A New Take on Oven Mitts

Have you ever noticed--and been frustrated by--how ugly the majority of oven mitts and pot holders sold in stores are? Ugh. And they're cheaply made, too. If you're like me, it goes something like this: (1) Trudge out with high hopes of finally finding a cool mitt or holder that goes just right in your kitchen; (2) Realize after a few hours of going from store to store and browsing in vain that once again, it's not going to happen; (3) Give in and buy something in a dull blue or mousy brown or horrid olive or whatever limp, lifeless, personality-less color has been decided by the invisible Household Design Police to be the least offensive for the season, because there's absolutely nothing else out there; (4) Take your own self aback at the words that come out of your mouth a week later, because the mitt gets burned or stained, and little bits of acrylic-yuck stuffing start popping out of the now crusty brown shell of the burned fabric.

Yet you keep using the darn things because you can't bear yet another unsuccessful shopping trip in pursuit of the Perfect Pot Holder with Perky Personality.

Well, I'm rebelling. It's my not-humble-at-all opinion that the things we surround ourselves with in our homes should all be as beautiful as we can afford, and they should give us joy. And yes, that includes the lowly oven mitt. I want to smile when I take out that casserole or pie I've so lovingly made. I want my hands to be protected by something that guests oooh and aaah over, not something I'm ashamed to put my hands into, never mind have my guests see.

So, I've decided to venture forth and make mitts and holders that say, "Look at me! Aren't you glad you did?" Here's my first effort at the mitts. Basically, they're really big mittens, made from leftovers of yarn I used for the hats, bags, and slippers I sold at a holiday arts fair. I went with Cascade 128 because of the way it felts and the range of very cool colors it's available in. I decided to let whimsy strike, and so I just picked up different colors for the striped version as I went along. The design dictated itself. The yellow version was originally supposed to be all yellow, but I ran out of yarn so just plopped some orange onto the top and thumb. I ended up liking it better that way. Since I know I'm going to felt them, I didn't have to worry about the stitches being perfect (I LOVE that about felting!). Can't wait to see what they'll look like after they come out of the washer. Maybe I'll needle felt some different colored dots onto the yellow mitt to go with/contrast with the striped version....