Toddler Tula - Stitch Pattern

Both of my children have been on the large size their whole lives (generally above 95% for both height and weight). When my youngest was passing the 25lb mark and still 98% for height, I started to think about options for toddler wearing. I read a lot of reviews and ended up looking for a Toddler Tula, based on the great feedback from our local group.

I found a Toddler Tula in a print I liked on the Canadian Babywearing Swap and received it quickly from another lovely mama. I've already reviewed a standard size Tula (http://wrappedupwithyou.blogspot.com/2015/01/tula-standard-size.html), and the attributes for wearing were pretty well the same for the Toddler size, with one notable exception... This carrier was gigantic.

My giant baby was swallowed in the material of this carrier. It was so wide that he didn't come close to fitting in it properly (I know he was too young for it now), and the slightly longer panel did not help with the issues I had previously in making a seat. My 95% two and a half year old fit very comfortably in this carrier, but had no interest in being worn a the time.

I have no action shots of this carrier, because although it was lovely, we did not use it enough to keep it around for long.

Adorable kissing babies in lieu of action shot

The Verdict:
Pros: Affordable, fits larger children, easily obtainable from Canadian shops
Cons: So large - definitely for larger toddlers and preschoolers rather than big babies.
Recommendation: I would recommend this as a SSC for people looking to carry children 15 months +. I now have another carrier with the same dimensions that comfortably fits a huge 19 month old, with room to grow.

UppyMama Frosted Rainbow Cake Ring Sling

When I first found out about the world of wrapping, the mythical wrap of legend that was sought after by nearly every wrapper was the UppyMama handwoven. Woven in Alberta, Canada, these wraps are handwoven by a small group of artists who have dedicated their passion to educating families about the benefits of babywearing to both the parents and baby.

At my very first babywearing meet-up through our local group, a mama brought her UppyMama wrap that she had been lucky to win a draw to purchase through UppyMama at retail. That's right, these things were (and are) so popular that they cannot keep up with demand and you must enter for a chance to buy one. Though the market value has come down substantially due to the introduction of a whole slew of amazing new weavers to the handwoven scene, these still often sell at or above retail price on the swaps. At the time I received my first UppyMama these beauties were selling second hand for nearly double the retail price.

I was fortunate to win my first UppyMama in a Dip (a whole other topic - basically a raffle). I was so excited, and drove to pick it up the same day the Dip closed. I won a UppyMama Frosted Rainbow Cake 20% linen blend ring sling with an original UppyMama floating shoulder. This ring sling was made from un-dyed cotton and linen, with a rainbow of pinstripes added on the tail only.

Us so excited for our Dip win - excuse the sloppy wrap job

When I picked it up, I could not believe how soft this piece of cloth was. As I've mentioned several times, I don't generally like linen. This linen was like nothing I had ever felt, you could not even tell there was linen in the blend by touching it. I wore my 24lb son in it right away, and could not believe how supportive and comfortable this was. The floating shoulder kept the fabric nicely spread, and the linen added the perfect support to this amazingly soft and thin fabric. 

We began using this as our main ring sling, wearing it through Church services and while shopping with baby happily napping for up to an hour at a time in nothing but comfort. This ring sling remains in my collection to this day, and it still the most comfortable ring sling I have ever tried.

My terrible photos do not do these beautiful pinstripes justice

The Verdict:
Pros: Soft, supportive, beautiful, Canadian
Cons: Expensive (though prices have come down substantially), some colourways are hard to find.
Recommendation: If you are looking for a luxurious, Canadian, handwoven masterpiece (and money is no object) that you can wear your baby in, this is your ring sling. 

Oscha Sea Breeze 100% Linen (Size 3)

As a part of a package I purchased off the Canadian Babywearing Swap (R.I.P.) from a lovely mama in British Columbia, I received my first short wrap, an Oscha Sea Breeze 100% linen size 3.

This was also my first experience with an Oscha, and first no-cotton wrap. The grad colours on this wrap were absolutely beautiful. The blues looked exactly like the ocean, which I believe was the intent of this wrap. This wrap was soft and shimmery, as it arrived very well broken in already.

I tried my two and a half year old in a ruck carry, and it was absolutely rock solid. In a sloppy ruck, this felt diggy on my shoulders, but when I took the time to carefully sandwich my shoulders I was able to wear him for 30 minutes with no discomfort.

Blurry selfies

As you've heard, linen isn't really for me, but I did appreciate this beautiful wrap for the time it was here. My only gripe about the 100% linen is that it wrinkled SO EASILY. When I went to sell it, it was the only time I've ever ironed a wrap on an ironing board. Once ironed, this beauty literally shimmered. I wish I had a photo, because the difference between the freshly ironed wrap and the wrinkly wrap was so dramatic.

All the smiles

The Verdict:

Pros: Supportive, Beautiful colours, Shimmery

Cons: Diggy unless wrapped very carefully, so wrinkly

Recommendations: I would recommend this as a great summer shorty for someone looking for something breathable and supportive. You must be ok with wrinkles, and must have the patience to wrap carefully.

Heartiness Ethno Red Linen Blend (Size 6)

One of my favourite mindless activities is browsing Facebook babywearing swaps to see what is out there. On one such occasion I came upon a fantastic deal on a package that included a size 6 Heartiness machine woven Ethno print red linen blend wrap. I jumped on the deal and was happy when it arrived from the lovely mama in British Columbia quickly.

This wrap had a beautiful pattern of red, black, white, and cream colours. We received this wrap right around Christmas time, and I was happy to have it as a festive pattern over the holidays.

This wrap was my first experience with Heartiness, and I found it quite comfortable. The tag stated the blend as 50% cotton and 50% linen, but Sling-O-Fest lists it as 100% linen. I am not certain which is correct, as it certainly felt like a lot of linen to me.

The texture was a bit rough and grippy, but not in an unpleasant way. It came to me very well loved and broken in, so it wrapped very floppy and mouldable right away. I found it very supportive for both my two year old and 8 month old (at the time).

In general, I have found that I am not a fan of linen for longer periods of wrapping, as I need something with a bit more bounce and cush. The loose weave of this wrap made up for the lack of bounce by providing a bit of cush on the shoulders (as cushy as linen can be in a machine woven anyway...).

I could see how this blend would be prone to pulls, although I did not experience any myself while using it.

The fuzzy-headed boy in Ethno

The Verdict:

Pros: Affordable, weave structure offsets rigidity of the linen, beautiful pattern, sturdy, supportive

Cons: Loose weave prone to pulls, hard to find now

Recommendation: This was a great work-horse wrap. I enjoyed this as one of my first comfortable forays into linen. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great all-around supportive wrap.

SewFunky Handwoven Ring Sling

When I first became interested in handwoven carriers, I was trying to reign myself in by only purchasing budget options. One of the first handwoven carriers I ever purchased was a SewFunky handwoven ring sling with a pleated shoulder in a rainbow colour pattern. I bought it directly from SewFunky, and Tanja allowed me to choose my ring colour preference.

Shipping was lightning fast (I think she has an in with Canada Post), and I was so excited to receive this beauty. My first impression was how beautiful the colours were together. The rainbow was bright and vibrant. The material was a bit stiff, so I washed it first thing. It came out substantially softer, but had to be worn often for a week or so before I found it anywhere near soft.

The weaving was a bit thicker than other budget handwoven brands such as Girasol, but this led to a great texture for a ring sling, as it tightened and stayed put easily.

I found this sling plenty supportive for my then six month old, and perfectly comfortable for short trips with my two year old as well.
Overall, I thought this ring sling was amazing for the price, and only moved it along when the collection got out of control.

Action shot with my giant two year old

The Verdict:

Pros: Affordable, Canadian converter and seller, beautiful, handwoven

Cons: Took a bit to break it in

Recommendation: I would recommend this ring sling to anyone who is looking for an affordable and beautiful ring sling and doesn't mind taking the time to break it in.

Stashification

I have been trying to stop churning carriers to enjoy what I have and make memories in them. I am lucky that we have a really great local group of parents who I can do temporary trades with and am fortunate that I am able to have babywearing as both a hobby and a parenting tool. That being said, I don't want to devote too much time to looking at and chatting about carriers, and I really want them to be more about the function than the hobby. I try to be a good, present, parent, and find that being online makes for a large distraction away from nursing, nap times etc... when I could be doing other things.

Why am I telling you this? Well... I just found out that we are expecting baby #3! I am so excited to have another child, and with that I have been reflecting on some of the choices I have made with my first two children. I don't want to be acquiring more things for this baby. Between carriers, cloth diapers, and clothing I truly have everything we will need (unless I need to splice some pink and purple into the mix). I don't want to spend as much time on the computer either. I will try to find useful hobbies (knitting, sewing, writing and yoga have been things I have been spending more time on lately). I want to truly be present when I am playing legos with my children, and not half-heartedly playing while browsing the swaps.

Also, there is the monetary aspect of this. As far as collections go, this is not a cheap hobby. I am blessed that I can afford it, but I should be prioritizing money better. I have amassed 20 carriers, and plan to keep them until my babywearing days are done, making memories with each one. I have carefully planned my collection to suit all conceivable needs from birth to toddlerhood (I sometimes wear the three year old around the house, or for short walks home when tired little legs give out). When I am done wearing my babies *SOB* I plan to sell most of my carriers, and possibly keep some of the more sentimental ones, such as my customs, to make blankets, lovies, and scarves out of.

The stash (missing a couple)

Anyways... here is my stash, and help enable me to stick with what I have and encourage me to buy nothing more for this baby (unless it is a girl... then I may need some new clothes):

Ring Slings:
Lisca Grigio pleated shoulder
UppyMama Frosted Rainbow Cake floating shoulder
Maya Wrap padded shoulder
Szibbo Wayfinder Hybrid shoulder
JackWraps Hummingbird Wing gathered shoulder

Wraps:
Mama Minnow Bluebell Wood size 3
AndalGo Carribean size 3
Didymos Audrey size 3
UppyMama MC Serenity size 4
Didymos Teviot size 4
UppyMama Deep Waters size 5
Didymos Orient size 5
Natibaby Colorado size 5
Cloth of Kin Jellybean Row (ITW) size 5
Alison Addicks Winter Sunset size 6

Other:
Topatop Didymos Silver Waves WCMT standard size (Hoppediz Montreal backing)
Shiny Star Dreamsicle Girasol mashup WCMT toddler size
Boba Stretchy Wrap
Kisskise Water RS
Ergo SSC Galaxy Grey

That is more than enough. In fact, it is probably too much, but I want to wait to sell anything until I am sure I won't use it with new baby (chickpea is the working name). Wish me luck!

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.