The Oilfield Flower: 100% Cotton Hot Mitts / Pot Holders / Hot Pads

Check out my Etsy shop HERE!

The purpose of this post is to expand upon the information already given in my shop listing. I would love to chatter on about my creations in the listings, but I'm afraid not everyone would find it as interesting and exciting as I do. So here we go!

This listing is for a matching set of two handmade hot mitts.

I originally came up with the design after sending a traditional pair of hot pads to my grandparents. They were thrilled, of course, but my grandpa suggested I try to make a set that you could put your hands in... and like magic the combination hot mitt / hot pad / pot holder was born!

The outside of the hot mitt is made using the same technique as one would use to make a regular old double-thick crocheted pot hold, but instead of finishing it off, it is left open. A square swatch is then made to fit inside the shell and sewn into place. The result is a super thick, wonderfully sturdy, multipurpose kitchen accessory.

Materials:

-100% Made in the USA Cotton Yarn

Care:

-Machine wash, gentle

-Dry, low

-Do not dry clean

-Do not bleach

Additional Information:

100% cotton yarns hold up better in kitchen situations than that of synthetic yarns, and is washing machine friendly, unlike wool.

Has anyone ever had a set of hot pads crocheted by a member of the family or a friend that started out beautiful and then ultimately ended up as a crunchy plastic-y mess? That is because they used acrylic yarn. Acrylic is a lovely, very soft and durable material to use in a variety of crochet applications. It makes wonderful garments and blankets. It is machine wash and dry-able, but NOT heat resistant! Synthetic fibers, such as acrylic, polyester and nylon, do not do well in high heat situations.

Only natural fibers, like wool or cotton, work well for high heat applications. Wool is a fantastic heat and flame resistant fiber. It holds heat even when wet, making it a great apparel fiber. However, the downside to most wool is, it is not washing machine or dryer safe. This makes it a poor choice for something that could easily have spaghetti sauce slopped all over it.

Therefore, we are left with cotton. Kitchen cotton to be specific. For my hot mitts I use Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton Yarn. It is made in the USA, super sturdy, and great to work with. It is both machine washable and heat resistant enough to be used in high heat kitchen applications. It also comes in a variety of beautiful colors to fit almost any color scheme. (Don't see a color scheme you like? Custom order one from my shop by clicking on the "Request Custom Order" button on the left-hand side of my shop screen!)

This is an extreme example of what happens to acrylic yarns in high heat situations. Bad day. Let's stick with natural fibers in the kitchen, shall we?
Photo from: tinkingturtle.com

Uses:

-Hot Pads

-Hot Mitts

-Pot Holders

-Bowl Cozies

-Puppets

-Hats

-Baseball Gloves

-Snack Bowls

-Pillows

-Mittens

-Cat Saddle Bags

-You get the idea ;)

The most obvious (and suggested) uses for this product are kitchen applications. The open design lets you easily grasp hot pots, pans, cookie sheets, etc., with ease. The double thickness helps protect your kitchen surfaces from any burns or heat marks.

Also, I have found that these make excellent bowl cozies. I hate reaching into the microwave to grab a bowl and burning my fingers. That is a thing of the past with this lovely invention! Since the cotton is heat resistance it can be microwaved right along with the bowl.

As for the other uses... those came from a sort of trial and error. I work as a nanny for two little boys and my prototypes were put to many interesting uses. Yea... I'll just leave it at that.

Hot Mitt / Pot Holder / Hot Pad

Bowl Cozy

Size:

-5.5" x 5.5"

These hot mitts are made to fit an average "woman sized" hand. Sorry guys. If you want a bigger size send me a custom order request! I am always ecstatic to make something specific for someone. It makes me all warm and fuzzy. Much more so than making multiple generic copies.

Anywho, as I have mentioned before, these are double thick and the way they are designed causes them to have, in my opinion, beautiful texture. To those who know crochet lingo, the outer shell is a half double crochet for better flexibility, bordered with a decorative crab stitch. The inner padding is a sturdy, super thick, single crochet.