It's like the 1970's Home Ec around these parts!

[sporky_rat]

Okay, I know this is going to sound like the dorkiest project ever, but anyone ever knitted a Stand Mixer Cozy? I need something to cover my pride and joy (a bright, candy apple red KitchenAid stand mixer) because it sits next to the stove and I'm going to admit, I'm lazy enough that I don't want to wipe it down every time I cook something. Lazy. Lazy. Or really smart? You decide.

Any suggestions are welcome!

Comments

[katemonkey]

No, that makes total sense - my mother-in-law's mixer has a big plastic cover that keeps it clean while it sits on the shelf.

All you would really need to do is measure it, work out the right height and width needed, and then either do the two-pieces sewn together or the like-a-hat-but-not with a circular.

I'd say you could take a teapot cosy pattern and make it larger/longer as needed, and just making sure the spout bit is sewn up.

[seryn]

I'd want something washable. They used to sell them made from the kind of fabric for family-use picnic tablecloths, where it's plasticky on the outside but almost felt on the inside. It could be wiped down with a cloth for minor cleanup or tossed in the washer. But also the fabric itself was stiff enough to stand on its own.

Having a mixer cover seems like a good idea to me. (I use one of those fancy painted dishtowels on mine, so I don't have to wash everything before and after using it.) But I think you need to be looking at practicality and functionality. Since this is right next to your stove, it's going to need cleaning, so you're going to want something washable. But it's right next to your stove, so you don't want something that can catch fire. (No acrylic yarn!) It's hard to get yarn that will never fuzz over time (fire hazard) and most knitted objects don't stand up well to being tossed in the washer.

So, I'd say if you want to knit a cover for your mixer, you should keep it somewhere other than next to the stove. And since you love seeing the mixer, probably if you moved it, you wouldn't need to knit a cover.

The other thing is asking yourself if the pre-made covers available for sale are going to suit you better in addition to being less expensive than a sweater's worth of yarn. (Those mixers are big around, and about torso height, it really will take as much work and yarn as the body of a sweater.)

[anodyna]

Total tangent, but in the interests of being public-servicey: acrylics and other synthetics are actually only moderately dangerous for burning. They melt more than flame up, and most are self-extinguishing. The really dangerous fibers for fire are the cellulosics--cotton, linen, rayon, tencel, bamboo and hemp. They ignite easily and spread fire very quickly--that's why their use is restricted in public spaces.

The safest fibers are protein fibers (wools and silk), because they don't burn, only smolder and go out, followed by synthetics like polyester that are engineered to self-extinguish. /textilenerd

(Which is only a small part of your post! But since it seems to be a common misconception I thought I'd throw that PSA in there while we're talking about stove-adjacent knitting. :D)

If I were knitting a mixer cozy, I'd choose either a superwash wool, a washable wool/synthetic blend, or an acrylic. No fuzzy novelty yarn. Nothing loose or drapey. No pompoms!

Realistically, I'd probably be slightly more inclined to sew one, since the odds of this thing getting dirty or spoiled are pretty high. For sewing I'd either choose a home decor fabric, because almost all of them will be pretreated to be stain-resistant and fire-retardant; or I'd get some cheap wool fabric, prewash and dry it in the machine to shrink it, and use that.

OR--now that I think about it, a thrift-store wool sweater, felted in the washer, would be the perfect material! If you get one the right size you could just cut across the body under the arms and gather it on the cut end. Instant knitted mixer cozy, fire-resistant and washable!

I totally sympathize with having nowhere to put the mixer. I'm lucky enough to have a spot where it's out of the way, but it's a PITA dusting it and washing the bowl before I can use it. I'm actually kind of inspired to make a cover by this discussion!

[geeksdoitbetter]

"a thrift-store wool sweater, felted in the washer, would be the perfect material! "

that, is brilliant!

also, hooray for the logical defense of acrylics! i'm always amazed at the hate on wool folks have for acrylics

[evilawyer]

Makes sense to me! I knitted a cover for a wine decanter for the very same reason.

[jumpuphigh]

This sounds like a fun project. You can get cotton yarn in big spools fairly cheap from places online.

[pinesandmaples]

I would not knit one. I would sew it because grease on the knit fabric? No.

[hivesofactivity]

If it is right by the stove, and you think fire resistant, easily launderable material is a good idea, you could just buy a fire-resistant t-shirt and cut it up to make your own. (If you are in the UK, there's one here for about £20: http://www.ace-safetywear.co.uk/store/click-fire-retardant-protex-t-shirt-s-s-navy.html)

I presume fire-resistant knitting yarn must exist, somewhere, but I've never seen it.

[vilakins]

I think I'd go for sewing a thick clear plastic cover: so easy to wipe down, and you can still see the lovely apple-red. :-)

[ironed_orchid]

I would rather wipe down a shiny surface than handwash a knmitted item which has absorbed grease.