Cloverfield

There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?

-- Robert Francis Kennedy

GoodWeave

The handmade carpet industry exploits nearly 250,000 children. GoodWeave is helping to combat this problem and transform the rug industry by certifying child-labor-free rugs and by providing education and opportunities to rescued and at-risk children. The GoodWeave certification is implemented by GoodWeave International.

http://www.goodweave.org/spotlight_det.php?cid=88&interview_id=114

Child-Labor-Free Certification

The GoodWeave label is the best assurance that no child labor was used in the making of your rug. In order to earn the GoodWeave label, rug exporters and importers must be licensed under the GoodWeave certification program and sign a legally binding contract to:

1. Adhere to the no-child-labor standard and not employ any person under age 14

2. Allow unannounced random inspections by local inspectors

3. Endeavor to pay fair wages to adult workers

4. Pay a licensing fee that helps support GoodWeave’s monitoring, inspections and education programs

To ensure compliance, independent GoodWeave inspectors make unannounced inspections of each loom. If inspectors find children working, they offer them the opportunity to go to school instead, and the producers lose their status with GoodWeave. To protect against counterfeit labeling, each label is numbered so its origin can be traced to the loom on which the rug was produced.

GoodWeave also sets contractual standards for companies that import certified rugs. Importers agree to source only from GoodWeave certified exporters in India, Nepal and any other country in which GoodWeave rugs are available. In the United States and other rug-importing countries, only licensed importers are legally permitted to sell carpets carrying the GoodWeave label.

Importers and exporters also help support GoodWeave and its commitment to provide rehabilitation and schooling for all rescued children. Exporters pay 0.25 percent of the export value of each rug, and importers pay a licensing fee of 1.75 percent of the shipment value. Licensing fees go toward monitoring, inspections and educational programs that are part of the GoodWeave program.

GoodWeave's certification standards are set by GoodWeave International, an associate member of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labeling Alliance (ISEAL), which leads the world in setting norms and good practices for certification. GoodWeave's national offices in producer countries implement and enforce the standards.

Soon, the GoodWeave label will mean even more. In order to further the mission to end child labor by addressing the root causes of the problem, GoodWeave's certification standard will include other environmental and social criteria, guided by ISEAL’s Codes of Good Practice. Licensees will be required to demonstrate that their employees are working under safe conditions for a reasonable wage, among other requirements. GoodWeave certified rugs will become greener, as licensees work to identify negative impacts of production as well as ways to mitigate them. Each producer will work with GoodWeave to develop a plan for improving working conditions and environmental impacts over time. To learn more about the new standard, visit www.GoodWeave.net.

Guanyin

Inspiration is a funny thing. You never know when it will strike or where it will come from. Our newest pattern ,Guanyin, is pictured above.

It is (for personal reasons) named after the goddess of compassion.

Compassion plays a major rule in buddhist practice. Pema Chodron says that "In order to have compassion for others, we have to have compassion for ourselves." She writes that in Tibetan Buddhism there is a practice called tonglen, which is a kind of meditation practice for helping us connect to our own suffering and the suffering of others.

"Tonglen reverses the usual logic of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure and, in the process, we become liberated from a very ancient prison of selfishness. We begin to feel love both for ourselves and others and also we begin to take care of ourselves and others. It awakens our compassion and it also introduces us to a far larger view of reality. It introduces us to the unlimited spaciousness that Buddhists call shunyata. By doing the practice, we begin to connect with the open dimension of our being."

Be kind to yourself and others.

Namaste

Hot off the Press

Since first opening our doors in 2005 we’ve had the pleasure of having our rugs featured in many publications and online resources. Each feature has brought with it a sense of accomplishment and honor. However, I cannot properly express the level of excitement that a recent telephone call from the New York Times generated. Maybe its because the NY Times is not just a newspaper, it’s the NY Times! We are truly honored and humbled to be gracing the pages of the Times this week. This will be a difficult milestone to top.

Namaste,

Shirley Shivhon

A Fresh Spin...

We are excited to share several new colorways in our ever so popular spinning pattern. Spinning is now available in Siver, Pinot, and Clay. Of course should you require custom colors please don’t hesitate to ask.

Namaste.

Tis The Season

The weather is getting cooler and the leaves have officially changed their bright green colors of summer for richer tones of fall. Thus inspiring us to also change some colors in one of our favorite designs. Cherry Blossom is now available in 2 new colorways (sage and straw).

We wish you a warm and joyous Holiday season and thank you for your continued support.

Namaste.

Lanikai Project

We recently had the pleasure of designing several custom rugs for a beautiful property located at lanikai Beach on Oahu, Hawaii. Lanikai is absurdly gorgeous; truly one of the most perfect beaches on the planet. The sand is as fine as talcum powder and the color of vanilla. The water, protected by an offshore reef, is as still as a swimming pool and a luscious inviting shade of turquoise. Palm trees arched gracefully out over the water, as if placed there expressly for postcard photographers.

Our custom rugs were commissioned to offset the natural beauty of this unique location and were woven in a shorter pile than normal (only 3mm high instead of 5mm). We hope you like them as much as we do.

Namaste.