OCN -Nappy Accessories

Knitting Your Own, Crocheting, and Sewing Bum Jumpers

Learn To Knit
Follow the links at the bottom of this webpage for diagrams on basic knitting techniques.

Knitting Help
This page is American, so sometimes their patterns/wool/needle sizes are different. However, the video tutorials showing you how to knit are still the same all over the globe, and are clear and easy to follow. It has a basic beginners section, as well as an advanced techniques section.

Knitty
Knitty is a very informative site for those who already know the basics, and can know which search terms to use when looking for knitting information and more complicated techniques. Knitty has wonderful patterns, and is updated regularly.

Stitch Diva Studios
This site has nice big photos showing how to do the various stitches and techniques, and has info on both knitting and crochet. The knitting section includes various styles of casting on, increases and decreases, as well as the basics of knitting and purling. The knitting instructions are very clear and easy to follow.

Learn to Knit at Lion Brand Yarn
Instructions in all the basics of knitting, with diagrams. Casting on and off, basic stitches, gauge swatches, increases and decreases, dropped stitches, cable knitting, finishing techniques.

Knitty: Tools for the DIY Knitter: To Block or Not To Block
Articles explaining the ins and outs of "blocking" knitted garment pieces. Benefits, fibres, methods, and tools are all explained.

Basic Crochet Instructions
Simple crochet instructions, with diagrams.

Learn to Crochet
How to crochet, from the start. Stitches, turning your work, single/double/triple crochets, slip stitches, fastening off, seaming, joining and more.

Learn to Crochet: The Basics
Australia-specific crochet information from Crochet Australia. Information on crochet threads, crochet hooks, how to vary size and texture, conversion charts.

Dyeing Wool

How to handpaint your own variegated yarn: Dyeing yarn with Food colouring.: A comprehensive, clearly-written, step-by-step photographic tutorial on the topic. It includes how to skein your yarn ready for dyeing. 3 handpainting methods are shown (hot pour, cold pour, and dip-dye), and food colouring is used for its non-toxicity. The handpainting methods could maybe also be used for other types of yarn dyes?

Dyeing yarn with Kool-Aid: This article is not as in-depth as the food colouring article, but it explains dyeing specific to using Kool-aid. I think the Kool-aid flavour to yarn colour photograph is useful for determining which packet to purchase for dyeing. This dyes up really bright solid colours.

Dyeing with icing dye: for more dyeing information, this time with icing dye. The method is for a single-colour yarn.

Wool soaker and longies patterns

Agatha Bovini's hooks and needles
Triangle style done in cotton, could use wool instead

Aubrey Doodlepants Knitting Pattern
Knitted longies pattern

Blue-jean longies
Knitted blue-jeans longies, from Knitty

Fancy Pants
Soaker pattern with ribbed wetzone, from Free Vintage Knitting

Soaker Pantie
Simple triangle type soaker, from Free Vintage Knitting

Born to Love website
Many different patterns including the 'down under' cover - good place to start

Cargo Longies
Knitted cargo-pant longies, from Knitty

Ecoyarns
Wool soaker kits, with yarn and pattern. Many other yarns including organic cotton, wool, and alpaca, as well as soysilk and bamboo.

Fern and Faerie free pattern
A free pattern for both flat knitting and knitting in the round.

Soaker with matching jumper and cap
Basic soaker (and matching jumper/cap)

Jenny's soaker pattern
Very simple - knit 'pants style'

Knitting pattern Central
For free knitting and crochet patterns for almost anything that you could possibly need, and things you never imagined you might

Little Turtle Knits
patterns for sale - including wool longies and wraps

Mendi_Mama's knit in the round
The 'famous' msg #70 from the wool soaker group

Mothers helping hands
Instructions for one version of the knit or crochet soakers from The Frugal Baby Pattern

Ms. Crafty Galore of Punk Knitters
Pattern knit in the round

Ottobre Design wool soaker
Soaker pattern, two sizes, suitable for less experienced knitters. Includes wool cover information and care instructions.

Shannon Brousseau
Triangle style soaker with helpful hints

Tiny Birds Organics Wool Soaker and Tiny Birds Organics Wool Longies
Free large soaker pattern (knitted) with leg frills, and free longies pattern in all sizes. Include photo guides and a link to video of knitting basics.

Wool Soaker Pants Pattern
Pattern for knitted wool longies, with photos

Hannah's Longies
Pattern for knitted wool longies, knitted in the round, based around waist 46 cm. Several photos and tips in thread.

Baby Bell Bottoms
Elastic-waist longies with a slight flare and garter stitch cuff. Newborn to 6 months.

Curly Purly soaker pattern
a trim knitted in the round soaker that doesn't need a drawstring

The Great Wool Soaker Parade
There are lots more links to wool patterns here! Soakers, shorties, longies, wraps, baby clothes, crochet, and bum jumpers.

Crochet

Spring baby outfit
crochet "pants style'

Striped set
crochet 'pants style'

Sew Your Own "Bum Jumpers" - Recycled Wool

BTL "bum sweater" instructions
Diagrammatic instructions on sewing your own "bum sweater" from old wool jumpers, from Born To Love

Jumper Pants
Recycled 'longies'. Can also use same method with any piece of old jumper, doesn't have to be the sleeve.

Bum Wrap Diapers butt sweater longies
Very detailed instructions on making recycled bum jumper longies, with photos

Buying materials, yarns, notions and patterns

Aus Co-Op: For Aussie fabric addicts who want to join together to get cheaper prices on fabrics and sewing supplies.

Baby Bear Co-op: An Australian group co-oping predominately fabrics, but also whatever else comes up.

Baby Delight: Fabrics (sherpa, bamboo, microfibre, minky, PUL, hemp, malden mills fleece, velour, flannelette, suedecloth); snaps, elastic (swimwear, sheet, FOE), hook & loop, nappy making kits.

Bamboo Fabric Store: Huge variety of bamboo fabrics: velour, terry, jersey, wovens, and various blends (with cotton and/or hemp).

Bee Green: Bamboo terry, microfleece, PUL, hemp/organic cotton terry, hemp/organic cotton fleece, wool/lycra interlock. The business is based on permaculture ethics and includes retail, education and community development. Based in the Blue Mountains at 17/26 Megalong Street, Katoomba, NSW.

Bubba Earth: Wholesale and retail Hemp fabrics, Bamboo fabrics, Organic Cotton, Wool, Microfibre, PUL, Touch Tape, Woolly Nylon, Foldover Elastic, Prefolds, Snap gear, Baby Slings, Patterns and LOTS more. Bubba Earth was established in Feb 2004 by mum of two, Gabrielle.

Ecoyarns: Wool soaker kits, with yarn and pattern. Many other yarns including organic cotton, wool, and alpaca, as well as soysilk and bamboo.

Fairy Fabrics (Jill): Malden mills and Baum fleece, prints and plain, bamboo fleece, hemp fleece and velour, Burley knit terry, sherpa and procion dye kits.

Greenbeans (NZ): Hemp, PUL, microfibre, suedecloth, microfleece, lastin, FOE, snaps, hook & loop, labels, hire kits, sling rings and more.

Hemp Gallery: Variety of hemp fabrics including hemp/silk. (Note that many of the fabrics are not suitable for nappy sewing.) Also stocks Baby Beehinds.

Nappies Covered (Jodie) : Printed and plain PUL, polar fleece, hemp, Velcro & Touchtape.

Nappyworks: Patterns (Honeyboy, Cuddlebuns, Poochies), microfibre, sherpa, FOE & Lastin, Touchtape, wool flannel, microfleece, 200wt fleece, suedecloth, hemp fleece, hemp french terry.

Organic Wool: WOOLganic Knitters Yarn range spun from certified organic Australian Merino Wool.

Ozebaby: Comprehensive WAHM Mall, includes nappy sewing kits, fabrics, and patterns.

Snaps Australia (Alex)(NSW): Snap presses, snaps (metal and polyacetal resin), die sets and bamboo fabric.

The WeeWuns: If you like to make and sew your own cloth nappies or baby carrying slings we also have sewing supplies like braided, knitted and buttonhole (maternity) elastic, soft and low linting Velcro brand hook & loop, threads and sew on size labels and aluminium sling rings.

Tiny TooshPUL, hemp fleece, hemp french terry, bamboo fleece, polyester microfleece, suedecloth, microfibre, flannelette, sling rings, snap service, elastic (clear and swimwear elastic), hook & loop (Touch Tape). Malden Mills fleece coming soon.