Small Talk (plus discount code)

Sustainable Smalls:

Underwear can pose a bit of a problem when it comes to dressing more sustainably. We are quite demanding of our smalls (we want them smooth but supportive, invisible but opaque, cool but warm...). And, a cursory glance about any lingerie department in a large shop will show you a huge range of styles, because our tastes are so individual.

Bras pose a bit more of a problem, as the fit is so personal, and us women vary so widely in terms of our shape. However, I've taken a peek at some sustainable pants and put together a small selection to get you started, hope you like them! 

N.B. there are no pictures of my actual tried and tested pants! 

Merino Wool:

Yes really. If you haven't caught up with my craze for everything merino then see here- I'm a convert!  

And, I do now own merino pants. Merino is light and temperature regulating, moisture wicking, anti-smell, sustainable, completely biodegradable, and contrary to what you might expect it is also smooth, comfortable, and easy to care for. 

Cornish brand Finisterre make nice-looking woolly pants, or you could try Icebreaker, although reviews are mixed for their pants. Mons Royale make pretty longer-leg pants too. 

Merino Wool Tank Top from Finisterre, which matches their undies.

Silk:

Silk is also entirely natural, breathable, and biodegradable. Traditionally a luxury fabric, it is strong and light, and temperature regulating. 

Greenfibres sell a range of undies made from organic silk jersey, which looks supremely comfortable, (unlike some silk undies made from woven fabrics which can feel a bit papery).You can use code PIXIE10 for a discount at Greenfibres.  

Bamboo:

I have some of these undies from No Balls. They are the most comfortable pants ever! Completely seamless, they are soft and stretchy, and they fit really well. They are £11 a pair, or cheaper if you can find what you need in the clearance section. They also make a boy short. 

Other suppliers of bamboo undies include BAM.

Organic Cotton Stripes from Seasalt. Their pants are designed in the same vein. 

Organic Cotton:

Seasalt Cornwall make pretty organic cotton pants, including their signature sailor stripe. Watch out for Mighty Good Undies too who have a good range of styles available soon, and again Greenfibres who also stock a pretty range of pants (again don't forget to use code PIXIE10). 

Enjoy shopping for sustainable underwear, and if you have any favourites that I haven't mentioned then do let me know :-)

Girl Talk, Lidl & The Oeko-Tex Standard

Whatever you want to call it...

If you are anything like me, the last thing you will want to spend time thinking about is your sanitary protection, feminine hygiene, or whatever other euphemism springs to mind. 

Sea Urchins have nothing to do with tampons, but this blog post was a little difficult to illustrate!

Tampons: a textile product

I confess that beyond safe disposal, I haven't given a thought to the ecology of tampons, so when I grabbed a box in a discount supermarket I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed the Oeko-Tex 100 Standard on the box. Of course these things are made from cotton, and therefore we should be concerned about where that cotton comes from. 

And after all, due to the intimate way we use these products, shouldn't we be diligent about ensuring they do not contain harmful chemicals...? Now, I have absolutely no proof that more mainstream brands of tampons contain chemicals, but I don't see them rushing to reassure us that they are not. 

Don't flush them or they will end up here!

The Oeko-Tex Standard

In case you are not familiar with the Oeko-Tex standard, it is an assurance that the product has been thoroughly and independently tested for legal and illegal harmful substances. The end use of the product and the intensity of the contact it will have with the skin is taken into account then applying the test criteria. Again this is reassuring given that we are talking about tampons. 

The Oeko-Tex 100 is not a comprehensive test for all-round ethical production (it is not a fair trade or organic certification), but, it is a lot better than having no assurances at all. And if there are no nasty chemicals in the end product, that's a good sign that the environment has been respected along the production process. 

You can read more about the Oeko-Tex standard here. 

Best Brands of Eco Tampons:

Lidl's own 'Siempre' brand of tampons, then, seem like a good bet- well done Lidl! However, if you don't shop in Lidl here are some alternatives:

Natracare, soil association certified organic cotton tampons, available from Greenfibres (don't forget to use PIXIE10 discount code): click here

Organyc applicator cotton tampons, available from Natural Collection (click banner to the left)

Veeda natural cotton sanitary products, available from Boots

Free Knitting Pattern plus Yarn & Needle Giveaway!

'Coast Path' Cotton Cowl

Spring Cotton Cowl Free Pattern:

This cowl is knitted loosely in a shiny mercerised cotton, giving a light and squishy result which is perfect for spring. Not too warm, but great when there is still a little chill in the air, this is a really useful layering piece for under your coat or over your jumper. Will be a perfect transitional piece too, as it could be great for stopping sunburn if you are hiking in the sunnier months. 

Wear in any number of ways!

Instructions: 

Use 5mm 40cm circular needle, and 50g 4ply cotton. 

Cast on 108 stitches. Don't cast on too tightly, and it is preferable to use a stretchy cast on, such as long tail. 

Join in the round, taking care not to twist the cast on stitches.

Round 1: *knit 2, purl 2* repeat to the end of the round. 

Round 2 and every other round: Work as Round 1 until snood reaches about 9" (or desired length).

Cast off in rib and sew in ends. 

Enjoy! 

Don't forget to add this to your ravelry projects too! 

Cornwall-inspired

Perfect for layering

The Giveaway:

To celebrate Easter, I'm giving away a Knit Pro knitting needle, and a 100g skein of this gorgeous cotton yarn in indigo blue: that will make you two cowls if you're careful with the weight. Quite apart from being my absolute favourite, indigo blue is a really hot colour at the moment, and flattering on every skin tone. I also find this size needle is super useful for all sorts of hats and things. 

Win this!

How to enter:

To be in with a chance of winning, just leave me a comment below, and I will pick a lucky winner on Easter Sunday. This is open to all of you, wherever you are in the world- I am happy to post internationally, because I am feeling generous! Make sure you tick the box to follow replies to the comments, so that you will know if you've won. 

Good luck! 

Indigo-blue cotton yarn

Ethical Dressing from People Tree

Feel Good Fashion

Way back when I wrote this post, I was already thinking about how to dress more ethically, more rewardingly and more sustainably... or how to dress 'better', if you like. 

Well, I've done ok since then; I've made quite a few items, picked up the odd bit from a charity shop or a boot fair, or second hand on eBay. Of course, I haven't totally stuck to my rule of not buying anything (I'm not that strong willed), but I don't routinely head to the shops either. 

My hand-making has had to take a bit of a back seat for a while now though, so when I discovered that I could order this gorgeous parcel from People Tree, and actually feel like I was doing something positive for the world at large then I was thrilled. Plus, it was in the sale and I had a discount code too- did I need a further excuse...? I thought not.

Ethical Fashion

Judging a Book By Its Cover

The first thing that I loved about this happy package was the brown paper post bag with cute brown paper tape. There was no help for it: I was predisposed to love the contents. 

Fashionable Stripes

Here's a confession: I have no real interest in fashion. As I mentioned above, I don't go shopping, I don't consume the fashion press (or, shockingly, very much press at all), I don't listen to style icons, self-appointed or otherwise, I don't care about 'on trend', and I don't care about the celebrities. 

Don't get me wrong, I have a fashion degree! I love the art that is high-end couture, I'm intrigued by the semiotics of what we wear, I love clothes, I love design, I love colour, I love interestingly-cut patterns, I am intrigued by how things are made, I really enjoy seeing someone with fantastic style, I love feeling that something is a great-quality garment, I love interesting contrasts, and I'm extremely fussy about what I wear... but that's not really fashion is it? 

The reason I mention this is that apparently stripes are fashionable. They must be I guess, as they are everywhere- including People Tree, hurrah! I sense a whole other blog post about stripes coming on at some point, but I'll just mention here that I love them (if you're a regular reader you might even have noticed a few on my blog before), and I feel they are particularly appropriate for my Cornish life. 

People Tree Stripey Dress

A Happy Dress

Needless to say, I love my People Tree stripey dress. It is the perfect weight to wear over tights on a sunny March day, and I anticipate wearing it many times to wander around Cornish harbours and suchlike. 

The dress is beautiful quality, and I am over the moon that is ethically made: fairly traded and made from organic cotton- you can even find out who by on their website.

It is extremely comfortable: the loopback jersey is quite plushy and the fit is great. Two of the key features as far as I am concerned are the pockets (LOVE pockets!), and the full-length sleeves (so much easier to put a jacket over). 

I have long and sloping shoulders so not everything fits over them, but this is just roomy enough to be comfortable without being baggy. My go-to petticoat slip which I wear under most dresses was too long, but that didn't matter as it didn't seem to get caught on my tights like many others do (to my great chagrin). 

The neckline was flattering and neither too high or too revealing, and the sleeves were a great length and diameter. I feel like I could work layers both underneath and over the top if I needed to. I love that being quite snug, this dress will fit well under my longer waterproof parka-type coat for inevitable Cornish rain showers. I also love that it is not encumbered by those annoying back-neck zips which seem to have plagued beautiful clothes like this for a while now.  

Another feature I love is the blue/black colour of the stripes themselves. 

People Tree Organic Cotton Dress 

Accessories

I completed the outfit with my vintage Levi's jacket (from a boot fair many years ago), my Zerelda shawl which I designed and made for 'Knit Now' a couple of years ago, and leggings from GudrunSjoden, plus plenty of Celtic silver.

Stripey dress with Accessories

Crochet Shawls

Cornwall has been bathed in spring-like weather this week. I've really enjoyed going for a less-coat-more-shawl vibe. This one is my Abellona. It's stripey...

Crochet Shawl: Abellona