Crocheting Baby Items

[Former_Member]

I have been pouring over threads in this area for a good hour or more and I just want to see if I have this straight in regards to the items I want to list in my shop.

I am a crocheter and I adore making hats for little ones. The hats are made from llama, alpaca, sheep wool, cotton, bamboo, or other natural fiber blends.

The only embellishments I ever use on a hat meant for a child are crocheted or felted embellishments (such as flowers or other shapes). Never any buttons or things that could be a choking hazard for my children's hats. Are these sorts of embellishments okay?

I do however use buttons on hats that I make for teens. I assume this is allowed, because the item is not meant to fit or be used by anyone under 14. Do I need to label that in any special way?

Now, from what I have gleaned from other topics is that yarn is exempt from testing, or at least the yarns I am currently using, as they are not metallic in anyway. But they are not exempt from labeling.

Here is where I start to get a little fuzzy. From what I am seeing is that my hats will need to have two labels? One which lists my Name/Business, City/State, and the date on which I completed the item. And then I need a 2nd label with care instructions and fiber content?

Now, a hat meant for a newborn is not very big and putting two labels inside the hat just seems ridiculous to me. I can't use iron on labels because its yarn, it wont stick, so I have to sew something into the hat, and I can only imagine how two labels would irritate poor baby's head! And putting the label on the outside of the hat would just look goofy. Is this just how it is, or is there another way of going about this?

I'm so confused! Any help or clarification to anything I've said would be very appreciated! Just writing all this out I feel like I need a nap.

[Former_Member]

The FTC labels are required on several types of products that are made of fabric or fibers regardless of the age of the intended user. It appears that all but the wool hats are exempt from FTC care and content labels. There are special instructions for items made from what the government considers wool even when the same product made in cotton or a synthetic yarn would be exempt. Keep in mind for certain types of products if you include any of the FTC care and content info, say on a branding label, when finished product is on the exempt list you may need to fillout a complete care and content label, I'm not sure off hand if hats are one of those items. Read more below at the government site:
FTC main
http://www.ftc.gov
Clothing, accessories and home furnishings care and content labeling
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/textile/bus21.shtm#covered
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/textile/bus50.shtm#Complying

As for the CPSIA tracking label there are no product category exemptions, if the item is for or marketed to children under 13 then it needs a permanant label with manufacturing info and the same info on the packaging for the product. Now the CPSIA committee has stated if the label would interfer with the function of the product, be too big to fit on the product, or severly detract from the aesthetics of the product, then the label can be placed only on the packaging. The big catch there is if the customer throws away the package with the tracking info they can not legally donate it to a charity, send the item to a thrift/consignment shop to be sold or even sell it at their own garage sale, though they may be able to pass the item down through their own family. Your shop is down in vacation mode so I can't offer any suggestions as to placement of the label if you feel that your products would benefit from having the CPSIA tracking label on them.
Tracking labels
http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/sect103policy.pdf

[Former_Member]

Thank you for such a quick answer, and with some helpful links too!

Okay, just hold my hand and walk me through this for a moment... I want to make sure I get this right!

Certain items are required to have the FTC label (such as items made from wool), regardless of the users inteded age, but it is only items intended for those 13 and under that are required the CPSIA label?

Also, I was going through the information in the 2nd link you posted and it says that hats are not covered in the labeling requirements, unless its wool, in which case it looks like it bumps it back into that category. Does this mean that only if the hat is wool do I have to label it with the FTC label?


I'm sorry if I'm asking obvious questions, I'm just trying to make sure I do everything by the book!

[knitwit4ever]

You do have it more or less figured out, MelvinBug.

Your non-metallic yarn is exempt from CPSIA testing but not from CPSIA labelling requirements and recordkeeping of your materials/item so you could track back if needed.

All products for children 12 and under fall under the CPSIA rules. Your teen-sized hats are not included.

FTC labels are required on most fabric items and garments but non-wool hats (and socks, among other things) are excluded from the requirement to label permanently.

[Former_Member]

Whew, I think I'm getting it now. Thanks so much!

[Former_Member]

Good luck! I got out of the manufacturing business due to the labeling requirements. Now I just sell my original crochet patterns.

[Former_Member]

I make baby booties and then place all the information on 2 index cards, one for the person who bought the product,and one to keep for my records. it is a little more work but I also have a record of what went where

[susanstreasures]

Thanks for clarifying this!

[ampersandwitch]

Marking with interest. I'm also a crocheter (knitter too!) and need to read up on these rules.

[byCamilleDesigns]

Oy!! marking

[PrettyDarnAdorable]

Wow I actually didn't know any of this. I need to read up for when I sell my finished products!

Thanks everyone for such great info.

[Former_Member]

Hum, I tried to experiment with labeling a hat and my little model tore it off her head instantly and started picking at the new labels, I'm guessing she could feel something odd inside the hat. I can see this is going to be a trial and error process just figuring out how to label.

Does anyone know if a hang tag counts as a label?

[PrettyDarnAdorable]

Can you attach a tag that can be removed?

[NinisHandmades]

I have printed my ftc label and tracking requirements all on one small sheet of paper, and always make sure to send it along each hat I make, that way, the customer can keep the sheet and the hat. A label explaining everything inside the hat doesn't make any sense and isn't intended or small babies.

[Former_Member]

Hello hat maker! I blogged a little while ago about all I could find on labels and what was needed for hats in particular here: http://bostonbeanies.blogspot.com/2010/02/labels-are-for-cans-not-crafters.html

My suggestion, have the label fold in half, print on both halves the info you need and both will technically be "in front". This may or may not count, others can weigh in on this.

Legally you need the info, let the customer decide if they want to take the label out.

[Former_Member]

yes, the label is required to be permanently attached....

[Former_Member]

I use double sided fuseable web to attach labels (printed satin ribbon bought from misslabel here on etsy) to my knits/crochets. The upside is it's easy to attach to knits since it's an iron-on. The downside for the buyer is that there is no way to remove them.

First I tried a sewing machine. It works well on thin and flat items such as cotton sweaters. It does not work well on little booties or on worsted weight yarn.

For my booties I either put them on the sole or on the side (for the sk8ers). For sweaters/ponchos I put them on the bottom hem- that's where I think it would be least likely to be itchy to baby.

[knitwit4ever]

embershop, be aware that the FTC has specific requirements about the placement of FTC labels in garments (as well as the info to be included). For sweaters, for example, the neckline is the place. See the "Label placement and attachment" section in the Table of Contents of this link for specifics: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/textile/bus21.shtm#covered

[GiftCreation]

just new for me:)at all!

[Former_Member]

knitwit4ever- thanks for the heads up! Just when I thought I had it all figured out....

[Former_Member]

I feel like I need to draw flow charts and pie graphs just to sort this all out for what needs which label and where and how many and what they say.... lol.

Can someone correct me if I'm wrong, my CPSIA tag needs to be attached permanently, but my FTC tag does not? From what I'm understanding, most my hats don't even require a FTC tag, with the exception of the wool hats. Two labels inside one baby hat seems like a bit much, so it my wool hats can have the FTC info on a removable hang tag, it will be more like the child is wearing a hat and less like the child is wearing a giant label.

Next question, when they say wool... do they mean just sheep? Or does my llama and alpaca count as wool? Sometimes the yarn is labeled as alpaca wool and sometimes as just alpaca hair... what is it!

[Former_Member]

Thank you very much for the information.

[knitwit4ever]

Melvinbug, those fibers are wool. See the FTC link for wool specialty fibers and tagging them. This senctence is included there: "Although the specialty fibers listed above may be called simply wool, they also may be identified by their specialty fiber names: mohair, Cashmere, camel, alpaca, llama, vicuna."

[Former_Member]

marking...ugh

[Former_Member]

Thanks knitwit4ever! I must have missed that somehow!