TINOKI TALK

New Shelf

2013-01-10T08:42:00.001+11:00

We have a new bookshelf in the corner of our shop. Somehow in the last couple of months our stock levels have grown.

If you are looking for a MySol we now have a huge range in stock here MySols are extremely comfortable and versatile Mei Tais that are suitable for use from birth through to the toddler years. They are made from 2 layers of Girasol wrap fabric so are very soft and mould easily to the wearers shape. Each comes in a matching bag and comes complete with a chest strap and a small hip bag that can be threaded through the waist strap and used to carry your phone/wallet.

Wouldn't be summer without

2013-01-03T21:28:00.001+11:00

A BBQ!

Enjoying our custom hipababy carrier.

Who does the rainbow belong to anyway?

2013-01-02T18:02:00.001+11:00

Not me, according to miss 3. And not the baby either.

The choice to wear.

2012-12-30T13:38:00.001+11:00

Sometimes parenting conversations get tricky. Someone will make a statement and suddenly they are in the midst of a heated discussion with individuals talking loudly about choice and rights and beliefs.

Wearing a baby in anything other than a front pack, or a baby over the age of about 6m can sometimes be taken as a challenge to other parents. You may find that instead of admiring your cute baby people challenge your use of a carrier, start giving reasons why they don't use one themselves, tell you that your baby will never learn to walk.

Parents report even more negative comments about babies who sleep in a carrier or wrap. Instead of being congratulated on finding a way to get on with what they need to do while simultaneously helping their child to sleep and staying close to them, parents are being told that they are making a rod for their backs, teaching a child bad habits, spoiling their baby.

If a baby is bigger criticisms are often presented as concern for the wearer. The theory seems to be that people are choosing to hurt themselves to make a point. Honestly, I doubt it. In a properly fitting and supportive carrier it is possible to easily carry an older child. For many people it is not only possible, but significantly more comfortable than pushing a heavy pram for however long they are out.

What comments have you heard about your choice to 'wear' your baby?

Why I love short wraps.

2012-12-26T20:38:00.001+11:00

When I first looked into woven wraps it seemed that the right way to start was with a 4.6m (size 6) wrap. Only people with wrapping experience used shorter wraps.

These days I use my short wraps frequently. I think about cutting my longer ones down to a more usable length. So what is it I like?

With my 2.6m (size 2) wrap I can quickly grab my baby and put him on my back. Right now my favourite carry is a knotless ruck. I need 2.3m wrap to do this though the extra 30cm is good too. I really like chest belts, my preference is to avoid tying around the waist. A knotless ruck is 2 shouldered, has a chest belt and is a really quick carry. And the wrap is small enough to be stuffed easily into a bag.

When I need to get miss 3 or mr 4.5 up I generally prefer a RUB (ruck under bum). This carry is quick and easy and since I rarely carry either child any real distance I don't mind not having a chest belt.

Other carries with a short wrap include a rebozo, a simple pocket carry and (with a slightly longer wrap) hip-cross-carry and possibly robins hip carry.

If you've never tried a shorter wrap it can seem scary. With a long wrap and layers it isn't so important to wrap precisely. And many people like extra layers when carrying heavier children. But a short wrap can be extremely versatile. And if you grab a pair of sling rings your short wrap can even double as a ring sling.

Good short wraps;
Bara Barn - all wraps 2.75m just longer than a traditional size 2. Thin but wide wraps that are surprisingly supportive.
Easycare pocket wraps - the shortest wraps at 2.3m. Not quite as thin as the BB but soften quickly. Bright colours and classic stripes.
Girasol 2.6m - both diamond weave and twill. The twill is sometimes described as flannelly. Huge range of colours. Fringed wraps available.
Ellaroo rebozo - ~3m. Fringed. Thin, narrow. Makes a fantastic no-sew ring sling as the thinner material is easy to spread through the rings. Good grip for slip knots.
Didymos size 2 and 3 - available across the whole didymos range. Different wraps can wrap quite differently. For summer I strongly recommend waves or stripes. Linen and hemp blends can be more supportive when carrying children over 14kg.

Phoenix in action

2012-12-02T17:46:00.001+11:00

My daughter agreed to model this for us.

Phoenix arrived and I took a few photos.

2012-11-30T18:36:00.001+11:00

NOW ON THE SITE READY TO FLY OFF TO NEW HOMES. ORDER NOW

Sunhats!

2012-11-29T16:57:00.001+11:00

We are very excited to be getting some stock of gorgeous wrap sunhats. The prototype I have here is for 6-18m babies, but we are hoping to have both smaller (newborn size) and toddler size available soon. And yes, adult sizes too in the new year.

Family tree glass - new order and a competition

2012-11-27T14:30:00.001+11:00

We're placing an order for more of these lovely pendants, but we're struggling to decide whether to just get more of the babywearing pendants, or to branch out and order a few other items.

Help us choose, and you go into the draw to win one of these lovely babywearing ornaments. Simply visit family tree glass and come
back and comment to tell us about your favourite product. A second entry to the draw for a link to your favourite product at our store, Tinoki

Wompat

2012-11-25T22:47:00.001+11:00

Some wompats arrived last week, and today I was able to try out our new mannequins and take some photos ready to list on the website.

Which do you like best?

Phoenix, our newest rainbow

2012-11-16T07:02:00.001+11:00

We are very excited to announce that Phoenix is on the way to us from girasol headquarters in Berlin.

This is a retro-inspired rainbow designed by Mel of beetlebums fame.

Available exclusively at Tinoki and paxbaby you won't want to miss out on one of these.

Babywearing terminology part 1

2012-11-14T22:03:00.001+11:00

It can be confusing to see acronyms and strange words being bandied about the Babywearing groups and forums. And just when you think you've understood the conversation, something more confusing again appears.

This post is just going to help demystify a couple of important words.

1. Exclusive.

When a wrap or carrier is described as being an exclusive you can be sure that it will only be available from a small number of retailers (or even just one) girasol exclusives are designs that are owned by particular wrap stores. Tinoki is the exclusive owner of keshet and Avery, we are able to purchase wraps like amitola (a slingomama exclusive) and earthy rainbow (a wearababy exclusive) through those shops and list them for purchase, but some other girasol designs are available only from the designer/owner direct.

2. Limited Edition (LE)

Some wraps and carriers are listed as being limited. This means exactly that. Only a certain number were produced. Once one of these carriers sells out, that is it. There are no more. If you like the look of these wraps and carriers you should seriously consider purchasing while they are available.

Sometimes it gets complicated, as wraps that are exclusive are also produced in limited numbers. There is always the possibility though that an exclusive will be re-woven (or manufactured) but a limited edition wrap will never be produced in quite the same way again.

Today we are excited to announce that we are expecting a shipment of these gorgeous rainbows. These are available exclusively through us and our friends at paxbaby.com in the US. They are also limited, there is no second run scheduled. So if you like the look of these and you want to own one, don't put off buying for too long, or you may find you've missed out.

Ellaroo wraps

2012-11-11T11:12:00.002+11:00

Looking for a wrap that is easy for a beginner to use, pretty, thin for summer, perfect for a small baby? Ellaroo wraps are all that and more. We love to recommend Ellaroo as the perfect starter wrap for parents with a small baby. Being thin and narrow they are easy to learn to manipulate, and people who learn to wrap using one of these tend to be proficient wrappers if and when they decide to move on to a different woven wrap.

The Hand-woven Guatemalan fabric of an Ellaroo wrap forms snugly around you and baby, without being bouncy. This means that as your wrap will not begin to sag as the baby grows.

Ellaroo wraps are lightweight, breathable and easy to manipulate. These wraps are thinner than many of the other brands we sell, making them a cool choice for warmer weather.

Ellaroo wraps are 65cm wide, which means there is less material to worry about when wrapping a small baby.

A box from KoKaDi

2012-11-09T16:39:00.001+11:00

A big box of beautiful wraps arrived yesterday. Some have already been sent off to new homes, others are listed for sale on our website.

cotton candy elephants

diorite stars

elephant parade

tosba

cotton candy elephants

glamour stars

Rainbows in the sun

2012-11-06T11:42:00.001+11:00

Some yellow and orange weft rainbows that are currently in stock. Golden Rainbow is a standard range diamond weave wrap, keshet is a Tinoki Girasol exclusive, amitola is a slingomama exclusive. And on the top is easycare #1.

girasol rainbows are available to purchase here

Didy-Tai, a mei tai for wrappers (or wanna-be wrappers)

2012-11-04T15:32:00.001+11:00

Didy-Tai Mei Tais are the closest thing to wrapping in a carrier. Soft, 100% organic cotton. There is a hood that doubles as a headrest, and the waist cinches in so that even the smallest baby can be legs out and supported in a deep seat. The shoulder straps are long and wide, which means they can be spread for an extra snuggly fit.

Didy-Tais can be purchased here

Keshet

2012-11-02T07:58:00.001+11:00

Some photos of our very own rainbow exclusive.

keshet is available for purchase here

What to do with a Wrap

2012-11-01T19:40:00.001+11:00

Sometimes a beautiful wrap needs to be admired even when you aren't in the mood for wearing it.

flamenco indio

2012-10-30T11:57:00.004+11:00

We have just one of these gorgeous PINK hemp blend indios for sale. to purchase please email us before 9am Wednesday with flamenco in the subject line and we will put you in the draw. The wrap is a size 6, and retail is $180.

Emeibaby reveiw

2012-10-29T11:16:00.002+11:00

One of our favourite babywearing customers sent in this review for us to share. Thank You so much.

Recently I was very happy to give the Emei Baby full buckle SSC a try.

Usually I like to use woven wraps to carry my baby - in fact I don't actually own a buckle carrier at all :) But as a wrap lover I was instantly drawn to the pretty wrap-fabric on the Emei and Brie helped me get a good fit on it (did I mention I'm buckle challenged lol).

So the best thing about this carrier and what makes it really distinctive is that the section of soft supportive woven wrap creates the seat in the carrier. Its fully adjustable so you can achieve a proper knee-knee seat every time regardless of the child's size. I've included a pic here of the carry from behind just to show that seat off - fantastic!

The straps were comfortable and worked well. I wore DS2 in it all that afternoon. A 2 hour carry and we were both completely comfortable.

Subsequent carries on the front were also great. All in all I was impressed with the Emei - I think for my tall bub the body is perhaps a little short as he tends to lean back but in every other way it worked very well. If they could only make the height adjustable too then I couldn't think of a better SSC.

Emeibaby carriers can be found here

If you would like to send us a review and pictures of you and your child using any of our products please let us know :)

Summer Girasol Poll

2012-07-23T21:08:00.000+10:00

Sorry for all the difficulty with the poll so far. This one should work. AS before please only one vote per person per day. Poll open until Sunday 29th July.

Vote Now for your favourite Summer Girasol Entry!

2012-07-22T11:40:00.000+10:00

Here are all the entries for the Summer Girasol competition. Voting will be open until Sunday 28th July and then we will select from the top 3. Please only one vote per person per day.

Colours 2

2012-07-12T12:26:00.001+10:00

Here is the 2nd Girasol Colour palette for designing your wrap

colours

2012-07-04T11:18:00.001+10:00


girasol colour chart

here is a better look at the girasol colours. the other pallette is in the works.

Summer Inspiration

2012-07-01T15:11:00.001+10:00

In the middle of another cold winters day we dream about summer. And so we decided to ask you to help us design the perfect summer wrap. We want something that is reminiscent of an Australian summer. The wrap will be twill, though we may do a diamond weave run on a later date.

competition rules

2 entries maximum per person
entries only from Australia/New Zealand/Malaysia
designs must be sent as a jpg attachment to sales@tinokislings.com. Please ensure you use the words summer girasol in the subject line.
please list the colours you have used when you submit your entry
the winner my choose a free wrap or ring sling or mysol
all designs must be unique, and you must give your permission to tinoki to produce a wrap with that design at a later date.

good luck everybody!