“I think that the objects themselves are a beautiful story with a life and soul to them,” says Anna Wallack, the founder of Misha and Puff. The company specializes in hand-knitted wool clothing for children—initially, her own.
Misha and Puff was founded nearly a decade ago when Wallack was expecting her first. Her grandmothers taught her to knit as a child, and she wanted to pass on that gift by knitting sweaters for her son: garments that would become meaningful heirlooms for them both.
“I was looking at patterns and I wasn’t really finding what I wanted,” she said. “I started writing my own patterns for things and very quickly developed my own catalog.”
Those first acts of love—like a mother knitting for her child—became the guiding principle for Misha and Puff, where everything is hand-crafted from sustainable, organic materials, and patterns are designed to be timeless, not trendy. When you buy something from Misha and Puff, you’re not just buying clothing: You’re buying into values.
Purchases from the Give Better gift guide support environmental preservation, fair trade, youth development and a more equitable future.
SHOP THE GIFT GUIDESoon after starting the company, Wallack began a partnership with a community of knitters on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. She wanted Misha and Puff garments to be made ethically and thoughtfully; to source organic, high-quality materials locally, and to endorse a longstanding artisan tradition.
All Misha and Puff garments come with a hang tag featuring the name of the artisan who crafted them. In this way, the objects are also stories. And in Peru, Misha and Puff has its own story: a collaboration that has grown into a community. As the company has grown, the original knitters Wallack worked with have become supervisors, leading their own teams.
The commitment to quality and connection remains the entire premise of Misha and Puff: the stitches that bind a community in Peru to a Boston business, and the stitches that bind a small brand to its loyal customers.
“Your most special should be the stuff you get to wear every day,” Wallack says.
Why spend more on something you’ll wear once than on something that can be part of your everyday life? It’s a simple concept: the things we wear most should be made with the most integrity. “They are going to last, they’re going to be your child’s favorite thing,” says Wallack, speaking from experience. “And then they will be heirlooms.”
