You do what?

We cloth diaper. I have to explain that a million times. It's not necessarily about the environment, although that's important. It's not necessarily about the money, although it helps. It's not about being granola, or hippy, or whatever, although those things aren't negative to me anyway, so throw your silly names at me as you will.

It's more about wet stuff on my babies skin. Wet stuff that has been processed out the wazoo and left full of chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin. Wet stuff that may be cool for doing science experiments and is pretty cool for growing plants in to see their roots. But the more I know about it the less I want it to touch any sensitive areas.

So, yes, we cloth diaper (and we try to live pretty frugally and be sensitive to the environment and it would be cool to abandon it all and live out of a rainbow colored VW van, but we can't find one that holds enough carseats for us all). And we like it. I mean I like it. I think the diapered ones like it. And if they don't they are free to use the facilities - no complaints there. (Some children don't like the feel of wet fabric and it motivates them to more quickly take to using the facilities - I'm counting on that!) But I do like it. So much so that I've probably invested the equivalent amount of cash to several cases of the paper ones in equipment and supplies to make our own cloth diapers.

Which leads me to today, with baby #6 finally (I hope) over the little hiccups (nursing poorly, and a bout with RSV) we need to get back to it. I miss the extra laundry (not really). I'm tired of the paper diaper mess and smell. But having cloth-diapered all the other children for at least part of their diaper wearing career, it's time to start this one and get on with it. Anyway, in the past we have used all in ones with pul/FOE covers or pocket diapers made with pul and suedecloth stuffed with microfiber, and I'm starting to get concerned about the synthetic stuff being wet next to their little bodies. So we're going back to cotton diapers, but I need a better cover because my pul ones wick like crazy. So it's wool for the covers then.

I have two knitted covers (from this pattern) and a bunch of wool sweaters I rescued from being under appreciated at the thrift store. I made two pair of longies from the sleeves of two sweaters I fulled or felted (following these instructions), and I still have a bunch of the wool left.

I should add a picture. Here's Molly at 2 months. Don't you just want to squeeze her?