MIL knitting tons of clothes for baby in acrylic

[proseccogirl]

I think you are all going to tell me that IABU and I am a snob too, but what the hell....
My MIL hasn't been back to work since she had my DH (33 years ago!), and frankly never seems to me to have enough to do! Since I have been pregnant she has been knitting tons, and tons of clothes for the baby. She is a lovely knitter, and has made things that would be beautiful, but they are all made of really nasty shiny acrylic and other man made fibres. I have asked DH to ask her very politely if she could possibly knit in cotton/wool, and I have done the same, and have even bought large amounts of cotton/bamboo and wool in suitable colours for her to knit with, as I don't want her to be out of pocket. They have far less money than we do and I know that cotton and bamboo and wool are more expensive to buy.
Despite all of this she pitches up with a new acrylic item every time we see them so has obviously decided to ignore our polite requests, and I know she will take the hump massively if I don't dress the baby in one of the every day when once the baby arrives, but I really, really don't want the baby to wear top to toe acrylic all day! All my baby books say that you should dress the baby in natural fibres so that they can keep cool and evaporate sweat effectively etc.
The background to this is that my DH's parents are very working class and I am very upper middle class so I am worried they think I am a snob as it is, and this will make that worse, but equally, I don't want my baby flickering with static electricity the whole time! Or overheating in a nylon baby grow.......!Am I just being a cow?

proud NSAD - no of course I haven't posted the same thread before! Why on earth would I do that?

It would be wrong to dress my baby in one of our cardi things that his great aunt knitted for him and rub him on the lounge to see if I can get sparks, wouldn't it?

I wonder where the cats is?

Give her a photograph of dc wearing something she's knitted.

Accidental boil wash = dolls clothes.

It's not a class difference, it's a generational one.

What morloth said.

Everybody is being horrible to you, and they are right in a way...but I am obsessive about natural fibres and hate the idea of acrylic. My MIL is actually doing really well at taking my (some subtle, some not so subtle)hints.

But there are clothes sent by other people, which have been thru the "put baby in them, take a photo, send to relevant donor, get rid of" system, and I think this keeps everyone happy.

I agree with you about the acrylic - it's not nice to dress babies in. But baby will be fine - just have cotton layer underneath. I don't think it's snobby - babies are best dressing in natural fibers. But a bit of acrylic won't do any harm.

It's so nice to have someone knitting for your baby - why won't she use the cotton/wool you have brought for her to use?? That's strange - can you get DH to ask her?

YAB a bit U.

The cardigans are not going to be next to your baby's skin, they will no doubt have a cotton sleepsuit/vest etc underneath.

Acrylic baby yarn is actually beautifully soft, and washes very well, which may not be a consideration now but believe me it will be when you are changing your baby's outfit for the 4th time that day as their nappy has leaked or they have been sick.

As you have bought her lots of different yarn for her to knit with have you also bought her some patterns to knit? As the patterns that she already has for the acrylic yarn will not be suitable for the different yarn. You say that she isn't very well off, maybe she can't afford the new patterns?

BTW my 3 wore acrylic mix hand knitted cardigans as babies, and have reached the ages of 4, 6 and 8 without spontaneously combusting...

Thank you very much to those who have made helpful comments - I don't knit, so I didn't know about different types of wool/patterns etc, and those suggestions are very helpful.

To those making a big issue of the class thing - frankly just piss off. I am not a snob, and I don't want them to think I am a snob, and was not sure of the best way to handle it so I asked here. I have seen many people look for similar advice before. There is nothing in my OP to justify some of the comments that have been made!

Wool isn't great if your baby has sensitive skin (do babies get eczema?). I do and I find anything but merino can be tricky if I have a flare-up. Wool is also really, really expensive - enough wool to knit a man's sweater, for example, will cost about twice what a department store sweater will.

Prosecco - there was almost identical OP a few weeks ago.

Can you clarify what you mean by VERY upper middle class. Is that like Premium Business class? How does one acquire the 'very'?

If you dont want people to think you are a snob, then dont say things like

'DH's parents are very working class and I am very upper middle class'

The other acrylic thread - OP I am not accusing you of being the other poster!

I think you've probably just taken your baby books a bit too literally.

You bought class into it OP, don't get all sniffy when people comment on it.

My mum crocheted tons of stuff in acrylic for ds - it was all absolutely lovely. Washes and dries well, less likely to cause irritation than wool (I still can't wear wool next to my skin - it itches). YABU, Prosecco.

WRT to receiving "bitchy" comments I'm afraid that's the risk you run on AIBU. If you don't want people to be blunt with you then post elsewhere on MN, where people are slightly more diplomatic. I think the virtual slap one sometimes gets on AIBU can be bloody good thing, though.

Acyually the most snobby thing about your thread is 'My MIL hasn't been back to work since she had my DH (33 years ago!)'

Oh - and what Morloth says. You started it with the class thing!

AIBU should be called: "Get a hold of yourself woman and stop being such a knob" or GAHOYWASBSAK for short.

Hadn't seen the other thread - should have done a search before I started this one, have learnt that valuable lesson, but no doubt lots of you have enjoyed laying into me so it wasn't a total waste of time from your perspectives!

I DEMAND AN ANSWER REGARDING 'VERY' UPPER MIDDLE CLASS, FORTHWITH.

For goodness sake!

Baby will be wearing something under the knitted articles so it won't make any difference!

@ GAHOYWASBSAK!

I have seen many people look for similar advice before

Well then why bother asking again? For shock factor, or because you have too much time on your hands?

Proseccogirl - yanbu.

I don't wear acrylic and there is no way I'd dress my children in it.

Ignore this bunch of meanies - you know you're only allowed to worry about world peace you know.

Isn't this all rather vulgar?

if the op has said, 'my mil is knitting lots of acrylic clothes i am not sure if i want my child to wear them' there would not have been bitchy comments. as it is she felt the need to make it a class thing and comes across as a bit of a nob