products for warmth

[ourdayourjourney]

when it comes to learning about products made from natural materials, i always look to the boards and blogs for recommendations. i had saved up some money and started looking around to purchase a wool blanket for my daughter's bed (or should I purchase a double sheepskin). I actually did not realize how much $$$ they were. I also have learning to knit on my list of things to learn. If you have a pattern for a thick and closely knit blanket, please let me know.

Maybe it would be great to get a list and review of our favorite products for warmth. Please mention where you purchase for the best value and feel free to add any additional categories.

Wool blankets
Comforters
Wool long johns
Wool Slippers
Wool socks
Wool caps
Wool hats and mittens
Sheepskins
Wool wash

[Astrid1024]

We got my son's mimosa tanned (important to avoid chemicals and arsenic) sheepskin from Satara - which has a brick and mortar store where I live, but you can also order online:
http://www.satarababy.com/product/mi...tural-lambskin

We love Nova Natural for Ruskovilla stuff - we have longies and hats from them and they are such great quality.
http://www.novanatural.com/ruskovilla

I love buying wool longies from Etsy - especially two sellers - Sweet Violet's Mama and Gently Made - though I've bought a lot from Etsy with really great results.

We love hats from Etsy from a mama named Beccamarg
http://www.etsy.com/shop/beccamarg?g...ller_usernames

My son has a really great washable wool blanket from Snugglewool that I got through Green Mountain Diapers. He sleeps with it on his bed every night with the sheepskin underneath him.
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/snugglewool.htm

We buy Soft Star boots with the sheepskin lining and he wears those all fall and winter long because we can't keep in his socks to save our lives. My husband and I both wear slippers from them and they are such excellent quality.
www.softstarshoes.com

That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure I'd have lots more if I looked around my house, but I am work.

[honeybunmom]

I suggest joining any groups you can that do co-ops. That's how I purchased our 3 O-Wool blankets. So happy to have those! And last year, I purchased a wonderful down comforter at Sears' Black Friday sale for $20. I have no idea why I only bought one. This same co-op group does group purchases for wool underwear as well. Normally Ruskovilla. I really want to find a Snugglewool co-op! I think with a shearling under me and a wool blanket and down comforter on top I may never get out of bed in the winter!

As for knitting a blanket, you can literally just cast on any number of stitches and knit in stockinette until it is as long as you want. You could knit two like this and sew them together for an extra warm blanket. For my son, I knit a double thick blanket. The end result had a single thickness border with two layers of thickness for the blanket it bordered. Not the easiest technique to master; at least it wasn't for me.

I have also purchased Soft Star boots and shoes, shearling lined for my son this winter. My daughter will be in wool lined Keen's again.

I bought my son's sheepskin from Nova Natural and we've been pleased with it.

I bought my daughter's wool underwear from playoutdoors.com and some pieces for my son at skandikids.com

I purchase our wool wash from northernessence.com

I also like Batik Bum on HC for repurposed woolies. I got a great wool onesie for my son at a great price!

I knit all of their mittens and hats.

[Melaniee]

I think it would be cute to make a patchwork blanket from wool sweaters. You could check thrift shops. I found lots of cashmere sweaters that way and they are SO soft. I would probably try to felt it a bit first (it doesn't felt really well) so that I knew I could wash it without shrinking funny once it was a blanket.

I recently bought some wool long underwear from sierratradingpost.com and have been very happy with it. It's super soft Merino and was than $20 per piece. The brand I bought was Icebreaker just b/c that is what was available in Dc's sizes, but they also have SmartWool. Plus they offer ebates and often have a coupon going around. The other place I recently bought some smartwool was campmor.com. HTH.

ETAA: I also bought them wool knit hats from either Campmor or Sierra Trading, I forget which. I love that Sierra Trading often has many consumer reviews for the products.

Our sheepskin came from Ikea.

[mommabeehilly]

We have all the wool items listed previously and love them all.

[operamommy]

My littles and I both have Padraig slippers and we love them - so soft and warm. I agree with pp about joining co-ops.

[VegMomma]

Originally Posted by operamommy

My littles and I both have Padraig slippers and we love them - so soft and warm. I agree with pp about joining co-ops.

Padraigs are awesome.

I have managed to find quite a few wool blankets at thrift shops.

I buy all our woolens (all the ones I don't knit) from Maplerose. They are super reasonably priced, and really lovely to deal with. Plus they are a Canadian company, which makes things easier on my wallet for shipping and whathaveyou, seeing as I live in Canada. Obviously this benefit would be lost on those who don't live here.

[jakesmama]

Great thread, very timely!
I've had such a turnaround in thinking after discovering Waldorf a few years ago. I used to be the "if they're cold they'll come in" kind of mama. Now I try to keep the little ones well-wrapped..then they don't have to!

I just finished a wool hat for dd and I'll be working on a vest for core warmth soon.
dd has a set of wool/silk undergarments that double as pjs. I swear she sleeps better in them, even in the summer.
I just ordered some more Smartwool socks for the kids.
I'd like to get a pilot cap for dd to wear under her handknit hats.
And now, because of this thread I'm looking at the wool-lined boots from Soft Star. They look amazing! Are they really THAT waterproof?

For bedding, I've been looking for a sheepskin and I want to sew an upcycled quilt for dd's bed. She has some warm, smaller blankets but she keeps growing!

[ourdayourjourney]

i think finding a thrifted wool blanket or sewing one with wool sweater squares would be the best bet for us.

any other suggestions of slippers for the little ones and the mamas and papas??

[ldsmom06]

I also love the padraig slippers I just got them for my almost 1 yr old and will be getting them for the whole family for xmas. We also get soft star shoes for our kids and they are wonderful. You can get the slippers and shoes at softstar. For the slippers and other woolens I suggest palumba.com They are great(we get our toys from there too)!