Felted OVEN Mitt

This week I’m sharing a pattern for a pretty nifty oven mitt.  And yes, it does “work”!  I’ve actually used it for standard baking pans and dishes.  However, on some of my stoneware, I either have to work quickly or double-up with another mitt.  Those baking stones get way hot!!! 

I figured you could put some cute embroidery and such to add a personal touch.  Also a simple knitted i-cord for a handy hanging loop would be easy and practical!

If you are new to knitting or rather new to the world of felting, this would be a perfect beginning project. 

Here you go…Cheers!

 

Oven Mitt

Supplies for this project:

 250 yards of Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride (hold 2 together)

Small amount of contrast color for band, if desired

Size 13, 15, or 16 inch circular needles

Set of double pt. needles in size 11,13,15

Size 10 or smaller circular needle

Marker

Stitch holder

 

~~~HOLD 2 STRANDS OF YARN TOGETHER~~~~

Using larger circular needle, CO 35 stitches loosely (co 1 extra to join circle) w/ contrast color.  Place marker and join circle by purling 1st two stitches together, then purl around.  Purl 4 more rounds = total of 5 rounds.  Cut yarn.

With spare circular needle, pick up lower loops of the cast on edge.  PUT NEEDLE TIP THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE TO WRONG SIDE TO PICK UP CAST ON STITCHES.  Fold the cast on edge up to the inside like a hem.  Join main color and work a 3 needle join (just like a 3 needle bind off BUT do not bind off).

Increase round: *Knit 6, inc in next stitch;  repeat from * around—40 sts.   Knit 18 rounds even. 

Thumb Gusset: 

Round 1: Knit 2, m 1 (make 1), knit to last 2 sts, m1, k2—42 sts.

Round 2-6:  Knit

Round 7:  Knit 4, m1, knit to last 4 sts, m1, k4—44 sts.

Round 8-12:  Knit

Round 13:  Knit 6, m1, knit to last 6 sts, m1, k6—46 sts.

Round 14-15:  Knit

Divide for Thumb opening:  Knit 1 round, ending 7 sts before marker.  Slip the next 7 sts onto a holer, remove marker, and slip the next 7 sts onto the holder—32 sts remain on the needle, 14 sts on the holder.  Replace marker and join the remaining 32 sts into round.  Knit 10 rounds even. 

Shape top: 

Round1:  *ssk, k12, k2tog;  repeat from * once—28 sts.

Round 2-7:  Knit

Round 8:  *ssk, k10, k2tog;  repeat from * once—24 sts.

Round 9:  Knit

Round 10:  *ssk, k8, k2tog;  repeat from * once—20 sts.

Round 11:  Knit

Round 12:  *ssk, k6, k2tog;  repeat from * once—16 sts.

Round 13:  *ssk, k4, k2tog;  repeat from * once—12 sts.

Round 14:  *ssk, k2, ,k2tog;  repeat from * once—8 sts.

Round 15:  *ssk, k2, k2tog;  repeat from * once—4 sts.  Cut yarn and draw through all remaining sts.  Pull together tightly. 

 

THUMB:  Slip the 14 sts from teh holder onto a double point needle.  With second dpn, pick up 2 sts from body of mitten.  Arrange sts evenly on 3 dpn’s, place marker between the 2 picked up sts fro beginning of round and join 16 sts.  (Pick up stitches by putting point of needle from right side to wrong side), have your #1 needle start between the original 2 picked up sts.

Round 1-4:  Knit (be sure flat side, knit, is facing you)

Round 5:  ssk, knit to last 2 sts, k2tog—14 sts.

Round 6:  Knit

Round 7-10:  Repeat rounds 5 & 6 two more time—10 sts.

Round 11:  * k2tog, repeat from *—5 sts.  Cut yarn and draw through all remaining stitches.  Pull together tightly and fasten off.  Weave in all loose ends. 

 

Felt away in some soapy water, agitated in your washing machine. 

 This might take a couple of cycles to felt down to the proper size oven mitt. 

Picnic.

Hope you all had a fabulous 4thof July!  I constantly experiment with different recipes to help entertain my family’s palette….here’s one that was successful on the yummy chart.

 GREEK POTATO SALAD

 (courtesy of MaryJanesFarm…June/July’09)

Dressing:  2/3 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 cup sour cream, & 1/3 cup grated cucumber (mix together and set aside)

Salad:  garlic (to taste), 6 cups roasted potatos, 1 cup diced tomato, 1 cup cucumber (seeded & chopped), 1 cup diced black olives, 1 cup feta cheese, salt & pepper (to taste).

 

I diced up some red potatos, seasoned them to my liking (a little olive oil and fav seasonings), 

and baked them around 375′

Mix the other salad ingredients together and add potatos (once cooled) & dressing. 

ENJOY!   There’s plenty to share for your next summer picnic!

I “expect” I shall make a shabby chic PURSE…

I had this shirt that had some pretty fabric but upon wearing it got the dreaded comment, “Are you expecting?”  Uggggggghhhhhh, did she really just say that?  So, needless to say, I won’t be wearing that shirt again but really hated to send it to a new home.  What’s a gal to do?

Check it out….now I can wear it with confidence! 

“Here he comes to save the day!!!”

In an effort to provide play /dress-up clothes for my children, I have tinkered with making super hero capes. 

Capes are pretty interesting and it is something that you can be really creative with.  Check out this one I made for a birthday gift….see picture below. 

I found just the right “silky” skirt from my favorite thrift store and then sewed on felt for the fun image.  Use your imagination.  Simple pictures could include initials, lighting bolt, cross, tree, flower, crown…and the list goes on!  You could even add extra details like sequins or renaissance-ish hood.  I finished my cape with a simple velcro closure.  This serves two purposes—1)  Easy dress-up for little hands to do themselves and 2)  With the velcro, it would rip apart and keep your child safe if he ever got entangled in a tree or such.

Up, up and AWAY!!!

Camel Love.

While away on a business trip…in an attempt to bring me back something meaningful, my beloved visited a “local” yarnshop!  Yes, ladies, I’ve got myself a good man. 
Well, mind you, he was extremely overwhelmed with the incredible choices of yarn and used the help of the shop owners.  They started trying to figure out what kind of knitter I was and there was finally the mentioning of some unsual yarns that they carried.  My husband was “sold” on one in particular….he purchased camel yarn!  This is a first for me!  My yarn has traveled all the way from Mongolia and the spinners name is Otgonchimeg. 

I have 100 grams / 102 meters of this stuff and currently pondering what to lovingly knit it into.  I’ve been on Ravelry, but this stuff is so unusual that there aren’t many that use it.  Any ideas?

Holler WAGON…

I painted an ol’ wagon for a friend’s farm/camp…it apparently had been sitting in their side yard, unused, for over 4 years!!! I asked them if it could still be towed and utilized. Yes, was the answer and the rest is history.
I would say that the wagon now has a happier existence. Hayrides, bonfires, and s’mores….life is good!

Phone Home….

Well, my main man recently got a funky but chubby cell phone.  He bought a handy-dandy carrying case and broke the connecting belt clip his first day of use!  With this being a new, non-standard sized phone there were no other carrying case options at the store.  So in pops Chicken Hill to the rescue!  I dashed on over to Goodwill and found an 100% wool navy blue sweater for a steal of a price.  I also grabbed this super bright orange kid’s corduroy shirt.  I ended up cutting a nice sized rectangular piece of wool and washing it in my washer for about 4 cycles to get a good density of felt.  Then, with the proper phone measurements, (I made sure the phone was going to have a snug fit, as I was trying to keep it quickly accessible with a simple, drop-in design) I threw some orange corduroy inside for a fun lining.For the belt handle, I think I double or triple folded the felt and stitched it up separately before attaching it to the main pod.  I made sure to triple machine stitch everything to give my phone pouch some longevity, knowing my husband will probably accidentally abuse it.  

Check out the final result!  Mind you the picture is current…it’s been in actual daily use for about 6 months, not to shabby looking (I love how strong felt is).  Like the energizer bunny, “Still going strong”!

Crafty Friends

I will be the first to put up some work by Looliloo’s own Jennifer since I snapped some photos yesterday of her awesome felt goodies.  My children and I have a birthday party to attend tomorrow and had asked her to make some for us to take as our gift.  Not only did she fulfill my order of some cupcakes but she also threw in a very yummy looking cinammon roll and a beautiful slice of blueberry pie.

So nice to have crafty friends.  I’m sure that the 3 year old recipient will be quite pleased when she opens the 2 cupcakes that I am actually parting with.