Thursday 31 January 2008

New Parachute Hammocks at www.myhammock.co.uk










These excellent hammocks made from parachute silk are now available on www.myhammock.co.uk. They are very light weight, starting at just 200grams for the kids size, and the heaviest hammock is just 600grams and big enough for 2 adults. They come with a built in pocket. The fabric is fully breathable and very strong. The range of colours is excellent. The double hammock is just £29.95 with free delivery in the UK & Sweden.

Tuesday 29 January 2008

Good Restaurant in Chur , Switzerland



We happened to be in Switzerland recently to try out the airboards, ski helmets and ski goggles available on www.snowhead.co.uk. I have to recommend this excellent Thai restaurant in Chur. They serve Som Tam (papaya salad), which is quite hard to find outside Thailand. We went there twice and all 5 of us really liked the food.

Monday 28 January 2008

How to wear a Pashmina ?

This video shows you how to wear a pashmina scarf. Its made by the author of http://travelista.com an excellent site full of great travel tips . As for the best place to buy your pashminas - try www.mypashmina.co.uk !


Pashminas - Worth fighting over ?

Street fighting over a pashmina - This video clip from 'Smack The Pony' made us at www.mypashmina.co.uk laugh anyway !

Hammocks make a great wedding gift


A hammock makes an excellent gift for newly weds.

The hammock shown on the left here is called the 'Romantica'. It is made by La Siesta, and you can buy one for £55 from www.myhammock.co.uk (delivery is free).

If the happy couple might prefer their hammock with spreader bars, then how about the Palacio hammock from Amazonas. It is as big as a double bed and is availble from www.hammockheaven.co.uk.

Friday 25 January 2008

Pure cashmere dyed with vegetable dyes


Here are some pure cashmere hats and scarves dyes with vegetable dyes.

The range of colours available in cashmere dyed with vegetable dyes is limited at the moment, but with practice and some experimientation it should grow.

The exciting thing about these colours are how well they complement each other. They all have a wonderful depth which somehow seems superior to the sythetic dyes.

All items on mypashmina.co.uk will soon be available in a range of 10 natural colours.

The main benefit of using vegetable dyes (and the driving force behind the idea), is environmental. An incidental benefit is that the cashmere feels even softer than usual, which is quite incredible.

There are a couple of minor disadvantages. Namely, the items should be dry cleaned only. Wet washing may lead to some loss of colour.

Wholesale enquiries are more than welcome.

MyHammock.co.uk - Hammocks from La Siesta


Myhammock.co.uk is the best place to buy LA SIESTA hammocks in the UK.

There are 14 styles of hammocks, each coming in various sizes and colours. Most of the hammocks are from Brazil, but a few come from Nicaragua or Mexico.

La Siesta have innovated by making their hanging hammock chairs extra big and calling them loungers. You can get you legs inside which is amazingly comfortable.

Thursday 24 January 2008

Pantone - a monopoly on colour ?

Wow - $4200 for 1900 colour swatches in pantone colours. Truly expensive!

These are pretty useful in the cashmere business.

You can order them at www.pantone.com .

I'm surprised that a low cost competitor hasn't emerged.

Wednesday 23 January 2008

Nepal Strike and Corruption


Well, Kathmandu is completely shut down again. There is a general strike and people are out protesting about the rise in the price of petrol.

It was 67 rupees and is now 80 rupees .. (about 60p up to 75p) , a big deal when a typical monthly flat rental is about 800 rupees.

This must be very frustrating for the people of a country which has enough Hydro-Power to provide electricity to India , and become as rich as some of the middle east states on the back of this.

On another level , it means that our incoming shipment of cashmere for mypashmina.co.uk is delayed by 3 or 4 days, a few customers will get probably get grumpy about this and of course in a small part it harms our business and the lively hood of the workers in the factory in Kathmandu.

the root cause .. corruption and greed .

Tuesday 22 January 2008

Pure cashmere dyed with vegetable dyes

This is me , doing a bad impression of Marge Simpson..

The hat is a silly shape .. but i have to say it was not our design..

The important thing is that the wonderful colour comes from natural dyes, not synthetic swiss dyes. This gives it more depth. The other great thing about natural dyes is that they naturally complement each other. So wearing cashmere in a few different colours at the same time is easy.

This hat is pure cashmere, amazingly soft, and not available yet.

the vegetable dyed range of cashmere is available to wholesale customers and will be avilable to the public very soon at www.mypashmina.co.uk

Snowhead.co.uk - SALE on Ski Goggles and Ski Helmets


There is a very generous sale going on at www.snowhead.co.uk

The remaining stock from the 2006/7 range is priced to clear with savings of 20-30%.

It's a good opportunity to buy some high quality ski goggles or ski helmets.

All are made by Alpina, which is a quality brand and one of the top brands in europe.

Monday 21 January 2008

New Stripey Cashmere Scarves


Mypashmina.co.uk
has now made available these stylish pure cashmere scarves.

Only £44.50 with free delivery which represents excellent value.

All the pure cashmere items are hand made in Nepal, and the production facility in Kathmandu now employs over 60 people.

Cashmere is one of Nepals few successful exports and is important for the Nepalese economy.

New Stowaway Folding Hammock on Hammock Heaven


The Stowaway™ features the world's first collapsible spreader bar. Spreader bar collapses to half its original size. Strong stainless steel parts with 5ft hard wood spreader bar.

Three layers are joined to create the signature 3-ply 1/4" luxurious cotton rope spun for softness and comfort.

The Stowaway folds down to just 30". This traditional hand-crafted hammock is 100% cotton for natural color and feel.

Great for travel, camping, on the boat, at home or away.

Comes with carry bag.

Weighs just 10lbs. Measures: 12 ft long by 5 ft wide - see www.hammockheaven.co.uk (SPECIAL OFFERS PAGE)
only £59.95 including delivery - bargain.

Friday 18 January 2008

Pure Cashmere Wristwarmers now avilable


These 100% Cashmere wristwarmers are now avilable to buy online at www.mypashmina.co.uk.

You can also buy a cashmere scarf to match perfectly.

not only that... if you dont like the colours available on www.mypashmina.co.uk , you can choose your own two colours and have them especially made. It only costs a few extra quid.

Thursday 17 January 2008

Airboard wins Volvo Eco Design Award

The Fun-Care AG funboard was created in Switzerland in 2001 to launch bodyboarding, normally a water-sport activity, on the snow. Ten years of development preceded the market introduction of the first Airboard classic.

The Swiss company’s idea was to create fun sports gear that offered an alternative to snowboarding or skiing; one that gets people out into nature and providing the action and speed they’re looking for without producing emissions.

The Airboard, which is 100% recyclable, was created to be long-lasting and sustainable. With its completely unique design, it offers a breathtaking dynamic on the slopes and represents a new style in winter sports. Using top-quality materials in production ensures a long life for the product, and repair and support services are provided.

Afterwards, airboards can recycled into different sports equipment, laptop bags and other products. Small packaging makes for efficient storage and shipping and transport. No slope preparation is required, and it makes the perfect companion for other winter sports like snowshoe hiking.

Buy online at www.snowhead.co.uk or call 0208 123 0557.

Monday 14 January 2008

Special offer on Hanging Hammock Chair



A wonderful hanging chair for just £45.95. Delivery is free. This is £14 discount from the RRP. See www.hammockheaven.co.uk .

This hammock chair is made in Brasil by AMAZONAS. Amazonas is a german company that took over a Brazillian hammock factory about 20 years ago and upgraded it to a good standard.

Saturday 12 January 2008

Pure Cashmere 4ply Berets in any colour.


Pure Cashmere 4ply berets in 10 colours from mypashmina.co.uk . Warm, Stylish and amazingly soft.

£32 , and delivery is free as always !

You can also have one made to order in any colour you like...

Friday 11 January 2008

Cashmere Top - Leopard Print Round Neck



New at mypashmina.co.uk , a pure cashmere ladies roundneck with leopard print. This style was inspired by the popularity of the leopard print pashmina stole (£57 delivered). It will be for sale at £84 which is a complete bargain, and not only that you could have it made with any background colour for just £108 .. so how about leopard print on a bright yellow background. Only in pure cashmere of course !

BANAVATA - 80% Cashmere / 20% Bamboo


With our new range of 80% Bamboo / 20% Cashmere clothing about to be available - we have decided to use only natural dyes. (this is interesting in light of the project kilims..see next post). The problem with natural dyes is that to dye 1 kg of fabric, it costs more than twice as much as it costs with swiss dyes. However for the BANAVATA range, we think it is important to use the most ecological methods. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant around and extremely renewable ... maybe the cashmere goats could eat it also. !

Thursday 10 January 2008

New Project Kilims available to buy online at www.therealrugcompany.co.uk


Hooray! Our wonderful range of new kilims are available to buy online at www.therealrugcompany.co.uk . more information about these kilims further down this blog !

Dobag Project Kilims - Photos online

All the kilim photos are now on www.flickr.com . Click here to view them, or just visit www.therealrugcompany.co.uk.

Wednesday 9 January 2008

New Project Kilims have arrived


This is one of our 12 new and unique project kilims.

The project, called DOBAG (an acronym for Dogal Boya Arastirma ve Gelistirme Projesi — Turkish for Natural Dye Research and Development Project), started back in 1981 and was an almost instant success. Within a few years, not only were hundreds of weavers involved in selling their naturally dyed rugs through the DOBAG cooperative, but weavers in nearby villages were learning to use natural dyes and were selling rugs in the open market.

The discovery of old dyes i still on going, and you will find some of the best examples available in the UK today at www.therealrugcompany.co.uk

Tuesday 8 January 2008

Wedding pashminas


With the madness of Christmas out of the way , in the business of pashminas, we are looking forwards to the wedding season.

Mypashmina.co.uk are offering up to 20% off for brides ... and a further 5% rebate if customers send in photos of the pashminas 'in action' at a wedding ! Quite generous really. We like seeing people getting married.

The most popular pashminas for brides are the jacquard water pashmina and the pashmina with Swarovski crystals. Bridesmaids usually get the classic 7030 stoles, and some rich and generous people give all their guests pashminas as gifts.

Project Kilims from Turkey


The skill of making a large variety of rich colours from natural dyes almost became lost, and it is no longer known how to make quite a few colours. Gradually these skills are being rediscovered...

"kilims are hand weaving with needle. they are %100 hand made. meaning of this is %100 hand spin wool + %100 natural colours + % hand weaving. they are projekt kilims. this projekt start 1990 by the government the name is ''dobag''. meaning of this is: returnning to the tradition. because al this natural colours are missing dye's. we work in this projekt to try to give life agein for a missing culture and the dye.2000 peaple has been working for the projekt. in the and we find very beatiful and valuable colours. the kilims you have now they are the best new kilims of the world. be sure aboute this. as much as you use they get better and better. the wool get's soft and shinning. by the time when they are old they are becoming more and expensive and valuable. in the year one time you can wash them (cold water and shampoo). if you drop on them anything dont worry they are not absorb them in side.because hand spin wool is only absorb things if you are boild them... " (Hasan, Turkey , January 2008)

These Kilims are available at www.therealrugcompany.co.uk which also supplies Flokati Rugs, Cowhides, Reindeer hides.

Monday 7 January 2008

Banavata.com and Banavata.co.uk Websites Launched

Wholesale enquiries are welcome - Any style , any colour and any size. 0208 123 0557 / paulking@mypashmina.co.uk

BANAVATA is our exciting new brand of clothing and shawls that are 80% bamboo and 20% cashmere - dyed with natural vegetable dyes. All items are handmade in Nepal.

What is the benefit of bamboo?

Comfort & Feel: Due to bamboo fiber’s cross section which is composed of a matrix with various microscopic gaps, bamboo fiber is more breathable, comfortable and thermal regulating than cotton, wool or any other synthetic fiber thereby keeping you cooler, drier and more comfortable all day. This unique micro-structure allows bamboo apparel to absorb and evaporate perspiration faster than any other fabric. It’s nice not to have your clothes sticking to your skin in the hot summer or during exercise!

Bamboo apparel is hypoallergenic. Bamboo’s organic and natural fiber properties make it non-irritating to the skin making it a pleasant alternative for anyone with skin sensitivities or other allergies and dermatitis. Bamboo apparel also protects you from UV rays, naturally.

Environment. Our Bamboo apparel is good for our ecosystems because Bamboo does not require pesticides, insecticides, or fertilizers, and does not involve the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In contrast, cotton crops are one of the most intensely sprayed crops in the world receiving 3-5 times greater application of pesticides per acre than other crops like corn or soybeans. The chemicals used on the cotton crops are linked to ground and surface water contamination, and even the pollution of drinking water (such nitrates from nitrogen fertilizer are known to cause methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome” in infants). Cotton crop pesticides are also the greatest crop contributor to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which contribute to low level ozone and smog formation, increasing the green house effect. These chemicals are also documented as causing death and loss of reproductive ability in fish and wildlife. It may surprise you to know that it takes about a pound of chemicals to grow the cotton contained in a cotton t-shirt and pants.

Biodegradable. Further, Bamboo fibers are biodegradable, unlike synthetic textile fibers. Synthetic textile fibers are also made from non-renewable petroleum, and can even emit harmful gasses when incinerated. Almost all polyester/cotton blend fabrics are finished with formaldehyde, a carcinogen, added to make fabrics wrinkle or flame resistant. Our bamboo blends have no such chemical applications, and are all in compliance with, and have passed, the Class 1 flammability requirements for JCPenney, PPS#10-0804, under JCP-FL04-0902 and the Flammable Fabrics Act, 16 CFR, Chapter 11, Part 1610, Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles.

The BANAVATA range only uses natural vegetable dyes. This is why black is not available.

I think african fashion is great, and would love to deal more with Africa. These idiot scammers and spammers that seem to be located in Nigeria are doing siginificant harm to africa in general.

Mypashmina.co.uk will be stocking a gorgeuous range of leather bags from Kenya in the near future. I hope the troubles there dont get any worse !

http://www.arabianexposition.com/kenfashion.htm

Saturday 5 January 2008

Great new blog started - Peacewithoutteeth


Here is a new blog from PEACEWITHOUTTEETH ... more to come...

http://peacewithoutteeth.blogspot.com/

Bamboo Mixed with Cashmere - BANAVATA


Clothes that are 80% Bamboo / 20% Cashmere. Great. Environmentally friendly, soft next to the skin,, and not quite as warm as pure cashmere. All in all great luxury clothing for spring, summer and autumn. Clothing made from bamboo naturally wicks moisture away from your body and feels almost as soft as cashmere. Bamboo also has natural antibacterial qualities and stays warmer in the cold and cooler in heat than most other fabrics. Because bamboo grows at a rate of about one foot per day, it is an easily renewable resource. Bamboo is eco-chic. Mypashmina.co.uk will be stocking the BANAVATA range in a couple of months. We are looking forward to it!

Friday 4 January 2008

IKEA rugs



I went to IKEA in Göteborg yesterday. They had some excellent deals on christmas decorations.

Then i walked into the rugs section. Being involved with www.therealrugcompany.co.uk , i know a little about rugs. Oh my god, in IKEA they really do have the most budget quality of each style of rugs. The designer and the traditional rugs are fine, but the shaggy rugs , such as flokati, leather pile are absolutely cheap quality.

I would estimate that their Flokati are about 1400g/m2 or less, so less than half the thickness available online.