Solarveil Hats

Introducing another new product, this time at BrightBlack: Solarveil Sun Hats for babies and children (click link to see the hat section in the shop, click icon at left to go to shop home)
Solarveil is a lightweight, breathable fabric that provides UV protection, so you get the ease of a hat and the protection of sunscreen, but without sweaty heads, messy lotions, or allergic reactions!

Each hat is made with a double layer of solarveil on the crown and brim, and has a decorative cotton band (a variety of band fabrics are available). I have just stocked a couple so far, but I'll be adding more as the weather warms up!

(baby not included with hat purchase ☺)

Tests on the double layer of solarveil have shown that it blocks 92-95% of harmful UV rays (approximately equal to using SPF 30 sunscreen). Learn more about solarveil and it's unique properties here.

Hat Size Chart:
XXS - up to 17" (43cm) head (about 0-6m)
XS - up to 18.5" (47cm) head (about 6-12m)
Small - up to 20" (51cm) head (usually toddler/preschool age)
I can also make hats to fit a 21" or 22" head via custom order--just convo me!

BundlesOfJoy product review

I've decided that I need to start doing something new on this blog--in addition to talking about shops and sellers that I love, I will be posting some reviews of fine etsy products that I've purchased!

Today I'm starting with BundlesOfJoy's fitted diapers and longies. It seems fitting to start with Joy, because my very first etsy purchase was a pair of longies from her three years ago for my last baby! She went on to start the EtsyClothDiapers Team, and so I started to get to know her. Then I moved to Alaska (she's Alaskan as well) and I even got to meet her! We have negotiated a couple of trades and additional sales, and I now have a nice stock of wool longies from her. In addition, we have become good friends, and when my baby was born this fall she sent me a pair of fitted diapers as a gift (really, don't I have the best friends?!)
SO, without further ado, here are my reviews.


Recyled Wool Longies

(Can you see, these brown ones on the right have pockets!!) 

These are sooo soft. Joy says right in her listings that she will "bypass the scratchy wool sweaters and use only the soft ones," and that's exactly right. If she feels the sweater isn't quite soft enough, she lines the longies with lambswool or cashmere! I have felt longies from several other sellers, but honestly I'm not inclined to buy them because nobody has longies as soft as Joy's. They are nice and roomy through the toosh, and built with a crotch gusset to allow free movement. I find that the legs are sometimes a little long on my kiddos, but my kids tend to be all torso with short legs. I just roll over the cuffs for a walker, or leave them down over their toes for a baby (I figure it keeps him toastier than falling-off socks!)

The one thing I have noticed is that the sizing (S/M/L) runs a little different than my diapers--so while my baby is currently moving into medium diapers he still fits the small longies. There is often sizing variance from one diaper maker to another though, so most cloth diaperers are used to checking that. Joy has good sizing information in her listings, so as long as you pay attention you shouldn't have any trouble getting something that fits properly. And you can always convo her with your kiddo's measurements and she will help you figure out which size will be best.☺



Velour Pocket Fitted Diapers

 As with any velour diaper, this is marvelously soft, and since it's a pocket the absorbability can be customized. It looks the same size as the towel diaper (below), but I found that it didn't fit quite the same way--probably because it's a stretchy fabric whereas the other is not. My baby didn't grow into this small until he was probably 11lbs. It would have fit him in the waist before that, but he has really skinny legs and this diaper has a roomier leg opening than the other (you can see in the photo that they're still not super snug at 13lbs). If I were to order one in the future I would have it customized with snugger legs for my chicken-legged baby, but otherwise it's a darling diaper. For a chunkier kid, it would be perfect.

Towel Diapers (Fitteds)
In a fit of genius, Joy started making diapers out of soft old towels. (She's a master of upcycling things.) In her own words she is "allergic to long dry times" so she makes it with double snap-in soakers so that it washes thoroughly and dries quickly. (Forgive me, I forgot to rotate these photos, but you can still see how it works!)


Here again, she is very picky about softness--some towels are rough, but if it's one of Joy's towel diapers you can bet that it's a soft one. This diaper is terry but it feels almost like velour, and it has become one of my very favorite diapers. Actually I'm seriously contemplating buying a few more even though I don't really need more diapers! I love the sustainability and affordability of recycling old towels and bathrobes as well as the old sweaters. Plus, if there is anything a towel is good for, it's absorbing! This diaper holds up great for naps (especially when combined with some nice wool longies *wink* ) If you don't need as much absorbancy it's easy to leave one of the doublers off (I did that when my baby was still tiny), but with both of them in it would probably be great at night too.
These diapers have a separate casing which 1--keeps the bulky part of the diaper narrow and trim and 2--serves like a gusset to keep messes in. I've never had a leak with this diaper. Here is my baby in the small towel diaper when he was about 2 weeks old (9lbs). I love that it's so trim (especially for a baby that size). He's 13lbs now and it still fits him well, and I estimate it will last at least a couple more pounds before he outgrows it.

a postscript...
as I was writing I found that I kept using exclamation points...not just a few, but everywhere. Even as I tried to edit them into control, I still just seemed to need a lot of them. I guess that alone says something about how I feel about these diapers and longies, doesn't it?!

NEW! Adjustable newborn-to-small AIO

My primary frustration with newborn size diapers is that the baby grows out of them so fast. But small diapers can be bulky on a newborn, and may end up leaking since a newborn's legs are usually quite skinny. Fitted diapers are often made adjustable with a fold-down front for their extra row of snaps, but an AIO (all-in-one) diaper cannot have a fold-down or it would leak.
So what's a mama to do?!
This diaper is the solution I came up with for my own son: A small AIO diaper with an extra row of snaps so that it can be done up tighter (and with a shorter rise) during those first days or weeks. The inside layer is soft (either velour or flannel) so it will not irritate that tender belly button even though it will cover it.

This photo shows my son wearing this design at about 8lbs (dark blue) and 13 lbs (light blue).

I've just stocked my first of these at LilBees, and plan to stock more in the coming couple of weeks.

Facebook Fan Page

I now have a Facebook Fan page...I am still learning how to use it, but it's there, and I'd love to have you be my fan there too. Come join up, everybody's doing it! ☺

Looking for knitting pattern testers

Calling all knitters!!

Fire and Smoke

What do you think, do you like it?

Purple Rain

This is the Swizzle Hat, a pattern I developed when I was learning stranding. It's a nice beginner pattern because the carries are usually just 2 stitches wide (occasionally 3) so it's not too hard to keep the tension even.

The two hats pictured were the ones I did as I developed the pattern...they both have flaws so I have kept them for my family rather than sell them, however I do want to sell the pattern (along with future hats). I think I have all the kinks worked out and that the pattern is written clearly, but I would like to have a couple of people test it for me before I start selling it.

If you would be interested in testing it, I would send you the pattern (free) and in return I would like you to give me the following:

• Any feedback you have on the pattern--mistakes, confusing parts, etc
• Let me know what needle size/yarn weight you used, and how many stitches you CO for that gauge (this is a simple repeating pattern so can be easily adapted to different gauges) I'd like to be able to include tips for multiple gauges on the pattern, and thus far I have only knitted it in sport weight.
  
• Send me a photo of your completed hat that I can use in my pattern listing
• If you choose to sell hats made from the pattern (and you're welcome to do so!), please give me pattern credit in the listing

I would like to find at least two people to test this pattern. So what do you think, will one of those people be you?! Leave me a comment (with a way to contact you) if you are interested!

My latest project...

...completed on November 12 at 8:03am after 40 weeks, 1 day, and 5ish hours of labor.
Son #3
He was born at home, in the water, into daddy's hands.
8lbs even, 20 3/4in long

Tools of the Trade

So I might as well admit it: I'm a little bit of a Bernina Snob.
Yes, I've used other sewing machines, but Bernina is definitely my favorite. When we were first married and I was getting ready to buy my own machine, I considered buying a cheaper brand, (with the knowledge that I'd replace it with a Bernina a few years down the road). However we were given some money for our wedding and the Bernina was on an after-Christmas sale, so we went ahead and got it. I've never regretted it--that machine earned back every penny within the year.
Why am I so stuck on Berninas? Well, first of all, they're Swiss. Yeah, those guys that are famous for making good watches? they also make really good sewing machines. My mother's Bernina is over 25 years old and going strong. My grandmother finally replaced her Bernina after 45 years--not because it was dead, but because one piece needed to be replaced and they no longer made the piece! In other words, these machines, though expensive, are a good investment. Berninas are also work horses. I've worked in two professional costume shops and one bridal shop, and all three used Berninas. For someone who just does a little sewing, a cheaper brand will probably suffice; but for someone who sews professionally, Berninas are where it's at!
When I was comparison shopping for sergers, a shop owner told me this: "I repair all kinds of machines, but I only sell Berninas, and you know why? Because I almost never have to see them for repairs!"

Now do you wanna see my sweet machines?

This is my sewing machine: The Bernina 1008. It's the most simple (and, at $600, the least expensive) of the Bernina machines. I prefer a simpler machine because they are easier to understand and less likely to break down. It's got a buttonhole-helper and 24 stitches--who really needs more than that?!
This is my serger: The Bernina 700D. It too is a simple, manual machine--no computerized junk. The more automatic parts there are, the more there is to malfunction, and sergers are finiky creatures to begin with. So I keep it simple. (I would not have purchased a serger on my own, although I do find them nice, but they are expensive and not really necessary...I do use mine, but there are other ways to do things, you know? Anyway, I got this one through my employer--at a discount--because they required me to have one in order to sew for them.)