L.A. Is My Beat: Potholders

I must confess. I'm crazy about crocheting potholders. They are perfect summer projects. I LOVE using cotton potholders in my kitchen...especially really thick, cushy ones. The dainty, pretty potholders are great to hang on the wall as decoration, but for daily use, give me a work-horse cotton potholder!

Decorative Potholder Mobile at The Little Knittery, Atwater Village

I just missed the 2014 Potholder Swap on Ravelry. Since we were out of town and I have been extremely laden down with outside knit and crochet projects lately, I just could not participate this year. This has not stopped me from oogling the gorgeous potholders that everyone else made for the 2014 Swap!

yarnbee's 2014 Swap Potholders

I was most impressed with "yarnbee's" circular potholder. This is crocheted just like the Crochet Mandala Pattern. After crocheting the front side, you single crochet around the double crochet posts of each round with the same color as the round below. This makes for slow crocheting, what with all those different colors and ends to weave in, but the result is gorgeous. After you've finished the front and back of this potholder, crochet the circles together and do an optional border and loop. I will make this potholder again!

Ellen's yarnbee Potholder

Yarnbee's potholder reminds me very much of the Beehive Beanie Pattern that I've been crocheting constantly ever since I saw Diane's Beehive Beanie. I'm thinking this same method would work well for a cotton potholder, using variegated cotton yarn.

Beehive Beanie

I crocheted a huge 12-inch circumference potholder/trivet for my friend in New Orleans, Gretchen. Gretchen likes chickens too, so I also made her a chicken potholder.

12-inch Cotton Potholder / Trivet for Gretchen

Gretchen's Chicken Potholder

One more pattern I want to try is the Vintage Crochet Climbing Trellis Hexagon Potholder. I just LOVE this design. I'm thinking that the back of this potholder should be solid though, without holes, for maximum burn protection!