Brands and Stuff That You Love (Emphasis on Quality)

[kieri]

I know we have a lot of merino fans here - I recently got a an absolutely gorgeous merino shibori wrap from Cypress+Snow on Etsy. It's lightweight, packs down well (I advise a size 2 TSS, but you might squeeze it into a 1), and has the durability of a solid merino tee rather than a gauzy ring pashmina. After my Sitka Travel Tray and battered Hobonichi, it's pretty much my favorite thing.

Modern textiles accessories by CypressandSnow on Etsy

[kathryn]

Anyone here tried Grana brand clothing?

I just spotted a rec for it on the HerOneBag sub-reddit. I like the look and the prices seem good, but I have never even heard of them before, and am curious about fit and quality. In particular, I was looking at the silk ankle pants as a packable solution for "nice" trousers while traveling.

[backpack]

Faber Castel watercolor pencils and Canson watercolor paper, I don't think there is any better pair for quality strong colors and paper that can take multi layers of coloring/water activating/drying as much as this one.

It also excels at typical watercolor technique wet brush to apply a layer of translucent color and leave it at that.

[aedifica]

Anyone here tried Grana brand clothing?

I just spotted a rec for it on the HerOneBag sub-reddit. I like the look and the prices seem good, but I have never even heard of them before, and am curious about fit and quality. In particular, I was looking at the silk ankle pants as a packable solution for "nice" trousers while traveling.

Kathryn, did you ever try it? What did you think?

[kathryn]

Kathryn, did you ever try it? What did you think?

I did! The quality is good, but the sizing is wonky. I got three things, all the same size, and they all fit differently.

One was a jacket on final sale that I like enough to get altered down a bit to fit (just haven't priced that out yet). I also got a silk shell tank-top that fits around the waist, but a teeny bit tight across my boobs (sadly, not uncommon regardless of brand). With a shapewear tank, or if I could shed a pesky 5 lbs, it would fit fine. The last was a dress that may actually be cute once ironed and belted (but I have been too lazy and busy with work travel to get to that yet). It has pockets so I am hopeful!

[aedifica]

Aide-mémoire Jewelry is a queer woman-owned business in Seattle. To quote from their website, "We focus on handmade, eco-friendly, and conflict-free everyday fine jewelry, wedding bands, and engagement rings. Our mission is to create future heirlooms in a socially and environmentally responsible way, which we hope will become a part of your family story." On top of that, I love their name--it's so appropriate for jewelry that commemorates a special event!

I recently bought a ring from them as a graduation present to myself, and I'm very happy with the ring. It's similar to one of their stock designs, but with a different stone and with engraving inside the band. They did a really beautiful job on it! In addition, they helped me figure out exactly what I wanted, including finding my ring size (they mailed me three sizes of plain brass rings to see which fit best).

[robburdtt]

Agreed on Canson. Thankfully not as expensive as other options too, but does the job anyway.

[AlexRQ]

I really do love manufacturer of kitchen appliances called KOHLER, cause we've bought a lot of items from them, especially for kitchen, and their quality is fantastic. They solid and durable as hell. Just for example, two years ago when we bought their kitchen faucet (one over here: https://cozyhousetoday.com/best-single-hole-kitchen-faucet-reviews/), first I thought that it's not gonna serve for a long time, but I've mistaken in that opinion. They produce really nice solid things.

[Darcy]

On a websearch journey to find more ways we could reuse our smallest fabric scraps instead of tossing them into the trash, I found Ethel Studio:
https://www.ethelstudio.com

They make zero-waste meditation cushions in Minneapolis out of fabric scraps. I haven't ordered a cushion yet, but thought I'd share this anyway as it seems like they're doing a pretty cool thing.

[backpack]

On a websearch journey to find more ways we could reuse our smallest fabric scraps instead of tossing them into the trash, I found Ethel Studio:
https://www.ethelstudio.com

They make zero-waste meditation cushions in Minneapolis out of fabric scraps. I haven't ordered a cushion yet, but thought I'd share this anyway as it seems like they're doing a pretty cool thing.

Thank you for the great link Darcy!

I was just thinking about the Seattle Makers on the Maker's Bag video, where sewing artists could use the fabric scraps or artists who specialize in mixed media works.

https://seattlemakers.org/store/materials/ (they even sell some of the mixed media material)

https://www.classesandworkshops.com/...asses-seattle/ (that class encourages student to bring their own items)


You probably know of other spaces for crafters in the Seattle area who would love the scraps, especially since the materials are so unique!


Could you guys make a butterfly with the same material as the Donation Crane? I thought of that when you told us about the accidentally produced Super Mini die for the Ghost Whale Pouch, which looks like a butterfly wing.
I have also been tracing and coloring butterflies, lately.

For sometimes, I have been carrying a Donation Crane in Single Pouchkin secured by a Long Keystrap on the handle of my SBC.

The Crane has been reminding me to count my blessings and keep heart and mind turned to others. Thank you Darcy for offering the Donation Crane and Tom for creating the Pouchkins.

[ClicketySnap]

I’ve seen a few dog things on here, so I’ll chip in.

Molly Mutt makes pet bed covers, and the idea is that you fill them with your old pillows or old clothes. This way your pets bed smells like you. The canvas covers are of great quality and easy to vacuum or toss in the washer machine. https://www.mollymutt.com/

Kurgo is one of my favourite dog brands. Their stuff is of pretty good quality and is often uniquely useful. I got one of their Quantum 6-in-1 leashes for Dragon a couple of years ago and loved it so much that I got one for Bruno this year as well. They’re covered in daisy-chain type loops and have a heavy-duty carabiner on one end so that you can clip the leash to itself to make a handle, loop it through your belt loops, or wear it cross-body style. I have my poop bag dispenser clipped to the leash as well as my spare car key, and wear the two leashes cross-body style so that I have one dog on each side. Dragon walks so well on a leash that this usually leaves me entirely hands free, and Bruno is trying so hard to walk nicely that I don’t always need to have my hand on his leash either. I can clip the leash ends back onto the carabiner when we’re at the off-leash park so that they aren’t dangling around my ankles but stay handy in case we need to make a quick exit. The entire leash also features a strip of reflective tape, which is a mandatory feature for my dog gear after being hit by a car in 2016.
I honestly can’t say enough good things about these leashes. They’re not cheap but the freedom and comfort are totally worth it.
https://www.kurgo.com/leashes-collar...n-1-dog-leash/




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sarah_atx]

For the past 8 months my life has been pretty much baby-focused. Here are some recommendations for baby carriers and ring slings, all high quality and made in USA carriers. These companies have TB-level customer service and all of them have Facebook Buy/Sell/Trade groups where you can get a good deal on a used carrier to try.

Happy Baby Carriers - minimalist linen and linen cotton blend carriers, run by a husband and wife duo in Utah. They also have stretchy wraps for younger babies, a forward-facing option carrier, a back carry onbuhimo, and a toddler size carrier.

Kinderpack Baby Carrier - tons of prints and patterns, these carriers have more padded shoulders and waist straps like the Ergobaby carriers. There are 4 sizes - I think they make the biggest size "Preschool" carrier for kids who need a break from walking, need a snuggle, or kids with special needs. Run by family in Illinois with a handful of employees. (This is the most similar to Ergobaby carriers. Ergo is good too, if you're on a tight budget you can't go wrong with a used Original Ergo.)

Vienna Springs - Ring Sling Etsy shop run by a woman in Florida with what I'd call a cult following. She custom dyes dupioni and matka silk ring slings, and has other unique fabrics like ikat, bamboo blends, combed cotton. Really good prices for silk, and she'll find custom colors for you.

Sakura Bloom - larger shop than the others, they have a retail location in San Diego, CA. The most fabric options and carrier styles, but also the priciest. They have ring slings in linen, cotton chambray, raw cotton, dupioni silk, and matka silk. Also some other limited edition stuff that goes for insane prices. They have a sort of traditional baby carrier and an onbuhimo, which they make in most of the fabrics too.

[KathyH]

My new find is Truzealia merino wool hats, found on Amazon. They have a double wool layer and are long enough can be worn with or without a cuff. The former is great for coolish air and the latter as temps drop. Man oh man, my head is going to be warm this winter.

[GrussGott]

This one is probably pretty niche - for people that like mechanical watches and German stuff - but this is such a great brand from a small German company very much like Tom Bihn: Sinn (pronounced "Zinn"). Despite the Swiss domination of the market, Sinn has managed to carve a solid niche for itself as an ultra-tough mechanical watch, and there are some interesting features for travelers!

The dive watches below are made from a proprietary steel used for German submarines - this means that not only is the steel harder and more corrosion resistant than stainless steel, it's also anti-magnetic! And that means both of these watches go through airport metal detectors! Both below are also "tegimented" and PVD coated (why they're black) making them about 5x harder than steel. They're both watersealed to insane pressures (1k/2k meters) with swiss movements. I've opted for rubber straps but they also come with metal bracelets.

Overall a great brand and highly recommended!

This is the U1, normally the dial is red, white, and black but this version is the harder to find blue/white one:



Here it is with Mount Fuji in the background, looking from Tokyo-Shinjuku, I couldn't get the lighting/focus right to show everything so really this picture is only here because Mt Fuji is cool



This is the U2 (with the Diablo mountains east of San Jose in the background) - it has a 3rd hand "true 24 hour" GMT function which is great for traveling:

[BihnBag]

Very nice. Is that after market strap (the white one) or is that an official Sinn one?

I almost got a Sinn 900 a few years back but I found a watch that could display notifications too useful so I rock a Garmin Fenix 5 now as an everyday wear.

I do love that pilot style look, and have an Omega Seamaster as my "dress watch" on occasion but mostly just keep the Fenix on.