DIRT TO SHIRT University of Hawaii - Hilo

Life as a Lightworker

Sacred Travels : VLOG 007

3 Years in the Making

Today 11/11/14 is 11th Loop’s 3 Year Anniversary. It all started in a small cabin in the woods of Prescott, Arizona on 11/11/11. An idea of two creative brothers to team up and create functional art work for all to enjoy. Nathaniel a photographer and Benjamin a graphic designer created the lingo and the style of Graphic Textile Design with the twist of a Sustainable Lifestyle.

It has been a year since our last post and a lot has happened since the beginning of this lifestyle brand. This year we opened the first of many 11th Loop stores on the bay front in Hilo, Hawaii. We have created a place to educate our customers on the product. The 11th Loop store features a collection of environmental friendly apparel and accessories. We specialize in textile designs printed on sustainable fabrics. Our mission is to source American grown natural fibers and materials. By using eco-friendly methods 11th Loop insures little waste of fabric, water, and electricity. Join us as the journey continues with support and love of conscious individuals like You. 

Visit us at: 144 KING KAMEHAMEHA AVE. in HILO, HAWAII (10am-6pm / Mon. – Sat.) 

What does 11th Loop mean to You?  

11: is a balanced number, I was born at 11:11am so I have always had a special connection with this number though out my life. The night of 11/11/11 as my brother and I were coming up with names for hours. I was standing in the kitchen cooking in the cabin. Then I heard a voice say to me “11th Loop”. I had no idea where it came from, but I rolled with it. So I told Nathaniel to look it up and see if it was taken by any other person on the internet. He found nothing. So that was the beginning of the branding of 11th Loop. At first we were not sure where to take it, but today we have seen the power of sticking to your dreams and never giving up.

Here is what you will find on the number 11 in our World:  

First the number 11 is very important in numerology, as it is the first of the Master Numbers. In Basque, hamaika (“eleven”) has the double meaning of  “Infinite” probably from amaigabemeaning “endless”. The Power of 11 was seen on “11-11-11″, when it showed an increase in the number of marriages taking place in different areas throughout the World.

Astrology: Aquarius is the 11th astrological sign of the Zodiac. The age of Aquarius in the new age that is coming. This is a time of Peace and Feminine rule in the World.

Astronomy: Apollo 11 was the first manned spacecraft to land on the Moon and NGC 11, a spiral galaxy in the  constellation Andromeda.

Math: 11 is a strobogrammatic prime and  a dihedral prime because it reads the same whether the calculator is turned upside down or reflected on a mirror, or both. 11 raised to the “n” power is the nth row of Pascal’s Triangle.

Science: 11 is the atomic number of the element sodium. 11 is also the number of space-time dimensions in M-theory.

Religion: After Judas Iscariot was disgraced, the remaining apostles of Jesus were sometimes described as “the Eleven”. 11 is a spiritually significant number in Thelema. 11 is also the number of the Holy Spirt.

Music: A complete 11th chord has almost every note of a diatonic scale.

Sports: There are 11 players on a soccer team and an American football team has 11 players on the field at one time.

Military: The number of guns in a gun salute to U.S. armed forces. The number of General Orders for Sentries in the Marin corps and United States Navy. World War 1 ended with an Armistice on November 11, 1918, which went into effect at 11:00 am, on the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year. Armistice Day is still observed on November 11 of each year, it is now called Veterans Day in the United States and Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth of Nations.

Travel: The number 11 bus is a low-cost way of sightseeing in London. The highway 11 is a major road on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Movies: Benjamin-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) , and The Lord of the Rings: The return of the King (2003), have each won 11 Academy Awards, including Best picture of that year.

In memory: Of the American Airlines flight 11, a Boston  to Los Angeles flight which was reported to have crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, New York on the day of September 11, 2001.

The Loop

Loop: Infinity, Rotation, Transformation, and the way of life

Math: Loop (telecommunication) , sending a signal on a channel and receiving it back at the sending terminal. Loop (computing), a method of control flow in computer science. Loop (graph theory), an edge that begins and ends on the same vertex. Also the Loop (topology) means, a path that starts and ends at the same point.

Travel: Loop route, a main route or highway that forms a closed loop. loop, a main route or highway that encircles a town or city

Music: Loop (music) , a finite element of sound which is repeated by technical means

Also the Loop is used for: Loop (knot), one of the fundamental structures used to tie knots in couples. Even a Loop roller coaster is a basic roller coaster inversion, also a Loop, is a type of Fingerprint pattern. And a Film loop, the slack portion of the film around the projector lens in a movie projector.

Inspire others to make the right choice …

11th Loop Graphic Textile Design Ad

The New Visual Language

11th Loop seeks to provided a more sustainable lifestyle for all to receive. Each of our graphic textile design starts with a walk in Nature observing the patterns in the environment. Natural colors and textures are the inspiration for all of our designs. Once a unique phenomenon is witnessed, by a designer,they document the event by making a digital image. These images are taken back to the studio to be cataloged.  Using computer software and apps the designers at 11th Loop customize each  image to create an unique textile design. 

These graphic textile designs are forging a new look with hyper-vivid patterns and bold colors. We are pushing the boundaries to increase the number of customized designs in our collection. This is an unexplored source of creativity. Our textiles and garments illustrate the cutting-edge advances in Eco-Friendly printing and pattern making. 

Now, with computer software, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, textile designs have become more complex then ever.
Digital  printing will soon provide the majority of the World's printed textiles. This is a trend that is beginning to dominate the industry. 

" Let Us Grow Naturally "

                   www.11thLoop.com

     11-11-13 is Our 2 Year Anniversary 

11th Loop Review

11TH LOOP
Life Is Layers, Live It!

2012 SONORAN DESERT COLLECTION

Rotation Transformation:
An image rotated horizontally, vertically, and 180 degrees. The original single image is seen from four different perspectives. Combining these patterns the repetition reveals a continuous and seamless natural design. The simplicity of the pattern allows a balance of infinite possibilities.

1 – Spines
2 – Pincushion
3 – Deadwood
4 – Ambrosia Bursage
5 – Saguaro Silhouette
6 – Cottonwood Seed
7 – Desert Thistle
8 – Fairyduster
9 – Saguaro Side
10 – Mormon Tea
11 – Saltcedar
12 – Century Paint
13 – Rock Live-Forever
14 – Witchgrass
15 – Woolly Paintbrush
16 – Saguaro Spines
17 – Golden Cottonwood
18 – Strawberry Flower
19 – Blue Lupine
20 – Wild Cucumber

The start to something special !

The Diamondback

11th Loop has the first 100% Organic Cotton t-shirt printed. This first shirt is a test to see how long the digital print will last on natural fibers. The shirts design name is 'The Diamondback' because of the Saguaro spine design being inside of a diamond shape, placed on the back of the shirt. 11th Loop has also printed onto a 100% Organic Cotton reusable tote bag, using the same design as the shirt. Diamondback rattle snakes are a popular snake in the Sonoran desert. They are both feared and treasured by people all around the World. At 11th Loop we look at the snake as a symbol of wisdom and ancient medication. We feel blessed to bring the power on the serpent to our t-shirt design.

11th Loop is working to create sustainable apparel,make you look and feel good.

Let the adventure begin with 11th Loop

Not Easy

"If it was easy, everyone would be doing it." This is what my father would say when things got tough. Not everyone is thinking about creating a positive environment. This is because it is not easy to do. Still this must be done. By who? When ? These are the questions we ask yourselves has we trip through the 21 st century. It is time we make it a little easier to take care of ourselves. Make a move in the right direction. Reduce the amount of waste you create in your home. Reuse things, to consolidate and save money. Recycle in your home and office. Having two separate cans for these things works, and gets people to think twice about what the are putting in the trash. We must start this sustainable movement NOW, it is already to late, no time to waste. To know how you can get involved email us at info@11thLoop.com

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving in my family is 'Take a Hike Day' meaning for a couple of hours you are outside enjoying the natural surroundings. Today Nathaniel and I walked the banks of the Verde River. In years past we have kayaked the river before a evening feast. Now, we spend time on our two feet, hopping from river rocks, Jumping into the river from the sandy banks, and basking in the cool desert water. Today it was 80+deg. so getting in the river was no problem. Felt good. November in the Sonoran Desert is a time when cottonwood and willow trees are turning bright yellow. The desert broom is blooming creating and white snowlike flurry flying through the air and still it is warm enough to swim. Walking along the banks we find tons of garbage, old cans, broken glass, shooting areas littered and more trash then we can even carry out. We spend a good part of an hour doing the best we can cleaning up. Then take it back to the truck. On the drive home we talked of many different ways we could help people understand this fragile Eco-system. Raising the awareness to our community by coming out for a trek. The true beauty of the Sonoran Desert is deep within the canyons, high up on the hill, and down along the banks of the Verde River. As an Arizona Native I give thanks to having a water source in the desert. Now, it is time that we take care of it. Join www.11thLoop.com for more details on how you can help your local area or you could join us for a trek to experience it for yourself.

"Nurture Nature"

Rain Dance

As an Arizona Native of the Sonoran desert there is one thing we love more then anything else and that is the Rain. When the rain comes to the valley of the sun, you can smell the creosote, see the gigantic thunderheads, and hear the rumbling thunder. This is a time when the Earth speaks to us. The vibration of the sky, connecting to the soft dirt of the Earth, helps us to fell the trance. Leading us into a natural way of life. Anticipation of what is to come next on our journey is what we are left with as we walk deeper into the Sonoran Desert dancing in the rain.
We all have a connection with Nature, laying dormant deep with the core of our humanity. Finding that, and driving that way of life will help you and future communities to flourish respecting all Natures of Life. Like reawakening the dry desert with the moisture of the sky.You are one with Nature, find more thought provoking desert writings at www.11thLoop.com

Functional Art

"It's more than just something you mat, frame and hang on your wall," Nathaniel said. "It's functional art, something to wear, cherish and show off."-N.P.K.

This is where the idea of 11th Loop was born. Creating art was never the hard part, it was the meaning behind it. The Why. For the next couple of months this question would haunt us as we would edit, write, rewrite, move, delete, add and strait up experiment with the idea of making a functional art. In the end we came up with www.11thLoop.com check out the website and also 'Like' our page on Facebook to receive eco-friendly Sonoran style updates.

"Keeping You in the Loop"

Our Sonoran Style

Growing up in the desert was never an easy thing. Harsh conditions shaped us as young boys, running free down endless washes barefoot. Playing for hours on end in the brutal summer sun, drinking from hoses, and building forts. This raw upbringing taught my brother and I to respect the power of Nature. Now we are on a mission to clean up the desert and create art. Join us for this exciting journey.

Pop Rocket Press

Blog by 11th Loo
Photos by Nathaniel Kastelic
Writings by Nick DeMarino


On the table rests a photograph.

"It started in high school with this one," says Nathaniel Kastelic, pausing with Rosebud fatalism. "'Rotation Transformation.'"

Nathaniel snapped the black-and-whites that form the composite image a decade ago on and of Black Mountain for an annual photography contest in Cave Creek.

His winning submission was pivot of four photos. Three share a mountainous silhouette, cloud wisps and a monkey-armed tree.

"See how the cactus grows diagonally there?" asks Benjamin Kastelic, Nathaniel's older brother, motioning to the fourth 4-by-6 - a mountainside saguaro brokers the curious ouroboros.

The 27-year-old and 30-year-old Kastelic siblings, both teachers at Acorn Montessori School, sit across the table from each other in their angular cabin west of Prescott, near Iron Springs.

"They were supposed to put the winners on postcards," Ben says.

"But how would you do that with this?" Nathaniel finishes, further describing how a trigger-happy photo session lead to the piece.

"I put all of them out, was picking which ones I wanted, and saw it as I turned them on the coffee table," he says. "It was boom: That's it. That is it."

Nathaniel continued experimenting with the imaging technique, and more punctuated equilibrium followed.

Boom: There're his symmetrically inflected nature photos.

Boom: There're his time-lapse videos of photo montages assembled in nature.

Boom: There're the silk dress and skirt prototypes for 11th Loop, a new line of clothes developed by the brothers Kastelic.

"It's more than just something you mat, frame and hang on your wall," Nathaniel said. "It's functional art, something to wear, cherish and show off."

Common threads

Plenty of people come to Codi Bounds with clothing ideas.

"I've done a lot of wedding dresses, bridesmaid, prom and formal dresses, many of them from pictures and patterns," says Bounds, of Prescott, who has sewn projects for about 15 years.

Nathaniel and Ben's idea to launch a clothing line featuring repeating nature patterns, though, is novel.

"I think it's cool. They have a different perspective on women's clothing than I do, and their excitement is, well, yeah, really exciting," Bounds says.

A sundress, a miniskirt, a full dress, a skirt and a blouse - these silken prototypes, each with its own pattern, synthesize designs nursed by botanical evolution, artwork and abstraction.

The first one came together in March. The rest should be done by June.

At first glance, the patterns are vibrant bursts of psychedelia. The double take: they're mesmerizing fractals that spiral in on themselves. The third time, they're kaleidoscopes of symmetry. Fourth, and furthermore, they're all three. It's a shock to hear there's little photo manipulation at play.

"At first, we were only concerned about showcasing the pictures," Nathaniel says, likening fabric to canvas. "But as we talked to Codi and got deeper into it, we realized there was a lot more going on."

Nathaniel and Ben point out swaths of solid pink in a dress design they'd originally dismissed as well as the slanted pattern on a skirt they'd never anticipated.

"Even though they had very specific patterns in mind, we'd try different things," Bounds says. "Understanding garments, I pushed for designs that would work across multiple sizes, something universal."

Pattern recognition

If all goes well, 11th Loop clothing could be on sale in Prescott boutiques or online at www.11thloop.com next year.

The Kastelic brothers founded the label in November, specifically 11/11/11, and they're excited to move forward, although the new media and medium have raised fundamental questions.

"At one point we had to ask ourselves, 'Are we fashion designers? Is that what we're trying to do?'" says Ben, who's in charge of the 11th Loop's Internet presence.

"That's what I'm saying. We're not trying to be fashion designers, necessarily, but here we are." Nathaniel says.

As the April sun sets over the Prescott National Forest casting long shadows through the family cabin's picture windows the brothers wax esoteric.

One wall is decorated with cutouts from Vogue magazines and Nathaniel's designs. The opposite wall is dominated by a whiteboard webbed with ideas.

A list, "Fashion words: glamorous, classy, elegant, amped up, punchy, flawless, riveting, unique, now/current/trend, sophisticated, polished, sleek, bold aesthetic." It's topped by a cartoon word bubble, "Things just a got a little more interesting."

As Nathaniel and Ben discuss their love of nature, outdoor sports, the fine arts, and their newfound interest in fashion, the subject of sibling rivalry simmers.

It turns out this is the first time they've worked together on an artistic project for which Nathaniel has taken the lead.

"I've always thought of myself supporting him, as blazing the trail," says Ben, who often finishes his brother's sentences.

He tells a story about a drawing contest they had as children. They drew airplanes and pushed their dad to pick a favorite. ("No, they're not both outstanding; one of them is the best; you have to pick one.") It was Nathaniel's because he put a pilot in the cockpit.

"I don't remember this that clearly," Nathaniel says. "But yeah, as a younger brother I was always trying to be better than my older brother at everything."

Competition, it seems, sparks the fire of creativity, but it takes cooperation to foster a creative pyre.

"I got into the drawing and writing, and he got into photography, so we each had separate areas to flourish," Ben says. "Now, with help of so many people, it's all coming together."