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Soaker Pattern
Material: approx. 220 yds. of worsted weight wool, size 4 needles
Sizes: small, medium, and large (please see the section on sizes)
Ribbing:
cast on 104 (112,120) stitches
row 1: K2, P2 repeat to the end of row
repeat for rows 2, 3, and 4
row 5: K2, YO, P2tog, repeat to the end of row
row 6: K2, P2, repeat to end of row
repeat for rows 7, 8, 9, and 10
Main Body:
row 11-18: K to end (the number of rows is adjustable depending on how high you need the soakers)
row 19: K2tog, K to the end of the row
repeat until only one stitch remains, break off thread and pull through the remaining stitch.
To make up:
Seam together the two ends of ribbing down to where the rows first begin to decrease. Bring the point of the triangle up to the end of the seam and then stitch each side together down to approximately 3-4 inches from the bottom edge to leave a leg opening. You want the leg opening to fit snugly yet comfortably around your child's thigh. Make a cord and lace it through the holes made in row 5. You can finger crochet, braid, or twist the yarn to make the cord.
That is the general pattern and now for the advice and suggestions:
Yarn: You must use 100% wool yarn that says "hand wash or dry clean only". Do not use wool yarn that says "machine washable" or "super wash". This has been treated in such a way that it is no longer water proof and you will end up with a soggy mess. This was unfortunately learned the hard way! I have had good luck with Gallway 100% wool and with Patons Classic Wool (especially the cream color- you can smell and feel the lanolin in it which is what makes the wool naturally water proof). To find a local yarn shop you can check the website: http://www.woolworks.org/
Sizes: These are only approximate and must be treated as such. The finished size depends on many things. There is no tension or gauge given and that is because it isn't critical, however you don't want to knit too loosely. Your personal tension will effect the finished size to some degree. Also the yarn that you use can vary quite a bit in thickness even among yarns labeled worsted weight, and this will alter the finished size slightly. Knitting the worsted weight yarn on size 4 needles makes small, close together stitches so there are no gaps in the fabric. The number of stitches cast on in the beginning determines the width and to some extent the length of the finished soaker. You can cast on more or fewer stitches than the sizes given but always add or subtract by 8 stitches so that you come out with the correct number of holes in the ribbing band. The length can also easily be adjusted by adding extra rows in the section "row 11-18". I have found that as my son outgrew the medium size he only needed a little more length and not width. The largest size was still too big (he is 25lbs.) So I cast on the 112 stitches for the medium but after the ribbing I knit about 20 rows (instead of 8 as in the pattern) before beginning the decrease. This fits him well. So experiment a little, change the finished width by the number of stitches you cast on and either lengthen or shorten them by adjusting the number of rows knit after the ribbing but before the decrease.
Care and Washing: You will need quite a few pairs of these. I have gotten by with as few as 5 but that was not easy to juggle when one or more needed to be washed. I would recommend at least 7 pairs (if you are using them to augment another type of diaper cover that you already have then you will of course need fewer). They must be hand washed in cool water with a gentle wool soap. I prefer Ecover Natural Delicate Wash Soap. It is a liquid soap that I purchase at the local health food store. Please do not use "Woolite"- ironically it is too harsh on the wool and has been known to damage the fiber. The covers should not be put in the dryer but should hang to dry or place them on the dryer while you are drying another load- the warmth will help them dry faster. It is possible to wash them in the machine on delicate with cold water but after many washings this way they may begin to felt (shrink). This doesn't affect the waterproofness of them but they may have to be given to a smaller baby! You can also intentionally felt the soakers to make them thicker if you want. To do this just knit them much to large and very loose (perhaps on size 7 or 8 needles) then wash them in the machine with hot water and soap, keep resetting the agitation cycle of the machine until they shrink to the size you want. The soakers do not need to be washed very often- only when soiled or maybe once a week- even less is OK. When you change a diaper just hang the damp soaker inside out to air out. Once it is dry it will be ready to use again.
Fun Knitting variations: You can knit them in one solid color and make the cord a contrasting color. You can alternate 2 colors every few rows for a striped design. You can also vary the number of rows before you change colors to make wide or narrow stripes. You can use variegated yarns (Patons has some great color combinations) for a random multi-color effect. You can knit in one color until you have about 25 stitches left then change to a second color (this will produce a contrasting triangle in the front)- make the cord out of the second color. I have also knit contrasting ribbing (cast on 52 stitches and K2, P2 to end of row, repeat for 4 rows, cast off) and stitched it onto the leg openings.
Super Soakers: I knit a pair using two different colored yarns but treating them as one strand. They came out very thick! We use them at night and have found them to be better at containing everything that our little guy can put out in 12 hours. This technique will greatly increase the width of the soaker so size them down one size and then increase the number of rows in the section before the decrease by at least another 8. Remember that every two loops on the needle counts as one stitch- so when you K2tog you must pick up 4 loops! I knit the ribbing first with just one of the yarns and then added the second strand in.
Pattern passed down through Jean Brousseau, changes in pattern and information by Shannon Brousseau