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I have compiled a collection of 5 quick and easy ways on how to crochet potholders. These are all different shaped crochet potholders which make a unique gift!
You know I absolutely love functional crochet! And what can be more practical than a crochet potholder? They are also great projects to work on.
Because they are small enough, you can finish them quickly in a day or so. Hence why they are great to work on in between large projects like blankets or garments. Because who doesn’t love the excitement of starting a new project and the satisfaction you get from finishing one too?!
Potholders are really practical and functional and I think every kitchen should have one! If you love cooking and baking these kitchen helpers are always handy! I use them all the time so I have a kitchen drawer full of them! All different shapes, sizes, and colors!
Crochet potholders can also make a unique gift. They are perfect for a keen cook’s birthday, Mother’s Day, or as a housewarming crochet gift.
The thing I love most about making crochet potholders yourself is that you can completely customize them. You can choose the exact colors to match the decor of your kitchen.
The size of the potholder can be adjusted to your personal taste too. Whether you prefer larger ones, smaller ones, or a pair of matching potholders, they are all easy to make.
And the possibilities of the different shapes are endless too. You can keep them plain or use various crochet techniques like tapestry crochet or corner to corner to create lovely designs. You can put different memes, slogans, or pictures on them too!
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Which yarn is best for crochet potholders?
Potholders come in all different shapes and use different techniques to achieve it. However, they have one very important thing in common. They all use 100% cotton yarn. This is so important to remember for safety.
100% Cotton Yarn
Cotton yarn has the perfect qualities to make potholders with. Therefore, I strongly advise using 100% cotton, like WeCrochet’s yarn “Dishie”, for maximum protection and safety.
Cotton yarn is plant-based and the most important quality is that it won’t melt when exposed to heat. Just imagine picking up a hot roasting tray and ending up melting the potholder onto your favorite pot or tray! We don’t want to do that and burn our fingers at the same time.
Cotton yarn can be washed at high temperatures in the washing machine. This is a great quality because as you can imagine potholders can get pretty messy and stained. You can wash cotton yarn over and over in the washing machine as it is pretty tough and durable.
Cotton yarn also doesn’t stretch and get out of shape. This is great if you want your potholders looking their best as long as possible.
Crochet potholders made out of cotton are also super absorbent! You can mop up any spills with it and wash it after.
100% Wool Yarn
Although cotton is the number one choice for crochet potholders, it is not the only one. There are some felted wool crochet potholders that might be okay to use. A great choice for 100% Wool yarn is WeCrochet’s “Wool of the Andres”.
Wool also has heat-resistant properties so it will withstand high temperatures. One quality where wool wins over cotton is that wool is self-extinguishing. What does it mean? If your 100% wool potholder accidentally catches fire, it will most likely go out on its own.
However, using wool has its cons. Washing wool at high temperatures to thoroughly clean your potholders will felt it and change the shape and size. So if you don’t mind your potholder shrinking, felting, and changing shape you can absolutely use wool too!
Man-made fibers such as acrylic, polyester, or nylon should not be used. These are not heat resistant at all and will melt and scald very easily.
5 Crochet Potholder Pattern Tips – Video
5 Quick and Easy Crochet Potholders Patterns
I have put together a list of 5 quick and easy ways you can crochet a potholder. There are many more ways to do this, but I am going back to basics. These are all simple functional crochet potholders that are easy to make and suitable for beginner crocheters.
1. Double Thick Crochet Potholders
I have designed a double thick potholder for extra protection! That means this lovely potholder has 2 layers of fabric to protect you from the heat.
The pattern uses 100% cotton yarn from WeCrochet which is heat resistant. The other amazing feature of this crochet potholder is that you can place a heat resistant material in between the two crocheted layers. This will ensure that the potholder is as safe as it can be when hanging hot objects.
I used linked crochet stitch for this kitchen accessory. This is a great choice of a stitch as it creates very thick fabric with virtually no gaps in your crochet work. It means that your finger shouldn’t poke through and get burnt.
Take a look at AMAZING CROCHET POTHOLDER – DOUBLE THICK DIAGONAL FREE PATTERN that is available on my website.
2. Thermal Stitch Crochet Potholders
As the name suggests this crochet potholder uses the thermal stitch. This is a great stitch to use for potholders as it creates a double thick fabric as you crochet.
This means there is no need to fold and sew to create a thick potholder. The thermal stitch creates two layers at the same time because you are crocheting in a zig zag way, creating half rows on the front and on the back.
In this case you could use 100% cotton yarn in worsted or bulky weight to make sure that the potholder is thick enough. The only downside is that you will not be able to place a heat resistant layer in between unless you make two pieces and sew them together.
FREE CROCHET POTHOLDER PATTERN USING THERMAL STITCH is a free crochet pattern on my blog you can use to create your very own version.
3. Heart-Shaped Crochet Potholders
Crochet potholder in a heart shape can be very practical. To make this potholder secure you can sew a small loop on each half of the heart at the back.
You can then put your fingers through the loops at the back which means that the potholder will not move or slip when you are about to pick up something very hot!
You can simply crochet two heart shapes using very thick crochet stitch with no gaps, place a heat resistant layer in between, sew them together and add loops pouches at the back for your fingers.
Heart-shaped crochet potholder would also make a lovely handmade gift for somebody! You can find an example here. You can really dress it up by adding a nice lacy border around it to really make it stand out.
4. Circular Crochet Potholders
These are very easy to make as you can crochet two identical circles using any crochet pattern. Again I would only use 100% cotton yarn and choose a stitch that will not create gaps in your fabric.
Good stitches to use would be linked crochet or thermal stitch as mentioned above. By crocheting and sewing two circles together you will have the perfect opportunity to place an extra heat resistant layer in between your circles.
Naztazia has a great pattern for this example here.
5. Mitten-Shaped Crochet Potholders
This is a very popular shape for store bought potholders but you can totally make your own mitten potholder. You need to crochet a flat piece of fabric in the shape of a hand with thumb.
For a fully functional mitten I would recommend crocheting 3 separate pieces. You can then sew together 2 pieces with a heat resistant layer in between which will be at the front.
Then sew the third piece on at the back which will create a mitten you can actually put your hand inside. These are very practical as they will not slip off or move.
You can find an example of a pattern like this here.
I hope you enjoyed this article about crochet potholders. These are the most common shapes, however, there are so many more. Check out this round up of all different potholder patterns and get inspired to make some!
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THE CROCHET CLUB – CROCHET PATTERN, TIPS & TUTORIAL VAULT
You can have the most amazing pattern and yarn in the world, but if you don’t have the knowledge on how to crochet in a way that makes you proud, then all your work is for nothing.
Maybe you have a dream of having perfect straight seams or have less yarn to weave in?
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