Winner + Love+Leche Lotion Bar Review

Congratulations to A Van Ness and megnolia13, you have both won super-adorable animal tote bags from Gleener - just get in touch with me via Ravelry to arrange for the delivery of your prize! Thanks to everyone who entered this giveaway; stay tuned for later this week, when I announce a BONUS giveaway for this month!

Recently, the folks at Love + Leche sent me some lotion bars to review. I am kind of a product junkie, especially when it comes to natural products, so I was pretty excited to give these a try. They let me choose which lotion bar I was sent, so I went for the Citrus Rose lotion bar in the shape of sleeping cats (act surprised, ok?). They also included two generous-sized sample lotion bars in the Cedarwood and Lemongrass scents - and I have to say, I loved all three.

What bothers me about a lot of products in general is the fake chemical fragrance that is added in lieu of essential oils (even from products claiming to be natural). That's definitely not the case here: each Love + Leche lotion bar is made by hand using local beeswax, locally-grown (and organic) calendula flowers, and plant-based essential oils. The bars themselves are very easy to use - they quickly melt into a nice emollient that is easy to rub into your skin. The fragrances are pleasant, but not overpowering. I've been doing a lot of fiber prep in anticipation for Spinzilla, which really sucks the moisture out of my hands even more than just plain knitting does. My hands have been baby-soft since adding these to my repertoire!

The lotion bars come in various shapes, and you can choose from scents such as citrus rose (which I absolutely LOVE), cedarwood, lemongrass, lavender, lavender-rosemary, and - of course - unscented. To round out their product line, they also offer goat milk soap and anywhere balm, which is a versatile lotion tin that can also double as lip balm! ETA: They are giving away a trio of anywhere balms on Facebook this week, click here for details!

As an added bonus, you can enter coupon code HMbyStefanie to receive a free mini-lotion with any $14 purchase at loveandleche.com! Offer good through September 30.

Comments

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...

A Finished Sweater, With Cat Hair

After losing Tilly and Robin within a year of each other, I sure didn't think I'd be finding cat hair in my knitting any time soon. But the universe had other ideas. Over the winter, a white feral cat adopted us. I'd noticed her when we moved into our apartment last summer - I would see her hiding in the bushes or sunning herself in the grass when she thought no one was looking. I assumed she was someone's cat until I realized how skittish she was around humans, plus she had a tipped ear, which is a universal sign that a feral/stray cat has been spayed. Neighbors confirmed that she was a feral kitty (descended from several generations of feral cats, in fact), and that she has survived on her wits and whatever food various residents put out for her. We had some bitterly cold days over the winter, and I just felt so sorry for this poor kitty! I started offering her treats and slowly gained her trust. She didn't even want to come inside our apartment at first, much le...

Australian Superfine Merino Yarn Review & Giveaway

After more than ten years of knitting, I can still have new experiences - even with well-covered territory such as merino yarn! This recent merino experience actually took me by surprise: I've spun with it, I've dyed it, I've knit with it, and I've even crocheted with it...I was pretty sure I knew all there was to know about merino! Turns out, there are four different classifications of merino fiber, sorted by micron count range . At the bottom of the spectrum is Strong Merino , which ranges from 26-22.9 microns; above that is Fine Merino , which ranges from 20.1-23 microns; next up is Extra Fine Merino, which ranges from 20-15.6 microns; and at the very top of the heap is Superfine Merino Wool , with a micron range of 18.5-15.6. If you're into numbers and wondering how these four classes stack up against other fibers you may be familiar with, here are a few for comparison's sake: BFL (Blue-Faced Leicester) has a micron range of 24-28, Cashmere goat down ...

handmade by stefanie

Search This Blog