Daiesu goes handwoven!

A while back I reviewed a jigsaw machine-woven from Malaysian company Daiesu, who are making budget-friendly wraps that are lovely to look at and lovely to use. Now they've ventured into the handwoven world, and Kuelapis has come for a visit, with a bright, cheerful color palette and a chunky, rustic feel. It has tapered ends, hemmed rails and at 70 cms wide isn't overwhelming.

Of course, the first step with any wrap is to throw it in the wash - just a quick warning that it's good to wash the wrap by itself, as this may cause excess dye to run. I possibly forgot this cardinal rule and a couple of things became a bit pinker, so consider yourself warned!

After a wash, this still felt like cardboard, so I twisted it up around the stair bannister and made a habit of beating it out and retwisting when I walked past. After a couple of days of this I felt like I could actually wrap with it ;) (We don't have a dryer, so breaking-in happens by hand and by hammock.)

Kuelapis is a substantial wrap (315gsm) that has body in hand and flattens once tightened. It absolutely gets better with use and is a VERY supportive plain weave. Because it is a plain weave, second and third passes slide over quite easily - just keep a good grasp on your initial pass to ensure it's snug and flat.

This felt lovely on my shoulders - dense but not actually bulky, and firm without digging. It comfortably and easily managed a good grippy DH with Audrey's long legs and 15ish kilos,  and was super snuggly in a FWCC - and easy to spread a pass when I wanted more support under her bottom.
I love the compression bandage feel of many handwoven wraps and this is no exception. I'm not sure if Daiesu are going to continue their handwoven production, but I certainly hope so! They're a very good quality product that I'm sure will sit at an affordable price point.