Diaper cover felting woes

[Henry's Mom]

I made a test swatch for a diaper cover that is not written as a felted pattern but I want to make it felted for a thicker/less pourous fabric.

The swatch-which will be perfect as a soaker under a diaper!- is very unstretchy which could be a problem especially around the waist and legs and the edges which I ribbed are weirdly uneven.

I don't know if I should give up on the felting idea, I worry about what special washing attention the cover will need-never in the machine, etc.

Has anyone knit a cover with natural wool? Were you able to wash it and not felt it? I guess I can think of lots of sweaters I have knit and washed that haven't felted but it seems that the cover will get a lot more washing then a sweater!

Any advice?
Rachel

[Throkmorton]

I have a ton of natural wool covers that I throw in the washer to lanolize and only a couple have really felted. That was the day i messed up laundry, but they were really thick to start with, so it just didn't matter.
Here is how I do it: I wash them on cold, in the delicate cycle, and lay flat to dry. If this doesn't work for you, I am not responsible, it works for me.
I knit a couple covers with white buffalo yarn, and then they felted in the wash. They only shrunk about 10-20% because of the yarn, and are now super thick. You would have to use a drawstring though, because ribbing just doesn't work with this thickness of yarn.

[hydrangea]

No, felted wool isn't stretchy.

I know someone who makes felted wool mittens, but for the cuffs she cuts cuffs off of thrift-shop gloves or mittens (that aren't completely wool) and sews them on. I have also seen a mitten pattern where the mitten was knit quite large in wool and the cuff was made true-to-size in a blend and then the whole mitten was felted -- the mitten part felted and the cuff did not. I think either of these ideas would work for diapers. You could maybe use waistbands or necklines from thrift-shop sweaters.

[Henry's Mom]

Thanks for both your ideas.
I think I am going to knit a nonfelted cover and see how it holds up.
I love the idea of using old sweater cuffs and waist bands, one could create some funky covers!
Am knitting a great norweigan style sweater for my 2 year old that is hard to put down to knit this cover!
Rachel