Recyled Wool Longies

Wool diaper covers are perfect for holding in wetness and preventing leaks. Wool can absorb up to 30 percent of its own weight in moisture before it becomes really damp. While wool can absorb moisture (water vapor), it repels liquids. The scales on the outside of the fiber cause liquid to roll off the surface of the wool fabric. (http://www.wool.com/about.php?id=6)

Wool also, being completely breathable, maintains normal body temperature - not too hot, not too cold - thereby greatly reducing the risk of diaper rash associated with heat and bacterial growth. Wool covers are perfect over fitted style cloth diapers as well as prefold diapers. Wool can also be the perfect nighttime solution when used over diapers. One of the wonderful benefits of wool diaper covers is that they do not need to be washed after each use. An unstained cover can be used at least six to eight times between washes (http://www.wool.com/about.php?id=6)

Wool is a must for most cloth diapering parents. Yet, wool is expensive. Most wool covers cost a pretty penny and a lot of cloth diapering parents on a budget may not be able to afford a good pair of wool longies or even a wool soaker to use for their child. Now their is a solution, creating your own wool diaper cover out of an old sweater!

To create a pair of wool longies out of a sweater, first find a sweater that is 100 percent wool. To make a toddler pair of longies you will need to find a sweater in a women size large or for bigger toddlers you may need to move to men's. The best way to experiment and find the best that works for you. I tend to go to my local Goodwill to look for sweaters, you can find some really amazing deals on cheap wool sweaters there. I got three 100% wool sweaters for $1.99 or les! you can not go wrong with that.

Felt the recycled soft 100% wool sweater by washing in hot water and drying two or three times. This will prevent your longies from getting little fuzz balls and make them look as good as new.

Next lay your sweater flat with sleeve extended. The sleeve of the sweater will be the leg of your longies. Cut both sleeves of the sweater off in the same place (I use a measuring tap to make sure) using a pair of sharp scissors or an exactor knife. You will now have to long pant legs. Lay sleeves flat next to each other with straight sides toward the outside and taper toward the inside. Next grab a pair of pants that fit your child well and place them next to the sleeves of the wool sweater. Using the pair of pants as a guide, cut the sleeves down to create the crotch of the pants. Using a pair of pants that fit your child well will help you get a perfect fit.

Pin pieces together to create your longies. This is where you'll need to guess on how much you need to take in. I normally take the sleeves in about 1.5" to 2" inches on both the front and the back of the longies to make the wool small enough to fit my child. You may need to make them a bit bigger if you have an extremely chunky toddler/infant or even a little more if your child is very skinny.

Using a very high grade thread sew or serge together the pieces where you've pinned them. I like to use a zig zag stitch but you may use which ever you feel most comfortable using. You will probably need to reinforce both of the crotch seams if you notice they aren't connecting perfectly. I like to double stitch all the stitching to make sure nothing comes apart during all the use of the longies.

Fold over the "top" of the longies to create the waist band. Sew down to form a casing, leaving a small hole so that you may insert the elastic of the waist band. Attach a safety pin to one end of your elastic or thread it through a needle. I've found this one of the best ways to get the elastic through the casing. Just push it through until it meets on the other side. Now that the elastic is in, you'll need to guess how much stretch you need for your baby's size. I just experiment with different lengths by pinning the elastic and putting it back inside the casing so that I know exactly how the finished product will feel on my child. You may also create a "draw-string" by using a piece of yarn or a long shoe string instead of using elastic in your child's longies. The choice is up to you.

If you use elastic, sew the casing closed using a wide zig zag stitch. You may choose to leave it a little open to have the flexibility of changing the elastic in the longies as your child grows. But really these are your longies and the choice is all yours. I tend to sew it shut.

Your longies are now complete and ready for wearing. You may create pockets for your wool longies, or use the scraps of the wool sweater to cut out shapes or designs to place on the longies the chocie is all up to you.

If you notice that your longies are not waterproofing, you may treat it with lanolin. (which you can find online or at your local store normally in the baby aisle) Use a prepared wool wash such as Eucalin or you may use pure lanolin from a tube. The easiest way is to take a bottle with a top, add warm water, about 1 inch of lanolin from a tube, 1 Tbsp vinegar and maybe a drop of tea tree oil or lavender essential oil and shake vigorously to get an emulsion. Then pour this into a bowl of warm water and mix well until cloudy. Soak your soaker in this bath, making sure it gets in all the nooks and crannies of the wool. Don't allow the water to get cold. Add warm water if necessary. I even tend to boil a bit of water and place it in there to keep the water warm. Leave it in at least 15 minutes or longer. Press the wet wool between towel layers and then dry flat. If your longies ever gets poop on it, treat the stain immediately with soap and rinse well. (http://frugalbabytips.blogspot.com/2007/03/diaper-washing-how-to-care-for-wool.html)

Special Notes: If you are making a pair of longies for a newborn or smaller infant, you may need to use a smaller sized sweater. I have used a size small lady's sweater before to create a pair of longies for a friend who had a preemie daughter. I also used a size medium for my own newborn son. Again, you might have to experiment with different sized sweaters to find the best fit for your child. If the finished product comes out too big you may always store it for future use. And if it is too small, you can sell it or give it to a friend with a smaller child.

Yet another friendly tip, you may save the rest of your wool sweater to use to create a soaker cover. You can find directions on creating soakers all over the internet using wool sweaters.

Most of all, have fun creating these amazing wool pants for your children. I have to warn you though they quickly become addicting.

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