Friday, March 2, 2012

March 2, 2012

This winter has been spent doing knitting.  I like the fact that knitting and crocheting doesn't require as much stuff  laying around, like what sewing with the sewing machine does.  The knit or crochet project can be kept in a pretty basket, ready for pickup work. My daughter requested some dishcloths and hot pads or potholders.  Here is what I came up with for her.
I like to use the Sugar & Cream kitchen yarn.  It seems to hold up for me a lot longer than the other kitchen yarns, but then, I have not used many of the other brands that are out there.  I am so satisfied with Sugar & Cream, that I buy it whenever on sale.
For years I searched for this pattern but could never find it.  Yet, I knew the pattern was an old one, for I would find these potholders made up and in public.  One lady made a box of them and passed them out to the guys who meet for coffee. My husband brought home two for me.   That generous lady passed away before I got to meet her to get the pattern.  By chance, on a blog, a woman put up the directions on how to do them.  There were no actual stitch instructions, just a picture tutorial, but I got the idea of how they were made and after a bit of fiddling, came up with these instructions, which I will share with you.  This makes for a nice thick potholder that can also be used as a hot pad.

Diagonal Pot Holder
Sugar & Cream Yarn
Chain 40 if using size G crochet hook
Chain 45 if using size F crochet hook
Make your chain and crochet in each loop on both sides of the chain just made.  Crochet around and around, without increases until, when the piece is put on diagonal, the sides meet.

I wish that I could remember the website where the picture pictorial was on, but I can not.  It has been some years since I saw it.  As you crochet around and around, two opposite corners are made/turned, and the other two opposite corners are made when you stitch down the center to join the two halves. 

I stand corrected.  I just did a search for the "Diagonal Potholder" in Yahoo, and find that there are many patterns  up for this type of potholder.   Where were they all when I needed them?

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