Happy February!

It's the first day of February and that means a brand new sale for the shop! This month is something a little unexpected:


I am sure that just about everyone has read up on the CPSIA and how it effects small businesses. In a nut shell every business that manufactures items for children under 12 must have them tested for lead content after February 10th. This law was created in reaction to all of the toys imported from China that had to be recalled because of their high lead content. Many people have turned to handmade toys made by indie designers instead of mass produced items imported from China. The trouble with the new law is that it hurts those very same indie designers because they won't be able to afford the tests for each new product. Meanwhile the big businesses, that caused the problems in the first place, will be able to afford the new testing and stay in business. As the law stands now textiles, which are known to contain little to no lead, are still required to have the testing and certification. This includes yarn. Yarn sold on its own is not effected since the dyer cannot possibly know how the customer will use it. However, kits like my LavenderLamb Baby Sock Kits are effected because the intended recipient of the knitted item is under the age of 12. So, until things have either been changed or have been clarified I am going to discontinue my LavenderLamb Baby Sock Kits. I am selling them at 50% off for the month of February and when they are gone they are gone.

For more information on this make sure to check out the Etsy Forums and The Smart Mama.

Note: Since writing the above I have learned about the stay that has been put in place on the CPSIA. It still requires lead levels to be below 600ppm, but proof can used from other sources. The stay puts off certification for 1 year when there will be another vote. I definitely have proof from safety data sheets for my dye. However, I think for now I will still discontinue the LavenderLamb Sock Kits.