Gonna make a baby bum sweater....

[AngelaS]

After reading all the posts about wool covers here, I'm going to give wool another try. I once upon a time owned a wool cover (made in Hawaii, I can't remember the name). It fit wonderfully on dd, but after lanolizing, it STILL leaked like a sieve.

So today I visited the local Salvation Armani (with my girls dressed in matching Naartjie...I kinda stood out! LOL) and found two all wool sweater---one a plum woolrich ladies sweater and a blue heathery shade man's sweater vest. I spent a whopping $4.50.

Now my sweaters are being washed on hot for the second time and they sure haven't shrunk much.... I've read the instructions that zen_bliss posted in another thread. Anybody have any additional tips for me?? :D

[kwc]

Hi Angela... I too was inspired by zen_bliss and am in the process of trying to sew a babybuttsweater... I can't give you any advice on the pattern as I am currently in the process of ripping off the leg band but on the washing/ felting... be sure that when you wash on hot, the rinse is on cold... I think that helps to shock/ felt the fibers. I washed on hot/ hot at first with only moderate shrinkage but after changing the rinse to cold, the women's medium sweater I had ended up looking like a child's sweater when I was done with 3 wash/rinse cycles. So much for saving the environment by using cloth!!!
I only dried mine at the very end... I hope this is OK. I will try to lanolinize it with Lansinoh tonight if I get the whole thing sewn correctly (using instructions for wool cover care on the Green Mountain Diapers web site).

I'm laughing imagining your kids in the Salvation Army... I bought this sweater (Banana Republic!) at the Goodwill Boutique (yes, it really is called Boutique... they sell higher end Goodwill stuff) near my house... not quite the bargain you got as it was $8.99 and heathery camel-colored (not quite poop colored! but I didn't have too many choices).

Good Luck!

Karen

[egoldber]

Yes, it is the sudden shock of hot to cold and also the agitation that felts wool, not the hot temp alone. You could also try boiling it and then rinsing in cold water too, rather than running a wash cycle.

HTH,

[liya]

I have 2 wool skirts i am not going to use at all ever again(too big and loosing weight..LOL) im going to use these and put an embroidery in them for Ari... It wont be the same as the bum sweater but i know that what Beth said was exactly what happened the shock of HOT HOT and then COLD COLD felted my wool nicely...

[AngelaS]

I think I used too much soap! I have washed them 2X (hot/cold), dried on hot 2X and then washed on hot/cold again, done 2 extra rinses and they STILL have soap! OOPS!!

So, I'm running another hot/cold full cycle.... LOL

[zen_bliss]

i found the link to another buttsweater page
http://www.borntolove.com/frugal-column2.html

i totally didn't know that about the cold water! the hot water & dry cycle made them look dollsize, that's for sure!

another tip for my method (using a contour dipe or cover instead of the simple triangle) make sure the sides are straight for lining up for the zigzag stitch.

[AngelaS]

I finished it yesterday! Heck, I STARTED it yesterday and it didn't take me too long to crank out. It's a little snug on her legs and a bit loose on her tummy, but the color's SO pretty! And yesterday at Salvation Armani I picked up a GORGEOUS orange sweater.... :D

Oh and I fixed it after the picture, if you look close you can see the leg seam on the side...doh! I had to turn it so that was on the underneath.... :)

[zen_bliss]

very nice work! i am impressed! don't you want to start cranking them out in every color? i have been stalking my local thrift shop every sunday when they put out the new stuff on the dollar rack!

now, will you share how you managed to do TWO attachments in one post?

[mommyj]

That's so cute! I'm about to get a sewing machine, and I can't wait!!! I'm already obsessed with wool sweaters now. I never used to be much of a sweater person, but now I immediately go for the sweater racks and start picturing how they would look as soakers. I got 3 sweaters for $7 at Goodwill last week. Now I just need a sewing machine :)

[AngelaS]

I think I clicked the attachment and then when I previewed the message, I had the option of adding another one. :D