Who have you worn this weekend?

We've had a busy weekend, and have had lots of chances to babywear.  This doesn't always happen these days, as Joey is getting better at walking longer distances, and always has a lot of energy to use, so its been quite nice to wear him a few times in the last few days.

Next weekend is going to be very exciting, as we're off to the European Babywearing Conference 2013, in Bristol, which is luckily just down the road from us.  I'm volunteering on the Saturday and will then be free to enjoy the conference on the Sunday - I can't wait!  I'm hoping I'll have lots of pictures to share with you after next weekend!

Here are some of the slings my husband and I have used this weekend......what have you been using? 

Artipoppe Two Birds Akka

Hubby using our Okinami Monkey Mei Tai wrap conversion.

 Uppymama Jennifer

This is my favourite picture from the weekend :)

Race for Life 2013

In three weeks time Joey and I will be doing the 'Race for Life', which is an event organised here in the UK to raise money for Cancer Research.  It is a 5km course, and I will be doing it with Joey wrapped on my back.  My Aunty fought a brave battle with breast cancer a few years ago, and fortunately she beat it.  Some of the new drugs that she was given were recently developed by Cancer Research, so their life-saving work has already had a direct impact on my family.  If anyone would like to sponsor us, my sponsorship page is here: http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/samandjoey
I promise to share some pictures of us babywearing whilst doing the Race for Life, here on my blog in a few weeks time!

Review: Pavo Penumbra Syzygy

Brand: Pavo
Type: Penumbra Syzygy
Blend: 100% cotton
Size: 6

I've been very lucky on several occasions recently to be in the right place at the right time to buy an amazing wrap, one of them being this beautiful wrap from Pavo.  Pavo is a relatively new company in the USA, and I've been keen to try one of their wraps since I heard some rave reviews about them.  I was even luckier that this beautiful wrap didn't get charged any customs fees (although I've had friends who's Pavos have been caught by customs, so I think I just got lucky!), and therefore arrived nice and quickly.

On first arrival, I was immediately struck by the fact that I have never felt a 100% cotton wrap like this one before!  It feels very densely woven, fairly heavyweight (at 280g/msq) and totally toddler-worthy without being terribly thick and beastly, meaning it could also easily be used with a younger child.
I washed it immediately and then steam ironed it, as I wanted to start the breaking-in process straightaway! It softened up quite a bit, and after braiding and pulling through sling rings a few times, Syzygy is already becoming a lot softer and more mouldable, although I'm confident that with a little bit of use, this wrap is only going to get better and better!
Syzygy is already pretty easy to wrap with, as it glides beautifully, but is grippy enough to stay in place.   The colours are deep and vibrant, and the fabric has a slight shimmer when the light catches it.  The fabric has the perfect amount of stretch to it, allowing it to mould perfectly, and wraps into the most rock-solid carry I have ever felt! My son sometimes ends up a little bit lower on my back that I aim for, but he stayed up nice and high with this wrap, as it held him in place so well. 
I am really impressed with this wrap, as not only is it beautiful, but it has the ability to make my heavy 19 month old son feel practically weightless!

Review: Doeck Monkey

Brand: Doeck
Type: Monkey (Ubuntu)
Blend: 100% cotton (I think?)
Size: Bought as a 6, wraps more like a 4/5

This beautiful wrap arrived a little while ago, but I have been waiting to write a review, as I didn't want to be influenced by my initial view of this wrap. When I first received it, I was so surprised at how different this wrap is from my other wraps, that I was initially a bit shocked, and even enquired about returning it, which I have never done with a wrap before. During those enquiries I was put in touch with a lovely lady from Doeck, who completely changed my mindset about this wrap.
When it first arrived, I immediately fell in love with the pattern, colour and design, and the unique feel of the fabric, but I was surprised at how narrow it was compared to all my other wraps, and it also has a lot of tiny 'imperfections', which worried me slightly.  The lady from Doeck gave me a lot of information about the background of these wraps, and I really want to share it with you, as whilst I feel these wraps are not necessarily for everyone, I think there are a lot of people who could really love them, if they had a bit more information about them.
I really hope the lovely lady from Doeck doesn't mind me quoting her directly. She explained the weaving techniques so beautifully, and it made me feel as if my Doeck is a particularly special wrap.  When explaining the tiny imperfections in the wrap, which I thought were pulls or broken threads, I was given the following information:

"Doeck Ubuntu is a special wrap. The cloth is made according to traditional Afican artisan design and produced for the local market in a very manual fashion. The quality expectation of this market is not the same as ours. Africans value the cloth for the material, the color and the design. They don't value industrial "quality" cloth and therefore don't see the perks of a handmade product as a quality deviation, rather as a distinguishing attribute. Modern cloth is made using sophisticated weaving maschines that use a virtually endless yarn and tight quality inspection for visual defects. Ubuntu products are made by hand and require the weaver to knot a new bobbin to the yarn if it's empty. These little knots will be invisible in most cases, but sometimes they get stuck while shooting the bobbin and the knot will look
like a small pull, or create a small patch of doubled up yarn. Neither of these small faults weakens the cloth. A wrap will only be weakened by a series of broken chain wires, and these are very unlikely to appear as the weaver can't weave with a broken chain. They are visual defects that come with this
traditional weaving. We spend quite some time isnpecting the cloth for any defect that would weaken it and we've tested our product for durability by using it intensively ourselves for over a year!"

When addressing my concerns about the wrap being narrower that usual, I was given the following information:

"The width of the cloth was determined using a panel of mothers here in Holland. Doeck seeks to make baby wearing accessible and we all felt that making a very wide wrap in this relatively heavy quality weave would make it less accessible, and to be honest, we all felt that this width was perfect for wearing it through our moderate summers and on long hikes. Unfortunately, we can't make a wrap that is perfect for every need, season, knot and age. We focussed on beginner and moderately advanced
knots (i.e. front wrap cross carry, back wrap cross carry, rucksack). Being made of a yarn that is not pre-stretched or chemically stabilized, Doeck will stretch and form over time to make a little "seat" and thus requires less width to stabilize the child. Some people really love a product that forms itself to it's use, some like a more stable weave, but that requires other techniques of production."

So as you can see, the nature of the fabric means that over time the fabric will mould a seat around your child, holding them securely in place, and using less fabric than your typical wrap. After reading all of this, I was keen to give my Doeck wrap a good try, so started by following the care instructions that came with it.  I was instructed that there may still be some excess dye, which became obvious when handling the wrap, so I washed the wrap in 1 cup of vinegar as instructed.  The dye was still coming away, so I then left the wrap to soak in a pan of water with 1 cup of vinegar, and refreshed the water and vinegar every few hours.  I then washed the wrap again in the washing machine, and the water ran clear in the final rinses, and the dye no longer come off when handling, so I'm happy that the excess dye has been removed.

I have used the wrap on several occasions, and have to say that I really love the way the fabric wraps.  It is slightly textured, and wonderfully cushy, so is very comfortable, and wraps easily into place.  The narrower wrap is taking a bit of getting used to, but isn't as difficult as I thought it would be  it really depens on what carry I am attempting to do. From my experience, I would give the following guidance: If wrapping a taller child (like my very tall 18 month old), use carries which involve cross passes, e.g. FWCC, etc. as this means you can still have the fabric up to your child's shoulders by making sure the cross-passes come up quite high.  With a younger or smaller child, I would happily use this wrap in a Kangaroo carry, or ruck.  Also be aware that although it is labelled as a size 6, the ends have quite long tapers (which is great for knotting this slightly thicker wrap), and I found it wrapped more like a size 4/5 (depending on the size of you and your child).  These are not negative things, simply things to be aware of.

This wrap is definitely unique.  It has character and a wonderful backstory, and feels lovely to wrap with.  I really love the African 'feel' of the design, and the colours are really rich and beautiful.  To wrap with it uses slightly different techniques than your traditional machine woven product, but that is simply something that the user learns over time and with practice. 

I am looking forward to using this wrap more in the future.

Picture

I've had a question from Randi on the blog about how I set up my wrap for grad dyeing, so I thought I'd add this picture.  This shows that I have hung the wrap on hangers, which are then hung on a folded-up airer. The hangers are separated with clothes pegs, to keep the wrap slightly parted.  As I have a very narrow kitchen, the airer can fit across the kitchen, with one end on each work surface.  I would recommend simply looking at what you have available in your house, and improvise a set-up which would work for you! I hope this helps!







This second picture also shows the set-up, and was taken just after I removed the wrap from the dye, with an empty pan below it to catch the drips.

Review: Artipoppe Two Birds Akka

Brand: Artipoppe
Type: Two Birds Akka
Blend: 48% Egyptian Cotton, 52% Merino
Size: 5

I have adored the look of Artipoppe's designs since I first saw them, but never thought I would have chance to own one, as my internet speed at home is just too slow to compete with the huge number of Artipoppe fans who desperately try and get one with each release. It just so happened that last weekend I was in a venue with fast internet speed, where I organise a big charity event each year.  As my sister-in-law had given birth earlier than morning (a very eventful day!), I opened my laptop to check for new baby pictures when I noticed that Artipoppe had hinted at a release.  I immediately went to etsy, where Anna from Artipoppe is currently listing all her available wraps, and managed to buy one straightaway.  I couldn't believe my luck!
I have spent the whole of the last week waiting for Two Birds Akka to fly home, and was so excited when it flew in yesterday.  I was immediately struck by the stunning pattern, which looks even more beautiful in person.  The colour of Akka is very difficult to describe, and in some lights it looks grey, but when the light catches it, it glimmers with a subtle purple colour (the original listing named the colour of the merino in Akka as being 'eggplant').  I couldn't resist having a quick wrap with it, but then put it straight in the wash as the instructions state.
Once dry and ironed, it feels dramatically different to when it arrived!  It is now so cushy and soft, and it feels like the texture of the pattern has fluffed up slightly.  It is completely amazing to wrap with - it simply glides into place, and is so soft and cushy around my shoulders and around my son, and yet supports my heavy 18 month old amazingly well. It is labelled as a medium-heavyweight wrap, but doesn't appear to require much breaking in, as it is already so soft and mouldable.  I honestly cannot sing its praises enough!  I can't wait to have more time to play with this wrap, and look forward to trying it over a longer period of time, as it is just so comfortable.  In the meantime, I'm enjoying sitting and admiring the beautiful Two Birds pattern, based on designs by M.C.Escher (which my husband also loves).
I still can't quite believe this beautiful wrap belongs to me!  I plan for it to stay here for a very long time!

Review: Oscha Okinami Skye Wrap Conversion by Monkey Mei Tai

Wrap Brand: Oscha
Wrap Type: Okinami Skye
Wrap Blend: 100% cotton
Conversion by Monkey Mei Tai

I have admired and longed for an Oscha Okinami wrap since Oscha released the first one, but I have never been lucky until the recent random draw for Okinami Skye, where I managed to get a size 7.  I have always admired Okinami wrap conversions, so when my Monkey Mei Tai slot came up the same day I got an Okinami wrap (having waited since last October), I knew it was meant to be!  Helen Coulson at Monkey Mei Tai was very excited to receive my wrap, as she has also be a long time fan of the Okinami pattern, and the end result  of the conversion is simply oozing with Helen's enthusiasm and artistic skill.
The wrap itself is stunning.  The blue colour is vibrant and elegant, and I feel that it suits the pattern beautifully.  It is a medium weight wrap, and for 100% cotton it is very supportive.  I always knew I would feel slightly frustrated when wrapping with the Okinami pattern, as being a perfectionist I would always want the design to look perfectly central. A wrap conversion was the natural solution, as the design is always fixed in the perfect position on the main panel.
Helen did a perfect job of matching up the hood with the main panel, and even managed to make the carrier reversible, with the same perfectly aligned design on the back.  I gave her free reign to use the fabric as she wished, and Helen used it perfectly, continuing the wave pattern on the waist band (which I chose to be a buckle waist) and used the pattern perfectly on the wrap straps.  I am completely thrilled with the end result!
The carrier itself is incredibly comfortable on both my front and back, with the spread wrap straps adding extra support.  My son goes into the carrier very easily, and feels completely weightless, and the lovely medium weight Okinami wrap, offers plenty of support.  This carrier is a true work of art, combining the artistic skills of both Oscha and Monkey Mei Tai perfectly.

Review: Didymos Indio Ocean

Brand: Didymos
Type: Indio Ocean
Size: 5
Blend: 60% cotton, 40% linen

I have had my eye on Didymos Indio Ocean for a little while, as I particularly love thicker wraps at the moment, so when I saw one for sale I decided to try it out!  On arrival, the first thing that struck me was that its beauty could not be captured in a photograph!  It is a beautiful combination of electric blue and indigo, in the intricate indio pattern.  This one has already been broken in beautifully, which is a bonus on a 260gr/msq linen blend wrap.

Not only is this wrap beautiful, but in its broken-in form, it wraps like a dream.  A double hammock variation simply slid into place, and then stayed in place perfectly.  It is an incredibly comfortable and supportive wrap, and felt wonderfully soft on my shoulders.  If you are a fan of thicker wraps, I would highly recommend this Ocean.  It is very comparable to Flamenco Hemp Indio, although the hemp in FHI adds a tiny bit more support, but if you're not a fan of pink, and really want a thicker, supportive indio, Ocean is the perfect wrap for you.

Review: Uppymama Jennifer

Brand: Uppymama

Type: 'Jennifer'

Size: 5 metres

Blend: 100% cotton

A dream has become reality for me today!  This beautiful handwoven Uppymama arrived this morning, and I have completely fallen in love with it.  Most people involved in the wrap scene have heard of Uppymama, an American company who produces handwoven wraps (made by one individual lady on a hand loom) in very limited numbers.  They are not easy to get hold of, and due to their limited and beautiful nature, they usually command high prices.  When this beautiful wrap came up for sale within the UK, I decided to part with some of my other wraps in order to buy this one.  I have not been disappointed!

The first thing that struck me when I unwrapped Jennifer, is how soft and mouldable it is.  The colours are beautiful, and perfect for my green-eyed boy.  It is amazingly easy to wrap with, and it feels as if it moulds around you, and becomes like a second skin.  It is extremely supportive, and a double hammock just fell into place.  My 18 month old felt weightless, and it is extremely cushy on my shoulders.  I can honestly see why Uppymamas are so adored by those who have tried one!  I plan for this wrap to stay with us for a very long time!

More coming soon...

I've been a bit quiet on this blog for a couple of days.  I've actually got a couple of reviews I'm working on.  One of them is for a very interesting handwoven wrap, by a new company.  When it first arrived I was so surprised at how different it was to my usual wraps, that I was ready to send it straight back.  However, after a wonderful email from a lady at the company, I have been spending a bit of time playing with it.  It is totally unique, and rather special, but is taking a lot of getting used to!  I'll do a full post about this wrap very soon.

I've also got an amazing wrap on the way, which I've been desperate to try for a long time, and never thought I would own.  I can't wait to tell you about that one aswell!

On top of this, I've just been lucky in the latest Oscha draw, meaning I've got Okinami Skye on the way.  However,  I'll be posting Skye off again almost as soon as it arrives, as I am having it made into a wrap conversion by the amazing Monkey Mei Tai.  I've always thought Okinami would make an amazing wrap conversion, and it is pure luck that my wrap conversion slot has come up (after waiting since last October) in the same week as Okinami is on the way. It was meant to be!

So as you can see, despite a quiet weekend, I have plenty in store for my blog in the coming days and weeks!