Didymos Copper (Kupfer) Cashmere Indio Size 6

While I was pregnant with Little Miss, I was consumed with finding the perfect "squish wrap". Beautiful, thin, soft and comfortable were my requirements. This led me to purchase Didymos Kupfer Indio in a size 6, which was described as incredibly soft. It had quite a journey from Russia to my house, and it arrived on the same day as a vintage size 1 black and white indio, so it was quite the exciting mail day!

 

 

Though it had been lovingly handwashed and well cared for, a previous owner had used a strong scented detergent on this lovely wrap, which took several handwashes for me to feel comfortable with the scent so close to me. The black dye ran a bit in the tub while washing, which made me wonder how many times in its previous 6 years this wrap had been washed, but not enough to stain anything. 

Once dry, I was able to say that this was the softest wrap I have ever felt. It was so thin it felt like tissue paper, and the colours were so rich and classy. It is a very difficult colour to capture on camera, so I've included a stock photo to show you how awesome it actually looks in case my photos do not do it justice.

When Little Miss arrived I took her on her first walk down the road in this wrap on a windy day. She was so snug and cozy. It had very little grip or texture for an indio, making the passes slide easily. The knot was so teeny tiny small because of the thinness of the wrap. However, this wrap is deceptively strong for how thin it is, it never felt saggy or uncomfortable. It always wrapped like the most delicious stretchy wrap, snug and easy to tighten. It is absolutely perfect for a small baby, and it brought a smile to my face to have it in Little Miss' early days. When we outgrew it, we sold it locally to another mama who wrapped her squish in it too, and I imagine it will wrap many teeny babies in the years to come.

The Verdict:
Pros: Soft, so soft. Thin and ace bandage-y. Glides in place easily.
Cons: Not supportive for larger babies
Recommendation: A luxurious first ride for teeny babies, this is a beautiful piece of Didymos history that I encourage you to try with a squish, or to wear as the most delicious scarf.

Didymos Lisca Sambuco

I bought this Lisca used from a local mama, as I wanted to try a Lisca for myself to see what all of the hype was about. My first impressions were that it was incredibly soft, and the colours were lovely. It was also much more thin than I was expecting.

I really enjoyed the purple and orange colours together. These are two of my favourites, and they made for a delightful Autumn blend, which was especially lovely close up. I don't have any photos handy from our time with this wrap, so here is a lovely stock photo.

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This wrap was a size 6, which is a bit long for me, but for how thin these are, I think it is good to have a longer wrap. I tried a ruck in this and it felt very thin and diggy, but in a double hammock it was much more comfortable.

I think this would be a really great newborn wrap. It has the stretch that would hold a tiny squishy baby in place solidly, but is very soft and has a slight cush to it that a stretchy wrap would not have. Unfortunately, we got it when little man was well over 20lbs, so it left quickly.

The Verdict:
Pros: Super soft, lots of stretch, lovely colour
Cons: Too thin and stretchy to be super supportive for larger babies
Recommendation: This would make an amazing newborn wrap, and does fine in multi-pass carries for larger babes, but wouldn't be my first choice for a larger babe.

Update: Found a photo!

Didymos Brown Cashmere India Ring Sling

As you can tell, I really like Didymos wraps. I've tried most of their blends and styles, in a variety of lengths and types of carriers. One blend I really wanted to try last year was cashmere. I am a lover of wool in general, and cashmere seemed to me at the time to be the epitome of luxury for a wool lover. I read many amazing reviews of cashmere india, but as I don't tend to gravitate towards thicker wraps, I was intimidated by the specs of this beautiful beast.

Luckily, a local mama ended up selling her ring sling made from Brown Cashmere India right around the time I was ISO. I literally posted this on her post, I was so excited....

Thanks Nemo.

This sling was in pretty well brand new condition when I received it, and was still a bit itchy to the touch. It softened up very nicely with a bit of gentle breaking in at home. It was very supportive with my toddler, rock solid, but with a bit of cush on the shoulder. There was not very much bounce to it at all though, which I generally prefer in a carrier.

Beautiful bronze rings

We enjoyed this sling for a short while, but the support just ended being more than we needed. If you are a lover of thick wraps. this would probably be right up your alley. I wish I had liked the qualities of this wrap better, as I love the India pattern so much, and the colours of this sling were just right for me.

The Verdict:

Pros: Beautiful, understated, elegant, supportive

Cons: Itchy and somewhat beastly brand new

Recommendation: If you love cashmere and India print, you will love this. If you are looking for a rock-solid beast of a wrap that you can tame into a cuddly soft, yet supportive workhorse, this is for you. If you like bounce and right-out-of-the-box wrapability, maybe this isn't for you.

Didymos Sambia Size 8 --> Long size 4 and ring sling

As part of the wonderful mystery box I received from Birdie's Room, I owned a size 8 Didymos Sambia. This wrap felt a lot like Orient fresh out of the box, and I believe it was a prototype using the same weaving techniques used to create Orient. The colours were much more earthy than those of Orient, so it was more understated. I really liked the colour on the "right" side, but wasn't too fond of how the "wrong" side of the wrap didn't show a reverse pattern, as was seen in Orient. 

As size 8 is clearly too much wrap for me, I sent it off to be chopped into a long size 4 and size medium gathered ring sling by the ever-talented Tanja at SewFunky.

My lovely trio of mystery box wraps.

This lovely stock photo shows the "right" and "wrong" sides of the wrap better.

I wrapped with the wrap portion of Sambia only once, but found it to wrap nearly exactly like my Orient, which I already owned in a size 5. Since they were so near in size, I decided to sell the wrap and keep the ring sling.

Sambia made an AWESOME ring sling. I paired it with bronze rings and had a gathered shoulder. I took it on trips to the beach and around town. It didn't seem to pull quite as easily as Orient did, which was nice. I found the material supportive enough for my 27lb toddler, but thin and light enough to be a great summer-time option for wearing at the beach. The colours were also perfectly beachy. 

Sharing an ice cream

The Verdict:

Pros: Light, airy weave, easily washable, beautiful colours

Cons: "Wrong" side doesn't have full pattern

Recommendation: If you like Orient, you will like Sambia! It is a great, all around, light-medium weight cotton wrap, with nearly the identical wrapping qualities of Orient. I really enjoyed this sling while it lived with us.

Didymos Purple Love (size 3)

I bought a size three Didymos Purple Love from a local mama on impulse, after trying it on at a meetup. The cotton was very sturdy, and it felt lovely in a ruck with my son, who was about 24lbs at the time. The cotton felt thicker in hand than most of my other Didys I had tried, I believe it was the first all cotton jacquard woven wrap that was not in the style of Indio/Sambia, so it felt very flat in comparison.

I found this wrap felt similar in hand to the Pavo San Diego Stripes I used to own, though they wrapped differently. I didn't find the Didy as hard on my shoulders as the Pavo, though I am not sure what the difference in weave between the two is.

I did not keep this shorty in my stash for very long. Although I liked it, I also purchased Audrey around the same time, and two purple size 3 wraps were not necessary in my stash at the time. :) I sold it locally for the same great deal I received on it, I am not even sure if I have action photos of the short stint it had here!

Purple Love next to Harry's Love

The Verdict:

Pros: Beautiful, comfortable

Cons: None I can think of

Recommendation: If you like solid, cotton wraps, and you like to motif on this wrap, I would say go for it! It was a lovely, all around wrap.

Didymos Audrey Wool Blend (Size 7 --> Size 3 and ring sling) and MYSTERY BOX!

Every once in awhile Birdie's Room does this amazing "Mystery Box" sale/promotion where you choose from among their various Didymos blends (i.e.: Wool, linen, cotton etc...) and sizes (2,3,4 OR 4,5,6 OR 6,7,8 etc...) and you receive one 'premium' wrap in that blend, along with two other 'mystery' wraps, all at a significant discount from retail pricing, one of each size. The catch is, you can give comments on what your likes and dislikes are, but the three wraps are a surprise! The last time this promotion was available I took the plunge and ordered a XL wool box (sizes 6, 7, 8). I gave some examples of wraps I liked and didn't like, as well as specified some wraps I would love to receive.... I am very pleased to say all of the wraps I received were ones I listed as wanting to try!

I received a size 6 Harry's Love, which I gifted to a good friend who was ISO, a size 7 Audrey wool blend, and a size 8 Sambia. I sent Sambia and Audrey off to be chopped into ring slings and shorties. Sambia review will be saved for another day. :)

I received back a size 3.2m Audrey and medium gathered shoulder ring sling. For awhile I kept both, but didn't use ring slings as much at that point in our babaywearing days, so decided to sell it and keep the shorty.

BNIB you could definitely tell that Audrey was wool. She had a bit of prickle that lessened a bit after a bath with some wool wash. I steam ironed it also, which is great for settling down the more prickly wool fibres. I was surprised by how thin this wrap was in hand, it is one of the thinnest wraps I have owned by feel, though I haven't weighed it. The stretch and bounce this wrap offers is fantastic! I used this wrap mainly for rucks with my toddler who was 25+lbs at the time and we were so comfortable. We also wore this wool in the heat of the summer, and it was absolutely comfy and breathable in a ruck.

At first, I wasn't sure of the colours, but the olive really looks like a neutral brown in most lighting, and the overall effect of this wrap is very neutral and classy. This wrap molds like a second skin, and is one of my favourites thus far among everything we have tried.

The Verdict:

Pros: Mouldable, bouncy, no sag, cushy, beautiful, classy....

Cons: Definitely has a wool feel to it, if you are at all sensitive I would steer clear.

Recommendation: I would recommend this wrap to anyone looking for a classy, understated wrap that has great bounce and is breathable enough for all year round. I never hesitate to recommend this wrap unless someone is super sensitive to wool!

Didymos Indio Bordeaux Hemp Blend (Extra wide - Size 5)

I had wanted to try a Didymos Indio for a long time after hearing such great things from Indio devotees about the wrapping qualities of these beautiful patterned wraps. Didymos has a great little blurb on how these wraps are woven on their website :(http://www.didymos.de/en/Babywearing/DIDYSling/Indio/) "The INDIO fabrics are woven on a dobby loom. The dobby weaving technique is related to the Jacquard technique and it regularly alternates different weaves to create a particularly fine and graphic pattern. It is very similar on both sides, though one side being the negative of the other one. Our INDIO fabrics are particularly soft, fluffy to the touch and have good diagonal stretch."

I saw that Didymos released an extra wide Indio, called Bordeaux, and decided to try it out, as I love width in wraps with Mr. Seat Popper. When I received it brand new in the box it was incredibly stiff, which I have heard is common with a new hemp blend. I washed and dryed it per instructions and it came out of the wash ready to be worn. The difference with that one wash and dry was fantastic!

I wore this wrap for both front and back carries with my son who was approx. 27lb at the time. It was incredibly bouncy and comfortable, I found the blend very cushy for how thin the wrap was. It felt a bit like shock absorbers on the shoulders because of the really nice bounce. There was no sag whatsoever to this wrap either. The width was a little bit too much, even for me. I think I measured it to be about 32 inches wide, which sometimes was a bit overwhelming if not wrapped carefully. 

I never had an uncomfortable trip in this wrap, and I wore it often over the hot summer months without feeling like the hemp was too hot or heavy. On Canada Day, my three year old 40lb son and I watched the fireworks late that night, and I rucked him home in this wrap in comfort when he was too tired to walk back. I ended up selling this wrap to be able to try more things, but I would buy another hemp indio in the future with no hesitation, as it was super comfortable.

The Verdict:

Pros: Hemp is bouncy and easy to care for, the pattern is neutral, the colours available for hemp indios are beautiful. 

Cons: The extra width of this wrap was a bit much for me, only truly appreciated when wrapping a very tall three year old.

Recommendation: I think everyone should try a hemp indio at some point in their churning life, this was a super comfortable and versatile wrap. It was lovely in single and multi-pass carries, for both front and back wearing. 

Topatop WCMT Didymos Waves and Hoppediz Montreal

After having tried a Topatop WCMT previously and loving the ease of use and overall design, I knew I would likely purchase one again at some point. I ended up choosing a full wrap conversion made from Didymos Waves for the panel, straps, and waist, as well as a reversible panel of Hoppediz Montreal print.

I ordered a c-form hood and an in-between size when I placed my order. Alina gave me an estimated date of shipping the carrier, and I did not hear from her again until after that date had passed, when I followed up to see if it had been shipped, and requested tracking information. She provided me with tracking information which did not work, and I waited for nearly five weeks, and several follow-up requests to her with no response, before the carrier arrived. The only time she responded was when I asked for a refund if I did not have the carrier to me by a specific date, which it arrived before.

When I opened the carrier, I noticed it had a flat hood and was the regular size, not an in-between. I contacted Alina and she refunded me for the extra I had paid for the hood. I decided to keep the carrier, as I had waited so long to receive it.

Customer service and mistakes aside, Topatop is a well made product for the price charged. The wrap straps are comfortable, the cinching mechanism is perfect, and the waist strap is very comfortable. I have used this carrier from the time I received it until past 18 months with my youngest, and have always been able to get a comfortable carry, even for extended periods of time. I plan to keep this carrier in our collection until our babywearing days are over, as it is that versatile and comfortable.

The Verdict:

Pros: Comfortable, affordable, beautiful, versatile

Cons: Long shipping time, poor customer service

Recommendations: If you can find one of these on the second hand market and are looking for a great WCMT to try, buy it! It is well made and comfortable, and the price makes it easy to justify. If you are patient, try your luck at ordering a semi-custom from her wide selection of wraps on hand. 

Didytai

I love wrapping, but my littlest has always been a seat popping, leg-straightening machine, even when he was tiny. I also really love a sleep-hood. After having tried out a couple of mei-tais, I decided to order a DidyTai from Birdie's Room.

As always, Birdie's Room delivered quickly, and my silver waves DidyTai was here quick as a flash. The fabric is lovely, a beautiful, understated neutral. The carrier had an unpadded waist with a cinching mechanism for tiny babies. It also had a sleep hood with a variety of toggles and configurations for use as a neck support also.

Unfortunately, the hood was not very intuitive, and the instructions that came with the carrier did not describe how to use it. I believe I struggled with the toggles and loops for about two weeks before figuring out the best way for us to use it. I even asked for the input of  Google and several other babywearers, who were equally confused.

However, this became our go-to carrier from about 4-10 months. We wore this beautiful carrier daily, and it carried my son on a trip through the streets of Old Quebec in comfort. I appreciated the wide-unpadded straps, as they allowed me to spread the passes comfortably over my son to give extra support in our carries. I also appreciated how it rolled up so compact to carry in a diaper bag, due to the fact that there was no padding on it. This made it our favourite church carrier, as I could tote it with me and bring it out easily for when my son needed a nap during our service.

I did not back carry often in this wrap. I found the panel to be a touch on the short side, and my son has always been on the 95%+ side for height. Once he reached around a year old, I stopped using this carrier because he was too tall for it and we were using more back carries around this time. This was my absolute favourite mei-tai for the itty-bitty stage though, as it could fit even the smallest baby without much fiddling.

On our visit to Quebec City

The Verdict:
 Pros: Beautiful, available, comfortable, portable, versatile
Cons: Short panel, somewhat expensive
Recommendation: I would recommend this as a first mei-tai for someone with a smaller baby, right from birth. It is so versatile, and will take you from comfortable front squish snuggles through your first back carries. I would caution though that I don't think this carrier will hold up to toddlers or larger babies due to the shorter panel.

Didymos Orient (Size 6)

The first true woven wrap I ever owned was Orient. My husband bought me a size 6 (4.6m) as an anniversary present. When I received the box from Birdies Room I was so overwhelmed with the amount of fabric! Before this, I had only ever wrapped with a stretchy wrap or a gauze wrap, and I was so intimidated by this beautiful length of fabric.

It felt very stiff out of the box, not quite burlap, but perhaps a slightly softer cousin. I gave it a wash and a quick tumble to partially dry it, before hanging to dry the rest of the way. Right away I noticed the Orient "crinkle" effect on the fabric, but thankfully, I had done enough research to expect this. 

It felt so much softer after this first wash. I diligently practiced my FWCC with this wrap, and it soon became my favourite carrier. Once I got more into wrapping and had tried a variety of wraps, I realised what a unique beauty I had for my first wrap. I ended up selling the size 6 to purchase a size 5, and noted that the newer release was about an inch wider than my old one. 

This wrap is super squishy, and makes a wonderful newborn wrap. It is also supportive enough for toddlers in multi-pass carries, though I would not recommend it as a ruck wrap. The crinkles make it fluff up nicely on the shoulders, and it wraps super snug, moulding nicely. It has just enough grip to keep passes where they are put. 

The verdict:

Pros: Squishy, soft, mouldable, right amount of grip, available often.

Cons: Narrow - my first version ran about 25 inches, and my second is just over 26 inches. Neither have been dried fully in the dryer ever.

Recommendation: I would recommend this wrap to anyone except pre-school wearers, only due to the width. It can easily go from newborn to toddler, and with careful wrapping could accommodate the biggest wrapees. It would probably be best in multi-pass carries for larger wrapees. The colours are beautiful, so if they float your boat... you should try it!