Shiny Star Woven Wraps' Infinity Andromeda

Shiny Star Designs is using TENCEL! I personally happen to think this is kind of cool - and you can read more about the comparison between cotton production and tencel manufacture if you are so inclined, but here is the basic rundown: Tencel (the trademarked name for lyocell) is manufactured from eucalyptus pulp in a closed-loop process where 99.7% of the solvent is recycled and pushed back into the system to continue manufacture, rather than contaminating and creating waste water. Eucalyptus is hardy and doesn't require high-grade land, so is easily farmed sustainably. Oeko Tex (an international standard developed in 1992) certifies Tencel as containing no harmful substances, and it's actually "cleaner" to produce than bamboo. So now that we've talked about what's IN this wrap, let's translate that to wrapping qualities! 

What, don't you take all your wraps to the park?

Fresh from the bag it would be easy to mistake this for a silk or bamboo blend; tencel has that deceptive softness to it, but you don't get the odor of silk or the slipperiness of bamboo. 

It's more like a conditioned linen. ACTUALLY, it's a lot like a Didymos double-face, and they are the BOMB. The whimsical scrolls and steampunk hints of clockwork, metalwork and cogs are awesome, and I can already think of a few author friends to whom this will appeal! Thank goodness tencel dries quickly, because little miss was all over me asking "What about that pretty blue wrap, Mommy? What about THAT one?" 

Reinforced ruck with knotless finish. 

Well, THAT one stands up nicely to toddler/child weight (15 kgs/34 lbs in our case). Although it dried a little stiff, a quick bash through our bannisters and a little ring-running soon sorted that out, and we had a sturdy wrap with a sleek texture and minimal grip.

At a generous 77 cms wide, you're not going to run out of wrap when making a seat, and at 306gsm, this feels heavy in hand but wraps mouldably and true to size. 

I LOVE the density of the ecru fill, and if you're a bit picky, you will like that the hems face both ways, so regardless of which side is out you can have a matching hem. Clearly in my FWCC with a twist (below) I didn't plan this far ahead. 

 So what's the verdict? This is a lush wrap with plenty of body and fantastic support. It's not as cushy as hemp, but it fluffs out more than an all-cotton while having a really sleek surface. It's a little like linen on steroids, and the environmental friendliness is a nice bonus.

I love the design, which is pretty without being femme; my husband liked the design and OH the color is divine. It's dense on the shoulders and quickly became supple enough to happily use with a baby. Best of all... they're currently on sale and you can nab one for a bargain HERE.