored by sock making you’ll want to stock up on U.S. size 0/2mm and 1/2.25mm.

So how do you go about acquiring these needles in an eco-conscious manner?

Choose Bamboo - Bamboo is a fast growing natural material that is used in a wide range of sustainable products. Over at Core77, you can read the pros and cons of bamboo as a “green” material. Needles made from bamboo are widely available at any craft store and are lightweight, virtually noiseless and easy on the hands. They are just the right texture to have ease of movement and are able to hold your stitches without fear of them falling off of your needle.

Taiwanese company ASUSTeK Computer, this week, unveiled a laptop computer encased in bamboo rather than plastic. The Eco Book, on display at the CeBIT conference in Hanover, Germany, is set to go into production this June.

It’s not often that I write about a specific yarn instead of a whole company’s collective offerings. Rare as it is, I couldn’t resist when it comes to Knit One, Crochet Too’s 2nd Time Cotton yarn.

I first heard about 2nd Time Cotton in Knit 1 Magazine’s first green issue (Summer 2007), which features the yarn in a few of its different projects. Though KOCT has a few other pseudo-sustainable yarns (Wick is made with 53% soy and BabyBoo with 45% bamboo), their 2nd Time Cotton is inherently “green” because of its recycled nature.

How is it recycled? Second Time Cotton is made from cotton fibers that are textile factory scraps and leftovers from their usual operations here in the United States.

In the picture to the left, you’ll see their solid-color 2nd Time Cotton in Artichoke. Helene from Knit One, Crochet Too was nice enough to send me a hank of this swank fiber. Available in 12 solid and 11 striped colorways, 2nd Time Cotton does contain 25% acrylic, which is “added for fiber stability.”

OK, so it is not 100% eco-friendly, but hey, you have to start somewhere … right?

Does you baby deserve luxuriously soft clothing? Of course he or she does! BabyBam Collection offers organic cotton and bamboo products for infants with little environmental impact. Seriously, I have never felt anything as soft as the fabric used by BabyBam Collection!

Bamboo is the perfect fiber for babies. It is naturally hypo-allergenic, anti-bacterial, and thermal regulating. Babies have a harder time adjusting to temperature changes than adults.

According to the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, “A baby’s body surface is about three times greater than an adult’s, compared to the weight of his/her body. Babies can lose heat rapidly, as much as four times more quickly than adults.” Bamboo fabric offers babies some protection, as it wicks away moisture and helps regulate an infant’s body temperature.

BabyBam Collection’s line of infant clothes is made from 70% Bamboo/30% Organic Cotton. No bleach or dye is used on the fabric, except for the silkscreen on the front, as well as the “tagless” silkscreen label, which is made with a low-impact dye. Of course, the company has values, which is one reason why I love eco-friendly businesses: