It's too hot for a post of my own...

...so i'll just quote something!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A34654-2004May17

An Idea Still Looking for Traction in Kenya

East African Women Vote With Their Feet Against Baby Strollers

By Emily Wax

Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, May 18, 2004; Page A08

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Irene Wambui can't imagine why anyone would buy a baby stroller. She says she sees it as a cold cage filled with useless rattles, cup holders and mirrored headlights. Imagine children being stuffed into such a contraption and pushed around town like some kind of pet.

Yet here she is in the middle-class Westlands shopping district, trying to sell her store's newest merchandise, the four-wheeled plastic and metal tool of modern motherhood. But so far, strollers have been a flop in Nairobi, an affront to a time-honored tradition.

Across Africa, women can be seen carrying sleeping or sometimes giggly babies on their backs, swathed in cloth. The babies move to the sway of their mothers' hips, synchronized throughout the day, bending with them as they collect water or sweep the floor and rising again when the women stop to rest. They hang on as their mothers sell food in the market or pray at a church or mosque.

The introduction of strollers and baby carriages, both known here by the British word "pram", horrifies traditionalists, even someone such as Wambui, who sells them. The stroller is appearing in major cities around Africa, but so far has not been a hit.

"It's not so wonderful. In Africa, we just carry our children or let them roam. They can't sit like lumps," said Wambui, 24. "Besides our roads aren't even good enough for these devices. If everyone had a pram it would cause jam-ups in traffic. Then we would be bad to our children and bad to our roads."

Irene's boss and manager, Zara Esmail, was pacing back in forth in front of the strollers one recent day. She said the store had sold only one baby stroller in two months, and that was to a visiting U.N. worker from Britain, who complained later that she had been disappointed by the small selection.

"In general, I thought they would sell far better," Esmail said. Perhaps, she added, it's a question of directing more advertising toward middle-class, working moms. "We thought these modern ones would be a hit."

The stroller has sparked debate among African pediatricians who think the device -- first crafted as a labor-saving tool for the European middle class -- may damage the relationship between a mother and a child.

"The pram is the ultimate in pushing the baby away from you," said Frank Njenga, a child psychiatrist in Nairobi, Kenya's bustling capital. "The baby on the back is actually following the mother in warmth and comfort. The baby feels safer, and safer people are happier people."

In the United States and Europe, strollers have long been controversial. Recently, some doctors and child psychologists have blamed them for everything from pediatric obesity to low self-esteem later in life.

Jane Clark, professor of kinesiology at the University of Maryland, said there is concern that Americans are overusing strollers for older children, causing toddlers to be less physically active. A growing movement among child advocates promotes the idea of carrying babies more and getting them out of their strollers.

At the same time, Web sites and magazines in the United States and Europe dedicate a lot of space to the subject of choosing a style of stroller or carriage -- front-to-back or side-by-side, a jogger or a sleeper, with or without a lightweight titanium frame, pneumatic tires, rear suspension, mud flaps and/or battery-operated blinkers. Some European-made antique carriages are status symbols for celebrities such as Madonna and Celine Dion, who spent $2,600 on the classic Balmoral Pram, described by some Web reviewers as a tiny Humvee.

Africans consider the traditional method of toting their children the only true version of day care. When it's time for feeding, the food is right there as a mother shifts her child to the front of her body, nestling the infant to her breast. The baby stroller could change all of that. But many people here said they thought the devices would be just another instance of Africans adopting the worst habits of industrialization.

"There are customs from a hundred years ago that are not relevant today for Africans. Our challenge is to pick the good from the bad," said Carol Mandi, managing editor of EVE, an East African women's magazine. "But carrying on your back, well, that is just a wonderful custom that keeps the baby emotionally stable and lets the mother feel bonded. We can't stop being African women just because we are suddenly thrust into the modern world. What next? They will tell us to stop breast feeding in public? No way."

Some women in Africa at first apparently hoped the stroller could help reduce the physical exhaustion suffered by mothers, the backbone of Africa's labor force in both domestic duties and small-scale businesses.

But because the pram is not only socially unacceptable but expensive, merchants are finding they aren't selling. The average pram, though far cheaper than some car-like U.S. models, still hovers around $60, at least half a month's wages even in Africa's most successful urban economies.

At the baby store in Nairobi where Wambui works, dusty models sat untouched.

"We've never used a pram. They are a bit pricey," said Nellie Mwanzia, who was shopping nearby while her husband, Roy, carried their 20-month-old son, David. "Just carrying the baby is no bother. It's more personal."

Mary Mwanzia, 32, a mother and part-time government secretary, popped into the store to buy baby bottles. Esmail corralled her potential buyer over to the strollers. But Mwanzia, even with her modern job and her braided red hair extensions and bell-bottom jeans, found the baby buggies "oppressive."

Esmail suggested a test drive. Mwanzia was not having it.

"It's just not Kenyan," she said. "For the child, the love will not be there if the child is cooped up in such an antisocial device." She purchased her bottles and left.

For Sale

Every now and then I have a handdyed wrap for sale. For easy display I have given them their own blog : http://vanrozetotgroen.blogspot.com

Doe maar

I hate Doe Maar. Their music.... their clothes... the way the allway remind me of the horror of the 80's... But I do love green and pink, so despite the fact that I will now look like I'm stuck in the era of shoulderpads, dynasty and powerdressing I *had* to do a green to pink gradation.

I used a natural Bebina for this one.

It came out of the dyebath looking like this:

There are some lines but not too many and as you can see they disappeared after resting a bit, fixing with soda ash, rinsing and spinning:




It looks like a bunch of leeks!

The pink dye looked too light in the tub but it turned out to bre pretty balanced with the soft green color.

I'm pretty satisfied! There are no lines visible, the gradation is smooth and even. I wish I had more natural wraps to dye, it is addictive!

There is still a blanco didy indio hemp in my cupboard. Waiting forever until I get inspired to dye it. I should sell it after dying though, there is no point in adding yet another wrap to my stash.
What do you think, would a raspberry chocolate gradation be nice?



Ah yes.... yes yes yes... that would be quite nice!

Zsazsa

We made ourselves a Zsazsa DIY!

How now nekkid pfau

Remember how I told you about the wrap I love most of all: pfau?

I managed to get my hands on another one of those pretty birds and to make it into the ultimate summerwrap I decided to play around!

Ingrediënts:

One purple didymos pfau. Washed and not dried:


A big plastic, heatresistant tub (I choose one that has a lid so the heat and fumes stay inside), a smooth wooden spoon, rubber gloves and some dylon color remover. The tub is placed on a woolen blanket so it will stay warm as long as possible.



I dumped in two buckets of boiling water, stirred in the color remover, said a prayer or two and then put in pfau.
Immediatly the color started to change:



It went from purple to a soft lilac in a couple of minutes.









After half an hour it had turned to grey:



The water slowly went murky and grey as the wrap got lighter and lighter...

After a while there didn't seem to be much change anymore so I put pfau in a bucket, dumped out the water and started to warm a new batch of water with a new pack of color removing.
While in the bucket pfau changed from grey to beige, probably because the grey waterresidue could drip out.




It stood for an hour more in the fresh solution and by then it was as light as I think it can get. I took it out, washed it, dryed it and wrapped it. I love it, it's perfect for summer!







It lost about half an inch in width but that stretched up after wearing it. It is allready as supple and soft as my old pfau, stripping it hasn't changed the texture at all.

Summer, here we come!

DIBS

Look at what this lovely lady loaned me:
An Ellevill Zara red white! Crappy photo, I know, but such a nice norse design. I'can only say one word:

DIBS!

Silent Saturday

Not mush wrapping going on today: twenty minutes of tibetan rucksack with ulli, ten minutes of FWCC with ulli and a bit of lily on the hip. No pics, sorry!

Forgotten Friday

I totally forgot to tell you about the wraps we used last friday!
Well, wrapwise it was a boring day to be honest. We used Ulli (see a few posts back for pictures of the most beautiful colored wrap there is) to bring the big sister to the daycarecenter and after that it was lilylilylily.
On my hip with a slipknot and as rucksack.
Love that wrap. Love it love it love it!
Sorry about the fuzzy picture. I'm still struggling with the small mirror that also hangs a bit too high.
One day I will find the perfect spot to take a picture using the selftimer. A spot without a thousand toys, fighting cats or pencilstained wallpaper in the background!

Thursday = wrapsellingday

We started this day with Indio Primula. As you cannot see in the next picture because of the lack of light. But hey, it was the best picture of the sevenhundred I took so bear with me.
The little sister is all wrapped up in a double hammock carry. Pretty comfy and very wiggleproof!





We had a very wet and active walk outside to get the big sister to loose some energy and when we got back the mailman was just arriving with a lovely present! Nice and thin and even fresh from the box super supple so perfect for a simple hipcarry with a (surprisingly small) slipknot.
And since I have the policy that if I want something new I have to sell stuff to raise funds I have a few lovely wraps for sale:

From left to right on the picture:

Ellaroo LaRae, 3,80 m.
She's lost the typical ellaroo-crispness. Nice summer wrap and perfect to throw in you (diaper)bag for emergency-toddler-renstraint rucksacks. (ask me how I found that out *sigh*)
€40,-

girasol # 2. I just mesured it at 4,40 m.
Old weave so really supple and flannellike soft.
€40,-

Hoppediz La Paz, 4,6 m.
I love this wrap for my heavy toddler. It is sturdy and a bit wider than most wraps. Nice papa-wrap!
€45,-

Medley Rio, 4,10 m. on the short rail, 5,50 m. on the long rail.
€30,-


Prices are ex. shipping from the Netherlands. Non smoking, petfriendly household. I can wash and iron before shipping if preferred.

cool

We had another pfaumoment this morning when we used the violet-white goodness to bring the big sister to daycare.


Look at that little bonnet, isn't it cute? I bought it *here*, so the little sister would look all cute and rosy at her great grandmothers birthday. And at the same time would be a bit sheltered from all the cheekpinching and commenting seniors. A hat really helps with that in my opinion.

It does look like a pretty simple knit so I guess I will make a few of them out of the spare hanks of cotton that are occupying my stash.

The little sister is still a bit under the weather so for most of the day she nursed herself back to health in zinnober, using "the coolest hip cross carry" with part of the wrap pulled over her head for warmth and support.

Zinnober... oh how I love thee Zinnober... Soft and cuddly and cosy. It is the ultimate comfortfood in wrapform.

Now I'm off to enjoy the few spare moments of silence while the big sister is at daycare, office man (yes, he insisted to be called this way online) is at work and the little sister is sleeping. Dinner is cooked, the room is as clean as I want it to be and I have a full archive of pioneer woman's blog to read. Yum!

I love pioneer woman. I want to be her, marry her, be her daughter and cook with her.
Since that's not really possible I'll settle for her blog and so should you. Go read it. Now!

Edit: We also had a bit of Ulli today, to try out Jordan's back carry.

Bohemian Wrapsody

Just as the song is made of a big jumble of words that don't really mean anything my girls and I have a big jumble of wraps and other babycarriers that we use almost every day (hows THAT for a bridge!).

Want to follow along and see which ones we use each day?

/insert Jeremy Clarkson's voice:

Some say she is more of dishcloth than a wrap. Others claim she is just a big PLO scarf.
All we know is that she is called.....



PFAU!

And she has nothing to do with the PLO but can be pretty handy when it comes to doing the dishes.
But only to keep you children out of the way, of course. There will come a time when my girls are too big to be constrained with a mere wrap. But hey, then they're probably big enough to do the dishes themselves!

Both girls are battling a bit of a cold, making them extra cranky. So for almost every minute of this day one of them has been safely wrapped up to keep them from hurting each other and giving them the opportunity to get some rest without having to lay down which would cause them to cough.

Pfau is such a great wrap. I wasn't too sure about the design on the swatch or at pictures (uhuh, it does look a tiny bit like a dishcloth or a PLO scarf, doesn't it?) but in real life it looks just drop dead gorgeous. And it wraps really, REALLY great. If you have the opportunity to get a pfau I would suggest you give it a go. You won't be disappointed!

I wonder what lovely piece of cloth we will be using tomorrow!

wrapheaven

This week I'm in wrapheaven. I sold a wrap (didy waves sinfony 7), giving me the resources to buy one back.
I also had one of those impulsvictories where you check the wrapsection on german ebay out of habit, see a limited edition wrap that will auction off in two minutes and think "what the heck, I'll just make an absurd low offer".
I ended up being the highest bidder so that was wrap number two for this week.

And to top it off, M.'s grandma send me some money for my birthday and combined with another birthdaygift I all of the sudden could buy myself a brand new, crisp out of the box wrap.

I swear, I giggle everytime I think about all those nice fluffies coming this way. Is that childish? I guess it is.
But hey, at least my collection is there for a good cause. The youngest daughter is a happy, smiling baby but only when she can be very *very* close to me for the biggest part of the day. Otherwise she panicks.
So she is in a wrap or sling for hours every day and she sleeps next to me so she can nurse when needed. Not that she does that at night, to my big surprise. I guess that the possibility for her to do so and the knowledge that I'm that close to her are giving her enough confidence to sleep until morning.

Having to babywear though most of the day makes it necessary to have a few wraps and/or slings. To exchange in case of babyspit, the need for another method of wearing or just because you would like another color for the day.
Wraps are more like clothing to me than most of my clothing is, at the moment, so I'm happy with my stash of fluffy goodness!

Anyway (can you see that both children are sleeping, there is nothing better to do that sit quietly and ramble away on my blog!), Storch Ulli 4.6 (yes!!!! finally!!!) and impuls didymos indio tulpe 4.2 are on their way.
Didymos woolen indio in the yummy color zinnober arrived this morning, together with eldest daughter's first didymos wrap. You can never start to early, eh?!

To quote her: "a parcel, a parcel, a parcel, a parcel!!!! I think it is for me, mum!!!! It is NOT a wrap! it is for ME and it is NOT A WRAP"

oops.... I think she's a bit sick of parcels that contain those boring wraps instead of nice presents for her!

But unfortunately for her:
However, the disappointment was gone when it turned out that there was indeed a present for her!

Her very own didymos katja dollwrap. Don't you just love that colorway?
The best part for me, however, was the lovey soft and squishy wool wrap inside the box.... Oh man.... it is every bit as wonderfull as I hoped it would be.

Thin and supple, yet supportive. And it has that great ability that wool has of being warm and cosy without being too warm. Love it!

It was really hard to get a nice actionpicture since both girls were screaming their lungs out so this will have to do ;)
The color is hard to describe. I thought it would be either a horrible shade of orange or very salmonpinklike so I planned to dye it pink.
But it is just perfect as it is, a lovely earthy reddish orange.

Showtime

Daughter 1 shows her new toy (and my new obsession, I've knitted quite a few loopers and I guess more will follow, they are addictive):

And daughter 2 shows our new Manduca:


See how comfortable she's napping there? We are still fiddling a bit with the different straps so her ideally her knees should be a bit higher and a back a bit more rounded. but still, it is extremely comfy and very easy to put on.
I always prefer the versatility of wraps but if you want to wear your baby without the need for meters of cloth, please consider a soft structured carrier like this one (or an ergo, yamo or any of the dozens of other brands available) instead of those horrible babybjorns. Please, spare your and your baby's back!
If you want to read more on how to wear your baby anatomically correct, there is a nice article on the Didymos website.

Yesterday this:
Became this:

The flash doesn't do it justice but it is almost as bright in real life as it is in the picture. 3-ply light fingering yarn, perfect for a shawl or wrap. I hope a certain someone is going to be happy with it!

And last but not least, happy late valentinesday! (oooh that horrible flashlight again!)