review – Be Carried

Review: Sjala Rowan Dew on Grass 6

August 22, 2017August 22, 2017Tagged babywearing, review, Sjala, Sjala Rowan Dew on Grass, toddlerwearing, woven wrapLeave a comment

Blend: 12% linen 88% cotton
Length: 4.77
Width: 0.645
Weight: 988 gsm
GSM: 277 (from Sjala) 988/3.08=320 (measured after wash and wear)
Recoil/bounce: Slim to non (besides obligatory diagonal stretch)
Grip/glide: Slightly more glide than grip
Cush: Subtle
Wrappee: 2 years, 13 kg

First encounter

I first saw it on a picture Yvonne (Sjala’s owner) sent me. Wow! Bright green. Not what I expected. Up until then all the Rowans had been monochrome, dusty pastels or something in between. This was surely something else. It’s a bright, clear green, like leaves in the spring, before the chlorophyll has truly settled. This is paired with a crisp, light grey. Actually, crisp is a keyword here. I don’t want to scare people off, but this is a rather densely woven wrap with linen. They come crispy. And they want to be tamed. But it’s fun, though. A toddler might come in handy. They usually love hammocks and swings too.

The Rowan pattern is one of my favourites in the wrap world. If you live in the Nordic countries, it’s impossible to not have some kind of relationship to Rowan shrubs and trees. They are everywhere! With their finned leaves and red berries, they are quite decorative, I’d say.

Wrapping qualities

I used this wrap for almost a month without sharing the colour or blend with anyone in the babywearing world. That was so hard, I wanted to show them all. I used in a front wrap cross carry, double hammock variations and ruck. I took it hiking. I took it to the beach. I used it as a hammock, blanket, towel and even used it for toddler proofing when we found ourselves in a cabin on a cliff, more or less. This wrap never disappointed or made me worry.

Once I walked an hour with my toddler in a front wrap cross carry. I didn’t feel any discomfort anywhere. There’s very little stretch, just a tiny little obligatory diagonal stretch. The sturdiness makes it an ideal wrap for hikes. Personally, I think silent wraps are kickass ruck wraps. I used it in a ruck tied Tibetan on several occasions. It was rock stable and really comfortable. But it needs to be properly tightened and positioned, I think. It would be really interesting to try it in a pirate carry, with a supporting layer you will probably get close to weightlessness as you do in a double hammock. The glide makes second passes a breeze, but you need to focus on keeping tension before you tie a double knot. Yes, double knots are in order here. There’s some grip, the Rowan pattern delivers it well, but this one has much less grip than Hurricane and Metal at the Disco. Cush is not part of the deal here, at least not yet. A lot can happen when wraps break in, which I find it very exiting. During the last days I had this wrap with me, the cotton started to become flossy and soft. The wrap began to loose its crispiness. It felt much more mouldable. I think it started to get tamed. I’m so exited to get it back after the other mamas have beaten it into submission.

I’m debating with myself whether to call this wrap medium to thin or medium to thick. I mean; it’s not thick at all. While truly medium by weight, it feels thin in hand due to its dense weave. So it folds up rather small. It will not take a lot of space in your handbag while you run off after your toddler or in your nursing bag.

This wrap is suitable for a bigger baby or toddler, a least initially, before it breaks in or if you’re not an experienced wrapper. It might be okay to use on a squish in the end, but it will not be my first choice. Also, because of its sturdiness, it’s easy to tighten too much and loose the naturally curving spine you would aim for.

I had the pleasure of having this in a size 6, which is by far my favourite size if I have to choose just one. No wonder, that was perfect for me. But this one would also be a great shorty. With this one’s low care level it would be a perfect wrap for a holiday or just the everyday companion that you never need to worry about. It is pretty impossible to get pulls in.

Who would love this:

• Lovers of silent and medium thick wraps
• Lovers of fresh and crisp colours
• Those who can appreciate an easycare beater

Who would be more lukewarm to this:

• People who prefer grip to glide
• People that hate to break in a wrap
• Those who prefer cush and bounce

Thank you Yvonne Fransson Duran for making this exquisite lush wrap and sending it to me Huge thanks to my photographing boyfriend ❤

Review: Risaroo Celiese Mimosa 5

August 18, 2017August 18, 2017Tagged babywearing, babywearing evening walks, review, risarooceliesedream, risaroowovens, toddlerwearing, woven wrapLeave a comment

Blend: 45 % Tencel 55 % Cotton

Length: 4.56m

Width: 0.73 m

Weight: 960 g

GSM: 289(prewash) 288 (after wash and wear)

Recoil/bounce: No

Grip/glide: Glide

Cush: Subtle

Wrappee: 2 years, 13+ kg

First encounter:

The wrap is soft mustard yellow on one side and ecru (off-white) on the other side. Pattern is dots of different sizes connected with curved and straight lines. It’s soft right out of the bag and it got even softer after wash and iron. This one you really want to use as a blanket and a comforter if you ever find yourself devoid of one. You’ll just want to pet it.

Wrapping qualities:

In hand it has medium thickness and it’s mouldable and floppy after the first wash and iron. This one needs no breaking in. It has a sturdiness, not much bounce to trace here, despite the obligatory minimum diagonal stretch.

I used it in a front wrap cross carry, ruck and double hammock with a candy cane chestbelt. It is really cosy and snuggly in a front wrap cross carry, soft, supporting and very easy to tighten. It’s also super for quick rucks and it feels quite soft on the shoulders, despite its relative thinness. I actually preferred to ruck with it, for some weird reason (I’m not really a plain ruck person). I think I like to ruck with wraps that have little stretch, like this one. When wrapping a double hammock, passes glide easily; you will need to focus on holding tension. It’s incredibly easy to tighten. The level of grip is very low, you will need a double knot to seal the deal. Forget about knotless finishes. The sturdiness makes it suitable for long hikes. But, if you carry something rather heavy like me, the lack of grip can compromise the wrapjob over time as it slips out of place; it needs to be adjusted every now and then, which can be annoying. At least that’s what I experienced. It could be that I didn’t manage to tighten it properly across all its generous width, because it’s really wide (73cm). But then again, with a smaller baby this might not even be an issue.

Tencel is a type of viscose. It’s a fibre created chemically from cellulose, a left over from the wood industry. It’s said to be a fibre for warm weather. I’m not sure if I agree. To me Tencel feels warm to touch, kind of like flannel. Flannel is nice and cosy. Think thick flannel shirt, soft and floppy, very nice to the skin. This one you really want to wrap with naked. It’s easycare, not pullprone, but it seems to be prone to pilling, not unlike flannel. I imagine it would be easy to use for a beginner. It would be lovely for a smaller baby too, but its width and thickness might feel intimidating for the smallest ones.

Who would love this:

• Lovers of glide as opposed to grip

• Those who hate breaking in a wrap

• Tencel-fans

Who would be more lukewarm to this:

• Grip lovers

• Tencel-haters

• Those who like narrow wraps

Thank you Erle Jansen at Carry Me for providing me with this wrap to expand my wrapsperience :*

Review: Löft Bishnu Grey ringsling

August 16, 2017August 18, 2017Tagged babywearing, Löft, Loeft, review, ringslings, toddlerwearing, woven wrapLeave a comment

Release April 21-2017
Blend: 40% cotton, 30% silk and 30% cashmere

Cush: Subtle
Stretch/bounce: Yes
GSM: 380
Width: 0.75 m
Wrappee: 2 years, 13+ kg

First encounter

It is the most perfect cold medium dark grey, resembling steel. It’s the result of black and white threads, which you can see if you look more closely. And boy is it soft! I know this one has travelled Sweden before it came to Norway so it must be very broken in. But I hear from Löft and other wearers; it’s indeed soft from the start. If you live in a warmer climate, I wouldn’t worry about the blend, as the weave is very loose and airy. Nor does the cashmere itch. It’s just kitten belly soft. But it does get pulls easily. About the thickness: it’s not at all heavy or thick. I’d say medium thickness. I have not measured the GSM myself, but I find it odd that the fabric is measured to be on the heavy side.

I am not very familiar with handwovens, but visually I see this has a larger herringbone pattern, Löft calls it Chambray herringbone. The long ends are not hemmed. The rings are shiny black and the shoulder is straightforward gathered. The sewing is beautifully done.

Wrapping qualities

I should say a few words about ringslings and us before I proceed. Not everyone click with ringslings and it would be hopeless to listen to my judgement without knowing. I love ringslings. I got my first ringsling when LO was six or eight weeks old and we’ve been heavy users of ringslings until the use declined abruptly at 18 months age. We’ve had several and still have a few that are more or less permanently here, despite the low level of use. I use ringslings for short ups, typically on our way to or from daycare. If LO wants to walk, which he often want these days, I find it sweet to just be ready with the RS on me in case he wants to be carried, walk the wrong way repeatedly or have a meltdown. It happens.

Bishnu Grey is really easy to thread and tighten. It’s not very long; so the tails won’t bother you. I didn’t try anything adventurous with it, like back carries, ruck or DH traditional, I never do. Just plain centred front carries, its better for my back with a heavy load than a hip placed carry.

It carries my toddler quite well, but it does have a slight slippage, and I have to retighten. The shoulder is very comfortable and it is easy to distribute the fabric evenly. The edges dig a little, probably because they are more rigid than the more stretchy inner parts. It’s not uncomfortable to carry my toddler to daycare with it, but I know there are better options for a heavy toddler, without slippage and hard edges. We wore little clothes at the time of testing; we might not even feel the edges dig with more clothes on.

If you carry something lighter than me (13+ kg), this will be awesome. Also if you are new to ringslings or woven wraps, this is a great choice. For some ringsling enthusiasts the greatness as a scarf is more important than sturdiness. This one is a lovely scarf!

I think a few changes to it could make it better for heavier children if I may be that bold to suggest. Matte rings; Fabrics with glide benefit from matte rings as opposed to grippy fabrics, that work better with shiny rings. Hemming the long sides; I know it’s not very common to do so with handwovens, but I think I would be softer for the child’s knee pits if the fabrics folded. Also it would make the ringsling narrower, which would be a nice bonus, as it’s quite wide (0.75m).

Löft is a Danish based company arranging ringslings to be woven and sewn by women in Nepal and northern Thailand. Materials are natural, the production is without harsh chemicals and wages are fair.

Who would love this:

Those that need a ringsling that doubles perfectly as a scarf
Those craving that perfect grey colour that match everything
People that hate to break in a wrap
Beginners and persons with a lightweight child

Who would be more lukewarm to this:

Those looking for a careless easycare sling (afterall it’s cashmere and it gets pulls easily)
Those who prefer a ringsling with more uniform stretch/bounce along the width to accommodate the weight a heavier child

Thank you Löft for arranging this lush sling to be made and Nena Solheim Varga for sending them to me ❤

Review: Bijou Abstract Mirage 4

August 4, 2017August 4, 2017Tagged babywearing, Bijou Abstract Mirage, bijouwear, carryme.no, review, woven wrapLeave a comment

Released: 2 December 2016

Blend: Egyptian Cotton
Wrappee: 2 years 13 kg
Length: 3.98m
Width: 0.64 m
Weight: 637 g
GSM: 240 (prewash) 252 (after wash and wear)
Recoil/bounce: None
Grip/glide: balanced
Cush: No

First encounter:

The wrap is rather lightweight but intensively structured by its busy pattern in ecru and pale, cold blue/borderline grey. The pattern is abstract and I wasn’t aware at first of what they had in mind when they designed it, but I think I’ve seen similar patterns in frozen water, or maybe broken glass. After doing some research I realized that the pattern mimics brush strokes. It’s rather abstract, that’s for sure!

After a wash the pattern really popped, but I ironed it back into place. I checked for stretch, diagonally there’s some, but orthogonally there’s practically none. The pale blue yarn has a nice shine to it. Some of the cotton is mercerized, meaning it has been treated chemically, making it denser, stronger and shiny. That makes the low contrast pattern more interesting. Four different ways of weaving has been applied when making it. I wish I knew more about that.

Wrapping Qualities

I used this in double hammock rapid, sheperds, double hammock traditional, pirate carry and ruck tied in front. It’s very easy to wrap with. It was a little bit stiff after wash and iron, it’s densely woven after all, but after just three ups I had a very soft, mouldable and quite fluid wrap on my hands. I could practice carries that I normally don’t think I master so well, because it was so easy to put in place and tighten. It does have some obligatory diagonal stretch, though very little, so I would say it’s rather mute. It has equal amount of glide and grip, so there’s no challenge to tighten, though the passes aren’t slipping back while wrapping. You will need a double knot to seal the deal, though.

It is a strong wrap, despite its thinness, but it has no cush. If you have a heavy child you will feel more comfortable in double layer carries. But if you have a rather young and little child, don’t worry. Most likely won’t need any cush to feel comfortable. But you will learn to wrap very well and precise. Because it’s easy with Bijou Abstract Mirage!

It’s cool to touch and in a way it feels like linen. Maybe it’s the mercerized cotton? It’s perfect in a warm climate, mostly because it’s thin. I was travelling with it during summer. And you know, travelling alone with a toddler; it’s a sweaty experience. This wrap was performing awesome in airports, trains, in town, ups and downs while juggling a suitcase and an adventurous toddler. I was only complaining when we were on our way home with a fewer and aching muscles. I guess then, very few wraps will do.

Due to its thinness and dense weave it folds up incredibly small. It’s a perfect handbag-wrap, to bring around for emergencies when stubborn, little toddler feet gets tired. Also you can take it anywhere, sit on it, use it as a towel and introduce it to Velcro. The dense weave and absence of long floaters won’t easily allow pulled threads. This together with all cotton blend makes it truly easycare!

Bijou Abstract Mirage would be great for a beginner or for someone practising new carries. It breaks in super easy. It’s rather narrow, 64 cm, which is rare for budget wraps I´ve realized. Because it’s narrow and thin it will work very well with small babies, but I does work with toddlers too. Personally I think narrow wraps are quite delightful.

Who would love this:

• Lovers thin and strong wraps

• Those who hate breaking in a wrap

• Beginners

• People who don’t like bounce and stretch

Who would be more lukewarm to this:

• Lovers of thick and forgiving wraps

• Those needing a little stretch or bounce in their wraps

Thanks to Erle Jansen at carryme.no for providing me with this wrap to expand my wrapsperience :*

Review: Wrapture Riverbed Clay 6

July 22, 2017July 22, 2017Tagged babywaringphotography, babywearing, review, toddlerwearing, woven wrap, wraptureLeave a comment

Blend: 76 % mercerised cotton 18 % spun viscose and 6 % linen

Length: 4.70m

Width: 0.75 m

Weight: 800 g

GSM: 238(prewash) 227 (after wash and wear)

Recoil/bounce: Quite some

Grip/glide: balanced

Cush: Some

Wrappee: 2 years 13 kg

First encounter:

I was drawn to this wrap because of the name and pattern. I’m a sedimentary geologist and I’m fascinated by the patterns small particles in nature form as a result of currents. The ripples get bigger with larger currents and smaller when the current slows. If the river flow slows down so much it can’t move sand anymore, it will cause finer particles to settle in between the ripples until the flow initiates and the currents starts to move sand again. This is what the pattern is showing and why I was drawn to it. Yes I’m a nerd.

The colours are earthy, natural white as a base, with pattern in tan brown, bluish grey and dark brown. The backside is the same as the front. No flipped rails.

This is one soft and fluffy cloud. It’s light and airy, and brings my thoughts to muslin clothes, gauze or bedsheets from the late 70s (you know crisp bedding, which is actually still possible to buy). It’s thin while at the same time fluffy. They say they use some special kind of technical weave; probably in two layers and with a very thin tread interwoven with thicker treads in this geomorphological pattern, making a kind of 3D-effect. I didn’t try to iron it, but maybe its not recommended? The 3D-effect makes this so fluffy and borderline cushy. And very soft to touch.

Wrapping qualities:

This thin and yet so fluffy fabric is floppy and very easy to wrap with. It’s easy to tighten, but it’s also a little tricky, because when you think you’ve tightened enough, there’s still some slack that could result in a saggy wrap job if the child is heavy.

It feels nice on my shoulders in a front wrap cross carry, but first impression is that in single layers with a toddler, this is just for calm cuddles. There’s way too much bounce for hiking or commuting with a heavy load. There’s some grip due to the rippled fabric, but not enough to hold a simple knot you will need a double knot to secure the carry (I know that’s normal, but I own so many grippy wraps, I’m starting to get lazy).

First time wrapping my toddler in a double hammock it was a breeze to wrap him (even though I was standing on my knees in a bed, a technique I try to perfect). So mouldable, thin and easy to put in place while not going anywhere if I accidentally let go of the tension, though not at all hard to tighten. I should have tightened better and sandwiched the shoulder straps, because I felt them digging slightly into my shoulders. It might be the wrap job, but it could also be the fact that the wrap is rather thin and stretchy and my toddler is 13 kg. The next times I did this carry I focused more on tightening and sandwiching the shoulders, which made it way more comfortable. With a heavier child, you need to tighten more than you think and more than you are used to with other wraps, due to the stretch.

If you live in a warm climate or plan to go somewhere warm with your Velcro baby, this is your wrap. It’s soft and cosy to the skin, and breathes very well. The small amount of linen adds a cool feeing and the weave and the thin threads of different thicknesses makes it airy.

This wrap is perfect for squish wrapping. No worries about if tightening can add pressure to baby’s naturally curved spine. It’s not possible, because it’s so stretchy. Only drawback is its width, 75 cm is wide for someone tiny. As it’s so easy to wrap with, I would really recommend it to those who are new to wrapping, you’ll have a golden stairway to wrap skills. It works with a bigger baby or child as well, it’s just not that supportive. There are better choices, is my personal opinion.

I’m okay with the thinness of this wrap, actually it has some cush and if you sandwich the shoulders and spread them out, there’s no pressure. For me it’s just the stretch. I like a little bit of stretch, but with this one has too much for my taste. I could feel my child bounce during my walk. And his bum was definitely below his knees 😉 I think it’s just a question about what you like.

Who would love this:

Lovers of lightweight, highly breathing wraps
Beginners and squish wrappers
Those who prefer a little bit of stretch

Who would be more lukewarm to this:

Those who need a sturdy wrap (stretch haters)
Those who wrap a bigger child
Those who prefer thick and forgiving wraps

Thanks to Sandra Johannesen for organising the tester tour and Wrapture for providing me with this wrap to expand my wrapsperience :*

Minako Lilac Cotton Gems review

June 26, 2017June 26, 2017Tagged babywearing, minako, review, woven wrap, wovenwrapsLeave a comment

Unreleased from Minako

Blend: 64% egyptian cotton 36% bio cotton

Length: 4.34 m

Width: 0.66 m

Weight: 826 g

GSM: 288 g/m2 (my measurements)

Recoil/bounce: Just a little

Grip/glide: slightly more grip than glide

Cush: yes!

Wrappee: 23 months, 12.5 kg

First encounter

I was so curious about this one! Minako’s first all cotton Gems. They’re nothing like any cotton you’ve met, I’d say. Of course I don’t know what kind of cotton you’ve met, but I’ll do my best to describe in the following. The colour is slightly dusty cool lilac on the right side. Think of lilac shrubs. The wrong side has a bluish medium grey colour. Both sides have widespread woven-in cute gems of different sizes. As the contrast is rather low here, the pattern is not very visible. This one has travelled a lot before it came to me, so I cannot tell how it was initially, but the wrap is now very soft, mouldable, floppy and cool to touch. You can tell it’s airy, by looking at the weave. It’s not dense, nor very loose. But it is on the coarser side, and I like watching the lilac weft and the grey warp. The warp is thin, regular and uniform, while the weft is chubby with little thickenings on it, coming and going. This is no ordinary cotton! It’s kind of nubby. I love nubby ❤

Wrapping qualities

Lilac Gem is incredibly easy to wrap with. It’s medium thick. It’s easy to tighten and put in place. You don’t need to hold tension as your life were dependent on it, it won’t slip. But it’s not hard to layer either; you would quite easily be able to manage that second pass in a double hammock or pirate carry. Hence, it has a slight overweight of grip over glide, making it very widely likable. It’s floppy like a blanket. Yes, the wrap is most likely very broken in due to its travel, but the rather loose weave makes me think that the mouldability was there quite initially. Interestingly it has a heavy drape. It adds an unexpected luxury feel, like the very luxurious Minako Ursus or a lot of AP wraps. Not what you would expect from an all cotton wrap!

It has a tiny bit of stretch, but vey little, like most Gems I’ve met (Sierra, Rusty, Amber, Gneiss/TOAK). I think it makes them very suitable for long hikes. That, together with the cush for days makes the wraps easy to choose when you know you’ll be wearing the toddler or baby for a longer period of time. It’ll be very nice on any picky shoulders. This extraordinary cush originates from the weave, all the Gems are woven with a double cloth, what is most often called triweave. Gem Lilac will be suitable for all ages, it will not feel overwhelming on a squish, I think. Also it’s not very hard to use for someone in the beginning of their wrapping career, though not my top choice for neither situations.

I used it in a double hammock, front wrap cross carry and a ruck. All perfect. I tried it in a reverse coolest hip carry too, but I’m no expert at that 😉 It was comfortable despite all the slack. I couldn’t loosen the slipknot in a smooth way for successful transfer after, but I’m not sure I can blame the wrap for that 😛

I’m not sure when Minako plan to release this, but I hope it’s during this summer, because it will be a nice addition anyone’s summer stash, including mine! It’s cool to touch, airy, has easy-going happy colours, is super-easy care and does not feel like cotton.

Who would love this:

• Cush lovers

• People that are afraid of “delicate” fabrics

• People that hate to break in wraps

Who would be more lukewarm to this:

• People who prefer glide more than grip

• Those who prefer warmer colours

• Those who aren’t fans of the Gem pattern (weird, yes. But I know a few)

Gee, it feels artificial to try to find out reasons why people would not like it. It’s very easy to like!

Thank you Elena Moskaleva for making these exquisite, lush wraps and sending them up North. And thank you Beathe Hodne Manger for organizing the wrap tours and for being so extremely patient with me while I had the wraps for a tad longer than agreed. That meant a lot to me ❤

Review: Woven Wings Tin Man 6

April 22, 2017April 22, 2017Tagged babywearing, review, tin man, woven wings, woven wrap, wwsneakpeekLeave a comment

I’m not a huge fan of geometric patterns. I’m all about the organic and romantic. With Woven Wings I’ve been ecstatic over those gorgeous droplets and stockinette’s. So I never tried a Woven Wings Geo before. The Geo blends always left me drooling, though. Finally, Woven Wings HQ sent me this; I have one to get to know better!

Unreleased wrap from the Oz Collection

Blend: 39% egyptian cotton 37% ethical merino 24 % linen

Length: 4.82 m

Width: 0.595 m

Weight: 762 g

GSM: 266 (after wash)

Bounce: some diagonal

Grip/glide: more glide than grip

Cush: subtle

Wrappee: 21 months, 12.2 kg

First encounter:

It is classically black and silvery grey, a subtle contrast for the pattern to show, but not take over your outfit. One side has a grey base with black pattern and vice versa. You can use either side, because the hems are flipped. It will work equally well in both formal events and casual everyday life.This wrap is lovingly soft and floppy, medium thick and feels light to manoeuvre. I’m not sure how long the wrap has been travelling, but it has gotten lots of love and feels broken in to me. The wrap seems like a breeze to wrap with and I cannot wait to give it a go.

Wrapping Qualities:

I took it for neighbourhood strolls, daycare runs and a really long hike in the woods. I’d say it shines in every occasion. It’s very comfortable in a double hammock. The wrapping process is effortless and quickly executed. So easy to tighten. It will stretch and give you a pretty and tight chest pass, but it will not recoil to give you a bouncy feel. Normally I don’t like double knots (it’s wrong, I know), but with this one not having the badass grip I normally go for that is necessary. Luckily the knots turns out small and pretty. It’s thin in hand yet has a hint of cush. It does have a tiny bit more glide than grip. I wrapped an emotional toddler in an emergency kangaroo (easy breezy) and I lulled him to sleep in a front wrap cross carry, both very comfortable.

I was a bit reluctant before I took it hiking, because a long hike with a toddler is no easy task for a wrap. I have my favourite hiking wrap and I rarely take others. A great hiking wrap for me, is nice on the shoulders, equally nice in double hammock, ruck and front wrap cross carry and cannot be pull prone. I don’t like too much bounciness as it leaves my back sore (too much core exercise, huh?). I like grippy too. But I figured it’s the ultimate test, and I’m too much of a geek to not have it tested. Off we went. I used a regular double hammock most of the time, and my son expectantly took a long wrap nap. He didn’t even wake up when we arrived a destination for lunch.

After lunch I let him walk some, but being too much of hazard in the wilderness, I had to wrap him up quickly in a ruck with a tibetian finish. I didn’t plan to, but I walked for quite a bit with this ruck. It felt very nice. Later I tried a double hammock with a candy cane chestbelt too, that was actually the most comfortable carry, I think. All in all, I’d say that Tin Man was up for the task. No regrets bringing him.

This is one of those rare wraps that work equally well for both a squish and a toddler. It’s thin and soft, but strong and cushy enough for a toddler. Even in one layer only, in a simple ruck, it felt nice on my shoulders. My shoulders aren’t very sensitive though (I think). If this would have a tad more grip, it would actually be the perfect wrap for me. But most people aren’t such suckers for badass grip like I am, therefore I think a lot of people would really love it! Also, it doesn’t matter if you are new to wrapping or experienced, it will actually be very nice as a first woven wrap or the 50th.

Tin Man will be small in your handbag, perfect for lovers of long and thin wraps, even though you might carry it around (toddlerhood). I think it will fit into my hip sack, actually. Also it will be stylish, soft and snuggly as a scarf. A person replied on my Instagram saying that to her and her 9 kg baby, this was the perfect ruck wrap. That’s understandable.

Because of the linen, it is cool to touch, but the merino adds a little warmth and fluffiness. It’s highly breathable and not very densely woven. This will work equally well in both warm and cold climates. The wool does not prickle or itch (nor am I very sensitive). It’s perfect for lovers of thin wraps. Argh! It’s perfect for me actually. Without the geometric pattern and a dash more grip I would totally go for it. When will it be released?

Who would love this:

Monokrome lovers (yes you!)
Lovers of strong thin-to-medium wraps
Beginners
Keepers of minimalist stashes and all-round wraps
Someone who aim to master new carries

Who would be more lukewarm to this:

those who prefer thick and carpet-like wraps that forgives the sloppiest wrap jobs
those who are terrible at keeping tension while wrapping and therefore prefers wraps with badass grip (toddler prisons)
Lovers of light and bright colours

Thank you Woven Wings, for sending this to me ❤ And my friend Inga Greipsland for hiking along with her big camera and taking pictures ❤

Review: Linuschka Ipomee Velvet Sunset 7

April 1, 2017April 26, 2017Tagged babywearing, linuschka, review, talehendnes, woven wrapLeave a comment

Wrappée: 21 months, 11.5 kg

Length: 550 cm

Width: 67 cm

Weight: 1064 g

GSM: 280 (pre-wash) 289 (after wash)

Recoil/bounce: Low

Grip/glide: A tiny bit more glide than grip, but not at all slippery.

Cush: yes!

Blend: 35 % organic cotton, 35 % tussah silk, 24 % mercerized and mulesing free merino wool and 6 % silk (mulberry I presume)

Foto Tale Hendnes-2-12 — Photo: Tale Hendnes Caption: Inga Semmingsen and her beautiful wrappée

First encounter:

The wrap is a true chameleon in different lightning, but the colour to me is an intense bright violet blue combined with colourful nubby tweed in a lighter, dustier shade of blue. The latter is with soft tussah nubs that appear in shades of clear royal blue, spring green and purple. While this is my perception of the colours, and maybe yours too, this interplay comes from a combination of black warp with two different wefts; purple merino/silk and purple/royal blue/green tussah silk. It’s very interesting how different colours work together in a woven wrap!

Foto Tale Hendnes-2-13 — Photo: Tale Hendnes

It is soft right out of the box. Don’t be fooled, it is in loom state and it will need a bath and preferably some ironing. Though, do not worry a second about breaking in this wrap. It’s not necessary. It will probably fluff up and become even more floppy because that’s natural with a baby wrap. But it’s perfectly soft, mouldable and floppy from after the first wash and iron. And you will probable want to cuddle with it when your loved ones are asleep.

Wrapping Qualities

It is very easy to wrap with. It is easy to tighten and it does not feel thick in hand despite a GSM in the upper range. It moulds easily and is easy to manoeuvre to the right position. No sweat or tired arms here. I don’t find this wrap very grippy, maybe because the tussah nubs are so soft that they do not provide the usual tussah badass grippiness. Due to this, it’s easy to position the second layer in a double hammock, pirate or shepherds carry and will be very suiting also for a non-experienced wrapper. But it has grip enough to keep the wiggling toddler in place until you decide it’s time to come down. The wrap is sturdy, with just a tiny bit of bounce. Even you’re allergic to bounce or recoil, you can cope with this. It feels thin, yet cushy, a combination that should be impossible. I think it’s the airiness, delivered by both the double cloth weave and the double weft together with the thin threads that make this possible. It’s equally fitting for both squish and toddler, even in one layer, though more comfortable with two.

Pile of fluff: Velvet Sunset, unreleased Linuschka Boutons and Dahlia Us Everywhere

Do not worry about the upcoming summer. This is a woollen wrap you can cope with using in summer temperatures. It is so airy. It calls out for lovers of strong colours and confetti, especially blue and purple. I recommend this wrap for picky shoulders, lovers of bright blues or violet and those who prefer an effortless wrap experience.

Huge thanks to my beautiful friends Inga Semmingsen and Tale Hendnes for modelling and photographing and general awesomeness.