Disastercat
10-14-2009, 07:57 PM
Hi, these are some soaker (diaper cover) patterns from old books I've been copying out. I have not tried to make these, but they looked like good simple patterns. I thought they had to be of wool, but one of the patterns has a synthetic yarn so experimentation is probably a good idea. They also look like they would be nice garments to cover modern diapers when dressing baby up a bit, even if they were not needed to "soak" up anything.
Soakers (Diaper Covers) from an Old Beehive Booklet
First - thanks Beaners that sort of review of products is very helpful. Also for those who want free crochet patterns, please find and post them. Some of these patterns are from old books I have, but most are found on free websites.
OK, a number of mothers and carers for small babies have asked about these. Soakers are what women used to cover their infants diapers before disposable diapers and before plastic pants. While I understand they do always smell a bit, and they are not totally water tight, they are better than nothing. Many babies can use these when they have a skin condition that does not allow for plastic pants and they need cloth diapers. Be sure to use wool as most other fabrics won't "soak" properly. You could try a wool hat or mitten on the baby first to make sure they don't have a wool reaction. Those really are rare, but they do happen. But this is one item that needs to be wool to work properly.
Soakers for 3 to 6 Moths
From Handknits for Babies by Beehive - Book 78 -no date for book but it was published in Toronto Canada
Needles US 5 or Canadian 9 (apx)
Yarn: Book says it takes 2 oz of fingering weight 4 ply, but I don't think you can get that anymore. Size five needles are most often used with a light-to medium yarn. So you could either double two strands of modern fingering weight or try a lighter weight sweater yarn. A worsted weight soaker would probably just fit a larger baby.
Measurements Length at the center front 8 1/2 inches. Width all around 18 ins
Beginning at the top of the waistband at the back cast on 60 Stitches
Work 1 1/2 inches (K2,P2) ribbing
Knit even in garter stitch (plain knitting every row for 4 1/2 inches)
Work 5 inches (K2, P2) ribbing
Knit even in #garter Stitch for 4 1/2 inches
Work 1 1/2 inches (K2, P2) ribbing. Work should measure 17 inches from beginning.
Cast off LOOSELY.
Sew side seams down from waistband for 5 1/2 inches. For the cord, cast on 120 stiches LOOSELY. Cast off LOOSELY (or my note use Idiot cord or braided cord if you like). Cord should measure about 34 inches when stretched. Darn in ends, With a bodkin (yarn needle) thread the cord in and out through the waist band ribbing, 3/4 inch from the top edge.
Note* I guessing that if you wanted to use idiot cord, you could do eyelet rows at the top of the pants. I'm also guessing that you could make them a bit longer and sew in elastic instead of a tie. I've done that with lots of older patterns that tie under the neck, because most mothers prefer not to use the neck ties these days. These could probably also be adjusted to knit in the round though because the GARTER stitch is going to be stronger and warmer than plain knitting, its likely that this is one item that is just as easy to knit flat and sew up the two seams later.
For larger or smaller babies, just adjust the yarn and needles sizes.
PATTERN II - On smaller needles
Well, I have now learned my new word for the day and it is Pilch, which is an old fashioned word for soaker. I discovered this in another of the old Canadian knitting books I got from someone on e-bay. Somewhere I have my mother's old 1940's knitting book that also has these items in it but I can't find it at the moment. Many of the old patterns take a long time to type out, but these tiny garments tend to have shorter directions and its worth copying them because they are a lot harder to find than say a simple baby cap.
This one is titled Pilch from the "Jumper and Pilch set" and is from:
The Fairytale Baby Book by Pattons published in 1979
Pilch
yarn: 3, 20 gram balls of something called Fairytale QuickerKnit which appears to be partly nylon. So perhaps these things can be made out of wool blends or even acrylic yarn. Since plastic pants work, this might be worth an experiment. From needle sizes I'm guessing this is a light weight yarn either sport or light DK weight.
Needle size 2 (apx) or 3mm
size 3 (apx) or 3 1/4
Front:
With smaller needles cast on 72 stitches and work in K1,P1 rib for 1 1/2 in
change to larger needles and starting with a Knit Row, work in stocking stich until Front Measures 6 3/4 inches, ending with right side row facing for next row.
Shape Crutch by casting off 4 sts at beg or next 10 rows, then dec 1 st at each end of every row until 20 sts remain
Work 5 row. Cast off.
Back
With smaller needles cast on 72 stitches and work in K1, P1 rib for 1 1/2 in
Change to larger needles and starting with a K row, work 2 rows stocking stich
Shape back as follows:
1st row - K 48, turn
2nd row - sL1, p23 (I think that means slip first stitch to the left then pearl 23) turn
3rd row - sL1, K 29 turn
Continue in this way, working 6 sts more on every row until the row sL1, P59, turn has been worked.
Next row, sL1, K to end
Continue in stocking stitch across all sts until Back matches Front at side edge of every row until 20 stitches remain.
Work 5 rows and cast off.
Make up and Leg Bands
Press pieces flat (I would say if you need to)
Using a flat seam for ribbing and a fine back-stitch seam for remainder, join side seams.
Leg Bands: With right sides facing and smaller needles knit up 68 stitches all around each leg. Work in K1, P1, rib for 1 1/2 inch. Cast off in rib stich.
Join crutch and Leg Bands.
Fold Waist and leg ribbing in half to wrong side and slip-hem loosely in position, leaving an opening at the waist for elastic, insert elastic, join.
press seams.
I noticed that this little garment would also make nice "short-shorts" for a little boy or dressy under-pants for a baby girl's skirt; even if they were not needed as soakers but to hide a disposable diaper.
Soakers (Diaper Covers) from an Old Beehive Booklet
First - thanks Beaners that sort of review of products is very helpful. Also for those who want free crochet patterns, please find and post them. Some of these patterns are from old books I have, but most are found on free websites.
OK, a number of mothers and carers for small babies have asked about these. Soakers are what women used to cover their infants diapers before disposable diapers and before plastic pants. While I understand they do always smell a bit, and they are not totally water tight, they are better than nothing. Many babies can use these when they have a skin condition that does not allow for plastic pants and they need cloth diapers. Be sure to use wool as most other fabrics won't "soak" properly. You could try a wool hat or mitten on the baby first to make sure they don't have a wool reaction. Those really are rare, but they do happen. But this is one item that needs to be wool to work properly.
Soakers for 3 to 6 Moths
From Handknits for Babies by Beehive - Book 78 -no date for book but it was published in Toronto Canada
Needles US 5 or Canadian 9 (apx)
Yarn: Book says it takes 2 oz of fingering weight 4 ply, but I don't think you can get that anymore. Size five needles are most often used with a light-to medium yarn. So you could either double two strands of modern fingering weight or try a lighter weight sweater yarn. A worsted weight soaker would probably just fit a larger baby.
Measurements Length at the center front 8 1/2 inches. Width all around 18 ins
Beginning at the top of the waistband at the back cast on 60 Stitches
Work 1 1/2 inches (K2,P2) ribbing
Knit even in garter stitch (plain knitting every row for 4 1/2 inches)
Work 5 inches (K2, P2) ribbing
Knit even in #garter Stitch for 4 1/2 inches
Work 1 1/2 inches (K2, P2) ribbing. Work should measure 17 inches from beginning.
Cast off LOOSELY.
Sew side seams down from waistband for 5 1/2 inches. For the cord, cast on 120 stiches LOOSELY. Cast off LOOSELY (or my note use Idiot cord or braided cord if you like). Cord should measure about 34 inches when stretched. Darn in ends, With a bodkin (yarn needle) thread the cord in and out through the waist band ribbing, 3/4 inch from the top edge.
Note* I guessing that if you wanted to use idiot cord, you could do eyelet rows at the top of the pants. I'm also guessing that you could make them a bit longer and sew in elastic instead of a tie. I've done that with lots of older patterns that tie under the neck, because most mothers prefer not to use the neck ties these days. These could probably also be adjusted to knit in the round though because the GARTER stitch is going to be stronger and warmer than plain knitting, its likely that this is one item that is just as easy to knit flat and sew up the two seams later.
For larger or smaller babies, just adjust the yarn and needles sizes.
PATTERN II - On smaller needles
Well, I have now learned my new word for the day and it is Pilch, which is an old fashioned word for soaker. I discovered this in another of the old Canadian knitting books I got from someone on e-bay. Somewhere I have my mother's old 1940's knitting book that also has these items in it but I can't find it at the moment. Many of the old patterns take a long time to type out, but these tiny garments tend to have shorter directions and its worth copying them because they are a lot harder to find than say a simple baby cap.
This one is titled Pilch from the "Jumper and Pilch set" and is from:
The Fairytale Baby Book by Pattons published in 1979
Pilch
yarn: 3, 20 gram balls of something called Fairytale QuickerKnit which appears to be partly nylon. So perhaps these things can be made out of wool blends or even acrylic yarn. Since plastic pants work, this might be worth an experiment. From needle sizes I'm guessing this is a light weight yarn either sport or light DK weight.
Needle size 2 (apx) or 3mm
size 3 (apx) or 3 1/4
Front:
With smaller needles cast on 72 stitches and work in K1,P1 rib for 1 1/2 in
change to larger needles and starting with a Knit Row, work in stocking stich until Front Measures 6 3/4 inches, ending with right side row facing for next row.
Shape Crutch by casting off 4 sts at beg or next 10 rows, then dec 1 st at each end of every row until 20 sts remain
Work 5 row. Cast off.
Back
With smaller needles cast on 72 stitches and work in K1, P1 rib for 1 1/2 in
Change to larger needles and starting with a K row, work 2 rows stocking stich
Shape back as follows:
1st row - K 48, turn
2nd row - sL1, p23 (I think that means slip first stitch to the left then pearl 23) turn
3rd row - sL1, K 29 turn
Continue in this way, working 6 sts more on every row until the row sL1, P59, turn has been worked.
Next row, sL1, K to end
Continue in stocking stitch across all sts until Back matches Front at side edge of every row until 20 stitches remain.
Work 5 rows and cast off.
Make up and Leg Bands
Press pieces flat (I would say if you need to)
Using a flat seam for ribbing and a fine back-stitch seam for remainder, join side seams.
Leg Bands: With right sides facing and smaller needles knit up 68 stitches all around each leg. Work in K1, P1, rib for 1 1/2 inch. Cast off in rib stich.
Join crutch and Leg Bands.
Fold Waist and leg ribbing in half to wrong side and slip-hem loosely in position, leaving an opening at the waist for elastic, insert elastic, join.
press seams.
I noticed that this little garment would also make nice "short-shorts" for a little boy or dressy under-pants for a baby girl's skirt; even if they were not needed as soakers but to hide a disposable diaper.