The Red, White, and Green

A Sweetie Pie Baby Hat, made with a skein of Be Sweet Bambino Taffy (free pattern on label).

I’ve written before about Green Sheep Shop and its gorgeous, eco-friendly yarns, but I couldn’t resist posting about the online store’s featured yarn for the month of July, especially now that I’ve got babies (or should I say baby, due in August) on the brain: Be Sweet Bambino Taffy.

Made from a luxuriously soft organic cotton/bamboo blend, Bambino Taffy is perfect for do-it-yourself baby gifts. And it’s virtually idiot-proof: Each skein has five coordinating colors that self-stripe as you knit or crochet, adding pops of color without all the work of having to drop yarn A and pick up yarn B (or C, or D).

The Be Sweet company is also socially responsible, employing artisans in economically depressed regions of South Africa (including female members of the Xhosa tribe) to make its beautiful, eco-friendly yarns.

As you may know by now, I’m a big fan of of the do-it-yourself (DIY) movement that’s seen a resurgence since the US economy tanked, and especially, the home arts: sewing, knitting, gardening, cooking, etc. This type of know-how isn’t just financially beneficial, it’s good for the environment: Being able to mend your own pants at the first sight of a tear instead of running out to Target for a new pair, for example, helps reduce consumption. (Reduce — the first of the three R’s of the environment, remember?)

And what could be more self-sufficient and DIY than knitting and crocheting? You take a couple balls of yarn, a pair of kneedles, and presto! You have a hat on your head, or a blanket to keep you warm, or a cute outfit for your best friend’s new baby (hint, hint).

Be Sweet Bambino Taffy is available for 20 percent off on Green Sheep Shop throughout the month of July (click here to order). I’ll be snapping up a skein for the baby booties I’m hoping to finish for my little bambina.

–Jennifer Grayson

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