Calling all Teetotalers! Organic Needle Give Away…with a Teeeny-Weeeny Clause
About gosh darn time, hey? Well here they are. My little beauties. At first I was just going to go with the single cup version…but then a voice inside my head pointed out that it is summer and people are drinking ice tea by the jug. (Okay the voice in my head is Burban Mom…she likes to hang out there…what can I do….I have had worse head house guests….and who can complain when one actually provides design ideas?) So…after scratching my head for a good long while…I knew just what to do…sorta. (Why yes…the Sun Tea Bag does have a striking resemblance to my small produce bag.)
The tag on the single cup version is actually a tagua nut…what the hell is a tagua nut you ask?
Well…until recently I didn’t know either so don’t feel out of the loop…well…for that anyway. Tagua is a nut that is similar to ivory in look and feel…so in addition to providing a reason to keep the rain forest, and a financial opportunity for the local artists, they can also replace the evils of ivory. Hard not to want to incorporate all that, huh? 
Actually the woman who represents the company who creates my organic cotton cording sent me some samples 
to see what I thought and if I could incorporate them into my designs.The chips I was sent instantly made me think of tea tags…don’t ask why. They could be worn for jewelry…but that’s not my racket people. I’m a bag lady…so this explains the birth of the organic cotton reusable teabag with a tagua nut tag.
Now Burban will be getting the sun tea bag to give a good work over since it was really her idea I’m stealing. If Jabster is still out there somewhere she would be getting one of the reusable single bags, if she drinks tea, since she is the one who found me someone to actually make me organic cotton cording. That leaves 2, yes two single tea bags that need guinea pigs to check them out. Now…I will expect some feedback on how well they work…so don’t take one and stuff it in your drawer for prosperity sake. Things I want to know…
1. Ease of use. Is the opening large enough? Does it close tightly enough to keep the leaves in?
2. Is it big enough? (Single Tea Bag= 2×3, Sun Tea Bag 7×7) I want it large enough to allow the leaves to brew properly, but small enough that it can go in a dainty cup or even a narrow thermos.
3. Ease of cleaning. Do the leaves rinse easily out? (You may have to turn it inside out to get the little ones.)
4. Cuteness. Yes…It is important.
Now here is the million dollar question for us all to work on collectively as a class. I need to create a counterweight for the sun tea bag…the thing that keeps the tea bag from falling into the jar/jug and causing you to go elbow deep in everyone’s tea. The tagua slices are too small…and adding bunch would drive up the cost to an impractical level. I would love to use a recycled item…or better yet design it in a way that a common household recycled item could be used…hence the buyer creates their own weight…and saves something from the landfill. Do you think people would see this as a copout or a clever waste reducer? Creating your own counterweight would also keep the price lower and reduce shipping weight.
If you are interested in being my little piglets, just leave a comment. I will post next Monday who is getting a bag. Hopefully in a month…after we have a little trial time/you guys do all my work for me…they will be up on Etsy in all their perfected glory.
(Oh…and I’m thinking of calling them Big Dipper and Little Dipper.)
Woohoo! This teetotaler can’t wait for the new bag! No ideas yet for a counter-weight, but my existing bags don’t have a counter weight anyhow, so I don’t think it’s a big deal. I usuall just loop the strings through the pour spout and close the top.
As long as the string is long enough, I could always loop it over the lip of the pitcher….
Will send pics when I do it….
Thanks Orgie! I’ll get out of your head now…
I’d love to try out the little one. I drink my homemade tea daily so I can give it a good workout You just have to go with the names - the names are PERFECT!
Love the names! I also drink hot tea almost daily, especially at work, so I’d be willing to test drive the little dipper for you.
Counterweight - I’m thinking this is not critical for those of us brewing up one cup at a time - just make the string long enough so the nut can hang out of the cup (that sounds bad) while the bag sits on the bottom.
But you could also try old keys - everyone has a bazillion of them laying around and they are heavy but small.
Sign me up to try out your single teabag! I drink tea daily, and I need a kick in the pants to use bulk tea. Teabags are just too convenient for me to use one of the metal tea ball infuser things.
I am a tea FIEND, so I would love to try it out. I honestly don’t think the counterweight is a huge deal either. A paper clip maybe?
Love the tagua nut tag. My sweetie used to turn tagua nuts. (Much like these.) I wonder if they have to coat the surfaces with anything to make them stable when exposed to water (like with the buttons)…
Oh wow! These are so cool! I’m a huge tea drinker — green, loose, all day long.
I can’t think of anything for a counter weight at the moment. I tie tea bags to a mixing spoon I balance across my iced tea pitcher when I make tea.
Heather, Heather, Lauren, Arduous, Allie I put your names in the pot.
Chile…the maker said they are colorfast…but could take on a little color of the tea if soaked in the cup. That shouldn’t be an issue since they are suppose to hang outside the cup. Did you want me to pop your name in the hat too?
I like the spoon idea Allie. That would solve the problem of a jar without a lid or handle.
Nice giveaway!
Thanks
I don’t think the counter wieght issue is really an issue at all. tea bags always float up. part of the relaxing experience of making tea is getting to poke it down into the water with your spoon!
I love the names also! I’d be happy to be your guinea pig!
I’ve recently started blending my own herb teas and these would be perfect to package with a little jar of tea as a gift. I’d love to give the Little Dipper a test run! As for the anchor, I usually just wind the string of my tea bag around the handle of my mug to avoid having to fish the little bugger out of the cup. I think the Tagua chip on the end of the string might be just enough weight to help it stay in place when wrapped that way…
Sorry for getting back to you so late. Naw, don’t bother putting me in the hat. I’m a wannabe tea drinker but coffee always wins out. I’ve got a whole box of unopened tea boxes in my closet that has been there for, um, a long time. (Maybe I need to put them on freecycle!)
Not sure if you’re interested, but I’ve been shopping for bike stuff and found that Rivendell bikes sells tagua nuts:
http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/odds_and_ends?page=all#product=none
Thanks Beany. Not sure if I could process them myself…but will def. chuck it in the ol’ noodle and let it roll around for awhile.