Top to bottom: Didymos AHI Anthracite Hemp Indio, Kiesel-Natur Indio cotton, Zinc Indio cotton, Inda Jani Fular Tiil Blanco
The bottom photo is the closest to true color.... the action shots the grey of the wrap has a bit of a green hue, which isn't true in real life. It is a warm grey, but not green.
I am about 21 weeks pregnant in the above photos (taken in mid July).
Didymos is a brand of baby carriers that has been around possibly longer than any other, as far as woven wraps go. I'm not a history buff, but it's something like thirty or forty years they have been making wraps.
The Indio is one of Didymos (or Didy)'s most classic patterns. It has stood the test of time, being one of the first patterns they produced, and still in production today. The Indio is just the pattern however. Indio wraps come in many combinations of natural fibers, including linen, cotton, hemp, silk, and wool. They also come in a plethora of colors. Choose your favorite color combination, and most likely there is an Indio to match.
It is one of my very favorite patterns I have tried. It is classic and simple and beautiful. The weave also lends itself to being fairly breathable, yet somehow also supportive. Support without thick heat is always a plus for wearers living in hot climates.
I am drawn to greys and blue/greens as I dress, so I have been hunting for just the right grey wrap to convert into a mei tai for our upcoming baby. This is one of the ones I tried, in that journey.
From what I have learned, Didymos has made several greyish and whitish Indios with the name Kiesel. Some are pure cotton, and some are a linen blend. They vary in thickness as well. This makes it difficult to know "which" Kiesel you might be trying, since usually, the names of the Indios are a bit more unique to help identify them (since there are so many).
After chatting with a mama who has owned several variations of Kiesel, we determined that this one was Kiesel-Natur. From what I have gathered, Kiesel-Natur is particularly thin, even as Indios go, and has a warm hue to the grey. It is actually the thinnest Indio I've felt so far, with Holunder-Aqua being a close runner up. Kiesel-Grau, however, is significantly thicker and squishier, and a bit cooler grey. I haven't tried that one yet, but a mama I talked to has tried both Kiesel-Natur and Kiesel-Grau, and said they are very different (grau cooler grey and thicker).
Also in the stack I show, the third down is Zinc Indio, which is a linen blend, and considered one of the thicker, cushier Indios.
I tried this one quite some time ago...
Zinc is a slightly cool grey, and a bit deeper, more saturated hue, so it appears darker and more contrasting overall than Kiesel. It is thicker and cushier, by far, although by no means a "thick" wrap. The linen in the blend makes it more supportive for a heavier child.
It also means extra care in washing, as powder detergent apparently can get into the linen fibers and slowly disintegrate them. I use liquid for my wraps, but powder for everything else, so I have to remember to put the right soap in the wash when laundering my carriers!
Zinc is really a fantastic wrap, and lives up to its classic hype. It is one of the several I tried out, in my efforts to locate a greyish wrap for my mei tai conversion.
It "breaks in" soft and floppy, and was solid and supportive once wrapped. I truly love the color and pattern.
In the end, neither of these made the cut for me mei tai conversion. Kiesel-Natur was too thin, and I decided against Zinc because of the linen content, as I expect to more frequently wash a mei tai being used for a newborn, and didn't want to be worried about using the wrong detergent and hurting the wrap. Also, the Indio pattern is discouraged for use in converted mei tais or SSC carriers by some, because of the loose weave. It can be done, but apparently requires extra skill and reinforcing, so that all the weight bearing seams have stitched adequately through various threads to make a strong seam. Usually wraps that have a more dense weave are easier to convert, for this reason.
