my first oven mitts

[pamster]

I thought oven mitts might be a useful thing to make to practice using a resist. I traced my hand and tried to allow for shrinkage. I also felted a magnet into the palm side so that it would attach to the oven without needing ties or anything. The plan was that when I went to the oven I could just slide my hand into the mitt before opening the oven door. This is the first one I made:

imgur.com/a/WzXTH

Apologies for my poor photographic skills, but if you look carefully at the bottom left side you may see the slit I cut in the side because I hadn't allowed enough room for the hand to slip in easily. Even putting holes in the cuff didn't increase the size enough.  Back to the resist and I decided to make the cuff longer and angled out like the old fashioned gauntlets. This is the second one:

imgur.com/a/yb7qb

I think it's better, I can certainly slide my hand in easily and it hangs easily on the oven door.

[tracey]

Lovely Pamster!  Clever idea with the magnet too.

This would not work for me, I get mine covered in food so they have to go in the wash a lot.....

[lyn]

Well made! Was it tricky felting the magnet in? Felt is certainly a good insulator.

[carole aka craftywoman]

What a great idea for oven mitts, I've been making soup bowl holders for the microwave to stop burning my hands (they are fabric not felt, the inner bit is cotton wadding, maybe you could make them too with felt.

[zed]

Looks great! I've been meaning to make oven mitts for years. Mine is an old double one with the pads of a new double one sewn on. The old one was wearing out, but the new one was rubbish.

Can you hang the mitt upside down to stop it getting crumbs in? That's the thing I hate!

[Shepherdess]

They look good to me. Mine are always ending up covered in food and on the floor ( thanks to grand children and cats). they get washed a lot so not sure they would work for me. Maybe if I made some cotton covers for them.
Can you wet the first one with really hot water and stretch out the wrist part to get it to fit?

[MTRuth]

What a great idea. A friend of mine made me a knitted and then fulled wool oven mitt and a matching hot pad. They get really dirty too but I just throw them in the wash to clean them. They are already shrunk to the max so washing doesn't hurt them.

Great idea about the magnet, wouldn't have thought of that

[Pandagirl]

Both look great and make a nice accent to the kitchen besides being functional. The magnet was a terrific idea.

[pamster]

Thanks everyone for your encouraging words

Lyn, the magnets seemed to stay reasonably well in place but I did do a lot of surface rubbing initially and used extra fibre both over and under the magnet.

Zed, the magnet is in the top of the glove so they hang with the wrist down where I can slide my hand easily into the mitt and I don't think they will get crumbs in them.

Ann, once I cut a slit in the side, the first one did fit, it just isn't as easy to slide my hand into quickly.

I'm hoping they will wash well and I think I will be a little more careful using them than I was with the old hand towel that I was using.

[pamster]

I was way too proud of my oven mitts, so I shouldn't have been surprised when I fell
Yesterday I made a batch of cookies and was very disconcerted to find that the magnet in the oven mitt is attracted to the metal baking tray.

[tracey]

Oh no Pam! I don't have any great remedies but others might. I hope they are still better to use than your old hand towel!

[Pandagirl]

Oh no! I hadn’t thought of that. I hope you’re ok.

[lyn]

I hope, once you'd dusted off your fallen pride, that you saw the funny side to it?

I reckon we could collectively write a book about our 'felting mis-adventures'.

[MTRuth]

Oops!

[pamster]

Yes Ruth, oooops is right.

No harm done thanks Marilyn.

Yes, Tracey, they are still better than the old hand towel and I know where the magnet is so can work around that with the metal trays and mostly I use ceramics or glass.

Oh Lyn,   always but I love the idea of a collective book, it would be very amusing and actually very useful for people learning to felt, the other side of tips & tricks type books.

Thanks everyone.