Well, I've been playing with this pattern for some of my holiday gifting and am here to share it with you!
Thick and Easy 1 Hour Potholder, Version 1
Materials:
Copyright 2010-2012 LiLu Studios: This Crafting Life, by Lori Steffens. {http://www.thiscraftinglife.com/} Make it, Wear it, Love it, but above all, Share it, don't Sell it!
Size H hook
Cotton yarn- THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Cotton is able to withstand very high heat and will not melt. It will catch fire if exposed to flame, but it will not melt. Acrylic yarn will melt when coming into contact with very hot items from the oven and is not to be trusted as an actual useable potholder material. Acrylic yarn is fine when used for trivets, provided that your dish has cooled slightly prior to being used for it. I personally used Lily: Peaches and Cream Yarn
. I really like the Peaches and Cream yarn and Sugar and Cream for kitchen items because it gives a thick and durable feel. Pattern:
{pattern notes} this pattern is mostly a free form spiraling round pattern. Do not get hung up on where you are on a row, you can figure out if you are right by laying it as it will go together as shown in the pictures. You may end your potholder before or after i do, depending on the yarn that you use and the tension of which you crochet. The important thing is that it meets together as shown in the pictures.
You will not join rounds, instead moving on to sc in the top of the last round directly.
ch 30
Row 1- work 1sc in the 2nd chain, from hook in the back chain only! (see picture) sc to the end, turn.
Row 2- work 2 sc in what is now the back of the chain, on the opposite side of the last sc of the last row. work 1 sc in each back chain to the end.(see picture) Add one more sc to last chain. Do not turn.
*note, piece will begin to curl on ends, and this means you're doing it right.
Round 2- *now rounds will be worked, Row 1 and Row 2 equal the first round. * sc in back loop of each sc around.
R3-15- sc in back loop of each sc around.
Now while following this pattern, it is advised that once you get to Round 13 or so, you begin laying your piece as it folds naturally. This way you can see how much of the gap that you need to fill. Reference the pictures below to see how much difference even just one round can make. Feel free to add or omit rows as you need to in order to get the seams to line up properly.
Once you're done, you can use any method of seaming that you prefer, but I use a whip stitch with an yarn needle. If you need ideas or how-to's on seaming, check out this post with nice pictures: How To Seam Crochet
Another note! Once you understand this pattern, you can make these in any size! Follow the same formula, but increase your starting chain! By making it bigger, you can make yourself a bigger potholder!
You can also flip it inside out, and make a different look:
do you leave your seam open? Would these be heavy enough to use as a glove type holder? Putting your fingers in one side and thumb in the other? Hmmmm, got me thinking now!
ReplyDeleteI didn't leave the seam open on these, though I see where you're going with that. You might want to double strand if you try to make a glove type holder out of it, or make two, (one slightly smaller) and insert it inside the other, if it weren't thick enough. Or... you could just make a square and attach it inside the flat square part to make the part you would use for grabbing thicker.... It would take some experimentation, but I'm pretty sure you could get the "glove type" effect from it. Let me know if you do!
DeleteThank you. I read someone else's pattern and I got the concept... But they insisted that there was no turning ...... Your pictures helped me a lot. My sister in law got this type of pot holder for a wedding present and they got burned (left on the stove, acrylic yarn.. icky melt spot...) and I wanted to suprise her with some more : ) Thanks Very Much for helping to make that happen!!!
ReplyDeleteThere isn't turning, in the traditional sense, where you actually turn the piece, it's more of going around in a circle, making a tube in a way. I'm glad this pattern helped you figure it out!!
DeleteI'd like to thank you for taking the time to work this pattern out and for sharing it! I received two of these potholders many years ago, when I graduated from culinary school. I found these holders to be part of my "kit", along with my kitchen knives, when I started my first job. Needless to say, the potholders went "missing" within a few weeks of starting that job...and I never found another holder I loved as well as those originals. When I saw your pattern on Ravelry, I was making them within five minutes, and I made at least a dozen of them. I shared four of them, and kept the rest for my stash. I'm now teaching cooking to novices, and I'll be giving a set of these holders as a graduation gift!Thank you once again. I know it sounds sappy, but you've really touched a lot of lives with sharing this pattern!
ReplyDeleteYou are so very welcome! I also have 4 other versions of this pattern using different stitches. This is my favorite out of the bunch though, I think.
DeleteMy mom used to make these with a few slight differences. I am sure she made hundreds, and gave them to us as gifts. I still have ONE left and it is pretty sad looking although still does the job just fine. Mom is now 92 and has both macular degeneration and Alzheimer's, so we thought we'd lost the pattern forever! Thanks so much for giving it back to us. Can't wait to start one.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that I could help out! They're mostly a "passed down from generation to generation" type of pattern, taught and never written. So I wrote it out to help everyone out, and I'm pleased to see how many people it's touched! Thanks for the comment!
DeleteA patient of mine was making these in the hospital, and I couldn't quite remember how to do it. She "passed it on" to me, and this pattern helped me remember. Thanks so much!
DeleteI am enjoying making the potholders, however, I am confused as to how you joined the last rows together. Sc makes it too bulky...so I will take whatever suggestion you can give. They are fun and quick, to be sure. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteoh wow! I didn't realize that I didn't talk about how to seam them up!!! big whoops! I'll add a note in the pattern right now, but I use an embroidery needle and just seam them together with a whip stitch. Hope that helps!
DeleteThis is a wonderful, fun pattern to make and to give as gifts. Everyone loves them! Thanks for sharing the pattern.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this pattern ... my daughter and daughter in law will love them as an addition to the dish cloths I make for them.. A bit of family love passed on to the next generation <3
ReplyDeleteI have made several of these, only with cotton, and all were well received. What I do is give a dish cloth and scrubbie along with the potholder as a set. :-)
ReplyDeleteAs a beginner and not understanding mos of the pattern, would you consider making a video? I know how to chain basically and go back into my stitches but don't understand the rest... hangs head...a video would be awesome! Thanks for the consideration.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma's mom made several potholders, but most of them are worn out these days and my grandma asked if I could make her a few since I crochet and knit {though i'm still very new to knitting}. I'll be making a several using this pattern to give to her for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI am a new crocheter. I have wanted to find these potholders at a craft show but have not. I thought I can try to do it. I do not understand to "not turn" So what do you do? And when you do turn do you like turn a page? and flip it over. I have tried a few differnt ways that i thought it would go but it does not seem right. I have not given it a real long time or very many rounds and I rip it out and start over but not having luck!! Hope I do not sound too dumb about this! Can you give me any more tips or further explanation? Please and thank you!!
ReplyDeleteFrom my understanding (I tried another pattern and didn't catch the first step so this is a great tutorial), work down the chain, then work the other side of the chain. When you have that done, you just work in "rounds" and do not turn. She added a comment above that also explained that. It will look like a tube with a bottom. Then you sew up the top.
DeleteHave you ever made a hat where you work in rounds? That's what I mean by it's not a turn, in the true sense, where you would turn, chain and continue to make a flat piece. You're actually making a pocket, or a hat like shape. So think of it as turning as you would flip a cassette tape to work on the other side. Does that help at all?
ReplyDeleteI would love to know what the yarn is called, I love the color. I looked on Lilly's website but was unable to match a color to it.
ReplyDeleteI believe this is the right yarn: http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=lilstu0d-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0044O7UOC
Deletehow big is this suppose to end up being? I am making it now and it doesn't seem like its going to end up being very big...by the way, I do love the pattern and have been looking for something like this....
ReplyDeleteHowever long your first chain was will be the length of the potholder measuring from opposing corners and subtracting a very small amount for the thickness. So, if you want it larger, just try chaining on more in the beginning. :)
DeleteThank you Lilu, this is the best potholder pattern. I use to have it years ago and thought it would make a nice addition to my Christmas gifts this year. Bought the yarn in Christmas colors came home and couldn't find the pattern and couldn't remember how it was done. Searched the internet and found one but it was poorly written and couldn't understand it. Then a few days later came across yours that is written very well. Thank You So Much
ReplyDeleteThanks for warning not to use acrylic yarn for this, I was just about to!
ReplyDeleteI have done several of these but mine always turn out to be a square. My grandmother used to make them into a rectangle shape. Can you tell me how to do that?
ReplyDeleteHmmm.... I've not tried to make a rectangle before! I'm working on holiday gifts right now and perhaps I'll give it a go! If it works, I'll make a post on it! :)
DeleteI figured out the rectangle shape! When I was making one I realized when you get to the end that you can pull the sides so that the triangles form a perfect square, or you can pull them slightly and it will lay flat as a rectangle. The only difference is the length of the piece that you whiptstitch together. That is what I found
DeleteThank you so much for the pattern. I got these pot holders as gifts many years ago and always wanted to make one for my family. Now I can, thanks again.
ReplyDeleteI have made hundreds of these for Christmas gifts, wedding shower, baby shower etc. My mother made me my first set 35 years ago and I still use them. Change it up for Christmas with red, white, green, white. I have also done the red, white & blue for 4th of July etc. I finished a set while waiting for a friend to have an x-ray done and a cancer patient saw me working on it and made the comment how she liked them. I worked my fingers fast and furious to get the pair done and as we left I gave them to her. I like to think I made her day a bit brighter with these.
ReplyDeleteI make these and a few other patterns and when I get a bunch done, I take them to a local food bank. They are always happy to have them as they prepare meals once a week for their recipients and give each person one or a set along with their groceries, too. It's my way of helping out a little and keeps my hands busy and out of trouble! Thanks for writing out the pattern. It's very helpful when somebody asks how to make them.
ReplyDeleteI received mine from a neighbor who was expressing gratitude for greens and turnips we have her out of our garden many years ago. I've often wondered how to make them. The thread in your photo is the exact same color as she gave me. Thank you for the pattern.
ReplyDeleteI learned how to make these years ago and have made a lot of them. I use Red Heart yarn (just like grandma) and they are thicker than Kitchen Aid mitts.
ReplyDeleteMy mother-in-law made a larger version and used it as a pillow cover. So glad to finally find out how to make one. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI've made these several time. Use different sizes depending on pans being used. One thing I really like is making coasters for my coffee cups. Works great. Thank you so much for this pattern
ReplyDeleteI have made these for 30 years. I have found that knit pick cotton yarns is a better quality. And I have made bigger one for big stewing pots. Just chain a even number of chains.
ReplyDeleteI also crochet a loop on top so they can be hung up
ReplyDeleteI have made these for years but I am fussy as to who I give them to as mine take far longer than an hour. Guess I crochet slowly.
ReplyDeleteI make mine with 2 strands of cotton yarn and double crochet. The double strand allows me to customize colors. I have also made handle holders to match for pans like cast iron.
Thank you for this pattern! I've been looking for potholder ideas and this is perfect. I bet you could also cut a piece of thermal fabric (like Insulbrite) to add more protection. I'm going to make a couple this week.
ReplyDeleteI learned this pattern from one of the lady from knitting and crochet group. I really like it because it works. Double layer makes big different. I am making as late Christmas gift for my friend right now. very quick project too. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy children's adopted grandma made a ton of these. My daughter and I have several of hers, but they are looking kind of decrepit. I asked her for the pattern, but it was in her head. She can't crochet anymore. I was excited to see this pattern. She said it was easy. I'm just a beginner.
ReplyDelete