covers out of sweaters? - Page 2

[rightbrainroot]

Originally Posted by blueberrymama

Thanks for that quick response Kari mom!
So you only wash them 1 time?
I washed/dry a couple of other sweaters about 4 times before for this and it made them so small and thick that my 7 month old wouldn't have been able to wear them as sweaters!
I was wondering how people that make and sell them could keep them looking so light weight!
Have you ever made your own soakers out of sweaters?
I want to make some like WoolyBottoms.
I just purchased 8 really nice wool sweaters today at the Salvation Army for 99 cents each! Score!!! One even has an American flag on it in country colors.
I can't wait for them to come out of the dryer!!!
I guess I just sew them and then lanolize and I'm in business. )
Thanks again!!!
Julie

I'm looking for directions on how to make "wooly bottoms" also. (free would be nice!) I'm new here and new to diaper making (haven't made any covers yet, but need to.) Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

[boodafli]

so, for recycled wool, is felting better? or should i not felt? i'm so confused.

[mackysmama]

Originally Posted by boodafli

so, for recycled wool, is felting better? or should i not felt? i'm so confused.

I'm new here too and have been following the thread and don't understand the purpose of felting? I try to avoid felting the wool covers I've purchased? I once accidently felted a wool sweater and it turned out to look like a doll sweater.

Do I have to felt?

[Kari_mom]

No, you do not have to felt. Both felted and unfelted wool work fine for diapering. I felt some sweaters and not others, and when I do felt I felt lightly, not to the doll sweater stage at all.

Felting does pack more wool fiber into the same space, so it can be more "bulletproof" as a cover especially for overnight. Sometimes sweaters soften up when you felt them a bit. Felted wool does not unravel. And if you are interested in wool that can be machine washed and does not need lanolizing, heavily felted wool works best.

I do not felt sweaters that are of very soft wool like cashmere, that are tightly and finely knit, and that are exactly the right size for my project as they are. You lose a lot of sweater when you felt, you might end up making shorts when you wanted pants, kwim?

Does that help clear it up?

[mackysmama]

Originally Posted by Kari_mom

Does that help clear it up?

YES! Thank you very much. I'm going to try to make some longies this week.

[jillybeans]

I agree w/ kari_mom that you felt some and don't felt others. Feel the weight of the wool in your hand, and stretch it. If it's super loose weave, it's probably worth it to felt a bit. Sometimes, I only wash in hot if I want a slight felt, but other times I do both the washer and dryer. I'm experimenting w/ patterns now, and I agree with pp's that you just use an existing cloth dipe pattern and enlarge it a bit. A tip for sweater shopping....check out the men's aisle. Happy sewing!