Handmaid's Ladle
Things Betwixt
The Handmaid's Ladle is a joke weapon for a high level character. However, for an SL1 character the Handmaid's Ladle is useful for temporarily increasing your Vitality and Adaptability. While equipped, the weapon increases Vitality and Endurance by one point each, and Adaptability by two points, at the cost of minus one point in Dexterity.
Handmaid's Ladle and Estus Flask Shard at Things Betwixt
You must revisit Things Betwixt to collect the Handmaid's Ladle. Purchase the Silvercat Ring from Sweet Shalquoir. The ring will be used to reduce fall damage at various parts of Things Betwixt and other areas in the game. One Fragrant Branch of Yore is required to unpetrify an enemy who blocks the path necessary to acquiring the Handmaid's Ladle. Unpetrify the enemy and find your way to a beach. En route, you would encounter a nest of Basilisks. Defeat the Basilisks and drop down a pit to collect an Estus Flask Shard.
Find a lone Ogre standing on the beach. Kick down a tree trunk to unlock a shortcut. As you approach the Ogre, a second Ogre would appear. Don't fight the Ogres while you are on the beach, otherwise the Pursuer would spawn and you would be ganked by a team of three enemies. Use a bow and arrows to lure one Ogre at a time away from the beach and towards the nearby bridge shortcut. Cross the bridge and the Ogre would slowly back away, giving you plenty of opportunities to snipe the Ogre with ranged attacks or projectiles. Defeat both Ogres, exhaust the dialogue of Milibeth, and she would gift you the Handmaid's Ladle. It's not necessary to defeat the Pursuer who spawns on the beach, but upon defeat the Pursuer would drop a Twinkling Titanite.
While you are at Things Betwixt, collect the Stone Ring. You must defeat an Ogre near the water stream, close by the Old Ladies' house. With the Stone Ring equipped, your melee attacks would deal extra poise damage to enemies. This effect will be especially useful during the fight against the Burnt Ivory King, where you must first deal with the Charred Loyce Knights.