[mcmrymoon]

there are so many wool yarns out there. can any of the them be used for soakers? do i need to lanolize them? how about the blends (wool and something else)?

basically i'm trying to figure out if i can walk into my lys - pick a wool yarn based on color and it will work as a diaper cover.

oh - also - i want to make wool pants for ds. i want them to be nice and soft - but also function as a cover. any recommendations for a yarn?

 

[Alison]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcmrymoon basically i'm trying to figure out if i can walk into my lys - pick a wool yarn based on color and it will work as a diaper cover.

That's pretty much what I did! I looked for something with a lot of lanolin in it--you can tell by feel and smell--something that looked natural. So far, it worked for my soaker. I don't know if you could use just anything, but anything pretty natural, not too processed, should work, I think. I did some research on different websites, and some say anything 100% wool, other sites say that blends work find as well, still others say to stay away from machine washable. The freebie version of the Fern and Faerie pattern actually recommends a blend.

Have fun

Alison

 

[tboroson]

You won't find wools with a good deal of lanolin in your LYS because it's mostly removed for processing, particularly for dyeing. But, you can relanolinize them easily. (I just got some gorgeous natural, handspun wool with tons of lanolin from an MDC mama in Finland. The lanolin made my hands *so soft* just while winding the hank into a center-pull ball

) Lanolin will also improve the feel of the wool, helping reduce it's scratchiness. Lanolin is only one aspect of wool's waterproof-ness, though - the important thing is the structure of the fiber, and that isn't affected by the processing. So, don't worry about how much lanolin is in it at time of purchase.

You will get the best results from 100% wool, and very good results from a blend of wool and another animal fiber (i.e. mohair or alpaca) which may actually have a nicer feel to them. I have no confidence in a blend with any synthetic, and a blend with a very absorbant plant fiber (cotton, linen, hemp, ramie) is a recipe for disaster. Again, it has to do with the structure of the wool. Wool does not wick moisture easily, but it does breathe easily. Have you ever looked at a piece of hair under a microscope? It's all scaly. Wool is like that, but even scalier. Those scales stand up from the fiber like this:

\ \ \ \ \ \
------------------
/ / / / /

All running in one direction. When two of those fibers come together, the scales lock into one another. Thus, they hold on to one another (and to all other fibers locking on to either of them.) There is plenty of airspace to let air evaporate, but none of it contiguous enough to actually wick via capillary action very well. Lanolin helps reduce wicking even further by greasing up and kind of plugging some of those airspaces... but if you saturate it enough, it will diminish the breathability of the fabric.

As for kinds of wool, I guess you mean weight. Personally, I wouldn't use anything lighter than worsted - even if the yarn isn't wicking moisture, if the fabric is very thin, you can force water (urine) through it. I wouldn't go as heavy as a bulky wool, unless you're making a really thick one for nighttime use. "Traditional" worsted weight yarn is specified as 220 yards per 100 grams, 5.5 stitches per inch. But, there is some slight variation there - you can get heavier worsteds.

For the wool pants, it depends on how heavy you want them. Brown Sheep makes a nice wool/mohair blend (85/15 I think) that is really soft. But, it's a really dense heavy worsted. If you want something a bit lighter, Cascade makes several different wools in perfect worsted weight and alot of gorgeous shades. Their basic line is Cascade 220, they also have a gorgeous wool/alpaca blend. You can get Brown Sheep at Ewe and I in Bryn Mawr (I didn't like the attitude of the folks at that place, though,) or up in Bethlehem (I can't remember the name of the store, but it's right on Main Street.) Knitting Studio in Phoenixville carries Cascade. I can't remember which brands Lamb's Wool in Lansdale carries, but they have an excellent selection.

 

[mcmrymoon]

tara - thanks for the info!!!! i always forget its you until you start spewing names of local towns :LOL you freak me out everytime!

 

[lizabird]

I have used Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool yarn. It's available at A.C. Moore and Michaels Craft Stores around here, and it claims to have lanolin still in it. It's not super soft, but it's pretty nice, I have used it for knit soakers and it works pretty well too.

 

[Knittin' in the Shade]

Hey! Where are you, Tara? I'm down in Delaware County!! I'm shocked that you said this:

Quote:

Brown Sheep at Ewe and I in Bryn Mawr (I didn't like the attitude of the folks at that place, though,)

Iv'e had nothing but wonderful service from the ladies at Ewe & !. Now, Busybodies, in Bryn Mawr, don't even get me started on them

Have you ever been to Technicolor Sheep in Havertown. It's teeny tiny and very cramped, but I've got friends who swear it's a great place (I couldn't deal with the clutter the one time I went and haven't gone back since.) I really like Woolcotts down here near me, in Media. But my fave *local* place is Wool Gathering, in Kennett Square. Oh, it's wool heaven! They only sell natural fibers, and just to walk into that place is a sensual experience.

So, who's up for a near-to-Philly knit in at my house this summer?

 

[mcmrymoon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knittin' in the Shade So, who's up for a near-to-Philly knit in at my house this summer?

i'll bring the wine!

(ok - pretend its a merlot)

 

[Knittin' in the Shade]

Awesome!!!

I've got the yarn, LOL

 

[tboroson]

Theresa - we've chatted before, on the "Knitters check in" thread

Yes, I'm also near Philly.

I stopped into Ewe and I once when I was early for a Birth Center appointment, I had Talia (2 yo) with me. They were teaching an embroidery class at a huge table right inside the entry door. I had to squeeze around the table and the participants to get around the shop; I felt like I was constantly interupting even though I was just going about my own business. Worse, I felt like I had to keep Talia clamped down tight to keep *her* from interfering. I felt like they should have moved the classroom to the smaller room in the back where I found most of the nice yarns, and moved the yarns out into the large, central room where we entered the store. The environment made me uncomfortable, and I associated that discomfort with the folks running the shop. It wasn't anything specifically rude, just that the place was set up in a way that made me feel like an intruder instead of a customer. Ultimately, all I bought was a bottle of Eucalan. When I went to check out, while there seemed to be a lot of women working the shop, they spent an awful lot of time with the woman ahead of me without taking my order concurrently. Again, the counter was right in front of the class table, so I felt like I couldn't hold a conversation with the clerk helping me, and at that point Talia had found something that thrilled her (a display of magnifying spectacles,) and I was having a tough time keeping her as quiet and still as seemed proper in the environment. So, I was really frustrated with the whole checkout proceedure...

I haven't been to Technicolor Sheep, but I will look for it the next time I'm down that way. I need to pick up some mead yeast, and there is a brewshop there, so maybe I'll make an adventure of it sometime soon