Pot cozy made from down and skin/leather?

[Oarsnpaddle]

Hi (again),

As I wait for different stuff to arrive, I'm rather bored.
I have just ordered an alcohol stove/woodburner stand, and only now do I realise I won't be able to simmer the food ...
Yeah, I know, but I'm used to gas and paraffin stoves, so it somehow didn't cross my mind.

Aaaanyway, I have seen people make pot cozies from foam, but as I'm hypersensitive to that stuff, that is not even an option, but it got me thinking:

Would it be stupid if I pillaged some down from my bedding, and then waterproofed some sheepskin/deerskin chamois, suede or thin leather and made a pot cozy from that?
I was thinking I could make the inside of the cozy from waxed thin leather and the outside from waterproofed chamois or suede.

Has anyone tried something similar, or have any thoughts about it?

I also thought of getting some industrial (wool) felt, but industrial felt in 100% wool is hard to come by in any shop around here.

As usual, any thoughts and comments are appreciated - even comments about how idiotic the idea is.


Edit:
Come to think of it, perhaps one could use some thick fur, and sew it together so the skin is inside, the fur outside? This way, one could invert it when not in use.

 

[Shewie]

Could you use the radiator foil sold in DIY stores, there's some which is basically a sheet of bubble wrap but with a foil skin on each side. I think there's some with a thin wire mesh in too which helps to mould to your pot.

 

[Oarsnpaddle]

I almost purchased some from BPL uk, but decided against it, as it's plastics, and most plastics, especially softish ones, is really, really bad for me, only worse when heated. I figured it would be a bummer even before trying it.

Perhaps one could use some foil on each side of a piece of wool felt to get sort of the same effect? Without glue, of course. It might be easiest to stable it together in strategic places ...

 

[Shewie]

Does neoprene affect you in the same way too ?

A nice bit of suede would look nice though

 

[Oarsnpaddle]

Does neoprene affect you in the same way too ?

A nice bit of suede would look nice though

Yes, neoprene is even worse than closed cell foam. Neoprene is one of the main reasons I decided on a row boat, rather than a kayak or canoe. There's simply too much neoprene and foam needed to keep comfortable and safe in either one of those. For the same reason I have a manually (pull-the-string) inflatable life vest instead of a swim vest/ buoyancy aid.

I think the reason I react strongly to all kinds of foam is because it has really big surface to degas from.

I can't even have a bit of foam in my shoes, so I have cut leather myself to make innersoles instead of that soft open cell foam used in most shoes these days.

I also had to remove tags and string from my tents and clothing and use leather string instead where it is needed - including leather string for shoe laces. I also react to elastic, but with a sewing machine and patience there's a way around most of it. I have a sewing machine for this very purpose. So all is not lost, I just have to think about things and do some alterations on most things or "invent" a hypersensitivity-frendly version of most things.

 

[Oarsnpaddle]

Sorry, it sounds like I'm whining, but I'm not. I'm just trying to explain my "reasoning", and what I have to do to choose and alter things to make it work.

 

[Shewie]

Sounds like a nightmare mate, I reckon you're on the right tracks with some kind of skin or hide then.

 

[Oarsnpaddle]

Pillaging my bedding for down and covering it with skin or hide it is, then

 

[Shewie]

Could you construct something using the plastics and then cover it with a natural skin ? Or would that still give you problems ?

 

[John Fenna]

Have you thought of making your own felt from wool scavenged from field boundary fences - masses of the stuff going begging in sheep country!

 

[Oarsnpaddle]

That would give me the same problems, only slightly delayed when first made. When that plastic degasses, especially when helped along by heat, the leather/skin/wool/cotton will absorb it, and then it will sit there degassing constantly afterwards.

We have had to get rid of a lot of our furniture for that very reason, and with the new (pretty expensive) couch - even if it had down and springs instead of foam - and wool for covers - I have had to swap all zippers for metal zippers, remove any and all tags and so on, and resew part of the couch by hand because I had to split it open to get to all the tags. When you sat in it, it heated those things up, allowing the "good" materials to "soak" up the chemicals.

 

[Oarsnpaddle]

Have you thought of making your own felt from wool scavenged from field boundary fences - masses of the stuff going begging in sheep country!

Hehe, I'm in Denmark. Not much sheep country around here. I can easily find a pig sty, but I doubt that would help much

 

[John Fenna]

Hehe, I'm in Denmark. Not much sheep country around here. I can easily find a pig sty, but I doubt that would help much

Fair do - I had not looked at your "location"

 

[Oarsnpaddle]

No problem. I also assume everyone else but me is from the UK around here, even if I know that's not the case