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Wrapping Cheat Sheet

1/26/2014

Once you know all of the types of passes that are used in wrap carries, you can easily learn new carries. Visit our Wrap Pass Glossary to learn all of the pass types. Here we will show you how the passes are combined to create many common carries.

Cross Carries: Carries composed mostly of cross passes

Cross carries are excellent for babies who like to straighten their legs. However, they do not provide as much protection against leaning as other carries, particularly cross carries that do not have any other pass types. If the carry includes a horizontal pass, there is a little more protection against leaning. Front carries that have only cross passes are "poppable" which means you can easily pre-tie the carry and pop baby in and out of the carry as needed without untying.

Front Wrap Cross Carry (FWCC)

1. Horizontal pass.
2. Cross tails in the back and bring over shoulders.
3. Cross Pass
4. Cross Pass
5. Tie in back.

Half Front Wrap Cross Carry (Half-FWCC)

1. Horizontal Pass
2. Cross fabric in back.
3. Cross Pass.
4. Tie at shoulder.

Hip Wrap Cross Carry (HWCC)

1. Horizontal Pass
2. Cross Pass
3. Cross Pass.
4. Tie at opposite hip.

* Shown with bunched cross passes. The passes can be either bunched or spread.

Back Wrap Cross Carry (BWCC)

1. Horizontal Pass.
2. Tie a half knot at the chest to secure the first pass.
3. Shoulder flip, then cross pass.
4. Shoulder flip, then cross pass.
5. Tie in front.

* Shown tied at the chest (or "tied Tibetan") due to baby belly!

Front Cross Carry (FCC)

1. Bunched horizontal pass across wearer's lower back.
2. Cross Pass
3. Cross Pass
4. Cross tails in back
5. Tie in front.

* The image shows the carry with the shoulder capped to keep the wrap away from baby's face. To cap the shoulder, just take the top rail and pull it toward the edge of your shoulder.

Coolest Hip Cross Carry (CHCC)

1. Cross pass.
2. Cross Pass.
3. Tie at shoulder

Hip Cross Carry (HCC)
1. Start center of wrap at shoulder.
2. Cross pass to opposite hip.
3. Cross pass to opposite hip.
4. Tie on the other side.

Back Cross Carry (BCC)
1. Cross Pass
2. Cross Pass
3. Tie at shoulder

Short Cross Carry (SCC)
1. Start wrap dangling at the center of your back.
2. Cross Pass
3. Cross Pass
4. Thread wrap through dangling piece.
5. Tie at hip.

Kangaroo Carries: Carries that start with a Ruck/Kangaroo Pass

Kangaroo carries tend to be the airiest of the carries for summer because there is a little ventilation on the sides for baby. When used for back carries, these ruck carries are excellent for babies who like to see what's going on because they can easily be tied high enough for baby to see over the wearer's shoulder.

Kangaroo

With a short wrap:
1. Ruck/Kangaroo Pass
2. Cross wrap fabric in back.
3. Tie in front.

With a longer wrap:
1. Ruck/Kangaroo pass.
2. Cross wrap fabric in back.
3. Bunched cross pass.
4. Bunched cross pass.
5. Tie in back.

Reinforced Kangaroo

1. Ruck/Kangaroo Pass
2. Cross wrap fabric in back.
3. Reinforcing pass.
4. Reinforcing pass.
5. Tie in back.

Ruck Tied in Front (RTIF)

1. Ruck/Kangaroo pass.
2. Bunched cross pass.
3. Bunched cross pass.
4. Tie in front.

Reinforced Ruck (RR)

1. Ruck pass.
2. Reinforcing cross pass.
3. Reinforcing cross pass
4. Tie in front.

Reinforced Rear Rebozo Ruck (RRRR)

This one is confusing because it has rebozo in the name, but actually does not have a rebozo pass! This carry is also known as "Pirate Carry," because of it's abbreviation RRRR.

1. Ruck pass.
2. Horizontal pass.
3. Tie at the shoulder.

Rebozo Carries: Carries that are composed mostly of rebozo passes

Rebozo carries provide excellent protection against leaning.

Rebozo

1. Rebozo Pass
2. Tie at shoulder

Double Rebozo (DR)

1. Rebozo Pass
2. Shoulder flip, then Rebozo Pass.
3. Tie at the shoulder.

Double Hammock (DH)

1. Rebozo pass.
2. Torso/horizontal pass over wearer's chest.
3. Rebozo Pass.
4. Bunched Cross Pass
5. Bunched Cross Pass
6. Tie in front.

Double Hammock Rebozo (DHR)

1. Rebozo Pass.
2. Torso/Horizontal pass over wearer's chest.
3. Rebozo Pass
4. Tie at shoulder.

Double Rebozo with a Shoulder to Shoulder chestbelt (DRS2S)

1. Rebozo Pass
2. Create chestbelt in front
3. Shoulder flip and Rebozo pass
4. Thread tail through chestbelt.
5. Bunched Cross Pass
6. Bunched Cross Pass
7. Tie in front.

Mixed Pass Carries: These carries combine two or three pass types

Mixed Pass Carries tend to be excellent with wiggly babies or toddlers. These carries typically combine passes that protect against leaning (Kangaroo/ruck or Rebozo Passes) with passes that protect against leg straightening (cross passes, reinforced cross passes, and bunched cross passes)

Giselle's Back Carry (GBC)

1. Rebozo Pass.
2. Shoulder flip, then cross pass.
3. Reinforcing cross pass.
4. Tie in front.

* Not the best picture. This was my first try with GBC. In this image I did a rebozo pass, reinforcing cross pass, and then cross pass. (So basically I switched the order of the last two passes).

Jordan's Back Carry (JBC)

1. Rebozo pass
2. Shoulder flip, then cross pass.
3. Horizontal pass.
4. Tie in front.

* There are other versions of Jordan's Back Carry, but this is the most common one. Another popular version of JBC has two rebozo passes followed by a horizontal pass and is usually called "Jordan's Back Carry with Two Rebozo Passes."

Half Jordan's Back Carry (Half-JBC)

1. Rebozo Pass.
2. Shoulder flip, then cross pass.
3. Tie at shoulder

* There are other versions of Half Jordan's Back Carry. The original version had a cross pass, shoulder flip, and then rebozo pass.

Secure High Back Carry (SHBC)

1. Rebozo Pass
2. Tie a half knot at chest to secure the first pass.
3. Bunched cross pass.
4. Shoulder flip, then cross pass or rebozo pass, depending on the carry variation.

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Wrap Pass Glossary

1/26/2014

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All woven wrap carries can be broken down into different types of passes. This blog posts will show you the main types of passes and explain the pros and cons of each type of pass.

Four Main Pass Types

All carries include at least one of the following four pass types.

Horizontal/Torso Pass

Horizontal passes (also known as torso passes) go straight across the baby's back and under both of the wearers arms. This pass is used as the first pass in Front Wrap Cross Carry and Back Wrap Cross Carry. It is also used as a second or third pass in many carries to add support.

Pros:

This type of pass secures the baby nicely against the wearers back and does not leave any openings at the baby's sides.

Cons:

Carries that start with horizontal passes tend to be lower carries because the carry can only go as high as the wearer's armpits.

Ruck/Kangaroo Pass

Ruck passes (also known as kangaroo passes) create a seat for the baby and then go up and over both of the wearers arms. This pass type is used in all of the ruck back carry variations and kangaroo front carry variations.

Pros:

Kangaroo passes tend to create a nice high carry where baby can easily see over the wearer's shoulder (in a back carry)
This pass tends to be cooler in summer because you can get ventilation at the baby's sides.
Kangaroo passes with a nice tight top rail are excellent for preventing leaning.

Cons:

Kangaroo passes are not leg straightener-proof.

Rebozo Pass

Rebozo passes are kind of a cross between ruck and horizontal passes. Rebozo passes go across the baby's back at a slight diagonal, staying high on baby's back. They go over one of the wearer's arms and under the other. This pass is used in most carries with the name "hammock" or rebozo in it.

Pros:

Rebozo passes protect against leaning.

Cons:

Rebozo passes do not protect against leg straightening.

Cross Pass

Cross passes (the pass created with the blue wrap in the picture) go across baby's back at a diagonal and under one of baby's legs. These passes go over one of the wearer's shoulders and under the other. This pass is used in most carries with the word "cross" in it such as Front Cross Carry, or Back Wrap Cross Carry.

Pros:

Cross Passes provide excellent protection against leg straightening.
Cross passes can be airy and provide a little ventilation at baby's sides.
These passes are used in many poppable carries.

Cons:

Cross passes do not protect against leaning.
Typically cross passes are not the first pass in a back carry. If a back carry begins with a cross pass (such as back cross carry or Half Jordan's Back Carry with the cross pass done first, the wrapper must keep a hand on baby until the second pass is complete to prevent a fall.

Reinforcing and Bunched Passes

In addition to the four main pass types, many carries include bunched versions of passes or reinforcing passes. These passes are never the main pass for the carry, but can add extra protection against leg straightening or extra reinforcement/weight distribution to the carry.

Reinforcing Cross Pass

Reinforcing Cross Passes are passes that come from under one of the wearer's arms, diagonally across the baby's body and under baby's leg. This pass cannot be the basis of a carry, but may add extra support to the carry or prevent the baby from straightening his or her legs.

Pros:

Reinforcing Cross Passes can help distribute the weight of a heavy baby a bit more.
Reinforcing Cross Passes protect against leg straightening.

Cons:

These passes do not provide any protection against leaning.
They can be difficult to spread out and get high on baby's back because the pass can only start as high as the wearers armpit.

Bunched Cross Pass

A bunched cross pass is reinforcing cross pass that is bunched up into a tube of fabric rather than spread over baby. It goes under the wearers arm, across the baby's bottom, and under one of the baby's legs.

Pros:

Bunched cross passes can pin the "seat" of the carry in place.
They provide protection against leg straightening.
These passes are very quick to do.
Bunched passes are airier in summer than spread passes.

Cons:

Bunched cross passes provide no protection against leaning.
Bunched cross passes do not add as much additional support and comfort to the carry as passes that are spread out.

Bunched Horizontal Passes

A bunched horizontal pass is a horizontal pass that is bunched up into a tube of fabric rather than spread over baby. It goes under both of the wearers arms and across the baby's bottom, but does not go under either of baby's legs.

Pros:

Bunched passes can pin the seat fabric in place.
They are very quick to create.
Bunched passes are airier in summer than spread passes.

Cons:

Bunched horizontal passes do not provide protection against leg straightening or leaning.
They do not add as much additional support to a carry as passes that are spread out.

Once you know all of the building blocks of wrap carries, it is very easy to learn new carries. Visit our carry cheat sheet to learn how all of the wrap passes are combined to create common wrap carries.

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Front Cross Carry Photo-Tutorial

1/2/2014

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Front Cross Carry is one of my favorite woven wrap carries. First, it can be completely pre-tied and your baby can be easily popped in and out of the wrap as many times as needed. This is awesome especially for babies or toddlers who like to be up and down. Second, it ties in the front. This is wonderful because you can easily pre-tie the carry, hop in your car and drive, and then get out and pop in baby. While you're driving, you don't have an uncomfortable knot in your back. It's also really comfortable to sit down in if baby falls asleep or you are lucky enough to have a baby who likes to be wrapped while you sit. Third, this is an awesome winter or rainy day carry. You can tie before you leave the house and you have no tails dragging on wet pavement. You can also easily pre-tie the carry and put on your coat over it. When you get where you are going, you can just pop baby into the wrap, adjust, and zip your coat over both of you to stay warm. This photo-tutorial will walk you through the steps of the carry. If you prefer video format, click here for a YouTube video of the exact same thing.

Part 1: Setting up the carry

Find the middle marker of your wrap. Bunch your wrap neatly.

Place the center marker at the middle of your lower back.

Take one tail and pin it between your knees to hold it still. Take the other tail up and over the opposite shoulder.

I find that the secret to getting this carry close to perfectly adjusted before putting in the baby is to take a moment at this step and do two things.
1. give the top edge of the wrap (the light blue shown in the picture) a bit more slack.
2. Take out a little slack from the bottom edge of the wrap (darker blue in the picture).

Behind you, bring the tail across your back in a diagonal and under the opposite arm. Spread it neatly and wide across your back for your comfort.

Pin the tail you just worked with between your knees and grab the other tail that you have been holding there.

Repeat the steps you just did with the other tail. First, bring the tail up and over the opposite shoulder. Take a moment to add a little slack to the top edge of the wrap and take out a little slack from the bottom edge of the wrap.

Bring this tail diagonally across your back and under the opposite arm. Spread the tail wide and neatly across your back.

Tie a loose half knot in front. You will make this a double knot later after you put in baby and do final adjustments.

Part 2: Popping the Baby into the Carry

First, make a little slack for the baby. Place your hands inside of the two cross passes, and pull straight down. This takes the slack from the center back piece and shoulder pieces and brings it to the front to give room for adding the baby.

Then pick up your baby and put him/her on your hip. Reach inside of the cross pass that is underneath (the first one you made) and use your hand to guide baby's leg through the cross pass.

Bring baby's leg through the first cross pass.

Repeat with the other leg. Now baby should be sitting on the two cross passes. Baby's knees should be slightly higher with his/her bottom.

Spread the cross pass that you made first (whichever one is underneath) from knee to knee on your baby and up across your baby's back. Make sure that the fabric extends all the way from one knee to the other on baby.

Repeat with the second cross pass. Spread it from one knee on baby all the way to the other knee and up across baby's back. Baby should be fully supported from knee to knee and across the back by both of these cross passes.

Step 3: Adjusting the Carry

At this point, you will most likely need to adjust. If you look at the picture above, you can see that the darker blue part of the wrap is kind of loose and the lighter blue part is really tight. Uneven tightness can cause strain or digging for either you or baby. Take a moment to adjust. First, untie the loose half-knot that you made.

Take out any excess slack that you feel by feeding it up toward your shoulder in the front and across your back. It is easiest to keep one hand under baby and lift up baby's weight while bouncing slightly and pulling out the slack that you feel. Take out slack from the top edge, middle of the wrap, and the bottom edge of the wrap. Do this on both sides.

When you feel it is nicely adjusted and the extra slack is gone, retie. Take both tails under your baby's legs and tie a double knot under baby's bottom.

Part 4: Taking Baby out of the Wrap

Pull the top cross pass down.

Pull the bottom cross pass down. Then simply lift baby out of the wrap.

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Wrapping Cheat Sheet

Cross Carries: Carries composed mostly of cross passes

Kangaroo Carries: Carries that start with a Ruck/Kangaroo Pass

Rebozo Carries: Carries that are composed mostly of rebozo passes

Mixed Pass Carries: These carries combine two or three pass types

Wrap Pass Glossary

Four Main Pass Types

Horizontal/Torso Pass

Ruck/Kangaroo Pass

Rebozo Pass

Cross Pass

Reinforcing and Bunched Passes

Reinforcing Cross Pass

Bunched Cross Pass

Bunched Horizontal Passes

Front Cross Carry Photo-Tutorial

Part 1: Setting up the carry

Part 2: Popping the Baby into the Carry

Step 3: Adjusting the Carry

Part 4: Taking Baby out of the Wrap

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