Wednesday 30 July 2014

MSM: Jocelyn's stash

By Jocelyn Orr

It seems like such a short time ago (and really in the grand scheme of things it was!) that I shyly messaged Emily to see what she was using in all of those awesome pictures she was posting to Facebook. Suddenly I was tossed into a wonderful crazy world known as babywearing.

I remember thinking (along with everyone else when they first start wearing), they spent how much on what now?! It seemed ludicrous and I swore I would NEVER spend that much on a piece of fabric. Then I started looking, I started wrapping with our very first Kokadi moustaches wrap and I fell in love and had to try them all! I’m what is known as a ‘churner’ in this babywearing subculture. There are always wraps coming and going and my stash is in a constant state of flux.

When we started I tried lots of machine woven wraps (Kokadi, Natibaby, Oscha, Tekhni etc.) but kept getting sucked in by the cult like following that handwovens can sometimes have. I thought I’ll just try one….just one to see what its like….and now my entire stash is handwoven. There is something about using a wrap that another momma sat at her loom to personally make for the purpose of carrying my baby (ok well maybe not MY baby but still!) As a small business momma I enjoy supporting other mommas in doing what they love to work from home and spend time with their families.

Here is my stash as it stands now:

Ring Slings:




 
Bebe Sachi Icelandic RS and Uppymama MC Ring Sling
Ring Slings have become my go to for quick ups and grocery store trips. I love the Bebe Sachi for its thin diagonal weave (and the cheaper price tag it came with) and it lives in my van for the most part.

My Uppy was a unicorn dream, I’ve wanted to try an uppy since I started wearing (so really not long at all haha) and when one came up for fairly close to retail I snatched it up! Its so cloudy and soft but so supportive!

Shorties:

Barbara Weave n Wear Midas 2.4m merino weft, 5/2 cotton perle wrap. This wrap popped up on the swap as being FTO (For trade only) and I could NOT get it out of my head! I messaged the momma and asked her to let me know if she decided to sell, and messaged her again a week later just to see ;). My persistence paid off and the momma had decided to sell. When it arrived I was intimidated by just how short it was but soon got the shorty love. We Ruck Tied at Shoulder and do a slip knot rebozo carry with this. Its my classic wedding/special event go to wrap, its versatile and not a ton of extra fabric to carry around.

Woven Rainbow Red Plaid 2.7m - This wrap was the very first handwoven that caught my eye. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would probably never get it but lo and behold when I placed a wrap FSOT on the swap it was offered to me. Its on its way and should be here next week!

Cloth of Kin Northern Lights 3m - Our president (Jo Ann Bonnick) had been on a waiting list to buy CoK ‘extra’ fabric and by the time her turn arrived, was no longer interested. She was kind enough to post in the group. No one else was interested and so we grabbed the opportunity. I will admit I wasn’t fully in love with it when I bought it (but at retail decided to grab it anyway) but I fell in love when it got here, its light, airy and perfect for summer!

 

Uppymama Earthy Grad 3m 100% cotton, pale green weft with rose block weft change and rose blessing thread middle marker. This was an accident, but when you see an uppy priced (almost) at retail you grab it! lol 

Mid Length:

Handwoven Treasures (HWT) Kayla 3.8m full rainbow with black cottonlin weft - again just something that caught my eye, and without a rainbow we needed to try one out! This wrap arrived the day that we found out my father in law had his leukaemia return and would not be receiving any treatments to cure, only manage. Our worlds were rocked that day and this wrap immediately got some snuggle time workout. To me it become ‘George’s Rainbow”. As silly as it is to attach emotional feelings to a wrap that just happened to show up the same day, I haven’t wrapped with it since his passing.

Barbara Weave n Wear This n That 3.7m - I bought this wrap after the first barb arrived because it came up on the swap for an excellent price (and I am a sucker for a good deal LOL). Like the CoK it became a favourite, it is stunning in person and so fun for summer with the different colours.

Wood n Woven Hanes project 4m - I traded my WCSCC for this wrap in the interest in trying out another weaver. Its a twill weave as well and its the first wrap I was able to convince Cam to wrap in. Unfortunately the grip is proving to be a bit too much for us and its FS currently.




 
Calypso 4.3m this is the only full on ‘girly’ wrap that I have tried. It caught my eye and I did a 3 way trade with two other mommas to get it to me. It is also on the way and should be here next week (I traded by Barbara Weave n Wear Onyx twill for this).


The Longies:




 
Paz Venice Twilight 4.8m Alpaca wool and silk weft - this Paz was an impulse buy, 100% of the proceeds of its sale are going to the Polaris Project and who wouldn’t want to try out Alpaca wool!! I wasn’t sure about the length on it but its freaking Ahh-mazing and is our go to for a double hammock.




 
LemonLooms Summery Prototype wrap long size 7 - this was the very first wrap that Lemonlooms ever wove! I bought this wrap to have converted to a RS and size 3. Unfortunately the wrap was actually only a size 6 and due to the nature of the weave unusable for a Ring Sling (or at least not advised). The momma that I bought it from it appears wasn’t completely honest when she sold it. On the bright side I have been speaking with the weaver at Lemonlooms and THIS wrap is being shipped off to Russia back to her to be taken off the market and a size 3 lemonlooms wrap is coming back. It’s kind of exciting not knowing what I will get back ;)



 
Silver Star Handwovens Custom: I’m having my very own handwoven made for my wedding next August, I’m getting a wrap and a Ring Sling and plan to wrap Elgin while he, Cam and I enjoy a mother/son dance (while my husband dances with his mom).

At some point my stash is going to have to be thinned out, majorly majorly thinned out. But for right now we still like geeking out on new wraps.

I’m sure if you have spent any time at all in Babywearing of Algoma you will have noticed by now I’m passionate about babywearing and sharing the joy! It doesn't matter what you use to carry, if you and baby are happy, that is all that matters! Handwovens are what we choose to carry with and love every minute of it!

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