Although striped wraps are extremely important to me - their simplicity and how they can help newcomers to wovens get to grips with wrapping technique - there have always been the seeds of a jacquard design at the back of my mind.
It wasn't until the beginning of last year that I sought to see if I could make it happen. Pencil in hand, I spent a few weeks drawing up the idea that wouldn't go away.
I knew I wanted it to be simple - it had to be in keeping with my values on that score; I also knew it had to be blankety, cosy, and wrap well. It took a while to get the pick count (the number of weft threads) right to try to achieve the above but the result is a wrap that really makes me smile. Lucy, my six year old daughter, loves it so much that I've been blessed with several opportunities to envelop her in its cosiness with scrumptious back carries. And that makes me burst with joy.
Woven as a double cloth, you can wear it either side out - there is no 'wrong side'. It weighs in at approximately 253gm2 and is light, but not thin. Unwashed it is floaty and drapey but once washed, the weave tightens and the fabric becomes super soft, cuddly, blankety.
The wrap had to have a name which fulfilled how we feel when we carry our little people - we each have our own individual experiences here but I wanted to find a word which might somehow encompass all our experiences collectively, and that's why I chose Hygge (pronounced Hooga). It's a Scandinavian word which has no direct translation into English, but has as its general philosophy the idea of all round well-being - I sense that carrying our babies is similar... How do we describe how it makes us feel when it is so many things? Cosiness, contentedness, community, cuddles, warmth, well-being... These are only some of the many feelings I have experienced... Perhaps Hygge and babywearing are the same thing :)
Hygge - releasing 12 February at 20:00 GMT at shop.alidover.com