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!
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Date: 2010-09-26 10:25 pm (UTC)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!