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My first…soaker. « »
To those of us who are new to the whole cloth-diapering world, the word “soaker” being used to describe a diaper cover is just gross.
But that that’s what it’s called.
And there are a million and a half free soaker patterns on the internet.
So (and they tell me this is true) apparently, you can put a cloth diaper on a baby, then put a pair of wool undies on top of that…and it won’t leak. You have to wash the wool undies in a lanolin mixture first, but isn’t that interesting? That wool is as waterproof as some other manmade stuff? I love wool.
I used the cast on number from this pattern and then “winged it.”
MODS:
Instead of doing the k1 p1 stitch pattern, I worked mine all in stockinette. I also did a more decorative decrease method at the edges (slip the first stitch, k1, skp, k to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2) on every RS row.I picked up a multiple of 4 sts for the waistband and worked that in k2p2 ribbing, making eyelets for the draw cord in every P rib, about 1 inch up. Also picked up for ribbing at legholes.
Main part is regular worsted yarn (maybe Brown Sheep naturespun?) that I dyed with KoolAid, and the ribbing is all Malabrigo merino worsted. The photos are kind of technicolor again…because when I get home from work I go to SLEEP. Then I can get up for a couple hours and do some stuff, like take photos…in the dark.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 7th, 2007 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Patterns, baby. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
15 Responses to “My first…soaker.”
I’ve always found the term ‘Soaker’ a bit gross too. I guess it’s just one of those things you get used to when having a kid, like wiping someone else’s bottom. Babies are a package deal. No cute baby feet without the soakers, too, I guess.
Yeah, soaker sounds a bit gross. Maybe you could call them “covers” or something like that, but then again, why not just let the word be what it is and learn how to deal with it being what it is (I don’t know).
I love how you used “winged it” to describe how you did the pattern. Whenever I see that I also think of using “I just wung it.”
Oh well, so much for slang getting even more slanged.
And, BTW, those are some cute soakers!
They really do work! My little one lived in soakers and “longies” (wool pants) for nearly the first 3 years of his life.
) I just love a soft cloth covered baby bottom instead of the plastic/papery feel of a disposable diaper. The soaker looks great, btw. 
)
Nowhere near as gross as cloth diapers. I was bound and determined to use cloth diapers with my first. I signed up for the diaper service, invested in diaper covers, convinced my husband. And then the baby came. and I discovered a whole new world of leaky diapers, changing a wet diaper every 10 minutes, and raging diaper rash. The straw that broke the camel’s back, though, was the day my husband decided to do a load of baby laundry, reached into the wrong (oh, so wrong) hamper, shoulder deep, and came up with about ten week-old poopy diapers stuck to his arm. I switched to disposables and never looked back. My husband still shudders at the thought of cloth diapers! And–perhaps coincidentally, has never done a load of laundry since.
I like the decreases
Cloth diapers are still such an odd idea to me. I had no idea they were still being used until friends of mine had babies.. and there are diaper washing services! Amazing….
Lovely! I long to make these when I am pregnant….I can’t quite figure out why though! I love the colors together and I can’t wait to see the soaker on the little one!
Where do you get the Lanolin to soak it in?
Not a mom, so I haven’t tried this for “soakers” but I would try my absolute fave wool wash Eucalan.
http://www.eucalan.com/
It contains lanolin and is a leave in wool wash. You can get it in lavender as well which just screams happy baby to me.
The whole cloth diaper thing fascinates me. I still don’t understand how the soaker doesn’t leak, even with the lanolin. Is the fabric just knit super tight?
Soakers need a new cute, non gross name… hmm…
Oh, scraps are great for soakers. That’s one thing I knit up when I’m trying to get rid of remnants. I use Eucalan to wash mine and then spin them dry in the washer. We use Bum Genius diapers for the most part, although we used diapers that I made and prefolds with covers in the newborn stages. I put the soakers on at night now that my baby’s almost a year so that she doesn’t soak through the sheets. But that usually means we wash soakers frequently…
I also wanted to “go cloth”, especially since I’d been such a good hippie and even worked for Friends of the Earth. That was when one of my fellow co-workers pointed out that not only did cloth diapers harbor hideous rash critters, they weren’t all that great for the environment. The energy (electric-coal fired) needed to wash and sterilize a cloth diaper pretty much zeros out any environmental benefit to using them. Now, has anyone come up with a good biodegradable paper diaper?
oh for goodness sakes… email me at pamelamama on my gmail account and I’ll get you some soaker patterns to play with!
Tres chic!
Thanks guys! This was a fun one…and the pattern’s so basic it’s easy to go crazy with the details.
I hope the baby actually wears it! (I’m begging him / her daily not to be allergic to wool!)
I own a soaker/longie shop online and I must say I LOVE wool on babies!~
I cloth diapered my now potty learned daughter (she just turned 2) and it seriously isn’t as hard as people make it out to be. Diaper services are NOt as easy as doing it yourself. I had 20 diapers and I could go about 2-3 days without washing. My house never smelt of poo or wee and my daughter NEVER had a nappy rash. If you really want some great info join the livejournal clothdiapering community. The women on there are so knowledgable and awesome.
Cloth diapering is by far one of the best investments I did with my daughter. After 2 months my diapers paid for them myself. Ohh and not very many kids are allergic to wool. and if they are, acrylic ( i know its not as nice as wool) works well to. You can use cashmere, alpaca and peacefleece makes AMAZING woolies, you can even machine wash them!
yeah for going cloth!!!!
You know, I still find it incredibly unbelievable that most environmental groups are still so far in the dark about the latest research and developments in cloth diapers. Cloth doesn’t harbour rash critters and are best sanitised by the sun. Far more water and power is used in the production of throw away plastic nappies than in washing cloth. at least 90% of cloth diapers are made using sustainable crops such as bamboo and hemp.
Anyway, I love the soaker. You’re in for a whole world of addiction that is soaker, shorties and longies knitting LOL