Merry Potholders, Free Crochet Potholder Patterns

Thick, square potholders to crochet!

These are my Merry Potholders. These free crochet potholder patterns will be such a cute addition to your kitchen! They are a full 10″ [25.5 cm] square! That’s a nice, generous size for protecting surfaces from hot dishes. The front is crocheted, the back is fabric. There is a piece of felt in between the layers, and the binding is sewn on just like a quilt binding.

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They use Aunt Lydia’s size 3 thread, and a size D hook. 

These free crochet potholder patterns were originally published in the Jan/Feb 2014 issue of Crochet Today!. Sadly, Crochet Today! is no longer in print. As such I have decided to make the pattern available for free here on my blog! Scroll down for the free pattern.

Merry Potholders, Free Crochet Potholder Patterns

By April Garwood of Banana Moon Studio

As with all my patterns, please do not make digital or paper copies for others. Instead, please direct them to my website to get their own. Thank you!

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Finished Measurements: About 10” x 10” [25.5 cm x 25.5 cm]

Thread: Aunt Lydia’s Crochet Thread, Size 3, each ball approx. 150yd [137m] (100% mercerized cotton)

• 2 balls #0201 White (A); 1 ball for each potholder
• 1 ball #0006 Scarlett (B)

Crochet Hook: D/3 [3.25mm], adjust hook size if necessary to obtain correct gauge.

Notions

• yarn needle
• 1/3 yd. cotton print fabric for backing and binding for each potholder
• 10 in. x 10 in. piece acrylic felt for each potholder
• sewing needle
• thread to match fabric or A

Gauge: 2 patt rep and 21 rows = 4” in honeycomb st; 5 rnds of motif patt = 4” across

Special Stitches

Beg 3-dc cluster: Ch 2, *yo, insert hook in ring, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, repeat from *, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook.

3-dc cluster: *Yo, insert hook in ring, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, repeat from * 2 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops on hook.

Beg 3-tr cluster: Ch 3, *yo twice, insert hook in designated sp or st, pull up a loop, [yo, pull through 2 loops on hook]2 times, repeat from *, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook.

3-tr cluster: *Yo twice, insert hook in designated sp or st, pull up a loop, [yo, pull through 2 loops on hoo]2 times, repeat from * 2 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops on hook.

Beg 2-dc cluster: Ch 2, yo, insert hook in designated sp or st, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo, pull through both loops on hook.

2-dc cluster: *Yo, insert hook in designated sp or st, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, repeat from *, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook.

Beg cluster v-st: Beg 2-dc cluster, ch 1, 2-dc cluster

Cluster v-st: 2-dc cluster, ch 1, 2-dc cluster

Notes

Honeycomb Potholder is worked from bottom to top in typical rows.

For Honeycomb Potholder, when changing colors, work the row before the change to the last yarn over, leave a 6” tail of the old color hanging to the WS, yo with the new color and finish the st, then work the next row with the new color.

Motif potholder is worked in joined rnds with RS always facing.

Each potholder has a piece of backing fabric with a piece of felt in the middle.

The binding is made just like a typical quilt binding.

Honeycomb Potholder

With B, Ch 60

Row 1: Sc in 2^nd ch from hook and each ch across, join A, turn – 59 sts.

Row 2: Ch 1, *sc in first 11 sts**, ch 1, skip next st, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, turn – 55 sts.

Row 3: Ch 1, *sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts**, ch 1, skip ch sp, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, join B, turn – 55 sts.

Row 4: Ch 1, *sc in next 11 sts**, dc in skipped sc of Row 1, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, join A, turn – 59 sts.

Row 5: Ch 2 (counts as dc now and throughout), skip first st, working all sts in FLO, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts, *ch 1, skip next st, sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts**, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, dc in last st, turn – 55 sts.

Row 6: Ch 1, sc in first 5 sts, *ch 1, skip ch sp, sc in next 11 sts, repeat from * 3 times, ch 1, skip ch sp, sc in last 5 sts, turn – 55 sts.

Row 7: Ch 2, skip first st, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts, *ch 1, skip ch sp, sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts**, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, dc in last st, join B, turn – 55 sts.

Row 8: Ch 1, sc in first 5 sts, *dc in skipped st from Row 4, sc in next 11 sts, repeat from * 3 times, dc in skipped st from Row 4, sc in last 5 sts, join A, turn – 59 sts.

Row 9: Ch 1, working all sts in FLO, *sc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 2 sts**, ch 1, skip next st, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, turn – 55 sts.

Row 10: Ch 1, *sc in first 11 sts**, ch 1, skip ch sp, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, turn – 55 sts.

Rows 11-40: (Repeat Rnds 3-10)5 times, join B.

Row 41: Ch 1, *sc in next 11 sts**, dc in skipped sc of Row 1, repeat from * across, ending last repeat at **, turn – 59 sts. Fasten off.

Motif Potholder

With B, make an adjustable Ring. See a video tutorial for this here.

Rnd 1: Beg 3-dc cluster, ch 1, *3-dc cluster in ring, ch 1, repeat from * 6 times, join to beg cluster with sl st, pull tail to tighten – 8 3-dc clusters.

Rnd 2: (Sl st, ch 3[counts as dc], 3 dc)in next ch sp, *skip next 3-dc cluster, 4 dc in next ch sp, repeat from * around, join to tch with sl st – 32 dc. Fasten off B.

Rnd 3: Join A with sl st in sp between first and last 4-dc groups, beg 3-tr cluster, *skip 3 dc, ([3-tr cluster, ch 3]2 times, 3-tr cluster)in space between next 2 dc, repeat from * 7 times, skip 3 dc, [3-tr cluster, ch 3]2 times in space between next 2 dc, join to beg 3-tr cluster with sl st – 24 3-tr clusters.

Rnd 4: (Sl st, ch 4[counts as tr], 2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in sp between next 2 3-tr clusters, *ch 1, skip 2 3-tr clusters, 2 dc in next cluster, ch 1, 3 dc in sp between next 2 clusters, ch 1, skip 1 cluster, 2 dc in next cluster, ch 1**, (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in sp between next 2 clusters, repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, join to tch with sl st – 52 sts.

Rnd 5: Sl st in next 2 tr, (sl st, beg cluster v-st, ch 2, cluster v-st)in corner ch-2 sp, *cluster v-st in each ch sp to next corner ch-2 sp**, (cluster v-st, ch 2, cluster v-st)in corner ch-2 sp, repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, join to beg 2-dc cluster with sl st – 24 cluster v-sts.

Rnd 6: Sl st in next ch sp, beg cluster v-st, *(cluster v-st, ch 2, cluster v-st)in corner ch-2 sp**, cluster v-st in each ch sp to next corner ch-2 sp, repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, cluster v-st in each remaining ch sp, join to beg 2-dc cluster with sl st – 32 cluster v-sts.  Fasten off A.

Rnd 7: Join B with sl st in first ch sp, beg cluster v-st, *cluster v-st in each ch sp to next corner ch-2 sp, (cluster v-st, ch 2, cluster v-st)in corner ch-2 sp, repeat from * 3 times, cluster v-st in each remaining ch sp, join to beg 2-dc cluster with sl st – 40 cluster v-sts.

Rnd 8: Repeat Rnd 7.  Fasten off B.

Rnd 9: Joining A instead of B, repeat Rnd 7. 

Rnds 10-11: Sl st in first ch sp, beg cluster v-st, *cluster v-st in each ch sp to next corner ch-2 sp, (cluster v-st, ch 2, cluster v-st)in corner ch-2 sp, repeat from * 3 times, cluster v-st in each remaining ch sp, join to beg 2-dc cluster with sl st.  Fasten off B.

Rnd 12: Joining B again, repeat Rnd 7.

Finishing

Block to measurements.  Weave in all ends.

For each potholder, cut a square from backing fabric and a square from felt the same size as crocheted piece.  Cut fabric strips for the binding 2 ¼” x about 50”. Cut a fabric piece 4” x 1 ½” for the hanging loop.

Fold fabric for hanging loop in half length-wise with RS together. Stitch length-wise with ¼” seam. Turn RS out and iron.  If multiple strips of binding fabric were needed to make them long enough you will need to join strips together.  Place ends of strips RS together at 90 degree angle and sew at 45 degree angle (Fig 1). Trim off excess about ¼” away from stitching and iron seam open.  Cut one end of binding strip at 45 degree angle.  Fold ¼ in. of this end to WS and iron (this will be starting end of binding).  Fold binding strip in half length-wise with WS together and iron.

On RS of backing fabric, mark the center of one side.  Place ends of hanging loop even with edge of backing fabric with one end on either side of center mark.  Stitch in place with stitching less than ¼” from edge of fabric.

Lay backing fabric down WS up with hanging loop edge at top.  Lay felt square on top of that with edges even.  Lay crocheted piece on top of that with edges even, making sure to orient top edge with hanging loop on backing fabric. Pin these pieces together.  Beginning in the middle of one side, lay raw edges of folded binding strip even with edges of potholder (Fig 2).  Stitch through all thicknesses using ¼” seam.  

As you approach each corner, stop stitching ¼” from edge, backstitch about ½”.  Break thread.  Fold binding strip straight up, creating a 45 degree angle at corner of potholder (Fig 3). 

Holding this fold in place, fold binding strip straight down, creating a fold that is even with top edge of potholder (Fig 4).  Begin stitching again at edge of potholder with ¼” seam.  When you get back to start of binding, trim finishing end so that it will overlap beginning end by about 1 in.  Insert finishing end inside fold of beginning end, then realign edges with potholder and continue stitching in place with ¼” seam.

It may be necessary at this point to trim backing fabric and felt lining a little closer to stitching to decrease bulk.  Fold binding strip over seam allowances to back of potholder folding corners to create mitered corner, and pin in place.  Hand stitch binding strip to back of potholder using sewing needle and thread.

And that’s it! Your finished. If you’d like to share these free crochet potholder patterns with others, please direct them to my blog instead of making copies. Thank you!

Happy crocheting!

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