Julie let me know recently that she's looking for a wool sweater and asked if I might have any suggestions about ethical ones. Challenge accepted!  :) As always thrifting is a great way to shop for ethical wool sweaters. We found a great vintage 80s Benetton wool sweater for Jo on etsy a couple years ago (my teenage self would have been so jealous!)...and that's not the only thrifted sweater we wear and love. :)

Knitting a sweater is another good choice, especially with a traceable origins wool...but that can take more than a minute and cooler temperatures are on the way.

So above are a few of my favorite ethical wool sweaters. Ethical means different things from sweater to sweater, so investigate the product + about pages for more information on that. Each of these brands has more sweaters on offer, so check them out too. I have to admit that it was easier to find ethical wool sweaters than I thought! What a pleasant surprise!

Thanks so much for the challenge, Julie!  Hope you find a sweater (or two) to love!!

Update 2019 :: Some of these brands are sadly no longer producing (or may not be producing quite so fairly anymore). Some of their lovely pieces may still be worth looking for on ebay. An updated fair sweaters post can be found here.  :)

Love,
Jane

Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them. ~Brene Brown

Salmon + Cabbage + Rice

salmon burgers (ask for them to be put in your own container at the fish counter)
brown rice (bought from the bulk containers)
cabbage, chopped (put directly into a reusable shopping bag)
lemon, quartered (as above)
pepper flakes (bought from the bulk spices containers)

Cook rice and add cabbage to pot during last 2-4 minutes of cooking time to steam and soften slightly. Saute salmon burgers in a bit of olive oil, breaking up as they cook. Combine + sprinkle with pepper flakes + squeeze lemon wedge over.

Maybe not one of the most photogenic meals, but one of our favorites at the moment...and completely zero-waste. Enjoy!

Love,
Jane

During the past decade, growing interest in where our food comes from, moving toward zero-waste, and caring about farmers has brought food to a prominent place in my value thinking. During the past decade, we've joined a CSA, stopped eating meat at home, planted a garden, and bought as little packaged food as possible. We like to eat, and I like to be able to feed my family things that make them happy + healthy.

I am no food blogger. Cooking is not really one of my favorite things to do or think about. It just comes around too often for me to get excited about. I've never intentionally made blog-able meals, and that's probably obvious. :)

After a few months of writing here, however, I would periodically notice that a particular plate was  colorful...or totally zero-waste...or just really tasty. I would make fun of myself as I stopped eating to take a picture. It's never been planned, but I've posted a meal from time to time with the thought that maybe it could be some sort of help or inspiration for those on (or considering) their own zero-waste journeys. With that goal in mind, all of these "recipes" are made up of ingredients that I can find zero-waste. I decided recently to put them all in one easy to view place, so now they can be found under the above tab: zero-waste meals. Just thought I'd mention it.  :)

Love,
Jane

images via
paper patterns for top and skirt...digital patterns for all three

Yesterday I put out our second fairdare mini challenge...make one piece of clothing. If you've never made a piece of clothing before, this might sound a bit daunting... or near impossible. I promised that anyone can take this challenge, though, and I firmly believe that. So let's look into this a little deeper and get some inspiration!

If we're going to take the time to make, we'd probably like our efforts to produce a wearable piece of clothing. I've tried to choose pieces with that goal in mind...no aprons or oven mitts here (although those can be fun to make too).  :)

Hand sewing:
Natalie Chanin is a fair clothing pioneer...every part of the process that goes into making one of her garments is considered from fibers to dyes to sewing. She started manipulating thrift store t-shirts decades ago...cutting them apart and sewing them back together into chic new garments that were sold at Barneys. Today her creations utilize organic American cotton, employ local sewists, and look like museum quality works of art. Natalie generously promotes the craft of sewing by sharing her sewing techniques, materials, + patterns.  Patterns for the above creations (+ many more) can be found in one of her four books detailing methods from threading a needle (yup), to disassembling a t-shirt, to sewing up a fabulous skirt, top, dress, scarf, etc. Check out one of Natalie's books from the library and gather lots of inspiration from her website. Online classes and kits are available, if that appeals... but all you really need is an old t-shirt or two, scissors, a needle and thread, and some time. 

Knitting or Crochet:
This is one of those times when the power of the internet amazes me. I learned to knit from a book (psst...library), but you can also watch tutorials online that will have you knitting or crocheting in minutes. There are lots of free patterns on the internet too. All you'll need is one or two skeins of yarn and a coordinating pair of knitting needles or a crochet hook to make a cozy, beautiful, useful garment. A scarf or a hat is a great, wearable place to start.

I started by knitting scarves...lots of scarves. Choose a couple of skeins of chunky yarn you like, check the label for coordinating knitting needle (or crochet hook size), and get right on to knitting (or crocheting) using your book or tutorial. Cast on the desired number of stitches (maybe 12 or 18), knit each row until your scarf is the length desired, and bind off. Add fringes or pom-poms, if you like. Some of my favorite scarves have been this simple. These cowls would be great projects too. Purlsoho makes a learn-to-knit booklet with three scarf patterns included...and an all-supplies-included kit too (although I'd personally recommend chunkier yarn to start)...if that appeals.

A hat requires a couple more knitting skills, but is not difficult. This is one of my favorite go-to patterns for hats + Osprey is a nice, non-pricey American wool. My favorite hats are made with this same pattern + Misti-Alpaca Chunky (handpaint too)...which is a more expensive yarn, but one skein is all that is needed and it is supremely soft. 

Here are a few more lovely learn-to-knit kits if that interests, but I almost hesitate to mention these as learning/knitting does not need to be this costly.

Beginner sewing machine projects:
If you have access to a sewing machine, these patterns and tutorials might be a good place to start exploring its possibilities. The sewing machine's manual or an experienced friend would be helpful in getting started from scratch, but in their absence this free basics class looks like it would be good too. Purlsoho is a great online resource for free projects with great visual and written instructions. An elastic waist skirt or a pair of pajama pants (patterns in this, this, and this book) would a great wearable first sewing machine project. If you are ready for a little bit bigger challenge, a Fen top, a Scout tee, or a Linden sweatshirt might appeal. I believe that all of these patterns' instructions are clear and thorough.

I get excited looking at these projects! Simple projects are still my favorites. :) I know that this is not necessarily a simple challenge, but I do believe that it is possible. If you choose to try it, be gentle with yourself. Take your time. Remember that with each stitch you are learning. Whether this challenge results in a wardrobe staple or a little less desirable piece, let it inform your future purchasing. It takes skill to sew each piece we wear every day.  :)

Love,
Jane

I like to write about fair choices here. Having less and exploring enough can inspire a curiosity about minimalism. An interest in waste reduction can lead to a quest for a zero-waste lifestyle. An increased awareness of health can lead to a devotion to organics and a personal connection to the farmers who grow our food. Exposure to the reality of garment worker conditions can ignite a passion for making fairer choices where they concern our own clothing.

It's exciting to connect our values to our actions. The ability to make changes in our personal behavior invigorates hope that greater change is possible.

These mini challenges are designed to get us started on...or take the next step in...what can seem like a great undertaking. Fair happens one choice at a time...right from where we find ourselves...not all at once.

When I shop for clothing, I think a lot about the skill and time that went into the making of the garment in relation to price. Because I sew and knit, I know what it takes to create a finished piece of clothing. I also know how much certain fibers can cost, because I've priced them in the pursuit of my own projects. I love making for so many reasons, including the fact that it informs my fair ready-to-wear shopping.

Each of us is capable of making a piece of clothing...yup, every one. Our clothes are made by human hands. In this age of mechanization, it can be surprising to remember that each garment we put on our bodies has been touched by many hands along its development from seed (hopefully a seed rather than a oil rig) to plant to fiber to fabric to dying to cutting to sewing to store shelf. I think it's important + enlightening for each of us to realize how much work goes into even one part of this process.

It would be interesting to plant flax or cotton...or shear a sheep...or spin fleece...or weave cloth...or dye fabric. Any of those things are possible and many "regular" people do them at home. Today, however, the challenge is simply to make a piece of clothing...to take some fabric or yarn and manipulate it into a wearable garment. The fabric can come from a piece of clothing in the donation bag or an old sheet...or new materials can be purchased, if preferred. I guarantee that anyone can take this challenge. No knowledge of sewing or knitting is required. No sewing machine is required, although a couple of inexpensive (or borrowed) tools might be necessary. (I don't think that it hurts for anyone to own a needle and a spool of thread. It's unnecessary for anyone to throw out a shirt when a button falls off.)

This post is quite long already, so I'm going to stop here. If you'd like to take this challenge and already know someone with the skills to teach...let them know that you'd like a lesson. If this challenge makes you shake your head in disbelief of its possibility...come back tomorrow. I'll have lots of ideas for how to get started. You can do this, I promise!

Love,
Jane

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.  ​~Anne Shirley
​~Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

But then I considered that it might have all the same drawbacks to others in the fitting room at the thrift shop. It might never get chosen or worn. It might just end up as waste. So I decided to spend a little more time on it. I laid out all the remaining scraps of leftover fabric and pieced together some inserts to widen the tapered side seams. The side vents were reconstructed. Pieced together pockets were added along with an additional set of buttons between each of the originals. I think that it probably took me as long to make these changes as it did to sew the original dress.

This was slow fashion, and I didn't really mind it at all.

I can't always make changes to a piece in order to make it wearable, but sometimes I can. This fun dress was worn all day yesterday... and I really enjoyed wearing it...all day.  :)

Sewing pattern:  The Makers Atelier Oversized Shirtdress
Fabric:  Keiko Goke Yuwa cotton (shirting weight)

Love,
Jane

1. I've loved being creative my whole life. I started sewing in elementary school... dolls + doll clothes... a blood pressure cuff attached to a barely inflated balloon you could pump... a nose warmer for my perpetually cold nose... 

2. I love fashion and being able to create unique pieces in exactly the shapes and styles I want. They don't always turn out exactly how I imagined them, but it's fun to try.  :)

3. The creative process is energizing. I love developing ideas and concepts. One of my favorite experiences is dreaming, drawing, thinking, imagining, looking for the perfect fabric, tweaking a pattern or making up my own, searching for fabric, envisioning how it will all come together... you know, the whole process... but mostly the conceptualization. It's stimulating and life affirming and purpose giving.

4. I'm concerned about the treatment of garment workers. Sewing makes me aware of how much work + skill goes into a garment. 

5. I care about quality and really value my french seams and enclosed edges. I want my clothing to last and careful finishings are important for longevity.

6. It's satisfying to be able to see a result come from work I do with my mind + hands. Food gets eaten quickly. Clean gets dirty all over again. I can see and touch and wear and appreciate my sewing + knitting projects... not just today, but over time.

7. It can be a bit more cost effective to sew than to buy fairly made clothing. This is a tricky one. Good quality fibers and patterns are not cheap. Making clothing is not always (or even usually) cheaper than mall clothing. This again brings awareness to how terribly most garment workers are paid. The materials alone often cost more than a piece of ready made clothing (especially good quality yarn), so that doesn't leave much money for labor. Yes, there are volume discounts, but there are also lots of other employee, transportation, warehouse and store costs... not to mention the profits. Quality fairly made clothing is often much more expensive than mall clothing, so this is where I see the cost benefit. I do want to support independent makers, but I can't afford to exclusively do so. Making my own clothes is a good compliment.

Do you make your own clothing? I'd love to hear!  

Love,
Jane

P.S. Read more about Slow Fashion October here or follow along here.

In addition to jeans and t-shirts, I've been gravitating toward high waisted pants, jumpsuits and oversized shirtdresses recently. When I saw Sew House Seven's Nehalem pants, I knew I wanted to try them. I like the sculptural quality of the wrap front + tie. I like how they look worn with the waistband standing up instead of folded over (so I'd be getting my high waisted pants). They look very comfortable with their wide legs and adjustable waist. Getting the fit of pants just right can be a little tricky sometimes, but these looked like they might avoid a lot of fit issues by design. ​

Sorry for the awkward view in this picture...and for the wrinkles. I've been wearing them. :)

I made Nehalem pants, and I think I love them.

Pattern: Nehalem Pants by Sew House Seven
Fabric: almost black Lyocell

Love,
Jane

​P.S. Read more about Slow Fashion October here or follow along here.