Heart Potholder

I love reading crochet blogs. People have such a range of talents and interests. Some are pattern designers. Some like me blog and link to the patterns they work from so others can find them, but there is always something to see and learn.

When I posted the Hearts Couple I thought I was done with Valentine's projects for this year. However I came across two house patterns that I couldn't resist. Digging into my stash I found I had yarn to make them and couldn't resist trying them out.

This potholder was the first. You can find the free pattern at Crochet for You here.

What truly made my day about this potholder was it was crocheted in the round in one piece which is rare for potholders I've made in the past.

The traditional method is to make 2 sides and sew or crochet the sides together. If you are good at making two sides exactly alike this method is not an issue for you. If however, you are like me and one of these things is not always exactly like the other, it can prove a bit more challenging when the time comes to put the two together. This is one reason I only occasionally make squares that are sewn together for blankets. They don't have to be off by much to make the blanket a little awkward looking.

I'm quite pleased with my potholder. Looking at my kitchen I am acquiring a supply of holiday and non-holiday crocheted potholders that have been gifted to me or that I've made. The holday one's especially add a little cheer to the kitchen when they come out for the month of their holiday.

While called potholders mine tend to be used as hot pads as we use mitts for carrying or picking up hot items. These however work great on the counters or table for hot items.

One note potholders need to be made from cotton not acrylic. I know some people use wool but I find cotton to be easier to work with when I'm making them. Acrylic yarn will melt under heat and thus is not a great choice for potholders that will be used under heat. If you make them to hang as decorations it shouldn't be an issue.

I have been checking lately because while some brands are 100% cotton, there are a few on the market that are blends and while I will use those for dishcloths I keep them separte in my stash beccause I only use 100% cotton for potholders. I mention it only because I only discovered it accidentally that a brand I picked up in the store wasn't 100% cotton. Thankfully it didn't matter because I was making a dishcloth. However, since then I've been more careful about how I buy and store the brands I have so they don't get mixed in my stash.