Dutch's 2006 Holiday Shopping Guide for the
Indie Sonofabitch Parent

Given her lack of interest in playing with anything that wasn't one of my wife's breasts, last year I didn't really want to buy my 11-month-old kid anything for Christmas. We decided that instead of spending the money that most new parents spend on electronic talking baby leapfrog computers and Baby Einstein videos, we'd just get her some clothes and accessories from local designers. We found so much good stuff around San Francisco that last December I published my first "Holiday Shopping Guide for the Indie Sonofabitch Parent." Even though Juniper will probably have some plastic gewgaw wrapped up for her under the Christmas tree this year, I decided to update that shopping guide, because I believe supporting these kinds of artists and craftspeople is a really good thing.

Little did I realize how much the DIY/Crafty baby industry had grown in the last 12 months when I sat down to start working on this last week. There is no way this is a comprehensive list, and I imagine I will be updating it with your suggestions over the next few days (please feel free to let me know in the comments about all the great stuff I missed). I don't think this list treads too much of the same territory as Liz and Kristen & Co.'s shopping guide over at Cool Mom Picks. But you should check that one out, too.

I have focused on designers who have started businesses selling kid's toys, clothing, and accessories. I believe almost everything listed here is hand made. Many of these people are work-at-home parents supporting their families through their creativity and handiwork. I have intentionally left out Etsy sellers. Etsy hadn't really taken off for children's products last year, but now it is indisputably the best place to go for great products in extremely limited production. Where else can you find ridiculously cute handmade stuff like this or this? I love Etsy, and would encourage anyone who likes this kind of stuff for their kids to peruse all the children's categories, particularly clothing, toys, and accessories.

Almost every seller on this list has their own online store where goods can be purchased and shipped anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. I have done my best to divide the sellers into categories, but this first batch sells so many different things that they sort of defy categorization:

* Abe Jones- One of our favorites; beautiful clothing, truly unique tees, lounge sets that make great gifts; they have a wonderful collection of long-sleeved shirts and blazers, skirts and dresses.
* Attach the Baby- baby carriers & slings, blankets, nursing necklaces.
* Cherry Momma- tees, dresses, blankets, loveys.
* Dishy Duds Designs- Monster tees, hats, blankets, girls' dresses, and lots of other cool stuff.
* Go, Goose, Go- A great collection of unique and interesting items. I love the long-sleeved tees and the western pants.
* Hazel and Melvin's Room- Retro-feel boppy covers, crib bedding, diaper bags, sock monkeys, and sock monkey clothing. Handmade in Minneapolis.
*JackC Designs- We used to see these at Lavish in San Francisco's Hayes Valley; great onesies, blankets, and even A-line dresses that include the necessary matching underwear.
* Kokoleo- stuffed creatures, kid's clothes, bags, and personalized kid's stuff.
* Lucky Dog Designs- blankets, burp cloths, bibs, diaper bags, toddler aprons.
* Luna Lou- Great long-sleeved tees, baby blankets, bags, paper goods, and slippers.
* One Little Monkey- lounge sets, shirts, skirts, dresses, shorts, diaper bags, bibs, blankets, diaper bags and really cool toddler totes.
* Out of the Box- true to its name, this is a really great collection of stuff that falls out of the traditional etsy-crafter paradigm: tasteful kid's room decorations and paintings, pillows, bibs, baby booties, drawer handles and mobiles. Great online store for gifts.
* Tricky & Titch- screenprinted sleepwear, t-shirts, onesies, blankets, and hats.
* Zoomzabebe- hand-sewn rompers, hats, t-shirts, onesies, blankets, and bibs.
* Zoe B: Maternity clothes, customized wall art, baby tees, blankets and customized onesies.