Protect Yourself with Felt:
Felted knits are great because they are so thick and warm. These characteristics can be used to your advantage when you're looking for a hand in the kitchen.
This super-simple knit and felted hot pad can be knit up in no time, felts quickly and makes a colorful and useful addition to any kitchen or dining room.
Materials:
- about 40 yards of 100 percent wool, thick and thin yarn (I used Berroco's Hip Hop in color 7265, Dude, and this project took half a skein)
- one pair size 15 US needles
- crochet hook or yarn needle
- supplies for felting by machine or by hand.
Gauge
2.5 stitches and 3 rows per inch in stockinette stitch before felting. Gauge is not critical.
Size
Before felting, project is 9.5 inches wide and 13.5 inches tall. After felting, it is 8 inches wide and 8.5 inches tall.
Instructions:
- Cast on 25 stitches.
- Knit in stockinette stitch for 40 rows, or until piece measures about 13.5 inches.
- Bind off. Cut yarn and weave in ends.
- Felt by machine, if possible. In my machine it took 12 minutes for the project to shrink fully.
- Lay out on a towel or blocking mat and pin so the sides are relatively straight. Allow to dry completely before unpinning.
Pattern Tips:
Remember that felted items can shrink further if you wash them in the machine, so if your hot pad gets dirty, just throw it in the sink with a little dish soap or wool wash and let it soak. Rinse gently and dry flat.
If you choose to use a different yarn than the one suggested, you may come up with a project that is smaller or larger. Every yarn felts differently and it is impossible to control how much or in what direction a piece of knitting is going to felt. If your project ends up really small, use it as a coaster. If it's too big, just trim the edges, or use it as a placemat.
