Help! I Have Too Many Options! (AKA Which Wool Do I Want?)

I like to compare the time when you first start looking into wool to the time you first start thinking about cloth diapering-there are SO many types, and brands, and then people start talking in a foreign language, asking you about things like “felting” and “interlock”-and all you know is that you want the best value for your money, and you want something (preferably something cute/beautiful) to keep your precious little one dry! So the purpose of this post is to compare and contrast (in a very basic way-later posts can go into more detail of each type of wool soaker if there is interest-let me know!) the various types of wool so that you can make the right choice for your family. I am going to summarize each type of wool, and then include (probably at the bottom) a "quick and easy" reference chart. Please note that what I say in this blog post is based on my own experience, research, and discussions with my husband (grew up spinning and processing wool) and his mother (a fiber artist with her own studio who works primarily with wool for spinning, felting, knitting, dying, etc.)-I definitely welcome input and stories/experiences from others! And if there is anyone who makes a type of wool that they would like me to try out, review, etc. I welcome the opportunity to do that. Also, if anything is unclear, please feel free to contact me or just comment on the blog post!

Types of Wool

Interlock

Interlock wool is wool that has been machine knitted and has at least 2 layers (you can get it with more)-or in some cases, it has been woven on a loom (machine or hand). There are 2 types of interlock wool-one has a very small amount of spandex (or something similar) integrated into it and the other is 100% wool. The advantage of some spandex is that over time, it is less likely that the wool will lose its shape and it gives the wool a little more stretch/rebound versus the 100% wool. The disadvantage is that you have introduced another fiber type-so it might absorb a little less. Because interlock is almost always machine made, the stitches are VERY tiny and it is very absorptive. Items made from this type of wool usually look like "regular clothes" that you might buy at a store. A nice thing about interlock is that usually items made with interlock can have multiple thin layers (sometimes throughout the whole thing, sometimes just sewn into the "diaper zone"), so some people feel they are more absorptive. The downside-interlock is VERY expensive (even if you buy it yourself and then sew your items yourself)-sometimes up to $30/yard!!! It does last pretty well, and holds its resale value well. Like any machine made item, it is a little less delicate, but it will still felt if not cared for according to instructions!

Closeup of wool interlock fabric. Photo Credit: http://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/5125962/il_fullxfull.345615636.jpg

Longies made of wool interlock. Photo Credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdpFRAqUZ-fkTX8MOr7KeP3zPi3-g2YJ4GmBbfHheq6NcZ1cMwa1QlAKRIpgrZGmz9pJn_S8O9fOnYr0PEeFatt76YBpuRGa9pCylWhQ2hd2emSOuG_B8-ICMrd3tBq1fYVPP1-67mhko/s1600/SB+Knit+longies.jpg

 Hand Knitted or Crocheted Items

This is exactly what it sounds like-items that are crocheted or knitted. These hold their value fairly well, though not as well as interlock. These will be less expensive than interlock due to lower materials cost, but more than upcycled because they take a long time to make (a pair of longies that fits the 6-12 month range takes about 12-14 hours to make on average). The absorption of these depends on several factors:

1. Type of yarn or fiber used
1. If the yarn or fiber is not 100% wool, it won't absorb well, period. Superwash wool might be a little easier to care for (it is treated with a chemical that causes it to not felt as easily in the wash, though it still will if you dry it!!) but that same chemical also causes it to not absorb as well. It still absorbs-just not as well as non-superwash wool.
2. The weight or thickness of the yarn matters. Lighter weights (thinner yarn) means less total wool and if knit on needles too big, there can be a lot of holes which will again lead to lower absorbency. I've already explained that I like to use roving, because it is lightweight (as far as heaviness goes) but very absorptive, super soft, and sticks together well (giving you many of the benefits of felting without the disadvantages-see previous post if confused!); I can also "customize" how thick the garment is based on what you are going to use it for (and can use "thicker" bits of roving in the areas likely to get hit most often). Generally, the thicker/bulkier the yarn, the more absorption you will get.
2. Size of needle used/size of stitches
1. If the knitter or crocheter uses a large needle for the size of yarn they are working with, you will end up with large, loose stitches (and a project that is finished MUCH sooner!!)-however, this also means more "holes" between stitches, and again, less overall wool and therefore less absorption. You really want to not be able to see obvious holes between stitches when the garment is at rest. If you stretch ANY knitted fabric enough, you will be able to see some openings/gaps, but you don't want there to be any obvious opening or gapping when it is just sitting there. This is most important in the wet zone, obviously! It's not a big deal if the stitching is looser or the wool thinner in the legs of longies, and some people put lace ruffles or other fancy stitching around the bottom of the legs of longies-hopefully those don't have to be absorbing, so this is fine!
3. I have been told that crocheted garments don't absorb quite as well as knitted garments. I have not personally tried crocheted ones, so I don't know this for a fact, but that is what some credible sources have told me. I think it has to do with the different type of stitching.
4. Skill of the knitter/crocheter
1. Obviously, unless you know the knitter/crocheter you are going to have to trust his/her word on how skilled and experienced he/she might be. You ideally want someone with a lot of experience in knitting and who has made clothing, not just flat items like blankets or washcloths. 
2. If you don't know the knitter/crocheter, you can look at the stitches to get an idea. If they are fairly even (in a row they look fairly uniform-they won't be perfect, but close to it), it's someone who knows what they are doing. If they are all over the place, probably not so much.

 Hopefully you can see that the stitches here are fairly uniform. Photo Credit: Jennifer Stone (mine).

Versus the stitches here which are multiple sizes and tightnesses. Photo Credit: http://allkindsofknitting.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/dsc02438_2.jpg

Example of hand knit longies (knit by me, using roving)

 

Upcycled

This is by far your cheapest option when buying wool. Upcycled garments are the type that are made by a mama (or you!) purchasing wool sweaters (usually at least 75% wool-again here, 100% wool is better), felting them, and then sewing them into garments. Because you can usually find sweaters at thrift stores for not a ton of money, these will be WAY cheaper than either of the previous options (due to lower materials cost and not as much time to complete). They are always felted because otherwise the wool in the sweaters isn't likely to be thick enough to absorb. According to a local mama who makes ADORABLE upcycled garments, these hold up very well overnight and are easy to clean. The downside is that sometimes getting the fit right around legs and waists can be a bit difficult, and since these are usually heavily felted, there isn't a lot of stretch. They also look a little different (particularly the longies) which is neither good nor bad-just a matter of personal taste! These may not re-sell as well, simply because new ones are just not that expensive. 

Upcycled wool longies. Photo Credit: http://www.etsy.com/listing/119326399/wool-longies-cloth-diaper-cover-soaker

Upcycled wool shorties. Photo credit: http://www.etsy.com/listing/119326090/wool-whale-shorties-diaper-soaker

Hopefully all that makes sense!! I will have more posts in the future on buying used, what to look for, etc. Let me know if there are specific topics you would like to see covered!

Type of Wool	Cost	Ease of Care	Resale Value	Absorbency	Stretch	Appearance
Interlock	Most expensive-ranges from $35-70+ new	Pretty easy-wash every few weeks, lanolize after every wash	Pretty good if well cared for	Excellent-can be customized depending on extra layers and where	Depends on fabric-more if spandex is included.	Looks most like “regular pants” that you might buy at a store
Knit or crochet- yarn	Mid-range-ranges from $25-45 new (sometimes slightly more)	Pretty easy-wash every few weeks, lanolize after every wash. Must take a little more care to prevent felting.	Fairly good if well cared for.	Very good depending on type of yarn used, skill of knitter, and size of stitches.	Excellent unless it felts.	Shape is similar to regular pants, but the stitching will make them look a little different-still very cute!!
Knit or crochet-roving	Mid-range-ranges from $18-35 new (sometimes slightly more)	Pretty easy-wash every few weeks, lanolize after every wash. Must take a little more care to prevent felting.	Fairly good if well cared for.	Excellent-can be customized by adjusting the thicknesses of roving used.	Excellent unless it felts.	Shape is similar to regular pants, but the stitching will make them look a little different-still very cute!!
Upcycled	Lowest-ranges from $15-35 or a little more depending on the sweater type (cashmere costs more etc)	Very easy! Already felted, so while you won’t want to dry them (this can felt them even further) you don’t need to worry about felting as much during washing.	Unknown	Excellent due to felting	Depends on the original sweater. Generally less stretch than other options, but best to ask the maker for details regarding stretch on your cover!	Shape is a little different for longies and shorties-very cute though!!

 

To Felt or Not to Felt?

Diaper covers, that is! Felting in and of itself is lots of fun and super helpful in many applications. This post is sort of the "pre-post" to the major post I am working on this week, which will compare the various types of wool covers available!
If you do a Google search about felting, you will come up with lots of results, not too many of them helpful. You will find things that tell you to ABSOLUTELY NOT ALLOW YOUR WOOL COVERS TO FELT OR THEY ARE RUINED!!!! and others that tell you that IF YOUR WOOL COVER ISN'T FELTED, IT WON'T WORK AS WELL SO WHY ARE YOU WASTING YOUR MONEY??? And of course, you'll come up with lots of webpages showing tutorials on how to felt, etc. both for diaper covers and other crafty type projects (wool dryer balls, anyone?). My husband's mother has a wool business (she dyes, spins, and knits and all kinds of other fun stuff) and has since he was a young child, so he and his siblings have lots of experience/insight with felting! :-)
So here's the deal with felting. As with just about anything else, felting has both pros and cons. Some types of diaper covers actually need to be felted in order to work, and others will do fine without that step and work better without it (the next post will have more details about that).
Felting is a process by which you force wool to shrink and tighten up-a lot.So much, in fact, that the individual fibers will not ravel even if you cut the material. Basically, felting causes all the little fibers in the wool (or yarn, or....) to stick VERY tightly together. There are various degrees of felting (something can be VERY felted, or not much). The main things that cause wool to felt are heat and friction (rubbing of the wool against itself). This is why you can't just toss your knitted wool covers into the wash and then dryer.
Pros: A felted diaper cover will have fewer (or no) little "holes" between yarn stitches because all of those fibers are tightly connected and "stuck" together. It is also easier to wash because you don't have to worry about not felting it (it's already felted!).
Cons: While knitted or crocheted pieces will have a lot of stretch, felted pieces will not. In fact, felted wool does not have any stretch at all. This means felted pieces will not be as versatile in terms of being able to fit your child for multiple sizes (potentially). It also means that you may have to work a little harder with the wool in order to get it to fit well for your child. Felting is not reversible, so if you accidentally felt a cover that you did not intend to felt, it's felted for life.
Remember when I said in my post that I like to make diaper covers using roving instead of yarn? Part of the reason is that, when divided off properly, roving fibers tend to stick to each other, giving you many of the advantages of a felted cover, but because it is still knitted, it is a loose "stick" and therefore you still have stretch. The other nice thing about roving is that, like felted covers, you can adjust the thickness as desired instead of being stuck with just a certain weight of yarn. You can sew felted pieces together to "double up" the thickness if desired/needed-with roving, you just divide off a thicker strand.
Stay tuned for a post comparing various types of wool covers (the ones I plan to showcase are interlock, knitted/crocheted with yarn, knitted/crocheted with roving, and upcycled felted ones). Let me know if you have questions or want to see something specific covered!

Wool Basics Series-Intro to Wool!

I have decided to do a wool basics series in order to introduce people to wool use in diapering, specifically. I think that wool is scary for people sometimes because it seems like a lot of extra work or just very foreign. My goal with this series is to demystify wool and wool usage-it is actually way easier than most people think! Posts I am planning in this series include:
Why does wool make a good wetness barrier/diaper cover?
How to Wash
How to Lanolize-photo tutorial
How to take measurements for your baby (determine sizes)-photo tutorial
Comparison between different types of wool garments (knitted/crocheted versus interlock)
Comparison between different wool products
How to make your own wool wash
Are there any other topics that you guys would specifically like to see covered? I know for those of you who have used wool for a long time, these will all be very basic-feel free to skip over them (though chime in if you see something that is missing that you think would be very helpful for a new wool user)! The goal is to help those of you who are new to wool have the best possible experience, and those who are thinking of using wool to be able to make an informed decision.
For this first post, I am going to give some basics and define some terms. Many of these topics will be expanded upon in coming posts but if you have questions, feel free to ask!
Who Is Wool For?
Wool obviously has many functions for all sorts of different applications, but for the purposes of babies and baby care: wool is a great natural fiber that can provide a wetness barrier. Basically, it can be a semi-waterproof cover for your child. I say "semi waterproof" because, as with any cover, if the saturation level gets way too high, it will eventually leak through-but your child should not be in one diaper that long anyway! So wool diaper cover type garments are for ANY mama who has a child in diapers.
Is a wool garment a diaper?
No-it is a cover which provides extra absorption. You use it over a diaper-disposable diaper, prefold, fitted, pocket-any type of diaper.
When do people use wool?
Wool can be used as your only diaper cover if you want! One great thing about wool garments is they can be used as clothes (they can be made to look like pants or shorts) and a diaper cover all in one! You can also get them custom designed so that they fit your little one perfectly. Or it can be used as a traditional cover with clothing over it-your call. Many people use wool as an extra barrier to prevent the sheets from getting wet by your heavy wetters at night!
But isn't it a big pain to take care of?
Washing wool is a little bit more complicated than washing your regular laundry or typical diapers. The entire process probably takes about 45 minutes start to finish (but about 30 of those minutes are spent waiting for the diapers to soak-so only about 15 minutes of you actively doing something). BUT this is made up for by the fact that you only have to wash your wool once every 1-3 months or if it gets poopy.
Isn't it really hot in the summer?
This will be addressed in detail in the next post, but wool is actually very neat in that it is warm in the winter but cool in the summer. This is because it does not conduct heat.
I have had wool sweaters before and they are itchy! Why would I put that against my baby's skin?
The "itchiness" of wool has everything to do with the way it is processed and created into your garment. Baby wool is usually VERY soft, potentially their softest garment, and for sure softer than PUL covers or disposable diapers.
Wool Terms Explained
The following are some terms you will commonly see used with wool:
Longies-pants
Shorties-shorts
Cover-diaper cover, usually one piece that pulls up like a pullup or pair of underwear
Wrap-diaper cover with snaps or velcro that you wrap around the diaper
Interlock-woven wool fabric
Knit/crochet-wool garment that has been knitted or crocheted
Lanolin-the oil produced by the sheep; this is what allows the wool to be super absorptive (it absorbs even without the lanolin) and be somewhat self cleansing
Wool wash bar-wool soap-often has lanolin in it so can be a wash and lanolizer in one
Wool wash-can also come in a solution that looks sort of like lotion; again, this often has lanolin in it