toddler – Page 2 – Manhattan Mombie

Eagle Ray Wovens Rings of Laughter

Introduction

ERW RoL Closeup

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!

ERW RoL ombre tail — 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.

EWR RoL double face — 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). — 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!

THE STATS

weaver: Jenn Alexander of Eagle Ray Wovens

size: 5 m

width: 27 in (as listed by ERW)

soft tape in hand: 5.37 m (after wear)

weight: 335 gsm (as listed by ERW)

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

Now on YouTube…

A collection of kids vids with PoC!

klee-square

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.

Pavo Sparkleberry Noir

Introduction

Pavo SB Noir detail

Every wrap I try from Pavo Textiles impresses me, and it’s never for the reasons I expect it to. As soon as I saw Sparkleberry Noir in a preview for their Spring 2016 Subscription Box, I was in love – monochrome gets me every time. One hint that made me think this wrap was made for me was the description given by Pavo: “…Sparkleberry is a heavyweight wrap and is not suitable for infants or inexperienced wrappers.” I love thick, heavy wraps – so much that I joke that I would wrap with a carpet if I could! In addition to the enticing description, I’d heard wonderful things about Sparkleberry’s wrap qualities, and I had even gotten to play with a Sparkleberry Veronica that visited briefly, but it was a short visit at a time that we weren’t wrapping much, so I really missed out on learning just how much I would love wrapping with SB Noir.

Big toddler snuggles in FWCC TUB. I didn't think it was possible for this carry to be comfortable with my big kid, and I was so wrong! — Big toddler snuggles in FWCC TUB. I didn’t think it was possible for this carry to be comfortable with my big kid, and I was so wrong!

I jumped on the opportunity to get SB Noir, and I am so glad I did because it has become one of my favorite wraps. Pavo’s description of its weight is absolutely correct – it is dense and heavy. Mine arrived in loomstate, and it has definitely taken some work to break in, but SB Noir can become very moldable and blankety with thorough use & love.

Once my toddler reached around 27 pounds, I pretty much gave up on front wrap cross carry (FWCC) unless I spread the reinforcing passes so that it was a multilayer carry, since I couldn’t get it quite comfortable enough otherwise. That was ok, but it made front wrapping take a little longer while I figured out how to spread all of the passes evenly. We switched to Kangaroo carry because it was easier to tie and tighten properly than FWCC with spread passes. Then when SB Noir arrived, the density and thickness made it difficult to get a nice flipped shoulder in Kangaroo carry, so I tried FWCC tied under bum (TUB) – that means I couldn’t spread out the reinforcing passes, but I gave it a try anyway. For a wrap to really fulfill its destiny here, I need it to have at least one comfortable front carry and one good solid (unpoppable) back carry. Much to my surprise, FWCC TUB with SB Noir was a cozy, snuggly success! This carry has become our go-to front carry with SB Noir, and I am thrilled to have a FWCC variation back in my rotation since I used this carry so many times earlier in our babywearing days that it’s almost like second nature to tie.

Since I got SB Noir in a shorter size, and because of it’s heaftiness, I tried it in what became our first easy and comfortable Ruck carry! I think the texture helps a lot to keep the ruck straps from slipping off my shoulders, which is usually a problem for me with a regular Ruck carry using other woven wraps.

SB Noir shines in a short size for a Ruck carry.

A wrap that does a comfortable and quick single layer carry well, both in front and in back, is unusual in my experience, and is likely to get more use in our wrap rotation, especially if I can easily throw it in my bag. SB Noir is all of those things, and is beautiful in addition to having great wrap qualities. I love monochrome wraps – no so much because I worry about matching, but because I don’t want the colors I am wearing to clash with my wrap! SB Noir is a perfect monochrome since it’s woven with black threads, but the weave gives it a charcoal look that I love.

Black, white, and natural threads give SB Noir a classy charcoal appearance.

I really wanted to try a chest pass with SB Noir, so I wrapped my big guy in a double hammock tied at the side (DH TAS). Since we have moved up into a size 5 for this carry, I was barely able to eek it out with a size 4, and I used a ring to finish. As predicted, the chest pass felt great, and the color & pattern on the chest pass made me feel very chic (the red lippie helped too). I have definitely noticed that as SB Noir breaks in more, the chest pass has increased in moldability. This wrap just keeps getting better and better!

DH TAS with a ring finish, and a gorgeous monochrome wrap requires some red lippie.

If you have a chance to try this wrap, I recommend it in any size! A short can do an a amazing Ruck, FWCC, or DH TAS, while a base would be fabulous in any DH variation that requires a longer wrap, or a full FWCC. The dark grey color of SB Noir reminds me of a casual and classy “little black dress” that goes with everything, and its sturdy wrap qualities make it great for even very big kids that like to be up for a long time.

The stats

weaver: Pavo Textiles Guild

size: 4 (3.6 m as listed by Pavo)

width: 69 cm (27 in)

soft tape in hand: 3.64 m

weight: 340 gsm (as listed by Pavo for this wrap)

blend: 100% cotton

wrappee: 25-30+ lbs of toddler

carries tried: Ruck tied in front (TIF), a Ruck variation with twisted straps, Double Hammock tied at side (DH TAS) with and without a ring finish, Front Wrap Cross Carry tied under bum (FWCC TUB), Double Hammock tied under bum (DH TUB)

wrap qualities: sturdy, moderate recoil, supportive, cushy, not diggy, slightly grippy, slightly moldable and becomes more so with regular use, toddler worthy for single pass carries

Emmeline Textiles Sorbet

Introduction

Emmeline Textiles in-house dyed Partita no. 6, Sorbet.

I have been a fan of Emmeline Textiles since I first laid eyes on their dyed wraps in a babywearing Facebook group. I rarely see dyed wraps that catch my attention, but wraps that are dyed by Ali at ET are like no others – the dye jobs are vibrant, the colors are beautifully complementary, and they look absolutely flawless! The first dyed ET wraps I saw were Eleanore Pearls in some blue and blue-green grads – I will (hopefully) review and ET EP in the future. One great thing that I love about ET is that they weave so many undyed wraps! Each ET wrap that is dyed in-house is unique, so it has not been easy to get my hands on one…until now!

I received Sorbet, that is a pink to orange color gradation on a Partita no. 6 that was dyed in-house by the fabulous Ali at Emmeline Textiles. It is actually a size 3, not a size 4 as was listed on their website (they alerted me to the true size), but that was cool with me because I am basically doing the same carries with both sizes at this point – my toddler is huge! My first impression when I took it out of the box was that it glows, even in my dark apartment at night. I could tell that this dyed wrap was going to be special.

Emmeline Textiles Sorbet arrive in this very cute packaging. Even at night, the colors were striking.

Since in-house dyed wraps from ET come washed and ready to wear, we tried our first ups as soon as possible! Size 3 is Base-3 for us, so we first tried Kangaroo carry to have some milk on the way to dinner. The moldability impressed me right away especially before it’s been broken in, and Sorbet was super supportive with my giant guy, even in a single pass carry. Believe me when I say that that is quite a feat! We tied a double knot in the tiptails, and Partita no. 6 was up to the task – there was no slipping, and the whole carry was super solid.

Super supportive in a single layer carry. — Sorbet was very supportive in a single layer carry for some milk before dinner.

Sorbet must have been super comfortable for LittlerHill too, because the next morning he did not want to go in any other wrap for our walk to preschool! When I reached for a longer monochrome wrap, he said “Not THAT one! I want the ORANGE one!” and so it went…I have been hiding Sorbet from him in order to use any of my other wraps ever since!!

We did Shepherd's carry for our walk to preschool. This is the first time LittlerHill has ever demanded a specific wrap! — The first time LittlerHill has ever demanded a specific wrap, it was Sorbet!

We tried a Shepherd’s carry, which hasn’t previously been one of my favorite carries, but I want to learn to love it and this wrap was up to the task. The two-passes were super comfy and supportive with my big guy, and he seemed to really be able to relax and chill out on my back while we walked to preschool. Partita no. 6 is a modified herringbone pattern that gives the wrap the perfect amount of an even microtexture to allow the passes to slide and then stick right in place so it was almost like Sorbet wrapped itself in this carry.

This pink-to-orange gradation glows even indoors at night! — This pink-to-orange gradation glows in indoor NYC-apartment lighting!

Lastly, I tried a simple ruck tied in front (Ruck TIF) for a trip into the NYC subway, and – I kid you not – with just a single knot the carry felt very secure (*safety disclaimer: you should always tie a double knot to finish any carry with a woven wrap*). LittlerHill was in one of his bouncier moods, which usually requires a longer wrap tied with two leg passes, as in Wendy’s Double Hammock, but Sorbet in a ruck did better than I would have expected! My wrap job stayed very solid through the bouncing, wiggling, leaning, stairs, stairs, more stairs, and even a short wrapee-standing-up-while-wrapped episode when I took a seat on the C train (ahh…toddler wearing in the city, at its best). Every time I wrap with Sorbet I like it even more.

Sorbet's single knot looked delicious and didn't budge. — Sorbet’s single knot looked delicious and didn’t feel like it would budge.

The sturdy softness (and arriving ready to wear) combined with a superb one-of-a-kind dye job have made Sorbet one of my favorite wraps already! I can’t wait to try more from Emmeline Textiles, and I hope that a few more of Ali’s dyed wraps will make their way to us for a visit.

Ruck for the subway - a single pass carry with a huge toddler, and brilliant colors for fall. — Ruck for the subway – a single pass carry with a huge toddler, and brilliant colors for fall.

The stats

weaver: Emmeline Textiles

line: Partita no. 6 (dyed Sorbet – a pink to orange grad)

size: 3 (3.2-3.3 m from ET website)

width: 63 cm (25 in)

soft tape in hand: 3.42 m

blend: 100% cotton

wrappee: 30+ lbs of toddler

carries tried: Ruck tied in front (Ruck TIF), Kangaroo, Shepherd’s carry

wrap qualities: new wrapper friendly, medium thickness, medium density, good recoil, supportive, cushy, not diggy, moderately grippy, bouncey, very moldable, toddler worthy for single pass carries, ace bandagey, solid, microtextured, probably squish worthy once broken in, pleats itself, passes glide easily enough for multipass carries

Halloween Babywearing

Boo!

We are two successful years into babywearing (or toddlerwearing) Halloween costumes! Please check out my Halloween Babywearing page for pictures and details of how we put our costumes together!

Luigi, Baby Mario, and Yoshi on a casual Halloween night out.

Apple Blossom Wovens Simplicity Line Tester

Introduction

I hosted a tester for the new Simplicity Line that Apple Blossom Wovens will be released soon. It’s very exciting to get to share my opinions on a new wrap, and to possibly influence the final choices that a weaver is going to make about its production! The first release will be called Midnight Sky, and from the inspiration photo and mockup yarns, it is going to be incredibly gorgeous!

Midnight Sky inspiration photo for the first wrap in Apple Blossom Woven's new Simplicity Line. — Midnight Sky inspiration photo for the first wrap in Apple Blossom Woven’s new Simplicity Line.

Midnight Sky warp yarns for the first colorway in the new Simplicity Line by Apple Blossom Wovens.

You can read more about the Simplicity Line here.

The tester that I received was just simply blue and white, not a gorgeous gradient like the first release will be, but I was struck by the beauty of such a simple color choice.

The Simplicity Line tester was woven in simple blue and white, but even this simple choice give such a beautiful wrap! — The Simplicity Line tester was woven in blue and white, but even these basic colors give such a beautiful wrap!

My first impression of this wrap was that it might be too thin for me, a thick-wrap-lover, and my giant toddler…but when we wrapped with it I was blown away. I have never experienced anything like this – it was so thin and moldable, but was also super supportive in a multilayer carry. I talked briefly with Lisa at ABW about the thickness, and she said that the final version of the Simplicity Line may be woven with one extra thread per inch. I love thicker wraps so a slightly thicker wrap would definitely be fine with me! But really, even with an extra thread per inch this wrap is definitely going to be a great choice for a beginner wrapper, no matter what size the wrapee happens to be. This tester is on the wider side but was still very manageable because of how incredible floppy it is – I think width can make or break a mediocre wrap job, because every extra centimeter helps keep that seat from popping, especially for a beginner wrapper and/or a wrapper with a larger wrapee ! The wrap qualities are very similar to the other ABW traveler I hosted, Under The Sea, with just some small differences. Overall, both ABW wraps impressed me with their beauty, quality, and WQs! I can only imagine how amazing the Midnight Sky warp is going to look, and I am very excited to see that and future upcoming releases of the new Simplicity Line at ABW!

What a smooshy candy cane chest belt. — What a smooshy candy cane chest belt, and effortless shoulder pleats.

A single knot was sufficient for quick ups in a double hammock.

The stats

weaver: Apple Blossom Wovens

size: 6 (long)

width: 28″ (as listed by ABW for this wrap)

soft tape in hand: 5.11m

weight: 290 gsm (as listed by ABW for this wrap, may be 300 gsm when released)

blend: 100% cotton

wrappee: 30+ lbs of toddler

carries tried: Wendy’s double hammock tied with candy cane chest belt (Wendy’s DH with CCCB), double hammock tied in front (DH)

wrap qualities: new wrapper friendly, thin, stretchy (not saggy), moderate recoil, supportive, moderately cushy, not diggy, slightly grippy, bouncey, glidey, very moldable, toddler worthy for multipass carries, ace bandagey

Apple Blossom Wovens Under The Sea

INTRODUCTION

I was lucky enough to host two travellers from Apple Blossom Wovens! This is a review of the first – Under The Sea, 100% cotton. My first impression was *WOW* this wrap is seriously gorgeous! The colors are unbelievable – it is striking how smooth the gradient is, especially for a machine woven wrap. Also unlike most machine woven wraps, UTS has unhemmed rails, which I find easier to work with when sliding passes over each other.

Our first excursion was on one of our early morning walks to preschool. This requires a tired Mombie wrapping a tired LittlerHill quickly, to get out the door. We tried a double hammock variation, Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt, and this wrap rocked in a multipass carry with my heavy toddler. UTS did great – the passes were easy to spread, but stayed in place while I took my time tightening. The stretch in this weave was excellent for creating a beautiful, tight chest pass, and offered great support without being diggy on my picky shoulders.

ABW UTS Sunny CCCB — The blue-turquoise-green gradient is especially beautiful in the sunlight !

Our walk was very comfortable. I usually prefer thick wraps with less stretch so that I do not have to retighten my carry, but UTS really impressed me. It definitely has a significant amount of stretch, but I didn’t feel like it needed to be retightened at all! Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at both the beauty and the wrap qualities of UTS. This would make an excellent beginner wrap, and the thickness and texture make it almost wrap itself! It is also a great wrap for more advanced wrappers because the passes glide by each other but stay in place for multipass carries. I hope to try more gorgeous wraps from ABW in the future!

ABW UTS Bum Shot — Bum shot of Apple Blossom Wovens Under The Sea Turquoise cotton weft.

ABW UTS with Lippie — Apple Blossom Wovens Under The Sea, turquoise cotton weft.

The stats

weaver: Apple Blossom Wovens

weave: machine woven point twill

size: 7 – 5.2m (as listed by ABW for this wrap)

width: 25.5″ (as listed by ABW for this wrap)

soft tape in hand: 5.41m

weight: 290 gsm (as listed by ABW for this wrap)

blend: 100% cotton

wrappee: 30+ lbs of toddler

carries tried: Wendy’s double hammock tied with candy cane chest belt (Wendy’s DH with CCCB)

wrap qualities: thin, stretchy (not saggy), supportive, moderately cushy, not diggy, flat, slightly grippy, bouncey, glidey, very moldable, toddler worthy, ace bandagey

Tekhni Delta Amethyst

Introduction

Tekhni Delta Amethyst was a pre-order that I jumped on after I fell in love with Delta Pewter 5. I chose a size 4 for the versatility of a non-shorty without the inconvenience of dragging tails that I get with my base size and I was 100% correct. We love this wrap. It arrived just in time to test it during the last few hot days of summer – Repreve really shines at temperatures above 85 ºF. Our first excursion took us on a 1 mile walk to the subway, a 45 minute ride downtown, and then to a bar for a wedding reception. Amethyst was cool and classy while offering lots of cush for my shoulders and support for my 25 pound toddler.

Delta Amethyst is the perfect shade of purple and perfect for the rare toddler wrap nap !

Amethyst arrived in loom state, wrapped in one of Tekhni’s beautiful scarves. One warm wash and air dry later it was 75% broken in. Tekhni’s Repreve blends require almost no work to get blankety soft. After a few wearings, I have found that it has stretched enough to eek out a double hammock tied in front.

Tekhni's wraps magically nail the middle marker every time ! — Tekhni’s wraps magically nail the middle marker every time !

I love a good bum shot ! The colors are really beautiful in this weave.

The stats

weaver: Tekhni Wovens

size: 4

soft tape in hand:

weight: 285 gsm (as listed by Tekhni for Deltas)

blend: 55% natural cotton warp, 45% dual color Lilac & Napa Repreve weft

wrappee: 25 lbs of toddler

carries tried: double hammock tied with candy cane chest belt (DH with CCCB), kangaroo, reinforced rear rebozo rucksack with candy cane chest belt (RRRR with CCCB)

wrap qualities: slight stretch, cushy, airy, wide, dry, solid, flat, toddler worthy