making wool covers without wool!

[fayking]

my sister is due on saturday and i am building a stash for her...heehee so much fun! i keep reading how great wool is but as a vegan its just not something i feel comfortable buying/using...
so i wondered if any of you had any other ideas of what fabric/yarn etc i could use instead...(my partner is a pretty good knitter)
or should i just stick to PUL and fleece??

thanks

[mehndi mama]

Acrylic should work okay - it doesn't have the same properties as wool, but it does work well as a cover.
The other option would be to use recovered wool - secondhand sweaters - to sew wool soakers. Not sure how you feel about that - I know a few vegans that won't buy new wool/leather, but will buy it secondhand.

[fayking]

if i used Acrylic would i still need to 'treat' it in some way like wool? (lanolin)
i guess using secondhand wool might be an idea too but i dont know if i could deal with the whole lanolin thing! is there another way you can look after wool?

[carrietorgc]

i think you can use a wool wash like eucalan to both wash and lanolize at the same time.

[fayking]

i guess its more that i dont want to use anything with lanolin in it...cos i feel that it belongs to the sheep and not to me!

[moondiapers]

I seem to remember seeing a yarn website where the sheep weren't sheared. They were pets, and they would "pick" the wool from the sheep. Basically it's like saving the hair from when you brush your dog. It doesn't hurt the sheep, it's part of necessary grooming practice. They also "trimmed" them to keep their coats managable and spun that fiber into yarn. I'm going to see if I can track down that website for you. I don't have my favorites list anymore. But it'd be interesting to see if they also have lanolin that's been taken from the "picked" wool.


-Heather

[Book Addict Jen]

You may feel it belongs to the sheep, But sheep wool grows continuously, and if it is not shorn it can cause a variety of problems for the sheep. Overheating, wool maggots, skin scalding, urine and feces-logged wool that can lead to fly strike, and heavy rain-logged wool that pulls at the skin and causes sores are just some of the problems that occur if wool is left on the sheep. So it needs to be removed for the health of the sheep. So by shearing, we are actually doing the sheep a favor & protecting his/her health. The lanolin is removed when it is off the sheep.

I used to be intimidated by lanolizing too. I got liquid lanoiln & it is real easy!

[BinahYeteirah]

bs"d

I used second-hand wool covers and use olive oil to "lanolize." Works for me!

HTH!

[kfranceschi]

Acrylic soakers don't need to be lanolized. I've made several for the girls & really like them. They don't absorb any liquid, and so they act as a barrier. That's a bit different than the wool, which is highly absorbant. You can throw them in the washer though; it's great for the runny poo! Plus the acrylic yarn is inexpensive. I think they're a great part of any stash.

[fayking]

Originally Posted by Diaper_Addict_Jen

You may feel it belongs to the sheep, But sheep wool grows continuously, and if it is not shorn it can cause a variety of problems for the sheep. Overheating, wool maggots, skin scalding, urine and feces-logged wool that can lead to fly strike, and heavy rain-logged wool that pulls at the skin and causes sores are just some of the problems that occur if wool is left on the sheep. So it needs to be removed for the health of the sheep. So by shearing, we are actually doing the sheep a favor & protecting his/her health. The lanolin is removed when it is off the sheep.

I used to be intimidated by lanolizing too. I got liquid lanoiln & it is real easy!

i am aware of this...but most sheeps wool continues to grow because they have been bred to produce as much wool as possible, not much fun for the sheep...Sheep were probably the first animal species to be domesticated by humans,some 10,000 years ago. A sheep today is the result of many centuries of selective breeding and bears little resemblance to its wild ancestors... (for more info on why vegans dont use wool see www.vegansociety.com)

anyways i dont really want a debate on using wool etc...i am a vegan and find the use of animals for human benefits horrible. i am mainly concerned with finding an alternative, not why i choose not to use wool.

[fayking]

Acrylic sounds like the way to go...i must send dp out to buy some and get her knitting! and maybe some secondhand wool (undecided about that one) and olive oil!

[momtokay]

yup acrylic!! you could make some darling acrylic soakers. and hopefully someone can correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe they are machine washable. and they don't require any lanolin or other animal products to take care of them!! as for care, wool soakers only need to be washed every couple of weeks or when they get soiled, but acrylic will need to be washed much more frequently probably every couple times they are worn. newborn soakers sound like so much fun! happy knitting (for your partner).

[kfranceschi]

I throw ours in the wash when they smell like urine. Just the same as our microfleece/pul wraps. In fact, the acrylic soakers get the same treatment that my wraps do - washed, dried. Best of all, Dh can't felt them!

[bikruca]

No need to explain your reasoning, I completely understand what you mean! I have actually been expecting a thread like this to come up. I figured there must be a lot of CD'ing moms who are vegan.

I have seen a lot of acrylic soakers on E-bay and the bonus is that it is a lot cheaper than wool plus you can find it EVERYWHERE, it will also wear better.

here are some recent threads discussing acrylic soakers


http://www.mothering.com/discussions...acrylic+soaker

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...acrylic+soaker

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...acrylic+soaker

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...acrylic+soaker


As far as 'natural' covers that are breathable, I don't know of anything else.. sorry!

Your sister is lucky she has you to buid a nice stash for her! Wish your sister good luck!

[JennInSeattle]

Moving to Sewing and Crafts