review – Be Carried

Minako Lilac Cotton Gems review

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

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

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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 ❤

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Review: Linuschka Ipomee Velvet Sunset 7

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.

Foto Tale Hendnes-2-17 — Photo: Tale Hendnes Caption: Inga Semmingsen and her beautiful wrappée