Steering Wheel Covers yes/no???

[darski]

I like to make some items for a bazaar that a friend of mine contributes to each year at her church. I try to find items that people would like to have and won't see elsewhere.

 

I think steering wheel covers would be great in our Northern Winters and even the scorching summers we seem to get.

 

Just a quick straw poll to see if it would be a go or a no...

 

and if yes, ... bright or bland?

[birdlady1]

Yes! Both bright AND bland to accommodate all potential customers.

 

Have you found a pattern or will you be winging it?

[smokeyp81]

Sorry, but I'm a no.....my steering wheel has a rubberized coating. Here where I live, we get both well below zero and 80-90 degreee temps....when it's cold I wear gloves. I have never noticed that the steering wheel is hot in the summer. Just my opinion.....

[ldyer1]

I like darker colors such as a coffee brown that would go with my interior of neutrals and hid hubby's dirty hands (no matter how much he washes, he still leaves oil marks).

 

Actually I might just have to make one now, I noticed my bought one was getting a little worse for wear the other day.

[DesertCrocheter]

Let me tell you, steering wheels can get HOT!!! Yesterday was only 100 degrees here in the desert, and since I found some shade to park in, my steering wheel wasn't bad when I came out of the grocery store. I have a friend who carries cotton gloves in the summer to use when she first starts driving so she doesn't burn her hands. I have a vinyl one on my steering wheel. I know lots of people who use the bright neon green covers. How would you tighten it to hug the wheel? patty

[ankey]

Yes, I'd love light and bright colors as even with a front window cover, the steering wheel is always impossible to touch for a few minutes after I get in the car starting from around March to around November down here. I've been searching for a pattern forever to make a steering wheel cover but finally just got one from a store. Of course the weather is different up there in Canada but I guess they would still be good for when it gets cold.

[kkms]

why not do steering wheel covers and seat belt covers. alot of people have problems with seat belts digging into their necks! me being on of them but i have yet to make them.

[eebrs]

I personally wouldn't want one, but I think they'd sell. Just make sure they won't slip too much. You wouldn't want to add too much excitement to their driving experience.

[darski]

I personally wouldn't want one, but I think they'd sell. Just make sure they won't slip too much. You wouldn't want to add too much excitement to their driving experience.

 

:rofl :rofl

[Addey]

My mom had a sheerling one for many, many years. I liked it because it was cooler in the summer and didn't freeze your fingers in the winter. (I'm one of those who is allways loosing her gloves and just doesn't think about them anyhow....)

she also had a seatbelt thingy and that was nice. Lots of newer cars have adjustable seatbelts for height, and that's been great, but still a little off for me.

I think the 'younger' crowd tends to like the brights, while older or more conservative would like the darker. Me, I'd love a semi-bright verigated. The way the commercial ones are held in place is with elastic around the 'front' and 'back'. I'd sc or whatever a strip about 2-3" wide and long enough to comfortably go around an average steering wheel, join the ends and thread 1/4 or 1/2" elastic through the sides. Just my take on the project...

[2020kitten]

I would not be a customer, simply because I've been known to make one or two myself.

 

I made up my own pattern for a steering wheel cover, & I made it out of Lion Suede. I had issues with it slipping a good bit, but I put up with it for about a year before I finally frogged it.

 

I currently have a commercial padded cover on my wheel, here in the (very hot these days!) Deep South USA, just because I was so disappointed in my previous cover, and haven't gotten around to making another one.

 

I haven't read all the replies yet, and someone may have found a "Maggie-aka 2020kitten-idiot-proof" pattern, but before you make alot of them for a craft fair, make up one or two in your chosen pattern, and check them out on your own steering wheel, just to see how satisfied you are with the particular pattern, then adjust from there.

 

Other than the above cautions, I'd say "GO FOR IT!" I think it's something that would work up quickly & possibly be a good seller.

 

As to color, I'd make most of them up neutral or basic colors, then do a few in bright, whimsical, or fall colors.

 

Have fun!

 

Also, there's something easy listed on JPF Crochet Club for their pattern for today you might be interested in!

 

http://www.jpfun.com/patterns/featured/p107015.shtml

 

[QueenOfCrochet]

I voted yes & I think all colors would be great. As for the slipping thing I read a great tip for rugs that may work for this. Use puff paint & put some lines across on the inside, it'll stop it from slipping. I used it on a kitchen rug I made & it worked awesome. Makes a great gripper IMO. Hope this helps, good luck.

[01buckler15]

I vote Yes. I guess I wouldn't be a customer, just because I could probably do it myself. But I love the idea! There is some kind of stuff that you can get to spray on, or paint on I don't remember which. You find it at the hardware store. My grandmother used it on her house slippers a couple of years ago. I can ask her what it's called. But that would be great on the inside of them!

[wiz3283]

I would buy one (or make one. Great idea!) I too live in AZ and they do indeed get VERY hot!

 

 

 

Let me tell you, steering wheels can get HOT!!! Yesterday was only 100 degrees here in the desert, and since I found some shade to park in, my steering wheel wasn't bad when I came out of the grocery store. I have a friend who carries cotton gloves in the summer to use when she first starts driving so she doesn't burn her hands. I have a vinyl one on my steering wheel. I know lots of people who use the bright neon green covers. How would you tighten it to hug the wheel? patty

[darski]

Thank you all. it could work. I will see if I can get a friend to let me use her steering wheel for a test drive --- so to speak

[Real Deal]

I voted yes. I think it's a great idea because there's the same hot / cold problem here. I've been thinking about making one for my own car.

 

What I noticed is that there are different sized steering wheels! You'd think they would be standardized! My last car had a much thinner wheel with a larger circumference. My current one is smaller around, thicker, and much thicker where it's attached at the posts that hold it to the steering column.

 

And tons of people drive SUV's, vans and trucks. What are those steering wheels like? Are they larger?

 

I think there's a huge market out there for these covers if people can get what fits. Since I only planned on doing my own, I figured I'd measure it all up, make it in cotton in sc with little buttonhole sp's on both back edges, which I would use for lacing it on. I even considered using shoe laces if I don't like a crocheted ch for lacing.

 

So, I don't know. Maybe all your friends and relatives would let you measure their steering wheels so you can get a good idea of what is needed.

 

The entire interior of my vehicle is gray, so I've been thinking I would do the cover in red. I think that would look sharp. Maybe a couple red headrest covers too. That would perk up the car! And I'll bet everyone who sees it will say "Wow! Can you make me some of those?" Make some for yourself and be prepared for orders, ha, ha!

 

Good Luck. Real Deal

[secretstasher]

I love my pink steering wheel cover. It is nice not to singe your fingers in summer and being pink it stops my boyfriend borrowing my car unnecessarily lol. get some made you can always ebay or etsy them if no one buyes good luck. xx

[MaryPat]

Your biggest challenge is finding a suitable fiber or something that won't slip. I've bought a couple of steering wheel covers and they always come in in what seems to be impossible small dimensions until you start stretching and tying them on.

[darski]

Yes, I am thinking that too. I think cotton would be best for this and maybe doubled for the insulating effect. I have a friend who might be willing to let me practice on her 'wheel'.

 

I was just thinking of working the beginning and ending rows around an elastic base but I would also include a couple of buttons as stops to keep it in place.

[jimbo]

I wisht someone would invent a heated steering wheel cover! One of the worst parts of winter for me is grabbing an icey cold steering wheel. Gloves just don't do the trick, even if i heat them up on the hot air register before going out.

Don't know if there's a yarn that warms up real fast, but if there could be a combinatin with an electrical resistance heater.. hoo boy would i buy one. So all's you gotta figger out is how to conntect the thing to the cigarette lighter without the wire getting all wound around the steering wheel column.

[Granny Square]

Here's another twist on the idea...what about the type of covers that are meant to be used when the car is parked in the sun, but not when driving? That way you don't have to worry so much about custom fit and slipping.

 

I've made upholstery fabric ones with elastic that look like a large shower cap, but you can buy ones that are more of a curved-top pocket that slips over the top.

 

This won't help Jimbo's cold fingers much, but if you have to park outside in the sun it helps a lot. If you have a leather steering wheel, it's nicer to have a removable cover.

 

Just a thought.

[Sockmad]

I've never sold them but I have crocheted a cotton one for summer and used an I cord to tighten it on each side then tuck in the ends. I have a felted one that I made with Paton's the varigated (sp) denim it worked up nicely and felted really well is a really nice light denim. I use this one in winter. It is tight enough on it's own.

[Sockmad]

The stuff you get at the hardware store is petroleum based and must be applied outdoors. It really smells awful,also it doesn't really work that well. At least it didn't on mine it washed out after only three washings so that is why I used the I cords!

[Ladycrochat]

I think this is a wonderful idea! I would not BUY one because I am able to make my own,like many others here, but I know that the leather and fleecy ones sell in colder climates back in The States. Perhaps you could make a sort of stout tube....the diameter of the wheel, crochet X rows to get the width of the wheel and then lash it in place with longer pieces of yarn or cotton thread

[grinning chook]

I received some pattern books from a friend last night and one had a pattern for a steering wheel cover in it. They say to fit it to the steering wheel and then lace it up.