A. The longies and shorties that we create are knit pants and shorts, made of wool yarn, that serve as diaper covers.  We (and our customers) use them over our cloth diapers.

Q. Cloth diapers?  Why should I consider using cloth for my baby?

A. For some parents, they use cloth to save money over using disposables.  If you buy quality cloth diapers, they will last you for years and through multiple children.  For some parents, they are concerned about the toxic chemicals in disposable diapers, and prefer a more natural diaper.  Some are concerned about our environment and the waste that disposable diapers generate.  For us, it is a variety of these reasons!  Last but not least, it is FUN!  You won't believe it until you try it!  

Q. Why would I want to use wool longies and shorties? 

A. If you use cloth diapers, wool is an excellent choice as a cover because it is breathable for your baby's bottom.  This can help reduce diaper rashes, especially if a child has sensitivities to synthetic materials such as PUL, fleece, or plastic covers.  The longies and shorties eliminate cloth diaper bulk, because they act as both a cover and pants/shorts.  Also, if you need more convincing, they are cute and a great conversation starter!

Q. Isn’t wool only for cold weather?

A. Not at all! Wool helps to keep your baby cool in the warm/hot months, and warm in the cool/cold months. I (Sarah) have used wool for many summers now (it’s all we use!) and my children’s diaper area has always been dry and cool to the touch. In contrast, when I used disposables a few years ago, their diaper area would feel clammy and sweaty.

Q. Isn't wool scratchy/rough/hot?

A. You may be thinking of your old rough wool sweater.  The wool yarn we use is minimally processed, free from harsh chemicals.  I (Sarah) cannot wear wool sweaters purchased from retail stores, but I work with quality wool yarn every day and it does not bother me in the least.  Wool is warm in the winter but cool in the summer - our children wear it year round and we're not entirely sure WHY it works but it does!  If you are not familiar with the yarns we carry, please ask for a sample card and we'd love to mail one out to you! 

Q. Why are they so expensive?

A. Compared to pants that you buy at a discount store, yes, they are "expensive".  However, our shorties and longies are lovingly hand knit by us, over many hours and days.  We have priced our items as fairly as we can, considering the time invested and the price of materials.

Q. What is the difference between 100purewool and Peace Fleece, Malabrigo and Targhee, etc?

A. Our summary of the yarns, in our opinion ...

100purewool merino: single ply yarn from Uruguay, very soft and our preferred choice for newborns.  Also works wonderfully for all children, but does pill and needs to be shaved occasionally.  Website: www.100purewool.com.

Malabrigo merino: singly ply yarn from Uruguay, very soft, preferred for newborns, slightly thicker than 100purewool.  Does pill and needs to be shaved.  Website: www.malabrigoyarn.com.

Peace Fleece: 2 ply 85% wool, 15% mohair yarn, durable and great for crawlers, heavy-wetters and overnights.  Rarely ever pills, and is more rough/scratchy than our other yarns, but it does soften with repeated washing/lanolizing.  Website: www.peacefleece.com.

Targhee: 2 ply wool yarn, durable, thick and "squishy" (that's the only word that comes to mind).  Does pill but not as much as the merino yarns.  Good for heavy-wetters, naps and overnight.  We order this from Wooly Wonders by Nada and Dyeing to Fly.  

BFL (Blue Faced Leicester): 3 or 4 ply wool yarn, very soft and thick.  Does pill quite a bit at first, but this reduces greatly after the first few shavings.  Looks great even after much use.  We order this from Wooly Wonders by Nada and Zen String.

We also carry yarns such as BlueMerino (Zen String), Kara (local yarn shop) and others but we don't get them in as frequently as the above.  We will note the description with these yarns on our colorways page. 

Q. Are you open for custom orders?

A. Yes, we are now accepting custom orders but we are doing so in a different way than we have before.  We were accepting custom orders through email.  When one customer inquires about a custom item, this process works well.  However, when we have numerous requests at the same time, it can be hard to give each customer an accurate wait time and an up-to-date list of available yarns.  Because of this, we have decided to begin listing customs through our HC, which you can find here. 

Q. How will the HC custom spots work?

A. When we have openings for customs we will create a "listing" for them on our cart. Most will be a complete custom option, but we will also list some "specials" from time to time with yarns that are not available on our yarn page. All you will need to do is buy the spot from HC and you'll be on your way to your new pair of woolies. =) 

Q. How will I know when you list a custom spot?

A. The best way to know is to join our mailing list, which can be found at the bottom of our Hyena Cart.  It's as simple as entering your email address and clicking "submit"!  We will send out a notice to all of our email subscribers letting them know when we are listing spots, which will give those people first chance at the custom.  

Q. What yarns do you have available?

A. Our yarn availability varies all the time.  When we have a custom spot available, we will provide the link with yarn choices.

Q. How long does it take you to make shorties/longies?

A. Before our babies were born we could do our shorties in 3-4 days, and longies in 5-6 days.  Now that we have newborns in our homes, in addition to our other children, homeschooling, cooking, cleaning (you get the idea), it's been taking a bit longer.  We will however, keep you updated throughout the entire process -and any time you want an update, feel free to email!

Q. How do I measure my child to determine sizing?

A. With your child in his/her bulkiest diaper that you plan to use with these shorties/longies, measure:

Waist: slightly under belly button.  
Hips: over fattest part of diaper/thighs.
Rise: top front of diaper, through the crotch and to the back top of diaper.
Inseam: from crotch to ankle.

Q. I want to buy longies for my newborn, but s/he is not here yet.  Can you help me with sizing?

A. Basically, the right size for your newborn depends on a few factors: the diaper you are using underneath (some are trim, some are bulky), if you want something to fit really well right away (but then you won't get as much use out of it), or if you want something to fit for longer (but then it'll be big/need to be rolled at first), etc.  We have complied a few pictures to help you see how our longies fit babies at their different stages.  You can see that both teeny longies and standard newborn longies fit a newborn, but the teeny longies have a trimmer fit.

Pictures of Maria (7 lbs 13 oz) and Nathan (6 lbs 10 oz) in teeny longies: 

Pictures of Nathan (11 lbs) and Maria (7 lbs 13 oz) in standard longies:

*a note: I took the picture of Maria in the standard longies, and then a picture of the longies next to the teeny longies pictured above.  

Q. What are your policies?

A. You can read our policies here. Please make sure you agree with them before purchasing!

Q. Do you have any feedback?

A. Yes! You may read Hyena Cart Forum feedback here and Diaper Pin feedback here. Also, here are some happy customer threads that you can view, most with pictures of their adorable children wearing AK!  *Threads are from message boards such as Hyena Cart Forums, MDC, Diaper Swappers and the Diaper Pin.

Adventure Knits ROCK!

HUGE rave for Adventure Knits!! **Pics**

Our Adventure Knit shorties!!

Another Adventure Knits RAVE!!

Rave (PICS!) for Sarah's Adventure Knits Longies!!

Our new Adventure Knits longies :)

Our new LONGIES!  FLUFFY MAIL!!!

Huge RAVE for ... Adventure Knits (Pocket_Mama) *Pic Heavy*

Timmy's new shorties

RAVES for Adventure Knits and Preston's Pants!

Our AK shorties in action!!! HUGE rave for Adventure Knits!!!

Shout Out/RAVE for Sarah at Adventure Knits

Rev in Adventure Knits (by Cathy) longies!

Rave for Cathy at Adventure Knits!

Q. Who is Sarah? Who is Cathy?

A. I (Sarah) am the founding knitter of Adventure Knits, which was born on the lazy Nemakagon river in the summer of 2005.  Cathy is my best friend.  ;-)  We met through a message board in 2004 and realized we were practically neighbors in early 2005.  I taught Cathy to knit in 2006 and then when she was good enough (LOL!) I asked her to join AK.  You can read more about us here.

Q. Do you both use the same pattern?

A. Yes, we use the same "pattern".  We strive to make our items identical! 

Q. How many shorties/longies have you made?

A. I (Sarah) have made well over 100 since I began AK. On my old computer I had a list going from the beginning, and I was at 101 in August of 2006. I have made many items since that time! Cathy’s list is not as long but she has had the benefit of learning my pattern right away, whereas I figured it out as I went, over the course of many longies – some good, some not so good! Both of us use the same pattern and strive to make our items look identical!