Himalayan Pink ~

Quick! Guess what this is in the sweet little Brambly Hedge saucer. If you guessed sugar, you're wrong. This is pink salt! To be precise, this is natural organic Himalayan pink salt~ Isn't it pretty? I almost want to stir some into my teacup. College Girl is a gourmet salt fan, so I bought this salt just for her. She loves to cook and I knew she would get a kick from seeing and tasting this  pink salt. Do you know why it is pink? According to the internet:

The color is an indication of this salt's rich and varying mineral and iron content.

read more about the mines

Himalayan Pink Salt. Origin - Himalayan mountains.Extraction- Hand-mined, hand-washed, and sun dried. Shelf life - 4-5 years
Notes- Store in an air tight, covered container in a cool dry place. Fluctuations in humidity may cause salt to cake. A granular salt with a average size of 1-2 mm. Fully dispersible in water and blends well with oil.

It is wonderful with food, but is also used by spas for beauty treatments. If you look at it up close you can see tiny darker pink specks...this salt is full of trace elements. Mountain Rose Herbs states,

"Himalayan Pink Salt is used by holistic chefs, spas, health professionals, and individuals for its range of nutritional and therapeutic properties. Pink salt may be used in the same manner as table salt for culinary dishes and baking, but it is purer and higher in mineral content. Externally, pink salt can be used to stimulate circulation, relax the body, lower blood pressure, sooth sore muscles, and remove toxins from the body. Use Himalayan Pink Salt in bath salt recipes, body scrubs, aromatherapy, homemade soap, and for all types of culinary and spa applications."

Online stores like Salt Works offer a variety of grain size and even salt slabs for sale. I bought ours at a local all-natural grocery store.

And since we love to create in the kitchen, I thought I would whip up a little creation in my craft room to make it more fun! I looked for a free pot holder pattern and came across one for a nifty little version, just right for lifting hot lids. Shirley at Bits and Pieces posted directions for what she calls a 'microwave mit pattern'. I followed it with the exception that I used single fold bias tape on the edges of my pockets, while she used a matching fabric strip on hers.

Make a simple pattern from cardstock or a grocery sack~Shirley used freezer paper. 7 and 1/2" by 4 and 1/2" rectangle. Fold in half (hot dog style), round the open corner. Fold in half again, round remaining open corner to match, using first rounded corner as a template.

 Cut 4 of these rounded rectangles from your chosen fabric: 2 are for the main front/back, and the other 2 will be used for the pockets.

I used a shortcut: instead of cutting out 4 small pieces of fabric for the right/wrong side of the pockets (2 each side), I cut 2 additional of the original 7.5" x 4.5" shape, folded them in half, then cut off the excess. SEE ABOVE. Shirley's directions called for two 3" pieces for each pocket. It was quicker for me to cut 4 pieces of fabric the same shape/size when cutting out the main pot holder, although the directions only call for two. I then trimmed down the extra two into the pocket pieces. Easy-peasy :)

These are the pocket pieces, above. They are placed wrong sides together with batting sandwiched inside. Trim the straight edge with bias tape, or make a matching strip with fabric on hand. If you use bias tape, insert the raw edge/straight side of the pocket piece in between the folded tape, then top stitch.

Now you are ready to stack your fabric layers. This method of finishing is much easier than using bias tape around the entire perimeter! Trust me! Here is my 'sandwich'~

Shirley has a great photo of the stacking order: *batting(or Insulbrite = heat protective fabric),

*then 7.5" x 4.5" piece

 *then pocket pieces (outer edges aligning= gap in the center),

* lastly another 7.5" x 4.5".

  ~Here is Shirley's photo~



Bits and Pieces mit tutorial, photo by Shirley

Sew around the perimeter using 1/4" seam allowance. Be sure to leave an opening on one end (on the straightest part after you make the corner curve). Clip corners, turn.

Once you turn your pot holder, push out corners. Finally, sew up the the open spot you left to turn it by...topstitch it closed. (see left edge in photo above)

Now you have a cute little potholder that is just the right size for your thumb to fit on one side and your fingers in the other...perfect for lifting a hot lid to peek inside a pan. And, I bet you know which salt we will be using this week!




Sharing this post with~
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