26th May 2022 1052hrs BST

 

Photos of the Texas schoolchildren and their teachers murdered by an 18yo nutter have been published. No words sufficient to the need.

It's time for new potholders. After purchasing dozens on dozens over the years I've come to realise the buying or making of potholders, an absolute kitchen essential, is an exceptionally and needlessly difficult task.

I've tried ALL the 'store-boughts' from simple squares sold at eye-watering prices to the double-ended mitts priced even more eye-wateringly. And do you know, none of those potholders have ever been right for protecting hands from being burnt taking things out of the oven or off the hob. 

So I tried making my own. I've tried EVERYTHING from multiple layers of wadding and denim to 'decorator cottons' with layers of wadding and a product called InsulBrite meant to be the ultimate in hand protection insulation on home-sewn potholders. 

Meh

So then I needed to exercise my hands (Essential Tremor is 'calmed' by using the affected limb or voice daily in a dedicated exercise period) and chose crochet as my daily go-to exercise to maintain manual dexterity. 

A SIDEBAR MOMENT: I bloody hate having ET, a 'neurological movement disorder' that can be genetic in origin or as a consequence of any number of virus or inflammatory or physical trauma - and boy howdy have I had virus/inflammatory/physical trauma. My 'adventures in ET' began around aged 9 and the medics decreed my 7yo bout with Rheumatic Fever that led to Rheumatic Heart Syndrome that led to 'the mildest case ever of Rheumatoid Arthritis' the consultants have ever seen, a predisposition to things like recurrent pericarditis, and finally, gave me the neurological consequence ET. 

I shouldn't (and mostly try not to) complain - there are ET patients with far worse manifestations of the condition. My hands shake, I can't hold a dinner plate or a tea cup and saucer without rattling, I have to use weighted eating utensils as the tremor means getting a bite of food safely into my mouth is on the seriously tricky side, and recently I've had to start using straws to drink from a tumbler held in both hands to prevent spilling or dropping. 

Really the worst is the ET has moved to my voice box and for someone whose entire life has been about singing, that part REALLY is upsetting. If I don't read aloud EVERY DAY for at least 30 minutes, it's truly a toss-up as to what my voice is going to sound like when I try to speak. 

Yeah, it's depressing. END SIDEBAR MOMENT

So, anyroad, I use crochet and needlepoint to force my hands to work a bit better. 'Mindless-patternless' crochet works best, so I've crocheted so many blankets - real whole bed blankets, none of those measly meagre 'afghans' you can't curl up under without half your legs sticking out and your shoulders going without the cosy warmth - I make whole bed blankets with my mindless crochet. 

I've also made no end of table runners and placemats and dishcloths...and several years ago I started working on crocheting the ultimate potholders. One layer was a potholder fail but how I ended up with some really nice dishcloths:) Two layers gives a bit more protection but after a while I realised I was grabbing four of those two layer potholders, two two-layer ones per hand to take a baking tray or casserole dish out of the oven. I will say all those two-layer potholders have been repurposed and do make excellent worktop protectors for putting down a hot tray or dish, so, no waste there.

For the ultimate hand protecting potholders, though, I think I've cracked it - four layers of white 4W cotton in single crochet stitch on a 5mm hook.

 

(ch21, sc into br 2nd ch from hk and across - 20 sc sts, ch1 and turn, sc into base and across, ch1 and turn, rep for total 25 rows, FO and WI, set aside and make three more); 

 

Whip stitch the four layers together then use a 3.5mm hook and mercerised '4ply' cotton in contrast colour to join and make a border of four single crochet rounds. Don't forget to 'increase with ch1' at the corners to ensure nice squared corners.

 

Now, they ain't all that pretty but these work a treat - no more burnt hands. I do have to be careful to keep the potholders dry but that's the rule no matter what hand protection a body uses to take things out of the ovens or off the hob.

I boil wash kitchen linens - the white and mercerised border colours don't fade in the 90C wash, the weave goes even tighter with each wash so the potholders are ever more protective, and my hands get their exercise. Winning!

The only thing wrong with mindless-patternless crochet is being unoccupied keeping up with pattern directions means the mind wanders. Right, usually that's not a bad thing but the past two days whilst working on my newest sets of potholders all I can think about are those 19 children and two teachers, and their grieving loved ones. 

 

Lord, may the souls of your faithful departed find your rest and through your magnified presence may their loved ones left behind find comfort and strength in a sure and certain knowledge of the resurrection and reunion into life everlasting.