My first impression was that there is a lot more black and less white than I was expecting…excellent, because I am not careful about keeping wraps clean. I threw it in the wash immediately, and dried it on a low tumble. Fresh out of the wash I noticed how textured it is – lots of micro-texture usually means a good amount of grip. After a wash, the next important question for me is always whether to give it a steam iron or not. I have found that I prefer some wraps ironed (Confetti, Hearts, Futurism), especially to help with breaking in (Trillium, Sparkleberry, Klee), and some I prefer un-ironed to preserve the airy pillows (Wingy, Surf Stripes, Fruit Stripes, P2). It’s important to note that ironing can change the feeling of a wrap completely. Since it wasn’t super wrinkled and felt reasonably un-stiff for a new wrap, I decided to give it a try without an iron to see how I liked it. I put LitterHill up in Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt and I noticed that Backgammon has that kind of Velcro-stick that makes many Pavos so easy to work with: slippy enough for passes to glide easily over each other, but then sticks in place when you need it to. Delicious.
Even with just one wash/dry and no steam iron, I had no trouble tightening my chest pass, so I will say that while this is not an especially stretchy wrap, it has enough give to be easy to wrap with, fresh out of the tote. It’s a great width for a big kiddo – I could easily make a seat without sacrificing a high-on-the-back pass – but it’s not so wide that it would be overwhelming for a small baby.
Once I tied off, I instantly noticed the Pavo magic: no matter how thin/thick/rough/smooth/stretchy/stiff a Pavo wrap is, they seem to all feel like pillows on my shoulders. Zero dig. Another remarkable thing about this brand new wrap was that I didn’t struggle with it at all! I’m sure it will break in to a beautifully smooshy, floppy pile, but even with just a wash and dry it’s ready to wear.
This wrap is thin enough to be comfortable in hot weather, supportive enough to comfortably carry my big kiddo in a multipass carry, and has a nice amount of grip for ease in wrapping.
I’ll try to compare to other Pavos I’ve tried: #geekery
The thinnish but super support of Granite Apogee. Thicker than Futurism, thinner than LoFi.
More grip than Granite Apogee or Confetti, but not as much as Sparkleberry or Trillium. Maybe similar grip to Penumbra Shadow, but it’s micro-textured, so it behaves a little differently.
Less stretch than Ring System, slightly more than Shadow or Granite Apogee. Honestly the stretch reminds me most of the new Trilliums (Halo, Peony).
I definitely think it fills a gap in the Pavo lineup that I wasn’t even aware was there! Try Backgammon Intersection if you get a chance!
I love it un-ironed, but for the sake of a fully thorough experiment (#forscience), I think I’m going to iron it and see how it feels…more info to come ?
Lucky me! As yet unreleased Emmeline Textiles Amelia Pearl stopped in for a visit – in loomstate – and I had the pleasure of giving first ups!
Amelia Pearl arrived in the cute Emmeline Textiles packaging, including lace doily, ribbon, and stamped notebook.
Amelia Pearl is the second wrap in Emmeline Textiles’ “Ribbon Series” – the first was Eleanor Pearl, and it’s been a favorite here. Many of us in the Coterie (the fan group on Facebook) have been anxiously awaiting the next Ribbon release, and I am here to tell you: Y’all, it was worth the wait! Amelia Pearl is blowing me away, I don’t want to send it on!
There are a few similarities between Eleanor Pearl and Amelia Pearl: both come undyed in a beautiful natural color that definitely invokes their names – Pearl – and which gives nearly unlimited potential for Ali’s amazing in-house dye jobs at ET (I’m a huge fan!), as well as dye projects elsewhere (see photo below for my Tiny House Textiles-dyed EP). I remember reading that ET specifically chose thread for the rails and hems of Eleanor Pearl that would take dye , and I am hopeful that Amelia will be released with the same thread for equally amazing dye projects. Both Eleanor Pearl and Amelia Pearl also have the namesake “ribbons”, which are variations in weave that for stripes running the length of the wrap that add all kinds of interesting visual character and specific wrap qualities.
Emmeline Textiles Amelia Pearl rests against the first release in the Ribbon Series, Eleanor Pearl, dyed in a monochrome ombré by Tiny House Textiles.
It is obvious in the side-by-side photo above that there are differences in the ribbon-weaves. Most noticeably different is the thicker, rougher crepe weave “ribbon” on Amelia Pearl!
As I mentioned, Amelia Pearl arrived in loomstate, and it was definitely more crispy than was Eleanor Pearl’s loomstate, but it didn’t really convince me that Amelia Pearl would be much different. I was super jazzed to try out what I believe would be Eleanor Pearl part deux…I mean, how much could those ribbons really matter? (It turns out, a lot). So, I washed Amelia Pearl as instructed by ET – enough to get the “hay smell” out and dried it with dryer balls, but it was still pretty crispy. Not to worry, I love breaking in new, super dense/hefty/thick/hemp wraps, so this 100% cotton was no problem for me! I wavered about giving it a steam iron and decided to wrap first and then decide if it needed one.
After one a wash and dry, Amelia Pearl was not ready to submit!
I am glad I wrapped (a stuffed panda) with Amelia Pearl before ironing because it made the before-and-after difference much more striking. I remember thinking as I wrapped with it the first time “where is the ‘pearl’? the smoothness? the slight give that makes Eleanor Pearl so easy to use? why is my chest pass so baggy? why does my chest pass look like I wrapped with a giant tortilla?”
The different weaves clearly affect Amelia Pearl’s drape! The crepe weave ribbons hug the ironing board much more tightly.
So, obviously, a nice steamy iron was in order, and it made all the difference. After a steam iron, the smoother sections reminded me *exactly* of Eleanor Pearl, while the crepe woven sections were clearly something new, and overall, Amelia Pearl was really ready to wrap with.
Wrapping with Amelia Pearl
We used Amelia Pearl for several back carries. This tester is about a base-2 for us, so the first multilayer carry we did was Shepherd’s carry. I was right about the steam iron – Amelia Pearl made a delicious smooth and moldable chest pass with a beautifully hefty knot. The passes glided easily over each other, but there was just enough grip to keep them from sliding out of place while I adjusted the carry. As I walked with my giant LittlerHill about 3/4 of a mile to a local storytime, there was zero sagging in our carry, even though it was the first time really wrapping with Amelia Pearl. For me, this means a wrap that is super easy to wrap with right away! After the dryer and a steam iron, not much more breaking in is needed to get a good wrap job.
Amelia Pearl makes a moldable chest pass with a beautifully hefty knot in Shepherd’s carry.
I need to talk about the crepe weave. I didn’t notice much of a difference in the texture in hand between Amelia Pearl and Eleanor Pearl, but I think the crepe weave gives AP slightly less stretch and slightly more support. Like I said above, I was just hoping for EP-v2, but this. is. so. much. better.
The crepe weave “ribbon” on Amelia Pearl gives extra support and a bit less stretch to this wrap compared to Eleanor Pearl.
We also tried a single layer carry, Ruck with a candy cane chest belt. As expected from my experience/infatuation with Eleanor Pearl, Amelia Pearl shines in a single layer carry even with a giant wrappee. It gives an excellently solid and supportive carry with enough cush on my shoulders to comfortably meander through rainy, winter NYC streets with my cuddly wrappee. My Ruck wasn’t tied super well, but it did not seem to make a difference in either my or LittlerHill’s comfort.
Amelia Pearl makes a beautiful Ruck wrap!Amelia Pearl in a single layer carry was perfect for a large wrappee and extra snuggles. Also, look at the pleats!
It is not easy to improve upon something that is already amazing (Eleanor Pearl), but Emmeline Textiles seems to be able to always go that extra distance. Amelia Pearl is a slam dunk/home run/touchdown! It is perfect for wrappees of any size, for short or long ups, for wrappers that enjoy a medium to thick wrap, is a gorgeous standalone neutral, and is perfect for limitless dye projects. I can’t wait to see Amelia Pearl out in the world when it releases later this month!
Bijou Wear’s Decadence lives up to its name! I am already a huge fan of Bijou Wear since I have really loved wrapping with their hefty Eco2cotton and low Tencel blends. Bijou Wear is a company that is conscious of inclusivity, and they offer most of their woven wraps and ring slings in longer lengths that make their products accessible to babywearers of all sizes. I’d heard many good things about Decadence as it has been traveling around the babywearing world, so when I was offered the opportunity to try it because it “fits my preferred wrap qualities” I was thrilled! Yes, it definitely does fit my preferred wrap qualities (WQs). In case you are unfamiliar with my preferred WQs, here they are: thick, cushy, thick, blankety, thick, toddler appropriate, and thick. But really, Decadence is more nuanced than that, please continue reading…
Bumshot of Decadence Premiere in Wendy’s Double Hammock.
I received Decadence in the “Premiere” colorway, which is a black warp with lemon-lime-gold wefts that appear to change color depending on the light. I am a huge fan of black warps and monochrome everything right now, and the Premiere colorway goes well with the standard NYCBlack that we all don for winter, while adding an exciting bit of color to a otherwise dreary season.
Our first carry with Decadence Premiere was Wendy’s Double Hammock with a Candy Cane Chest Belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB), which is my favorite go-to back carry at the moment because it has a chest pass for extra support, two leg passes for a bouncy/leg straightening wrappee, and a candy cane chest belt (CCCB) to keep the ruck straps comfortably on my shoulders. As the weather has changed into to the cooler part of Autumn and the beginning of Winter, LittlerHill and I have begun to navigate wrapping on the outside of our winter clothes this year. I will cover what we have figured out with regards to winter babywearing in another post, but I want to say here that Decadence Premiere was very forgiving and patient with me while I took my time wrapping (LittlerHill was less so).
What made Decadence Premiere so patient was its texture – it is textured all over, but it does not have the same texture all over. Instead, each section of the pattern has a slightly different texture – it is smoother on the yellow areas and rougher on the black areas. I think that the texture differences are noticeable due to the large scale of the diamond-shaped geometric pattern. It is pretty cool and unique to be differently-textured throughout the pattern, and it makes Decadence Premiere not like any wraps I have wrapped with before. Decadence Premiere’s interesting texture made it super easy to slide my passes into place, and then held them there while I worked on tightening. Its ability to stay put means my Wendy’s DH CCCB was wrapped excellently (for a change!) and therefore it was super comfortable. LittlerHill even remarked, “this wrap is comfortable!” while we walked to preschool – there is no better endorsement than one from a picky toddler!
Decadence Premiere is textured differently in different areas of the pattern.
Decadence Premiere has little-to-no horizontal stretch, but has a good amount of diagonal stretch. This means that it has zero sag with a heavy wrappee, and can make a beautifully tight chest pass. LittlerHill felt super light on my shoulders, and I would have been happy to carry him in our Wendy’s DH CCCB for hours – I think any multilayer carry would have felt just as comfortable. Decadence Premiere is pretty thick, as I mentioned above, due to a double weft that gives it a nice cush for picky shoulders and makes it a perfect fall/winter wrap. Decadence Premiere also has a nice drapey feeling in-hand that makes its thickness feel manageable and not at all overwhelming.
I was intrigued with how Decadence Premiere felt so solid but also had beautiful diagonal stretch, so I wanted to try it in some single layer carries. We wrapped Decadence Premiere in Ruck tied Tibetan (Ruck TT) and in a Ruck tied in front (Ruck TIF), and as I suspected, Decadence Premiere shines in both multilayer and single-layer carries with my huge wrappee. LittlerHill didn’t budge at all, and all of the passes stayed in place even with the combination of a slippery coat and a bouncing wrappee. As amazingly comfortable and easy to wrap as Decadence Premiere was in Wendy’s DH, I ended up defaulting to various Ruck variations even with the super long tails, so I think I would pleased with Decadence Premiere in any size!
Decadence Premiere rocks a sloppy single-layer carry like Ruck TIF.
Summary
I think Decadence Premiere shines in any size – shorter for single-layer carries, and base or longer sizes for multilayer carries – and would be excellent with an infant through preschooler wrappee. Decadence Premiere is definitely on the thicker side and may be a lot to handle as a caregiver’s first wrap in a base/longer size, but I would otherwise recommend it to any wrapper and any sized wrappee, or to a newer wrapper in a shorter size if they were not yet used to handling the fabric. The Premiere colorway, lemon-lime-gold and black, is gorgeous for fall, goes well with neutrals, and gives the perfect pop of color without being overwhelming. Decadence Premiere would make a great first wrap for someone starting back carries, since the passes glide over each other easily but stay in place while the wrapper is tightening.
Decadence Premiere makes a beautiful chest pass and Candy Cane Chest Belt.Decadence Premiere is a cozy wrap for Fall & Winter!
carries tried: Wendy’s Double Hammock with Candy Cane Chest Belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB), Ruck tied in front (Ruck TIF), Ruck tied Tibetan (Ruck TT)
wrap qualities (WQs): cushy, thick, medium density, textured, dry, good balance of glide/grip, moldable, supportive, solid, good diagonal stretch but otherwise not stretchy, toddler worthy, no sag, no dig, medium-to-heavy weight
Pavo Textiles has done it again, and my babywearing journey will never be the same – I am blown away by Futurism Charcoal!
This post is slightly different than any of the other reviews I have written, because Futurism Charcoal has changed my babywearing life. So I will tell you about my babywearing life before I met Futurism Charcoal, what it was like for us to meet, and then about my babywearing life now that Futurism Charcoal is a part of it.
Futurism Charcoal makes a tiny Candy Cane Chest Belt (CCCB)!
Before Futurism Charcoal
First, I want to say that in over 2.5 years of babywearing, I have never used a wrap with any animal fibers (wools, alpaca, cashmere) because of a longstanding wool allergy that results in several days of rashy-discomfort after exposure. I have gone out of my way to avoid wools in my life, eschewing dozens of cute winter sweaters and scarves every winter. Even though I have heard that alpaca doesn’t trigger wool allergies in the same way, I’ve had a lot of trepidation about trying alpaca because of the fear of setting off my allergy with any wool-like fiber…until I saw Pavo’s Futurism Charcoal. If you follow me on any social media, you may have noticed that I’ve been drawn to monochrome wraps lately, and Futurism Charcoal immediately captured my full attention with its understated black warp and charcoal grey alpaca fill in a beautifully abstract pattern. Futurism Charcoal helped me (finally) decide that it was time to take the plunge into alpaca, and to risk an allergic reaction to see what would happen. (Spoiler alert – alpaca did NOT trigger my allergy. I am safe and probably snuggling Charcoal right now).
Futurism Charcoal is very snuggly.
Introduction to Futurism Charcoal (How We Met)
Futurism Charcoal was just released by Pavo Textiles at their Chicago trunk show, along with a few other beauties. A wonderful Pavotee from Chicagoland was able to pass Futurism Charcoal on to me in NYC. When Charcoal arrived, I was surprised by the thinness in hand. Since this was my first foray into animal fibers, I wanted to “do it right” – which meant that I ordered new wrap detergent (Eucalan) and a drying rack from Amazon. For those who may have not yet ventured beyond “easy-care” woven wraps, Alpaca is a hand-wash fiber – another place I never thought I would be with a woven wrap. I have tried to avoid “high-maintenance” fibers thus far in my babywearing journey, but again, Charcoal’s beauty drew me to it. Handwashing was actually not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. I used the Eucalan I had ordered and followed this wonderful graphic.
Graphic on handwashing a woven wrap from Pinterest, and my handwashing process for Futurism Charcoal.
I live in an apartment that does not have a washer/dryer, so hand washing Futurism Charcoal was actually much easier than running down to the basement to wash and dry, like I do with most 100% cotton wraps. I rolled Charcoal in a towel and squished (per the graphic) and then spread it out to dry on my rack.
It took about a day for Futurism Charcoal to fully dry, probably because it was folded upon itself in order for it to fit on the drying rack. If I had more space, I would have laid it all the way out and I bet it would have dried pretty quickly that way – but a day was not long to wait. After consulting with some Pavotees, I decided to forgo ironing and just get some ups. Our first carry in Charcoal was Wendy’s Double Hammock with a Candy Cane Chest Belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB). This is my go-to back carry right now, since I feel the chest pass is very supportive, and the two leg passes keep my carry secure no matter how much my big guy wants to bounce.
Futurism Charcoal in Wendy’s Double Hammock with LittlerHill.
My first impression of Charcoal was that it felt incredibly thin. I try not to let the in-hand feeling sway my expectations, especially when I am wrapping with Pavo woven wraps, since they seem to have some sort of magical, levitating qualities. But it is important to note that I am not a lover of thin wraps, because I usually find them quite diggy. Charcoal’s thinness, however, made it amazingly easy to wrap with, even this first time before it was thoroughly broken in. The combination of alpaca and cotton fibers gives Charcoal a nice amount of glide, which made tightening my passes easy…so easy that I have to redefine what it means to have a wrap that is “easy” to work with. Futurism Charcoal is the new easy-to-wrap-with wrap. Even with the easy glide, however, there is nothing slippery about Charcoal – once the passes are in place, they are happy to hang out there and wait for the wrapper to get onto the next pass.
Look at how beautifully fuzzy Futurism Charcoal is!
Once my carry was tied off, I took a breath and realized what a levitator Futurism Charcoal really is. I have described thick wraps as “marshmellowy” and I have definitely felt my big kid’s weight be well-supported by a wrap, but nothing has ever compared to this. He felt weightless! Let me reassure you that my wrap jobs are, in now way, good enough to make a big kid feel weightless – I have weird bunching and slacking all over the place most of the time, so you know that my review reflects real-life babywearing!
Toddler with arms in always loosens the top of my carries a bit, but Futurism Charcoal was very supportive, even with the slack.
Since Wendy’s DH CCCB was so remarkable for our first carry, we actually haven’t branched out to anything else in Futurism Charcoal yet, but I still wanted to share with you how much I love this wrap. Y’all, I wore my 32 lbs, bouncy, leany toddler for over an hour in Futurism Charcoal, and we only unwrapped because he wanted to ride in the stroller – I was cool to keep going. We strolled all along the Hudson River, enjoyed a crisp fall day, and even threw some acorns into the river. Futurism Charcoal remained supportive and comfortable for me and my wrapee for the whole afternoon.
A stroll next to the Hudson River and a beautiful sunset in Futurism Charcoal.
After Futurism Charcoal
I am no longer fearful of either alpaca or handwash-only fibers! An entire catalog of woven wraps are now available to me that have previously been on my “never” list. I also finally understand all the fuss over the WQs of wool – this alpaca blend has opened my eyes to what wool-devotees are so in love with. I am still probably too fearful of itchy allergies to try a wool woven wrap, but the WQs of this alpaca-cotton blend have definitely piqued my animal-fiber curiosity, and Futurism Charcoal is already in my top five favorite woven wraps I have ever tried.
LittlerHill and I were able to throw some acorns into the Hudson in Futurism Charcoal.
carries tried: Wendy’s Double Hammock with Candy Cane Chest Belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB)
wrap qualities (WQs): pleats itself pretty well, moderately dry, flat, bouncy, airy, thin in hand, glides well and then stays in place (but not grippy), very moldable, new wrapper friendly, super supportive, very little stretch, soft, fuzzy, slightly textured, light weight, neither saggy nor diggy
When I was offered the opportunity to review a Soul Slings wrap, I snapped it up! This company has a great reputation, and for good reason – it is a family-run company based in India with beautiful wraps that are priced affordably AND they offer many of their wraps in sizes 8 & 9, which means the sizing is more inclusive for caregivers who have a base size that is larger than sizes 6 or 7 (the longest sizes offered by many weavers). Additionally, the jacquard wraps from Soul Slings “are woven in an ethical and environment-friendly mill from Southern India, which uses only wind and solar energy to run their entire factory. They are a completely green manufacturing unit and after using the energy they need they have surplus to send back into the grid. Only the best quality baby-safe dyes are used and no child labour is involved at any stage.” Such consciousness is rare in the babywearing industry, and other woven wrap companies could learn some things about inclusivity and accountability from Soul Slings.
I received one of their jacquard woven wraps, Flyaway, in a size 7. The first thing that struck me was the beauty of the jacquard pattern. Soul Slings describes the pattern as “drifting balloons”, but to me it seems nature-inspired and is reminiscent of dandelion puffs or Ginkgo tree leaves. The muted mustard yellow color is perfect for fall – nearly neutral, warm and flattering for most skin tones, and not too bright.
Flyaway is a beautiful muted yellow with a unique, balloon-inspired design.
Our first ups in Flyaway were on a walk to preschool. The jacquard pattern on Flyaway actually makes it quite grippy, but not so much that I couldn’t spread the passes and tighten properly. Our first carry was Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB), which is my favorite back carry at the moment. Flyaway is definitely on the grippier side, but has enough glide that it is still quite easy to work with – the chest pass was very easy to tighten and stayed put. Flyaway’s generous width made this carry extra easy to tie – I could get a super deep seat without sacrificing any security or ease in wrapping my tall guy. I always struggle with getting the last pass of this carry to go from knee-to-knee, especially when I am using a narrower wrap, and that was absolutely no problem with Flyaway! We effortlessly got all of the passes knee-to-knee while being able to keep the wrap high on LittlerHill’s back. This was a really good thing because halfway to preschool he decided that he wanted to try popping his seat and arching back out of the wrap. Flyaway barely budged!! I was so very thankful that we used this wrap that day. After the toddler shenanigans had ended, all that had happened to my carry was that the back was *slightly* lower on his shoulder blades. I didn’t have to readjust or retighten anything, and we were able to comfortably finish our walk to preschool! Moments like these make me grateful for high-quality wraps that supplement my mediocre wrap jobs, to give us a carry that is shenanigan-proof!
Look at the amazing seat we got with Flyaway!
We did a Ruck carry to test how supportive Flyaway could be in a single-layer carry. Again, Flyaway performed impeccably! It was quick to tighten for a comfortable carry, and even a single pass was supportive enough for a bouncy walk. I tied off my Ruck carry by crossing the passes across my chest and then I did Brittany’s Rose Finish to use up the extra length. I was again amazed by how easy-to-handle Flyaway is and then how well it stays put once wrapped.
Flyaway makes a wonderful single-layer carry and gorgeous Brittany’s Rose Finish!
Flyaway is a medium thick wrap that is very supportive. It has just a tiny bit of diagonal stretch, which is a quality that I loved when wrapping my biggish kid, because chest passes were easy to tighten and stayed in place while the carry did not feel saggy at any time. The medium-thickness makes it easy to handle, and the jacquard weave doesn’t seem very pull-prone. All of these wrap qualities make this wrap perfect for both a newer or a more experienced wrapper. The weave is dense enough to give Flyaway great support, but it still has an airiness that is cushy on the shoulders and strong enough to hold a large kid. The width and support make this wrap something I would definitely grab for a multi-layer carry with a big toddler, especially if I planned to carry for a long time. I would also use this wrap for a single-layer carry with a big toddler or preschooler. The medium weight and softness lead me to believe that it would also be a great wrap to use with a newborn or infant, although some may find the width a little bit overwhelming with a tiny squish. Flyaway shines in a base size, but since our single-layer carry was so comfortable, I really think it would shine in any size!
Flyaway makes a perfect Fall wrap for any level wrapper, and any sized wrappee!
Overall, I really loved this wrap! Soul Slings makes beautiful textiles that are developing an excellent reputation for good reason, and this company’s practices demonstrate that high-quality woven wraps can be ethically woven and accessibly priced. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Flyaway’s wrap qualities compete with wraps that are priced 2-5 times as high. Flyaway is a beautiful wrap that would make a great first wrap for a new wrapper, or a beautiful addition to a growing wrap collection. I am thrilled to have been introduced to Soul Slings jacquard woven wraps, and I can’t wait to try some of their other carriers.
Flyaway’s medium thickness makes a beautiful CCCB.
weight: 280 gsm (as listed by Soul Slings for this wrap)
blend: 100% jacquard woven cotton
wrappee: 32 lbs of toddler
carries tried: Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB), Ruck carry with Brittany’s Rose Finish
wrap qualities: dry, flat, grippy, medium density, new wrapper friendly, solid, very supportive, minimally stretchy with great recoil, toddler worthy, slightly airy, minimally bouncy, moderately cushy, not diggy, wide, easy to handle, moderately thin in hand
This is my first handwoven review y’all! I was really hesitant to try handwovens (HWs), because the stats and wrap qualities (WQs) can vary so much by weaver, weave, fiber, etc., making them unpredictable, and I really have a pretty good system for picking machine woven wraps that will work for me. Eventually, curiosity got to me, so I decided to try a handwoven wrap and I haven’t looked back – they definitely do vary in WQs but I have yet to try one that isn’t amazing in some special way. I like to imagine that this is due to the love and care that is put into a handweaving a beautiful textile the is designed for snuggling babies!
Eagle Ray Wovens is one weaver, Jenn Alexander, and has been around for only a short time (since June 2014 according to their Facebook page). Rings of Laughter is a sister piece to her International Babywearing Conference (IBC) 2016 Great Competition of Weavers entry. The entry piece, called Rings of Life, which differs from Rings of Laughter only in color and warp fiber, “received a perfect score on fabric quality, placing 7th as judged by the in person panel.” That is a pretty incredible feat, especially with many, more-experienced weavers in the competition. I assure you that from my experience with Rings of Laughter, her praise is well-deserved!
When I opened the package containing Rings of Laughter, I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the hand-dyed ombre tails. The Rings of Laughter ombre goes from light teal to medium teal to indigo teal. I have read that the tails in all of the sister pieces were dyed as one continuous thread so that the gradation would be extremely smooth – mission accomplished!
The gorgeous ombre tail on Rings of Laughter features a super smooth gradation that is a result of hand dyeing as one continuous thread.
The warp on Rings of Laughter (and all sister pieces) is 8/2 Egyptian cotton, and is also hand dyed in variegated shades of cool brown. Each piece of the warp was named uniquely, with names inspired by the “duality of extremes [in parenthood] where your heart is ready to burst with love for you child and at the next millisecond you want to run far away, or at least hide in the closet and each chocolate without wondering what that thud was.” They are: Rings of Light (orange-red), Rings of Luck (emerald greens), Rings of Love (reds), Rings of Life (forest greens), Rings of Loyalty (chocolate browns), and Rings of Levity (blues). Rings of Laughter and all of the sisters have 8/2 cotton/hemp wefts, except Rings of Life, which is 16/2 cottolin. I am sharing so many details about the creation of this warp and this wrap because of the immense amount of significance it seems to hold to the weaver, Jenn. So much thought (and love!) was put into these wraps – a hand dyed warp, hand dyed, continuous thread ombre wefts of several different colors that speak to their names, and the gravity of the inspiration: the dichotomy that is a parenting experience most (all?) of us can relate to. It is so special to me that a gorgeous and meaningful piece of art like Rings of Laughter can be loved and cuddled by us!
Rings of Laughter makes a squishy candy cane chest belt and the ombre knot is epic.
I am still dipping my toe into the world of handwoven wraps, but the weave on Rings of Laughter is something I have not seen anywhere else. Jenn calls it a “complex Sharkskin weave” and the zig-zag pattern really does remind me of a sharkskin. The result of this intricate weave is a double-faced wrap, with one smoother side and one textured side. The two different textures were definitely noticeable in the WQs – from the first wrap, the passes glide and stick exactly right. This wrap is easy to adjust, and patiently waits for me to fumble around while I am tightening, without sliding out of place.
The two different faces of the Sharkskin weave on Rings of Laughter.
In my experience, handwoven wraps have some sort of magic to them that allows them to feel thin in hand (a wrap quality I usually don’t enjoy) while still being able to offer sturdy, airy support (a wrap quality I enjoy immensely). Rings of Laughter embodies these traits – it is very easy to handle and it feels slightly cool in hand (a quality some people call “soapy”). The thinness in hand is bewildering, because the candy cane chest belt (CCCB) is quite thick and the wrap feels cushy on my shoulders, even with 30 pounds of LittlerHill bouncing along as we walk! Rings of laughter has some degree of stretch, and I definitely noticed it while walking with my big guy in a Wendy’s Double Hammock (Wendy’s DH), but it was not so stretchy that I had to stop and retighten my carry. Rings of Laughter is solid and supportive enough to wear a big toddler for hours.
Rings of Laughter in Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB).
We have used this wrap on some of the warmest days of the year in NYC, but the thinness and awesome support were great for keeping us from becoming a sweaty mess, even with multiple layers around us in a front cross carry (FCC). I have found that many machine woven hemp blends (that I love!) do not perform very well in the heat, but even though it has a cotton/hemp weft, Rings of Laughter is very cool and comfortable on a hot day.
Jenn at Eagle Ray Wovens is clearly a very talented artist, and her work speaks to me on many levels. She seems to make thoughtful, inspired, beautiful, and technically advanced textiles, and I am super excited to see what she comes up with in the future!
blend: variegated cool brown hand dyed 8/2 Egyptian cotton warp, with hand dyed, light teal-medium teal-indigo teal ombre accented tails 8/2 cotton/hemp weft
extra: unhemmed selvages and a coordinating tactile middle marker on both rails
wrappee: 30+ lbs of toddler
carries tried: Wendy’s Double Hammock with candy cane chest belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB), front cross carry (FCC)
wrap qualities: a balance of both grippy and glidey due to the double faced textures of the weave, supportive, cushy, moldable, bouncey, airy, cool to the touch, thin in hand but thick overall, solid, moderately stretchy, good recoil, toddler worthy for single or multi pass carries, squish worthy
I’ve started a YouTube Channel! Mainly, I wanted to make public the collection of videos that LittlerHill enjoys, featuring people of color (PoC). I will add to it frequently – feel free to follow the playlist Kids of Color, which features children’s videos that have all received LittlerHill’s approval, and are geared toward toddler/preschool aged kids! Please comment or email me to suggest additions! I would love to find out what your kids enjoy watching on YouTube.
My first impression was that there is a lot more black and less white than I was expecting…excellent, because I am not careful about keeping wraps clean. I threw it in the wash immediately, and dried it on a low tumble. Fresh out of the wash I noticed how textured it is – lots of micro-texture usually means a good amount of grip. After a wash, the next important question for me is always whether to give it a steam iron or not. I have found that I prefer some wraps ironed (Confetti, Hearts, Futurism), especially to help with breaking in (Trillium, Sparkleberry, Klee), and some I prefer un-ironed to preserve the airy pillows (Wingy, Surf Stripes, Fruit Stripes, P2). It’s important to note that ironing can change the feeling of a wrap completely. Since it wasn’t super wrinkled and felt reasonably un-stiff for a new wrap, I decided to give it a try without an iron to see how I liked it. I put LitterHill up in Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt and I noticed that Backgammon has that kind of Velcro-stick that makes many Pavos so easy to work with: slippy enough for passes to glide easily over each other, but then sticks in place when you need it to. Delicious.
