Crafting for Cloth Diapers

Have you ever noticed that those who do crafts tend to find practical reasons for them.  The more practical the craft, the more practical the use.  Yes, there are always going to be things that are not useful as anything more than home decor, but this isn't the trend.  Why wouldn't we think the same with two natural things that fall so closely in line with each other?

For me, I'm a knitter, a breastfeeding mom that cloth diapers, co-sleeps, and attachment parents.  Obviously, some of these fall straight in line.  Cloth diapering and breastfeeding seem a common overlap.  Co-sleeping and attachment parenting is another.  However, knitting doesn't seem to fall in line with that.

What many don't think of, at least until they cloth diaper themselves, is the connection between cloth diapering and wool.  Wool is a material that is highly absorbent, yet water resistant.  It keeps warm, even when wet.  It wicks away moisture.  With the addition of a little lanolin, it is the perfect substance for diaper covers for cloth diapers.  This is where the connection is made.

Knitting, spinning, weaving, and crocheting all easily utilize wool with the purpose of turning it into fabric.  It's not surprising that many who cloth diaper would see the connection, the use, and the potential to save a lot of money by making their own.  They make soakers, little diaper covers that keep the cloth diapers from soaking through to the clothes.  They make shorties, baby sized shorts that work as diaper covers.  They make longies, knit or crocheted baby pants that also work as diaper covers.  It's a practical connection between craft and function.

I've seen these items for sale and have considered purchasing longies, shorties, or soakers for my sons.  Some of them can get quite pricey.  I've seen longies sell for $60 on etsy and e-bay.  I thought it was completely out of my league.  However, when looking at the cost of making them myself, things changed quite a bit.  I can make a pair of longies for my son at his current size for as low as $9 in yarn and a few hours of time.  I can make them in the largest size for as low as $12.  The patterns range from free to $10, generally offering different options.  Doesn't that even make a $30 pair of longies sound expensive then?  Where if I make them, I get busy work, the satisfaction of finishing and using them, and save a lot of money in the long run.  Doesn't making my own sound so much more practical?

Well, the longies, shorties, and soakers will be parading in soon.  I've got a pattern that I love and yarn on the way.  I don't know why I hadn't thought about that option when I was thinking about going back to cloth.  It would only make sense that I would pick up the needles and make them myself.  I can't wait to start rolling them out!  Not only will that help reduce my impact on the world around me, but they will be natural, not made from chemical processes.  They will give me something to be productive and keep myself busy.  Best of all, they will last for many years through many children, even if all of them aren't my own.

Socks in Summer?

Last summer I was sitting in my kitchen, knitting away when a friend of mine asked what I was making.  I said it was a sock.  She looked at me like I was crazy.  "Socks in summer?" she asked.  "Why would you knit socks in summer?  It' not like you're going to wear them."  I gave her some vague answer about simply wanting to make them at the time.  I didn't put much thought into it at the time, but it is a good question.  Why was I knitting socks in the summer?

Knitting socks in summer makes perfect sense if you look at it in a logical and practical way.  Socks are the perfect project for summer.  They're small and light, so you can work without having a good deal of fabric sprawled across your lap.  Their size makes them easy to transport, making them perfect for summer vacations and days at the park or beach.  Even just a day in the yard or on the deck is wonderful for sock knitting.  There's no worry of the project tumbling off your lap because it's simply too big and getting dirty.  Socks are excellent for those summer months when everyone is getting out and being active.

Though I go around barefoot or in sandals much of the year since I've come to Texas, making socks even when I don't need them is a logical choice.  While I may not wear socks in the summer, or most of the spring and fall, it would be impractical to wait until I needed something to make it.  Socks, mittens, scarves, hats, and other necessities of the winter months are best made ahead of time, then put away so there's no last minute scramble to make them when needed.  Planning and preparing for winter ahead of time ensures the easiest transition to those colder months where you really want to bust out those winter woolies!

Perhaps it's time we all started to connect with the patterns of the land.  Maybe we should all look to preparing for winter in the summer, well enough in advance to put plenty away for winter.  It's just one more way we can connect with the natural cycles of the land we live on and get back to the older ways.  If we can develop habits that allow us to live more naturally in the world around us, it will help find a way to be even more self-reliant.  There will no longer be a need to buy from stores last minute because instead, we'll be more prepared in the first place!