It has been said that by helping yourself you help others and by helping others you help yourself. I love this concept and one that can be brought to fruition (realization) with the help of Novica.
Through Novica, you can help artisans help themselves. My need for a cardigan as well as a beanie and my willingness to help, saw to my purchase arriving in the mail.
My cardigan and beanie, being 100% Alpaca and both light brown in color, had the ‘Midas Touch’. Also known as “Gold of the Andes”, alpaca fiber is lighter in weight than sheep wool and seven times warmer.
I loved the feel of my cardigan and beanie against my skin. No itchiness as sometimes associated with sheep wool. They felt so soft and had a lustrous (glossy) finish to them. Nice and cozy too!
It is hard to believe that my cardigan was made by hand. Alfredo Falcon, the artisan who made the cardigan, has an amazing talent for bringing alpaca fiber back to life.
My hat (beanie) was hand crocheted by artisan Elvia Melendez. She certainly ‘weaved’ her magic into her ‘Atacama Sands’ as the pattern is gorgeous.
I’m a petite woman and found that the small size I chose for both garments fit me quite well. The money spent was well worth it!
Care Instructions
The cardigan and hat (beanie) came with a ‘dry clean only’ which I was not going to adhere by.
Why choose an all natural garment and then have it dry cleaned with toxic chemicals? I did a little bit of searching online and found that I was able to wash my garments by hand or by gentle machine wash.
The instructions called for cold water and mild detergent (preferably an all natural organic one). It did mention fabric softener, but once again I would opt with a more natural alternative.
With hand washing, you do not wring but squeeze the water out and then lay the garments flat. There are garment racks which can be placed inside the bath tub; or use those racks outside but under cover.
The latter instructions of hand washing also apply to after washing the garments on gentle machine wash.
Refrain from hanging alpaca cardigans or jumpers on coat hangers. Lie flat inside drawers and include all natural cedar balls to deter silverfish and moths.
You can find out about all natural cedar balls/ cedar rings/cedar closet hangers and which stores sell them at Erin’s Eco List.
Novica Artisans
Featured on Eco Beauty Reviews are Novica Artisans such as Luisa Villavicencio and the Zutujil Women Artisans of Guatemala (my review of their all natural cotton scarf) as well as the San Jose Women’s Artisan Association.
Reference
Quote
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” ~ Winston Churchill
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