Learn About Our Yarns - Heading

This is the cotton we use most frequently, this long-staple cotton yarn a little more textured than its extra-long-staple cousins, but the variety we use is uncommonly durable. In fact, our weavers comment on it's strength as it produces far fewer breakages during the weaving process than is common for cotton yarns! This makes our BCI organic cotton wraps strong and durable – perfect for carrying your little one.

By using BCI cotton we ensure that our cotton meets the Better Cotton Initiative's high standards of environmental, economic and social responsibility.

The most luxurious of all the cottons we use, sought-after Sea Island Cotton is hand-picked in the British West Indies. Sea Island Cotton's unique extra-long fibres give a wonderful silken sheen and outstanding strength.

This is an extremely rare cotton, which is why our Sea Island Cotton comes with a hologram marker on the label to identify it as genuine SIC. Slings woven with this yarn will be soft and mouldable as well as having a rich cush for the shoulders, making this the perfect cotton for carrying bigger kids. While this yarn is often used in lower percentages in our fabrics, be sure to look out for special occasions when we run a Sea Island Cotton warp for a truly decadent cotton sling.

An extra-long-staple cotton, this yarn is uniquely spun in Britain. It is shimmery, soft and durable and offers rich, cushy support, but with a lower price tag than rare Sea Island Cotton.

English Fine Cottons, who spin the yarn, have resurected cotton spinning in the British Isles. They are proud to be able to trace their cotton from seed to yarn.

Their Supima cotton comes directly from the Californian farms of one of the world’s foremost growers, J G Boswell. Every bale of raw cotton received from Boswell’s comes with its own unique number. This allows them to trace the bale back to the day it was harvested and find out the very field, and even which part of the field, it came from – guaranteeing real consistency in their cotton’s main characteristics, colour and length.

Ice cotton is a specially spun Supima cotton designed to stay cool to the touch without the use of any nasty chemicals. Slings woven with this yarn will keep you cool and comfy in hot weather, perfect for those in warmer climates

Due to its distinctive texture, Ice cotton offers a lovely grip when carrying which makes it ideal for wrapping wee wrigglers. Mouldable with just a little cush, Ice cotton is perfect for those wrapping in warmer climates.

Strong and sustainable hemp yarns are perfect for use with bigger kids, however they will soften quickly to become lovely to use with smaller babies. Hemp is a great choice for a sustainable baby sling which is suitable for year round use.

Hemp yarns are also an ancient fibre which is grown on almost every continent. It has many wonderful properties, many of which are similar to linen, such as its moisture-wicking and supportive qualities - in fact, hemp is considered to be the strongest natural fiber. Hemp also has the advantage of having a touch of UV protection, making it a wonderful choice for summer carrying. Its temperature regulating qualities means hemp fabrics will keep you cool in the summer and cosy in the winter. 

Hemp is very gentle on the earth, returning 60-70% of the nutrients it takes from the soil. In addition to this, it requires about 50% less water than cotton to produce, and this rises to 75% when you take processing the fibre into account. 

Linen is a natural, eco-friendly yarn which gives wonderful support, while being lovely and breathable making it perfect for keeping you and your little one comfy in changeable weather. 

This strong and breathable yarn can absorb moisture without holding bacteria, meaning it needs to be washed less often than cottons, and its moisture-wicking and temperature regulating properties make it perfect for year-round carrying. A favourite among babywearers, we have a number of different linen varieties which we use which offer a variety of wrapping qualities. 

It grows naturally in northern Europe, which is where all of our linen is harvested from. A sustainable plant it grows easily without the need for much fertiliser, making it a great candidate for organic farming. Linen uses very little water in its production and some studies have suggested that it uses 0.2% of the water cotton uses to make the same product. This sustainable plant has many uses aside from making yarns, meaning nothing is wasted with various oils made from the remaining parts of the plant. 

This strong and breathable yarn can absorb moisture without holding bacteria, meaning it needs to be washed less often than cottons, and its moisture-wicking and temperature regulating properties make it perfect for year-round carrying. Soft enough for little ones and strong enough to support heavy toddlers, fabrics made with linen will easily last you through your whole babywearing journey. 

Made from the same plant as linen, our European linen is sourced from Belgium and France. This yarn is made using a special process where the twist is inserted as it is spun. Spinning the yarn in this way is more economical than normal methods - reducing energy consumption - making it an even more eco-friendly yarn.

Fabrics spun in this way have a unique fleecy texture, bringing a little of the volume and texture of wool with none of the prickle making this a great vegan alternative to wool.

Wetspun yarns offer a smooth and shiny finish, which we love as they add a lovely shimmer to our fabrics while adding an amazing strength and durability. 

Linen was traditionally spun wet with the spinner keeping a container of water by their side into which they regularly dipped their fingers to smooth the fibre. Nowadays linen can be wetspun, semi-wet or dry spun. 

Harvested and spun in Europe this yarn is produced with little waste, even the dust from the factory is recycled into briquettes for heating!

Bourette silk is made from the waste fibers left over from making other silk yarns. The shorter fibre lengths mean that this silk is not as shiny as traditional silks and is much ‘slubbier’ than other silks we use.

This 100% silk yarn is strong and durable. Bourette silk has a textured look and feel which lends itself perfectly to babywearing. People often comment on the staying power of Bourette silk which tends not to shift once wrapped - perfect when you have a wee wriggler on your hands! A little less cushy than the cotton blended yarn, our Bourette silk is supplied as a 3-ply yarn that adds just a bit of extra comfort on the shoulders than an equivalent single ply yarn.

Being a reclaimed yarn, we love that Bourette silk allows the use of waste from other yarn manufacture. We love that we can help to avoid waste by utilising a fiber that would otherwise be thrown away.

This is a silk collected solely from Tussah moths, the yarn we use is thicker and stronger than our wild silk yarn making this a favourite among those carrying toddlers. Grippy with a nice malleablility, this yarn makes a great sling for carrying bigger kids and little ones alike; combining the lightweight nature you’d associate with silk and surprising durability for a great all-rounder fabric.

If you're looking for nubs and slubs, Tussah silk is perfect for you! The variegated texture of this yarn lends itself nicely to creating a wonderfully tactile feel across the fabric. 

A corser silk, Tussah silk has a naturally golden colour because of the tannins in the leaves the moths eat. Our Tussah silk is collected from wild Tussah moths, and is a reclaimed yarn meaning it is comprised of waste yarns from the spinning and combing processes. Its reclaimed nature adds to the irregularity of texture, but this is great for babywearing as it adds a little extra grip! We love that we can help to avoid waste by utilising a fiber that would otherwise be thrown away. 

Please note: due to being a reclaimed yarn Tussah silk blends may sometimes contain other organic matter. This is generally not noticeable and will be removed with light wear and washing. 

Like regular Tussah silk, Shantung tussah silk is collected solely from Tussah moths. The Shantung silks we use are embedded with colourful flecks to bring a beautiful confetti look to your slings. 

Tussah silk is thicker and stronger than our wild silk yarn making this a favourite among those carrying toddlers. Grippy with a nice malleablility, this yarn makes a great sling for carrying bigger kids and little ones alike; combining the lightweight nature you’d associate with silk and surprising durability for a great all-rounder fabric. This yarn is often doubled to add a little more cushioning on the shoulders - look out in our descriptions to see if this is the case.

A corser silk, Tussah silk has a naturally golden colour because of the tannins in the leaves the moths eat. Our Tussah silk is collected from wild Tussah moths and is only treated Oeko-tex certified dyes. 

This is the silk we most commonly use in our slings. The specific yarn we use is blended with cotton for a fine and mouldable feel, meaning it is easy to wrap with which makes it ideal for new wrappers. Despite its fine feeling in hand, wild silk is wonderfully strong and durable with a nice cush and a little stretch - perfect for babywearing. A silk yarn with a lovely textural look, slings made with wild silk will feature little flecks across the fabric, highlighting the natural characteristics of this silk. 

Wild silk is produced without chemicals, and is collected from moths which live in the wild. This yarn is collected from a number of different moth varieties, rather than a single species as with Tussah silk. Wild moths tend to produce a less regular yarn, which often has a naturally off-white colour.

Our wild silk is a reclaimed yarn, which means it is made of waste yarns from the spinning and combing processes. Its reclaimed nature adds to the irregularity of texture, but this is great for babywearing as it adds a little extra grip! We are passionate about being a zero waste company and are always looking out for ways to help other companies avoid waste. 

Please note: due to being a reclaimed yarn wild silk blends may sometimes contain other organic matter. This is generally not noticeable and will be removed with light wear and washing. 

Shimmery Tencel brings softness and drape to our fabrics and, whilst it might have a high GSM, it will wrap like a much thinner sling. It is lovely for small babies as it is smooth and soft yet it also offers support for bigger kids and a touch of cushioning for the shoulders. As with most viscose yarns, Tencel is moisture-wicking and breathable. It is less susceptible to bacterias which causes unpleasant smells, which means it can be worn for longer without needing to be washed. 

Tencel is a branded version of a Lyocell yarn, by using this specific type of viscose yarn the ethical credentials of these fabrics are assured. Made using wood pulp harvested solely from sustainable and managed sources, Tencel is made using a closed loop system and produced using renewable energy. This means that while chemicals are used in its manufacturing process, more than 99% of these chemicals are captured and recycled to make more yarns.

Biodegradable Tencel requires less water and energy than cotton to produce, making it a great ethical alternative to other natural yarns.

Those wrapping bigger toddlers and preschoolers may need to use multi-layer carries or look out for blends where Tencel is alternated with a more grippy yarn like linen or cotton. Tencel is ideal for carrying delicate newborns, as the lovely glide it offers will reduce tugging across your little one when wrapping. 

Pure bamboo and bamboo viscose yarns are simply viscose yarns which have been solely made from bamboo plants, rather than a mixture of sources. Bamboo fabrics are soft right from the bag, needing very little breaking in - making these slings a great choice for new wrappers. Like other viscose yarns bamboo yarns are temperature regulating and moisture wicking, making them a create choice for year-round wear.

In terms of wrapping qualities the main differences between pure bamboo and bamboo viscose is thickness. Pure bamboo is blended with cotton to produce a thicker, more cushioned yarn, while bamboo viscose is a 100% bamboo fibre yarn which is finer, making fabrics with more malleability and a little less cush for the shoulders.

Viscose slub is a thick and variegated fiber which we use in a blend with linen for a yarn which has quickly become a favourite with those carrying toddlers. This is a great vegan alternative to wool.

Chunky and textured, this yarn offers wonderful cushioning on the shoulders while the nubs and slubs contribute to a good balance of grip and glide. The thickness of this yarn means it will feel raised against the thinner yarns used in the background, making these fabrics lovely and tactile. The addition of linen brings strong support to this yarn, adding an extra level of durability to these slings.

These grippy fabrics have just a little stretch, which makes them a great option for wriggly toddlers. Those wrapping newborns may find this fabric a little thick to work with, but from young toddlerhood onwards this is a great option for wrappers.

Wool is a brilliantly versatile yarn which is more suited to year-round wear than you might expect. Temperature regulating qualities mean that as your temperature rises the wool draws the heat and moisture away from your body and releases into the air. Conversely, when it is cold wool effectively keeps the heat in, meaning woolie slings will keep you cool in the summer and cosy in the winter.

Superwash wool is a lightweight woolie yarn which offers cush and drape. Thinner in hand than some other wool yarns, Superwash wool is soft and mouldable but is still strong enough to carry toddlers. This is the ultimate all-rounder woolie yarn.

Retaining the qualities of standard wools, fabrics made with this yarn are breathable and temperature regulating.

This yarn is specially treated to be safe to wash on 30-degree delicates cycle and will dry quicker than other varieties, making it perfect for busy wool lovers. As we always put the environment front and centre when choosing yarns, our Superwash wool is only treated with biodegradable and Ecotex certified chemicals.

Superwash Cashwool is a superfine merino yarn which is soft and wonderfully breathable. As with Superwash wool above, this yarn can be washed at 30-degrees on a delicates/wool cycle, and dries quickly, making it an ideal yarn for babywearing.

Designed to emulate the luxurious feeling of Cashmere, but with a smaller price tag, Cashwool is a great option for wool lovers. Temperature regulating, this yarn is perfect for year-round wear and with a little stretch it is perfect for carrying newborns right through to toddlerhood.

Similar to Superwash wool above this yarn is made with the environment in mind, Superwash Cashwool is produced using machines designed to save power and water and advanced methods of chemical capture are used.

One of the thicker wools we offer, Lambswool is well loved by parents carrying bigger kids. This soft and cushy yarn is great at avoiding digging on your shoulders, while provide unwavering support even when carrying pre-schoolers. With the classic temperature regulating qualities of wool, fabrics made with this yarn makes for a wonderfully breathable sling.

Despite its thickness lambswool can work well for little ones too, especially when used in lower percentages. If you are wanting to carry little ones in a high percentage lambswool sling you might find a little breaking in is necessary.

Gathered from the Shetland variety of sheep, Shetland wool is soft and silky to the touch. Perfect for wintery weather this durable yarn is wonderfully cosy, thanks to the evolution of the woolie coat of the Shetland sheep which was needed to keep them warm in harsh island winters. Despite this cosiness, this style of wool is still lovely and breathable.

As Shetland wool doesn't have the 'guard hairs' of other woolie yarns it has noticeably less prickle than traditional wools - perfect for those with a sensitivity to woolie textures.