Wool Liner Helper

   It seems like most people cloth diaper because they are "Earth Smart" or something like that.

   I have to admit that our reason  for cloth diapering was purely convenience. It seemed easier to wash diapers than to constantly go out and buy more.

   So when my daughter was constantly SOAKING through her double lined diapers at night, I got desperate and bought disposables for the night time.

   The funny thing about that is, we ran out, and had to buy more! NOOOOO!

   So I researched! I found that wool is terrifically absorbant so I grabbed my leftover wool and forged a liner in hopes that it would fix the wetting problem AND the having to buy "night time" diaper problem.

   AND IT DID! WOOOO!

I made as a quick fix for now to fit her Charlie Banana pocket diapers (which I do not recommend if you're wondering). Later I plan on making some wool soakers and double knitted cotton liners.

ABOUT THE PATTERN:
I made this liner with a garter stitch boarder with a single line of purled stockinette st to prevent it from curling in the diaper. For the body I used a stockinette st because of this blog post where she says the smoother pattern holds more fluids.



MATERIALS!

Needles:
I used
Size 6 (4.25 mm) Single point needles


Yarn:
I used
Cascade Yarns Cloud, Cinnamon color
(Not sure the yardage or oz. It was a palm sized left-over ball from some pumpkin hats!)
HOWEVER next I will use  
Cascade Yarns 128 Superwash 
because it's washable and I don't plan on lanolizing it, I want to wash them with the diapers. 

Winged Pattern:

CO 38
(Garter st boarder to prevent curling)
K 4 rows

Row 1: K3, P1, knit to last 4, P1, Klast 3
Row 2: K4, Purl to last 4, K4

Repeat rows 1&2 until desired length of widest part of liner. To fit my Charlie Bananas, I did 3”

Decreases :

On the next Row 1/Knit row
K3, P1, K2tog, K to last 6, K2tog, P1, K last 3 (36 sts)

repeat Row 2
repeat Row 1
repeat Row 2

Repeat Dec row:
K3, P1, K2tog, K to last 6, K2tog, P1, K last 3 (34 sts)

repeat Row 2
repeat Row 1
repeat Row 2

Repeat Dec row:
K3, P1, K2tog, K to last 6, K2tog, P1, K last 3 (32 sts)

Repeat Rows 1 & 2 for desired length. For my liner I just used my wool until it was about gone and ended up with 5".

(End with garter st boarder to prevent curling)
K 4 rows

Straight Liner Pattern:

Co 32 st


(Garter st boarder to prevent curling)
K 4 rows

Row 1: K3, P1, knit to last 4, P1, Klast 3
Row 2: K4, Purl to last 4, K4

Repeat Rows 1 & 2 for desired length of liner

 (End with garter st boarder to prevent curling)
K 4 rows

Baby Stuff!

My third child is due Sept 13 so I've been super busy knitting.

I'm looking into knitted soakers, but I'm not sure how intense having three diaper pieces might be.

Knitting class?

   So many people have asked me to teach them how to knit that I'm tossing around the idea of doing a knitting class.

   I'd be $10 and go for 3-5 days (or however long it takes to finish the project).
   First day we'd be going to the craft store to buy our supplies (included in the $10), talk about needle sizes, and how to pick your yarn based on your project, yarn weight and material.
   Since I'd be working with beginners, I'd go with the famous and easy to memorize Diagonal Dishcloth.
  I have a big giant notebook I'd write the pattern on as we went.


   In book news, I've gotten the text done and edited it twice. I've gotten orders in to my artist and I've finished the page graphics so I think it's safe to start working on the doll while I wait for the illustrations. I'd like to put a picture of her on the cover.

   It's really coming along nicely. I'm excited to start on the next one. :)

Look at this!

Ohmugawd he's sooooo cute! (cue girl squeal)

   So I'm working on a shhh secret project(s) where I'm taking this pattern and then I plan on embroidering them into sugar skulls for the next day of the dead! Woo!

   I will have a new 3 mo old and I'm not sure how big it's head will be then, but I don't have any done yet so I guess I'll worry about that later.

  My doll supplies are here, and I'm forcing myself to wait until my book is done before I start making any.

   I got the robot princess's hat done and she is excited for the scarf. Silly girl! It's almost summer!

Winter Set for my Robot Princess

   Let's start off with an interesting note.
   Interesting Note: I'm actually a pretty learned writer, but somehow when I try to say "pattern" for knitting, "diagram," or really any set of instructions, my mouth always manages to say "recipe."
   I could type "pattern" whenever I mean it, but that would be dishonest, so if you're a word/grammar nazi, please leave now. I'd hate to break your day!

   I've knitted things for myself before. I look at the recipe, pick the size that is the closest to my measurements and have at it! Recently though, I took a glove recipe that I'm very familiar with and TAILORED it to myself!
   I cast on for a kid's glove because I have tiny wrists, made it just long enough and all the fingers are exactly the right size! Ooooh, It's great!
   If you have the talent, I would highly recommend making yourself something perfect like that. If not, I'm thinking it's worth it to get something professionally tailored. IT'S SO AWESOME!!
   There is, however, a problem; I don't have the brain power to make the mate!

   I tried to do some baby legwarmers, which was the same recipe I finished before I started the gloves, but that was too much to! :S

   Luckily, my oldest daughter requested a hat, scarf and glove set. I started with the hat and somehow, it's working out so I'm just going to go with it. She wants the same gloves that I'm having problems with so I'll do them last!
   Not sure what it was about the warm spring weather with all the tulips coming up that made her want a winter set, but I can't complain.

   My other project right now is much bigger. I'm making soft body doll sets based on historical figures with books that answer all those questions my daughter asks.
   "What did Cleopatra eat for breakfast?"
   "What was it like when George Washington was a kid?"
   "What kind of toys did (everyone she's ever heard of) play with?"

   I'm sure she isn't the only little kid asking these questions so I'm sure a few other parents would gladly buy a book that answer them in kid-friendly words instead doing the hours of research I've done!

   I'm working on a book for Cleopatra (the seventh) at my daughter's request right now and I've discovered that some of those questions are hard to answer! What kind of bed DID Cleopatra have as a kid? Other ancient Egyptian kids had pets, but did SHE have a dog?

   The doll supplies are coming in the mail and if I wasn't sleep deprived I'd be wriggling with antici. . . . . . . . pation!

   Good luck with your own hobbies!

Breezy!

Dolls!

I crocheted a doll from Melanie Blak' Pattern, Human Amigurumi. Mine came out with a cartoonishly large head, an ugly, lumpy nose and I'm not sure if the belly and rump are where they are supposed to be.

   I will certainly try it again for my daughters, but I've discovered that crocheting too much really hurts my hand so I don't think I'll be able to use them for the historical sets that I was planning on using them for.


 

Many blogs, yes

I decided that my current blog, they really lived, is too random to put my crafts on, so they now get their own special little place to keep things organized!

Welcome to my crafty blog! I will be putting things on here when I make them.