. . . Have You Any Wool?

Happy Blog Day!

First, I want to apologize for my hiatus, I was thinking about new, fantastic, and hopefully wonderfully helpful blog topics to write about this fall. Coming up, I'm going to talk about different wrap fiber blends, what you should have in your stash (short answer - whatever you want!), pricing (retail and market value) of carriers, and much more! If there are particular topics you'd like me to explore, do not hesitate to suggest them in our Facebook group. Do you consider yourself an expert within your particular babywearing niche? or perhaps you just want to share your babywearing journey? Borrowed one of our Lending Library carriers - write a review! I'd love to plug some guest posts into the rotation.

Apple picking Fall 2013

Fall brings with it so many awesome babywearing opportunities: apple picking, pumpkin patch exploring, corn maze wandering, farmer's markets, State and County Fair going, Renaissance Faire trekking, and so much more. The (hopefully) cooler weather, makes babywearing a much more pleasurable experience, and many of these venues are difficult for stroller navigation. With cooler weather approaching, you'll see many more wool wraps available, and might be curious about them - I'm here to break it down for you.

Wool: it's not just for cool weather

While the advent of cooler weather brings out the woolie love, wool is not just for cold weather. It's a natural, animal fiber that breathes amazingly well. It will insulate you in the winter months, for sure, but many of the thinner weight wool wraps do an excellent job wicking away moisture and keeping you and baby cool when the weather gets hot.

Emily - Linuska butterflies
size 2 woolie

For all woven wraps, not just woolies, check out this chart for what wrap geeks mean by "thin" and "thick" - it's actually a measurement, and not just a guesstimate. Most of the wool blend Didymos Indios are on the thinner side of the spectrum, while Didymos wool blend India, Artipoppe (this is a brand), and Oschas are on the heavier end of the spectrum. Heaviness/Thickness is measured in grams per square meter. You can find this out yourself by weighing a wrap on a postal scale in grams, and figuring out then the square meter size of your wrap - there are more detailed instructions HERE, or of course, you can find most wraps in the www.wovenwrapsdatabase.com chart, which is searchable by blend, colorway, release date, and more. Many of the smaller wrap companies, like Linushka and Woven Wings offer wool and cashmere blends as well, and are very popular.

What's to love about wool

Rachael in her new wool wrap

Wool, how do I love thee, let me count the ways!
Thou art cushy, and soft,
Moldable to a fault,
Wick away moisture, there is no doubt
You stretch just right and even bounce!
There is no fiber quite like you -

Forgive my not-so-fabulous poetry skills, but really, there is a lot to love about wool. You will find
no other fiber with as much cush on the shoulders - I don't think even the thinner wools get very diggy in the shoulders. It has a surprising stretch and bounce to it, which is especially nice when wrapping larger babies and toddlers. It's supportive, soft, and molds to even the smallest newborn like a second skin. Wool is truly an amazing fiber.






I sense some hesitation . . . .

Why doesn't everyone own wool, then, if it's so amazing? Two reasons really. Fear, and allergies. I can't really help the allergies, but the fear . . . let's see what we can do about that.

 

The care of wool

Wool is a picky fiber, when it comes to washing. Mostly it comes down to two things (again, I know!)

Handwashing

I know your washer has a delicate or handwash setting. I KNOW it does. I don't care how gentle it agitates, it is just not the same as washing actually by hand. The scary thing about wool is that it can be ruined in just one badly handled wash. So please. Use your sink or tub and give it a quick lukewarm bath. By Hand. Use a wool friendly detergent, you don't need much. Whenever you wash your wraps, however you wash them, unless they really were the object of a poop-splosion, followed by a spit-up bath, and then rolled around in the mud, they really do NOT need (not even your easy to care for 100% cotton wraps) heavy duty or frequent washing. Really. In fact, I'd wager to say that the less you wash them, the better.

Dry flat

Have any wool sweaters? wool scarves? they have this same instruction - dry flat. Hanging to dry stretches out the fibers in a way that wool doesn't like. Find a clear table, an ironing board or two, and dry your lovely soft woolie on a flat surface.

What about FELTING??

Why does felting happen? Felting can happen whenever the wool fibers get dried to quickly, or with too much heat. Sometimes it happens if the fibers are agitated too much in water that is too cold. If you follow these easy to follow washing and drying instructions, your wool will not felt and you will love it the more you wear it. Promise!

More on wool care from Babywearing 102:

Wool: Many people are intimidated by wool, but taking the plunge is well worth it. It is surprisingly breathable and one of the cushiest fibers. Some wool can be on the scratchy side, but there are many wool wraps out there that are kitten belly soft and not “wool-like” at all. Caring for wool isn’t as hard as it seems. Most people opt to hand wash wool. Make sure to avoid felting your wrap by using only lukewarm water, avoiding extreme temperature changes, always laying flat when wet, and never roughly agitating it. Simply fill a tub with lukewarm water, add a dime sized amount of wool wash or baby shampoo, gently swish, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then very carefully lay the wrap flat on a towel, being careful to support its weight in all places. Fill the tub up again with water the same temperature as the water you just drained. Add the wrap and swish gently to rinse it. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then carefully sandwich the wrap in between two towels, roll up the towel, and squeeze to remove excess water. Lay it flat to dry. For more information, check out TheBabywearer for information on washing, conditioning, and ironing wool.

How do you know if a wrap is felted?

Check for fuzzies, waviness, and puckering are the primary signs of felting. Felting destroys many of the great wrapping qualities of wool, including give, stretch, cush, and bounce. Felted wraps are not safe for babywearing anymore, but can be used in wrap scrap crafts, like bags, shoes, toys, and other goodies.  www.thebabywearer.com has a great thread for more information, including pictures, HERE.

Now, not all wool is created equal. Some wool wraps come softer than others. If your woolie is a bit scratchy, try a bath (for it, not you! - though if you are so inclined, add bubbles and a glass of wine - I won't tell) in Eucalan, a special wool wash that will help add lanolin back to the wool. It will smooth and soften the fibers.

Emily - Woven Wings Geo

Chris - Natibaby Snowflakes
Lending Library Wrap!



What are you waiting for? Check out the wonderfulness that is wool! You can look at locally owned woolies and even check out one from our Lending Library during one of our upcoming events.

 

Upcoming Events

 

 

 

September 13 - Our monthly Saturday Meeting - 10 a.m. at the LDS Institute on Assembly Street. We'll be talking about tips and tricks for wearing during those precious newborn days when baby may not weigh much, but you'd still like to be hands free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 25 - Our monthly Thursday Meeting - 10 a.m. at the LDS church on Broad River Rd. We'll be talking about Sharing the Babywearing Love - ideas and tips on how to approach Babywearers (or wannabe Babywearers or potential Babywearers) in the wild, as well as some how-to's for becoming an even better babywearing advocate. This will be a great opportunity to learn about teaching others about babywearing safely, using the carriers they have, as well as how to use carriers new to them.

 

We have lots planned for October in honor of International Babywearing Week! Stay Tuned!