Candle Warmers (Safer for Cats & Kids!)

My cats are kind of crazy, so lately I’ve been into using safer options such as candle warmers or metal/glass covered lanterns.

A steel screen on top of a lantern or metal container will work as a barrier for lit pillars, votives, tapers and containers. It also creates a beautiful centerpiece!

If you’re going to make a cover, make sure the screen is strong metal and that the smoke can still escape through the small holes. This is an example of a simple yet beautiful candle lantern from the Candle Lantern Store.

You can use warmers for any container candle so that you still get the scent without the soot or flame. Of course the warmers will also work for candle melts or oil burners. I have a plain plate candle warmer, which works fine. Another attractive option is a candle crock from Candle Warmers. I like the fact that it’s enclosed and it comes with a lid.

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier.

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project.

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible.

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge.

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects.

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy.

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Xandy Peters]

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