Knitted San Pad - free pattern knitted cloth menstrual pad

I wrote this pattern for a knitted sanitary pad a good few years ago now, but decided to come back and update it a little now.  It is a free knitting pattern, and you are more than welcome to make as many as you want for your own uses or charity.  Should you wish to make them to sell, then please get in touch with me first.

I've used cloth menstrual pads for a long time, and when I created this I was wondering if a knitted one would work. I used a cotton yarn, but other fibres may well work.  It is knit using the 'double knitting' technique.  This means that you knit it flat, but it is knitted in one piece.  It sounds, really complicated, but in fact isn't, and creates a knitted menstrual pad with very little sewing up to do. (Yay)  Please try it, and if you have any problems, let me know, I will see what I can do to help.

Any way, enough of that, here it is, the knitted menstrual pad pattern (free).

Knitted Sanitary Pad

By Kelly-Jo Sweeney

This cloth menstrual pad/san-pro is knitted flat, but uses the double knitting technique, so that there is no sewing up required. It has a hole in the back which you can use to stuff the pad with either knitted pads, or pieces of cloth, depending on how much and what you want to add. It is very important that you slip stitches when told, as to knit (or purl) them will stop the technique from working. As you work, you will have the inside of the work facing you.

I knitted the pad in cotton yarn, but other yarns might also work well, I'd be interested in hearing of any other yarns that you have tried and how they worked.  Feel free to give me feedback on the pattern too.  You can contact me here.

You will need;

Small amount of DK yarn of your choice

1 button

pair of 5mm knitting needles

Stitch marker

Terms used;

k knit

p purl

sl slip stitch purlwise

PM place marker

YO yarn over.

K2tog knit two stitches together.

For the main pad;

Cast on 32 stitches

Row 1; k1, sl1, continue to end, turn.

Row 2; As row 1.

Continue in this way for 30 rows in total.

Make back opening;

Row 1; k1, sl1 to centre of work, 8 stitches. PM, turn.

Row 2; sl1, p1 to end, turn.

Row 3; sl1, p1 to end, turn.

Row 4; sl1, p1 to marker, turn.

Row 5; k1, sl1 to end, turn.

Row 6; k1, sl1 to end, turn.

Row 7; k1, sl1 to marker, turn.

Repeat rows 2 to 7 11 more times and then repeat row 2 to 6 once.

Next row; k1, sl1 to marker, remover marker and k1, sl1 to end, turn.

Next row; k1, sl1 to end, turn.

Work 28 more rows like this.

Cast off.

Now turn the whole thing inside out, through the hole that you created on the back, so that the right side is now facing you.

Making the tabs;

Fold the piece in half lengthwise. Count back four stitches from the centre.

With the top of the pad facing you, on the side of the piece pick up and knit eight stitches.

Row 1; P.

Row 2; K.

Work four more rows like this. *

Next row; k3 stitches, yo k2tog, k3 stitches.

Next row p.

Next row, cast off stitches.

Second tab;

Repeat the process as above, as far as *

Work two more rows and then cast off.

Weave in all ends and sew on buttons.

Inner Pads;

Cast on 16 stitches.

K each row until pad measures just shorter than the outer. Cast off.

If you have any thoughts on our knitted cloth menstrual pad, then I'd love to hear them, either in the comments or on our facebook page.

© COPYRIGHT Kelly Jo Sweeney 2010

This pattern is offered free of charge for your own personal use. Please do not make items using this pattern for sale. Should you wish to sell items made from this pattern, then please contact me for details of my Cottage Industry Licenses.