Pavo Ama Violet Sky

I am officially dubbing this wrap The Crossover to Pavo Wrap. Here's why: When I first received this wrap, it was in loom state. It looked like a lot of other Pavo Form wraps that I've bought brand new (more than I want to admit). I admired the design for a while-a long while- taking in the insanely awesome mermaids design. I know there are some mixed reviews on this design, but I happen to LOVE it. I've admired it since the first sneak peek and it's probably my favorite summer Form release. The mermaids are so much bigger than expected, so when wrapped it isn't just a bunch of tiny mermaids. Instead you get a peak of boobs here, a bit of tail there, some waves here, and flowing hair there. I am in love with these merboobs and the pasties she has. They are so in your face, and over the top. But then, she isn't a Barbie doll mermaid, she's like Frida Kahlo's mermaid cousin- awkward and slightly ugly with her special/disfigured star hands....

After a wash and dry something totally crazy happened. This wrap does not feel like any other Form wrap I've tried. It is much softer, more blankety, smooth, very little texture other than the ribbed scales on her tail and it really floofed up. Unlike other Pavos I've had where the texture is the most amazing thing after a wash, this wrap just puffed up into something kitteny soft.
I think that's what makes this wrap a great first time Pavo owner's wrap, hence "the crossover".It doesn't have that typical super thick, or super textured thing that many Pavos are known for. I find it super cozy, perfect for wrapping a baby after a dip in the ocean or lake, and great for an evening walk to watch the sunset. When we run out of babies to wrap, this would be very cool to have made into a beach blanket. 
One of the drawbacks, that is also one of the highlights, is exactly what makes it the wrap that it is...those damn mermaids! A friend described the design of these mermaids as "a bad combo of juvenile, tacky and ugly. Like a fat, drunk eight year old at a tiki lounge: anti elegance." Meanwhile, when I showed my husband he said "that looks like something out of a James Bond movie." So, there's that. The design may not be what you're looking for OR it may be everything you never knew you wanted in a wrap.One thing I didn't love is the wrong side has so much of the white warp floats that the silky texture reminds me a lot of Jade Giraffe, which was something I didn't love. It gives me a weird feeling while wrapping. Not noticeable when wearing though.
I also found for a summer themed wrap the weave was fairly dense and warm compared to a Fable for example,which is a much airier summer wrap.

 In terms of wrapping qualities, I found this wrap very easy to wrap with. As a said before it struck me as the wrap to start with when trying Pavos. I often hear, "I tried Pavo and I didn't like it", because some of their wraps are so different than other brands. You can't really go from a Girasol to an Etini in a seamless way (in my experience), you'll just be freaked out. This wrap is soft and approachable. It's very comfortable when wrapped and holds a knot, even a single one, very well. I don't find it has the insane stretch that some other Pavos have, making it a bit less bouncy. It is moldable and I found it had great glide. When trying tibetan or with a chest belt for example, I wasn't struggling to pull the wrap through the ruck straps, it was easy and tightened well. I also often have trouble with the horizontal pass on DH, if a wrap is too grippy it takes me a while to get it up and over, I wouldn't say mermaids was my sleekest wrap for this because it's smooth but still dense. Lack of texture makes it easier for those types of passes.
 Compared to other Pavos I find it most similar to Cobalt cheetah in terms of weight, glide, grip and stretch. It's much softer though. Maybe some similarities to an all cotton Natibaby? 

Basically, I lusted after this wrap for AGES, and I'm pretty much loving it. I don't know how relevant it'll be in our -30c Montreal weather in the dead of winter, but it'll certainly keep me feeling tropical and summery And hello- holiday on the beach? I'll be taking the mermaids!

Have you tried any of Pavo's recent Form releases? I'm dying to know how the compare to Ama! Leave a comment and let me know!

Pavo Ama Violet Sky
Size 5
White/purple
100% cotton

Pavo Espalier Lilac

First off, a little bit of Espalier Lilac geekery. Below is a photo post wash, pre iron. Notice the cool texture that has popped out from the wash? Pretty awesome. I LOVE the tiny intricate box weave in Espalier. It looks like a little parquet floor. The texture obviously calms down a lot after a nice steam iron, but maintains the grainy sort of feel. I don't know if it would be for everyone, but I think this wrap has such a unique texture. It's thin and airy, but yet there's something that feels substantial about it.

As usual, I prefer the wrong side out of this wrap a lot. It features more of the purple colour, and it's such a bright, fresh lilac colour. So perfect for the warmer months! (When those get here, just let me know and I will venture outside). Here's a great photo to showcase the weave on that side.

I wasn't expecting the wrapping qualities at all. I'd assumed since it was described as airy and thin that I would have aching shoulders and tons of saggy wrapping. Instead, this wraps really solidly, with tons of support and feels much softer on my back and shoulders. It is probably one of my favorite wraps for FWCC or reinforced kangaroo. It just stays where you wrap it, there isn't a ton of bounce- just enough to be comfortable without feeling like baby is slowly drooping.

I found that when wrapping the passes would glide very easily. I'm not sure if this was because size 5 is my favorite length for a wrap and my arms don't struggle at all, but I think it probably had more to do with the profile of the wrap. You are not fighting with crazy thick texture, nor are you trying to pull a sticky, creamy feeling wrap over a baby stuck to your back.

This wrap really felt like something I would recommend to a new wrapper. Thin; for ease of wrapping. Stretch; because it just helps when you are learning how to adjust a wrap if it gives a little bit. Support; you need a good supportive wrap when you're starting off. I would also recommend this to someone who has been wrapping for a while, because they would enjoy these qualities as well- unless they were into thicker wraps. In hand, the light and airy feeling of espalier might scare someone who is used to much thicker wraps. I'm telling you, it's a mystery as to where this supportiveness comes from! But, it's definitely there.

I like to always come up with some negatives, just to keep it real, but I can't really think of any. I guess the weave might turn some people off, it does have a bit of a burlap sack feeling to it that will probably never really soften up, but that's the best I can do.

My favorite carries with this wrap were front carries, but I think it would shine in a lovely DH as well. I know others who have had shorties in this wrap and they've also loved it. So, all around great summery wrap.

Are you going to join me in raving about Espalier? I'm almost thinking I need to get that Camellia colour back...

Pavo Espalier Lilac
Ecru/lilac
100% cotton (with mercerized cotton)
Size 5

Oscha Liberty Escalus

Liberty Escalus came to me for a little visit from a friend. I couldn't resist getting my hands on this wrap- the design, the colour, the blend. Oooh la la!

Escalus is a cashmere/cotton blend, described by Oscha as "dark blue finest cashmere on a bright rose cotton warp" but I'd say it looks more like a deep eggplant with a hot pink warp. But really, what does it matter? She's gorgeous! Oscha only made 24 of these wraps, so it felt little exclusive to try this one.

In hand this wrap is thin, and tightly woven. You can tell that it will be supportive though, as beautiful as she is, she's also ready to carry babies!

This was a size 5 and I think that anything smaller might not be best for this particular wrap. It really shines in multi-layer carries. I like to feel like baby is literally stuck like glue to me when I'm carrying, so I NEED the wrap to stay in place and not start to make my lower back hurt with any sag. This wrap did well with that- it was very easy to tighten, and the thinness helped with the ease of strand by strand tightening. I did, however, find it to be sightly diggy on the shoulders. Sandwiching the wrap over the shoulders (folding it, so you've got two layers of wrap) would help add a bit of cushion. Once properly wrapped it was actually quite supportive and held in place very well.

There isn't much texture to this wrap, but the grip is still there. I'm not sure what the qualities of cashmere add to a wrap, as this is the first wrap I've tried in this blend, but it gave me a feeling of luxury when wrapping with it. (Maybe that's cause I knew the price??!)

This wrap would be wonderful for a dressy occasion- the colours and design lend itself to fancier carries and I think it would really grab people's attention, if that's what you're after.

I'd recommend this wrap to someone with a larger stash, as this isn't an everyday workhorse type of wrap. Suitable for new babies, until maybe 25-30lbers, but not for long periods of time. It's not exactly a soft and cushy wrap, instead it feels like a fancy scarf. For someone looking for an exclusive, luxurious yet not impossible to find machine woven, you can't go wrong with this Oscha.

Oscha Liberty Escalus
Blue/rose (or eggplant/hot pink!)
45% cashmere/55% cotton
Size 5

Have you tried this wrap? I'm interested in trying another of the Liberty wraps- I love this design!

Oscha Strato Rosaline

I recently borrowed a friend's size 2 Oscha Strato Rosaline. This lovely wrap is described on the Oscha website as "deep blue mohair with wool, and deep purple cotton warp...mmmmmm! This fabric is remarkable as the mohair/wool yarn is so silky and fine...not at all mo-hairy! Just mohair soft. 25% mohair, 25% wool, 50% cotton."

 You can tell right away that this wrap contains a blend of wool, as it has that signature wooly roughness to it. It's not a bad thing, as it definitely does add to the texture and grip of the wrap. I wouldn't necessarily call it silky as Oscha does, but it certainly has a luxurious feeling to it.
I really like the way Strato wraps. There is a surprising amount of stretch, if you tug on the diagonal you'll see just how much give this wrap has- it's actually quite amazing. As with most Oscha wraps the colour is dead on. I'm not sure where the "blue" comes into play from their description, as I see only shades of purple when I look at this wrap, but they are my favorite shades. So rich, deep, and a perfect contrast.

Because this is a size 2, it's more limiting in terms of the carries I was able to try. I can't seem to rock a shepard's carry in a 2, but I managed to get both my guys into some very comfy rucks and a HJBC with a CCCB with the little one. There are no diggy rails with this wrap, just comfort and cushiness. It's more supportive because of the blend- and comfortable support is key with a shorty. Although Oscha's tapers are not very long, it seems to finish off with a great tight knot which is a great quality for me, as I'm usually tying in the tails in a shorty. 

I also tried this wrap using sling rings, which is a new technique for me. It made a wonderful no-sew ring sling, and it also really showcased the beauty of the wrap. Have I mentioned Rosaline also rocks a rebozo? Well, she does! 

I'd recommend this wrap to pretty much everyone. In fact, I think I even convinced a stranger on the internet to buy one I saw for sale, that's how much I've enjoyed this one. I will probably hide it when my friend comes over to reclaim it. I think Oscha hit the mark with this one. I can see this wrap shining as a shorty or a longer wrap. I'm interested to see how she fairs in the humid summer here in Montreal. The true test of a wrap...

I probably wouldn't recommend this wrap to someone specifically looking for a thicker, beastly type of wrap or someone looking for a soft and smooth wrap. Rosaline is neither of those things. She shines perfectly as the beauty that she is.

What do you think of Strato Rosaline? Love this wrap as much as I do? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Oscha Strato Rosaline

Deep Purple

25% mohair, 25% wool, 50% cotton

Size 2