FireSpiral Tester Playdate and Review

Ashley Ritchie and I were lucky enough to get to share a tester slot this past week for the traveling FireSpiral tester.  FireSpiral is a fairly new woven wrap company.  This traveling tester has only been making the rounds a few months and their first set of preorder wraps have just shipped off to their new homes.  FireSpiral is and will be using constructive user feedback to influence the manufacturing of their future wraps.  Testers help to determine how a heavily used wrap will wear over time.  Sending the wrap to many different areas, with different mamas and different wrapping styles helps the company get a variety of perspectives in their feedback.

The tester pattern is called Star Map.  It is a beautiful and rich looking design.  I personally loved the color and look of the wrap.  I love blue but I wasn't sure until I saw it in person if I would really love the actual Star Map design.

By the time we received it, the tester wrap was very soft and well broken in.  The wrap is 100% cotton but had the soft feel of a Natibaby linen only thinner.  I compared it to my grey/red gears only thinner and another member compared it to her milky way indigo in feel, only thinner again.

I personally found the wrap to be very easy to wrap with.  The passes were smooth and tightened easily.  I also found the wrap to be very supportive with my almost 19 month old, pictured above.  I was able to tighten so well that I had far more excess in a double hammock tied tibetan than I normally do with a 6.

We did some size comparisons because when holding the tester up it looked very narrow but once we started wrapping with it it seemed like a normal width.  It turns out that the wrap is slightly narrower than an Oscha JKCC I had on hand, the same width as a KoKaDi Erna and a handwoven Hearti, the edge of which you can see just peeking out on the right of this photo.  The super wide wrap underneath is a Calypso handwoven, there was at least a 6 inch difference there.  As I mentioned, once we started wrapping with it we found the width to be perfect.

These two had a great time in the tester wrap and actually stayed in it quite a while.  She found it to be super comfortable and the baby thought it was quite tasty!  I think she would have snuck off with the wrap if she could have.  ;-)

We got to try the tester with all sizes of babies.  Here is Lori with her almost 3 year old.  She also found the wrap to be very supportive and comfortable.  Look at that happy boy grin!

Here she is again with her smaller squish, Fischer.  He also seemed fairly content in the wrap.  Fischer is generally a handwoven snob, spending most of his time carried in his favorite Hearti, but he gave this wrap two drooly thumbs up.

So, my overall opinion is I would definitely recommend this wrap!  I am not sure how they feel straight out of the package but I can say with certainty that once they are broken in they feel and wrap like a dream.  I hope FireSpiral continues to make beautiful wraps and maybe one day I will get to have one in my own collection.  I would definitely rate this wrap as toddler worthy, more on the level of a good broken in oscha than a somewhat less supportive Gira.

Thank you to all the mamas who can out to the FireSpiral tester playdate.  I had a great time and I appreciate you all taking this time to give your opinions on this new wrap.

**Please take all of this with a grain of salt.  This blog post is my personal opinion.  Different people will love and feel differently about different wraps.  And I sure can use the word different a lot.

Somer Johnson is a Babywearing enthusiast and Momma to E, a bundle of energy.  She is also addicted to cloth diapers and makes and sells wool dryer balls as SomerKnits.  Occasionally she also carves out some time to knit, spin or weave her main pre-baby passions.

Perfecting the Poppins Hip Carry

Summer Babywearing in Oklahoma can be hot...hot and sweaty! For wrapping Mamas this can be a particular challenge - finding a carry that is cool with minimal passes but still supportive and comfortable. If your baby is curious and has good head control (approximately 4 months and older) the Poppins Hip Carry may be the solution you are looking for! The Poppins carry is quick and easy for beginning wrappers. It can be created with a size 2 or larger wrap, depending on your shirt size and your baby's size. I find my size 4 Didymous Pfau is perfect for this carry.

First, drape wrap over your non-dominant shoulder with the front half several inches shorter than the remaining amount hanging behind you. The two tails will vary depending on the size wrap you have chosen to use.

Next, place baby on your hip and bring the back tail around baby. Tuck wrap under baby's bum to create a seat for them to sit in. You will want to check both the top and bottom rails to ensure they are tight and secure around baby's back and under their knees. Baby should be seated in the ideal "M" position. Securely hold the tail making the baby's seat. Transfer the held tail to your opposite hand and thread it behind the hanging front tail. The hand on the same side as baby can be used to hold your little one in place as you make this pass.

 Cross the held piece across your body and grasp it in the hand on the same side as baby. Grab the hanging front tail with your free hand and simultaneously bounce and pull tails to tighten.

 Pass tail on baby's side under their knees towards your lower back and bring the other tail around as well.

  

Wrap tails will meet at your lower back near baby's knee. Tighten if necessary and tie in a knot. If you have long enough tails they can be brought back to the front and tied under baby's bum.

  

Depending on your preferred level of support spread one, or both, of the passes across baby's back.

For added support spread the wrap over your shoulder.

Voilà! Ready to go!

Heather Langley is an avid babywearer and proud mom to Rex, age 18 months. She is a Babywearing Around Tulsa administrator and Employment Specialist at Family & Children's Services Women in Recovery program. Heather enjoys spreading the babywearing love, music, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. 

Kinderpack's are Going Places!

We are pleased to welcome the newest addition to the BWAT lending library, our very first
Kinderpack! 

Due to the amazing response that we got to our most recent fundraiser we were able to acquire several new carriers and one of our last acquisitions was a brand new standard / standard Kinderpack (KP) by Kindercarry. As most of you know I am a big Kinderpack fan, it is one of my favorite carriers and I am so excited to be able to share my KP love with you all.

If you don’t know about the KP or haven’t experienced one for yourself you are in for a real treat. The KP is really a one of a kind carrier, its shape and contours really make for a really pleasant babywearing experience and in the words of our very own admin Heather Langley, “It’s like wearing a cloud”, and it really is. 

So without further ado, please welcome our newest carrier in the BWAT lending library.

Going Places! Std/Std Kinderpack with Comfort Mesh by Kindercarry!

 

If you are unfamilier with Kinderpacks here is a little information about these wonderful carriers. 

Kinderpacks are available in four different sizes:

·      Infant: The infant KP has an adjustable base that can be cinch in or out to allow for proper positioning as your infant grows. The infant KP is 15" H x 9"-15" W (17” H including the headrest) and is recommended for newborns to 18 months and starting at 8 lbs and up to 30".

·      Standard: The standard KP it the most commonly purchased KP because it fits such a wide range of children. The standard KP is 16" H x 17" W (17” H including the headrest) and is recommended for ages 8 months to 3 years and starting at 20lbs or 28" and up to 50lbs or 38".

·      Toddler: The toddler KP is a lot larger than the standard. The toddler KP is 18" H x 19" W (20” H including the headrest) and is recommended for ages 18 months to 4+ years and starting at 25lbs or 32" and up to 50lbs.

·      Preschool: The preschool KP is said to be the largest child carrier made and is great for larger kids or even children with special needs. The preschool KP is 20" H x 20" W (22” H including the headrest) and is recommended for ages 3 to 5 years and starting at 35lbs or 38" and up to 50lbs.

In addition to four different carrier sizes Kinderpacks are also available in Standard and Plus size.  The standard KP is recommended for size 4–22 and have 19-20” straps. The plus size KP is recommended for sizes 18 and up and have 24” straps.

Another amazing feature of the newer Kinderpacks are PFA’s, Perfect fit adjusters are adjusters at the top of each strap that will shorten the straps by an additional 4”.  This is a excellent feature for a carrier that will be shared between multiple people and is a great option for petite mommas. 

Kinderpacks are available at: www.Kindercarry.com

Our new KP will be available at this coming meeting so make sure and stop by and try it out!

 

Ashley Ritchie is a lover of all things babywearing and

mom to Avery. When she is not obsessing about 

babywearing she is the owner / WAHM of 

Tulsa Teethers & More LLC, 

where she makes and sells Baltic Amber necklaces, 

chomp teething & babywearing necklaces, 

& wrap scrap jewelry. 

Next Meeting - June 29th

Don't forget about our meeting coming up Saturday!  I know its been a while because the May meeting was so early, so I just wanted to post this little reminder.  If you have anything checked out from the Lending Library, please make sure you can be at the meeting right about 10 AM.  If you are concerned about not being able to be on time, please contact an Admin and go ahead and return your carrier during the week.  Please remember that the meetings are where the majority of people come to try on carriers so if a carrier is checked out and returned late or doesn't show at all someone may have driven to the meeting for nothing!

Now that we have that out the of the way, let's talk about what you can expect at a meeting.  If you have never been to a Babywearing Around Tulsa meeting before, you are in for a real treat.  We have so many mommas willing to share their carriers, time and knowledge and it really makes for a fabulous time.  

When you come in this month there will be a sign in table, so we can start keeping an accurate attendance count.  So please take a moment to stop and sign in.  :-)

At the beginning of the meeting we like to go around and introduce ourselves and our littles.  At that time we also like to share what we would most like to learn or try at the meeting.  After introductions we divide into 4 stations.  There will be an admin or helper at each station to assist you in trying on carriers, learning to wrap or just get a good fit.  

The four stations are: 

• Full Buckles/Soft Structured Carriers - What does this mean?  This is where you will find your Kinderpacks, Ergos, Boba 3g, Wrap conversion Full Buckle Carriers and Reverse Half Buckles.
• Mei Tais - Here you will find all different sizes and fabrics of Mei Tais as well as pods and Half Buckles
• Wraps - All lengths and blends of wraps will be here.
• Stretchy Wraps and Ring Slings - This station will have a boba wrap and a moby as well as different types and sizes of ring slings.  If you are brand new and don't know what you want to try, start here even if you don't think you want a ring sling or a stretchy wrap.  The admin or helper here can talk through your babywearing needs with you and point you in the right directions.

Feel free to check out all the stations!  Also feel free to bring carriers to put at the different stations for others to try on.  Part of the fun is getting to play with each other's stashes.  

Towards the middle to end of the meeting we like to try and take a group picture.  We do hope you will stick around for that!  Its so much fun to do a big group shot!

Lastly, please note that our meetings are getting BIG and our meeting room is small.  We are exploring other venue options but have not yet found one that meets our needs that has our time slot available.  Because we are out growing the space, we are going to have to discourage older siblings from attending.  We understand that this isn't always possible and are not hard line forbidding it, but please understand that the meetings have grown very crowded and very loud.  If you do need to bring an older sibling, please bring something quiet for them to do or play with.  Please also remember that we have to leave the library as clean or cleaner than we found it in order to continue to use the room.  Therefore, if you bring snacks for your child please clean up after them!  Thanks so much for understanding that as our group grows we will have to adjust.  We the admins work hard for you so please send one of us a pm if you have a question or concern.

I can't wait to see each and every one of you at the meeting!  10 AM this coming Saturday, June 29th, 2012.

Somer Johnson is a Babywearing enthusiast and Momma to E, a bundle of energy.  She is also addicted to cloth diapers and makes and sells wool dryer balls.  Occasionally she also carves out some time to knit, her main pre-baby passion.

Welcome

Hello Tulsa Babywearers!  The admins have all been talking about getting a blog started for our group for a while now.  This is a work in progress that has barely just begun, but we are excited and wanted to share it with you!  We hope to feature carrier reviews, tutorials, babywearing tidbits, on-line resources we run across and much, much more.

We are all busy moms with busy lives.  We have homes to tend, jobs, families, and so much more going on in our lives.  For those reasons and because we want to offer a wide variety of perspectives here on our blog and really make it represent the Tulsa Babywearing community that we are asking for your blog submission.  If you would like to be featured on the Babywearing Around Tulsa Blog, please  follow these easy steps:

• Email your blog submission to BabywearTulsa@gmail.com.
• Put "Blog Post Submission '________'" with the blank being the Title of your post.
• Attach all of the applicable pictures to go with your post.  Posts should always have at least one picture.
• Include a short 3-4 line bio and small bio pic, 200 pixels square  

Please note that blog post submissions may not be posted in the order received.  In order to vary content we will try and mix up the types of posts.

Post topics can include, but are not limited to:

• Carrier Reviews
• Where did you wear today?
• Carrier comparisons
• Tutorials
• Tips and Tricks
• My Babywearing Journey
• Favorite resources

Our group has grown amazingly in the last year and a half and we want to continue that and expand upon it and truly be a resource to our members.  You are the reason we are here and this community is the success it is.  Thank you so much for your support!