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Babiekins Magazine

A Trendsetting Magazine & Online Community For The Trendsetting Child + Parent

Fashionkins // A ‘Magical Forest’ Overlooking the Sea; Sunset in Toto Knits

By Kelly Sweda Leave a Comment

In recent weeks, this new spot has become something of a second home. Just miles from my house, office, the kids’ schools, the ins and outs of our daily routine lies a field, where golden grasses ascend to a fairytale thicket just inches from the edge of craggy ocean bluffs. I hadn’t known it too well before this, but thanks to my business photographing children and families {and the frequency of it now at holiday time}, I’ve spent the last four Sundays in this place, the same time every week. So now I know just the spot where the sunlight comes through the eucalyptus branches at the bottom of the hill; where exactly to start hiking up so the golden light will fall perfectly on the field; at what precise moment to enter the “magical forest” so the sun will shine in like a spotlight, creating visible rays and casting long shadows.

The children I’ve photographed here have been wowed, particularly in the thicket. My own daughter was no exception last week when I took her up during a break between clients to capture not just the gorgeousness that exudes from the Ellwood Bluffs, but that which lies in these stunning knits. I became familiar with Toto Knits last year and have since remained taken by founder Erin Brennan Allan’s mission for her company. I’ll introduce it this way: my order confirmation email stated not that they’d retrieve my items for shipment, but that my request would be handed over to “the knitters” to begin work.

Toto Knits is a line of organic, handmade cotton knitwear made by a group of single mothers in Kenya, who sign each piece upon completion. The knitters are paid by the item, which gives them the freedom to work as much or as little as they like. As Erin says, “It’s all about putting family first, especially for moms. This makes our work fun. We love what we do and we hope it shows.”

The quality and uniqueness of the sweaters, beaded crown and scalloped bonnet I received from Toto Knits is really something special. These are items I’ll tuck away after my daughter outgrows them and save for my grandchildren some day.

Babiekins Magazine || Kelly Sweda Photography, Toto Knits

Babiekins Magazine || Kelly Sweda Photography, Toto Knits

Babiekins Magazine || Kelly Sweda Photography, Toto Knits

Babiekins Magazine || Kelly Sweda Photography, Toto Knits

Babiekins Magazine || Kelly Sweda Photography, Toto Knits

Babiekins Magazine || Kelly Sweda Photography, Toto Knits

Babiekins Magazine || Kelly Sweda Photography, Toto Knits

Babiekins Magazine || Kelly Sweda Photography, Toto Knits

Photography: Kelly Sweda Photography || Facebook || Instagram

Toto Knits: Website || Facebook || Instagram

Filed Under: Fashion Tagged With: #babiekinsmag, Babiekins, Babiekins Magazine, childrens fashion, ellwood bluffs, Fashion, fashion kids, goleta, kelly sweda, kids fashion magazine, kids trends, santa barbara, toto knits Posted By: Kelly Sweda


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Copyright © 2023 · Babiekins Magazine | A Trendsetting Kids' Fashion Magazine and Online Community for Parents and Children Alike · Since the Southern California birth of Babiekins in 2010, the magazine has grown from into an internationally-recognized print publication with a global circulation and now a thriving online community. We are more than a kids’ fashion magazine. We search everywhere for inspiration, and go beyond trends to bring you fashion, style, decor, design, books, DIY, parties, and playthings. Our readers look to us to keep up with the best and most up-to-date concepts in the children’s market worldwide. We have an eye for quirk. We’re high-fashion, but we value whimsy over tradition. Playful childhood is more important to us than making kids into copycat adults. We believe life is beautiful, life is valuable, and life changes when you see it through the eyes of a child. We seek to transcend skin color, language and zip codes and bring out the real, wild, magical creativity inherent in every child. And behind Babiekins is an optimistic team of mothers-turned-editors, working from home, often with our own little babiekins climbing on, under and around the desks. We want to encourage you, and challenge you to see something different — something special — in yourself and in this world we all share. Welcome to Babiekins!

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