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Thanksgiving is over, and now the Christmas season is in full swing! To celebrate we’re busting out the Christmas boxes and Zeplin is enjoying a few new holiday toys from Zubels, a company that makes hand-knitted (some organic) eco-friendly toys, hats, and sweaters. We were sent a small mix from the Holiday Collection to try out — a Lil’ Dimples the 4″ Santa ornament ($11) and two 12″ dolls: a toy soldier ($28) and Ralphy the Reindeer ($21).
We’ve had these for a few weeks now and Zeplin loves them! The two dolls especially — he’s not quite sure what to do with the little Santa, I think because he’s not particularly soft or poseable, and Zeplin is really into making dolls do things like dance and walk right now. Ralphy and the Toy Soldier are perfect for that though, they are both extremely soft and snuggle-able but still hold their shape when stood upright and played with.
They are incredible detailed and woven with such precision I honestly have a hard time believing they are hand-knitted!
Also not sure why this guy is named “Ralphy” when clearly he’s Rudolph… ;) (Copyright perhaps?)
Verdict: These are extremely well-made toys that, if you encourage your child to take good care of them, will last a very long time (they are knitted, however, so some gentleness is required). Because of their homey style they aren’t trendy or particularly juvenile — I think they look great sitting by the tree and would love them just for me. Also I like the idea that they’re a toy that has a season — they can come out around Christmastime with all the other decorations and be ‘new’ and exciting for a month or so every year. That will also help them last longer, and I wonder if maybe someday Zeplin will pass these guys on to his kids?
I haven’t tried washing them yet, but they are 100% cotton so it shouldn’t be an issue — except I do wonder if the filling could shift or become lumpy in the machine, even on delicate in a garment bag. We’ll see how it goes and try spot cleaning first, just to be safe.
But to sum up we love them! Shop the full Zubels holiday collection here — they make much more than just dolls, including sweaters, hats, baby rattles, and mittens. And feel free to follow Zubels on Twitter, Instagram, and/or Facebook if you’re so inclined.