can't use wool,what alternatives are there?

[mamajo2004]

I was going to have my grandma knit some wool soakers, but I found out that she has a sensitivity to wool and can't use it.

What kind of alternatives are there? She is going to make one with cotton, does this do well?

What about hemp yarn? Can you find a hemp yarn soft enough? Also, I've never used hemp, would there be stink issues or anything?

Thanks!

[LuvMy2Kidz]

Hemp yarn feels like twine, definitely NOT soft enough. Cotton will not be waterproof as a diaper cover. You CAN use acryllic though

[mamajo2004]

I didn't think the cotton would do the trick, but I didn't have the heart to tell her no either lol I guess its what she used to use back in the day....

About the hemp, I found this, http://www.aurorasilk.com/shop/hemp-yarn-fawn.shtml It says its wearably soft and not scratchy, but just how soft I don't know. I like that hemp has the antibacterial properties.

Will acrylic work for a night time cover as well? I know it sometimes depends on whether or not the baby is a heavy wetter...but we're still waiting on that info (baby is due 4/16).

Maybe I should just take up knitting myself lol I'm frugal, and I'd learn how to knit wool soakers before I went and spent $30 on them lol

[Throkmorton]

Actually, a lot of vintage soakers are knit out of cotton. They work fine for day as long as they are very, very tightly knit. Your grandma probably already knows that.
Acrylic "soakers" kind of work like polar fleece. You can use nikwax waterproofer to make them last through the night.

Steph

[mamajo2004]

Thanks for the tip on vintage soakers made out of cotton being ok for daytime - now I'll have a little confidence using the one she is already going to make. I'm a SAHM....literally, I'm rarely go out during the day so it wont be too hard to change a wet one immediately.

[kathryn5kids]

Ya know I always wanted to learn how to knit as well, but really I can't afford to take a class right now. New house bills, etc. Anyhow I found this awsome website that has free videos online to show you how to knit. I figured it out so I'm sure you could too.
Hope you like this:

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/how-tos.html
http://www.fiberartshop.com/knclbg.htm

[mamajo2004]

Thanks, those look like great sources for learning to knit. I was searching briefly before but didn't find much at all....these classes will be great, plus I'm sure my grandma wouldn't mind teaching me a bit....

[boobykinmamma]

I crocheted an acrylic soaker, and it worked great--very inexpensive, too, and there are some great multicolored yarns available from Red Heart--it would cost about $2 for a soaker. DD has worn it all night several times, and no leaks.

[Knittin' in the Shade]

cotton and/or hemp won't work. they are absorbent (which is whythey make great diapers, LOL, jsut not great covers)

To be honest, all too often when i talk to older women they say they are allergic to wool, when in reality it's just that they got irritated (contact dermatitis) from the scraty wools that used to be available. I have had more than a few students tell me they are allergic to wool, and when I give them samples of my yarn (I encorage them to put it inside the elastic of their undies against their skin for a while to see what happens), they fall in loe. No allergies, no contact dermatitis. Nothing-just sheer wool love, LOL!

So, perhaps you might encorage your grandma to give the new, softer wools a chance? Buy a skein and have her work with it a bit and see if she's okay.

[mamajo2004]

I'll do that. Any suggestion for a wool to try? I could only find one type locally at Hobby Lobby (walmart had none at all) I don't remember exactly what it was called, but it had the word fisher or fisherman in it. It felt pretty soft....