One of the things I enjoyed during our visit to Sweden this past summer was the lovely touch of crocheted potholders hung in the kitchen! This was the case in two of the rentals we stayed in, so I can safely assume that it is a rustic Swedish touch, and I love it! These particular ribbed cotton potholders were crocheted with marled yarn (multi strands in different colors) so the effect is a lovely speckled color, which also hides the imperfections and gives a nice rustic feel. I'm sold! This is a perfect little handmade gift to give alongside some kitchen treats or even a set of fun utenslls, , so lets make some now to have on hand for holiday gift giving, shall we? This is also a great beginner project, and as you can see, the handmade look of uneven sides doesn't ditract from th eoverall wonderfulness of these potholders, so keep that in mind, please! Okay, lets make some ribbed potholders.......
- cotton marled or solid yarn, in the weight of your choice (these were crocheted using lightweight cotton and a 3.5mm hook, just guessing, and this is the cotton that is sold locally in my town)
- a crochet hook
- a yarn needle
How To:
- Decide the size of the potholder that you'd like to crochet
- Crochet a foundation chain that is roughly the width of your potholder
- Crochet rows of double crochet, crocheting each row in the back loop only. Consult this post where I crocheted a scarf using the same stitch, for more information about that. yes, at the beginning of each row you'll need to ch3. Whether or not to include the ch3 as a stitch in the next row is always a question, try it both ways and see which results in a cleaner edge.
- Make a corner loop by attaching yarn at the corner, crocheting a chain in the desired length and then with a slip stitch attach the end to the potholder. Now do a row of single crochet in the loop, or rather around the loop to make a substantial loop.
- Weave in your ends.
- Give as a lovely gift, keep it yourself, and make a ton more!