Three New Stores in Seattle, Portland, and Canada!

We're proud to share that we will be shipping hats to the following fabulous stores:

Polliwog in Portland, Oregon
Clover Toys in Seattle, Washington
Little Monogram Shop in Whitby, Ontario, Canada

If you're in those areas, do stop in and check them out!

New Minky Dot Blankets!

Not on the website but we have just made 10 plush, lush, large baby blankets in the super soft and amazingly washable minky dot chenille with ruffled trims.

Dark brown + Mocca

Dark brown + Cocoa Blue Dot

Navy + Seeds

Ivory +  Beach Stripe

Hot Pink + Infinity Dot

Hot Pink + Coral Orbit

Order a large custom blanket from the website and specify which one you want!

"Youth" sized hat?

Though between our Medium and our Large, all sized heads should be covered, pardon the pun, it seems that older kids (elementary school age) and big-brained 4 year olds might benefit from a "Youth-sized" hat, that's sized between the medium and the large.

Any thoughts? What is the head circumference of your child (aged 4 - 10?) What about your own head? Does this sound like something you would like to see? Remember, our hats have 4" of elastic so it will take a long time for your child to outgrow it!

Infantino Slings Recalled

Here's a link to the NYTimes article about the recent recall on Infantino slings. Slings have gotten a lot of bad press in the last 2 weeks, so here's what you need to know:

• Wear a baby younger than 4 months in the Upright Inward-Facing, Tummy to Tummy position
• Do NOT carry baby in the "Cradle Carry" position any longer! This is the "risky" position according to all these reports.
• Make sure NOTHING covers the baby nose & mouth, like the sling fabric, clothing, or anything else or the baby could suffocate in 2 minutes.
• Be sure you can SEE your baby's nose & mouth
• Make sure the baby's head is not bent forwards towards his/ her chest because this can impede airflow & breathing.

If you are feeling anxious, then wait until your baby has good head control and start using the sling later (3 - 4 months old) and I assure you that you'll love it and get a lot of use out of it! Just read our reviews at www.thebabywearer.com

Fabrics Posted to Stylish Section of Website / new Hat combos

The new fabrics are posted to the Stylish Print BABY SLING section of the website. Next, we'll making hat samples and photographing them, then posting them to the REVERSIBLE HAT section. The combos I'm planning for hats are:
KYOTO FLORAL / CURRY (browns, russet, peach, pink, light olive, gold accents)
FANS/ MANDALA (pastels, light avocado, khaki, tan, white, lilac)
RED IKAT / RED ROSES (bold reds, magentas, hot pinks, accents of kelly green)
LOTUS / WATER LILY (pink, aqua blues)
JADE FLORAL: will go with Ocean Folio, Grey Petals, Lotus, and more
HYACINTH / RED ROSES: fun contemporary floral with red roses reverse (can also be paired with Water Lily)

New Spring Fabrics for Hats & Slings April 2010

Here are thumbnails of the new prints we're working with for spring/ summer of 2010. You can mix & match with solid colors, and I will take requests! Also, Pine-Blue Blossom, a long-time favorite is no longer available and Grey Petals has been discontinued, so for hats, Ocean Folio & Luna Floral will get new fabrics for the reverse side.

I'm still looking for a great Black & White print for adult hats.

Warning Issued on Using Sling Carriers for Babies Under 4 Months of Age

Reposting from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:

Parents should take extra care when using sling carriers for infants younger than 4 months of age, according to a warning issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The group is investigating 14 infant deaths associated with the slings over the past 20 years.

The CPSC says the slings pose a suffocation hazard to young infants who cannot yet control their head and neck movements, especially those who are frail or have breathing problems.

If parents choose to use a carrier sling, they should make sure their child's face is visible at all times, according to the CPSC. The group's press release includes diagrams showing the right and wrong ways to use the slings.

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission press release