Double Hammock Series: Tied At Shoulder

You can tie it in the front. You can tie it in the back. And guess what, you can tie on the side!

In my previous Double Hammock Tied Under Bum, I talked about contact points. These are places during the wrapping process where you could naturally tie the tails to secure the carry. We have addressed two of the three major spots already—waist (front) and back (under bum). The third major spot is at your shoulder. This is a big of a misnomer to me, because you are really tying somewhere around your collar bone and not really on your shoulder. I am not sure tying on/at your actual shoulder would even be possible…like it would just slide right off. Anyways, shoulder/ collar bone, the name isn’t that important.

What is important is learning how to tie your Double Hammock at this new contact point. Why would you want to tie at the shoulder? There are quite a few reasons! Similar to Tied Under Bum, this can be done with a shorter than base wrap. This way you can still get the support of a Double Hammock without needing to switch to a longer wrap. There is no bulky knot at your waist either.

In my photos, I am using the same base +0.5 wrap. This carry usually is done with a base -1. It’s usually not possible to do with a shoulder wrap, but can still be done with a longer wrap, it just as longer dangling tails like in my photos.

The carry starts off like a basic Double Hammock. Start off center, baby up, make seat, bring longer tail under your arm, torso pass across your chest, sling pass over baby with tail over your shoulder, and tighten.

I would like to add that if you are a stickler for perfection, you probably noticed that my tails are pretty uneven if you start off center at the basic length. If you want your tails more even, try doubling your off center distance.

This is where the variation begins. Rather than bring the both tails around for two cross passes, you do a horizontal bunched pass. Bring the longer tail under your arm, and over both of baby’s legs, and to your front.

Remove any remaining slack and bring the longer tail up to your collar bone. Use the shorter tail as your base to tie off.

Tie a double knot by looping the longer tail around the shorter tail. Take your time and get it secure.

And there you go, you tied the wrap off at shoulder…or collar bone…whatever!

This variation is really wonderful for leaners. The bunched horizontal pass helps lock baby in at the knees, making it harder for them to lean over and mess up your wrap job.

This variation, like Tied Under Bum, tends to go a little quicker. Making it easier to wrap up a fussy baby. You have all the support but a little less work to get that Double Hammock happiness.

I love doing this carry with a longer wrap. I think the tails hanging down the side looks more elegant. It’s a great way to show off a beautiful wrap.

Now we have done the three major contact points for a Double Hammock! We can move on to more intricate things! Check out the rest of my Double Hammock Series: