Old Fashioned Potholder

Love. This. Pattern! This pattern is called "Old Fashioned Potholder" by Cathy Irish, and can be found on Ravelry. I am in a couple of potholder swaps and wanted to find an easy pattern that was quick to make. This is the winner! I can make about 1 a day just crocheting in between the other things I do all day long. The pattern is simple, but the colors make the potholders fun to make! I used Elann Sonata, with Paton's Grace and Takhi Stacy Charles Cotton Classic thrown in sometimes, also. One potholder is made entirely with Red Heart Creme de la Creme yarn, because it is a rougher yarn than the Elann, Grace, and Takhi. Love the colors of the Creme de la Creme, but the potholder isn't quite the quality that I was looking for.

Swappin

The top two potholders are a couple that I sent to my friend Claudia in Houston as part of our 3 potholder swap. The top pattern is Potholders by Bea Aarebrot and the second one is the Gehaekelte Topflappen by Creadoo. I also sent a fish potholder from a pattern I made up a couple of years ago. Below are two more she sent my way as a "thank you" for helping her a little bit with getting started on her blog. The pattern is one she created and the pattern can be found on her blog, Delights-Gems.

Grape Cluster Potholder

Here is a potholder pattern I am currently experimenting with. It is the free Grape Cluster Potholder by Maggie Weldon. I improvised and added the last couple of rows around the edge. The yarn I am using here is Hobby Lobby "I Love this Yarn". Actually, I don't really "love this yarn" too much. It's a little "soft" for potholders in my opinion, even when doubled. I might have to insert potholder insulation from JoAnn Fabric to stiffen it up. I do like the yarn size and the colors. I am in another Crochet Potholder Swap and we are supposed to swap 4 times a year. I need to have my first 4 potholders made by July 5. I have already made two and another front side of this pattern with different sized hooks, trying to get it down to a size I like. I think the general rule of thumb for a good sized potholder is between 6 to 9 inches wide. My personal preference is about 7 to 8" wide. The G hook produced a 9", the F hook produced 8 1/2", and the front side I am still working on was made with an E hook. I am hoping the E hook will produce the "magic size" that I like! I'm not really sure why my bottom photo turned out so dark, but it is the back side to the potholder. I almost like it better than the "grape" side! I will try to post better photos of all the potholders later.

More Potholder Goodness!

Look what my friend Claudia from Houston sent me yesterday! Woo hoo! Am I scoring lately, or what?!!! This lady is absolutely very talented and creative!! The "Green Eggs and Ham" and the "Tropical Sunset" are both her own creations. I personally think one day soon we will be seeing her patterns in books and magazines!

Sock Monkeys

As one of my friends mentioned, these remind her of the car commercial featuring a sock monkey who gets a "Mom" tattoo sewn on while having fun out on the town. :) I found this cute version of the Origami Hot Pad over at Violet VanderVool's project page and decided I "had" to make a couple for the twins. (AND yes, I'm going to say it) I had more fun than a barrell full of Monkeys making them!

The top photo is of all the potholders I have received so far in our swap. I am supposed to get two more soon. The next two photos are of my Mother's day "gifts" from my two children and 3 grandchildren. I got taken to lunch at my favorite Italian restaurant in North Richland Hills, TX called "Nicki's". LOVE that place! DD had decided my "old" digital camera was a dinosaur and gifted me with the new one (photo in middle). I still haven't sat down and played with it (as you can see I used "old dinosaur" to take these photos, LOL)!! I am still "potholder" obsessed and glad I am in a swap so I can crochet as many as I want and won't have them flowing out of every drawer in my kitchen! LOL!

Back to the 70's!

I got my first potholder from Dani in California for the Dazzling Dozen 2010 Potholder Swap! LOL! Boy does Dani have my number! I was in junior high school in the early 70's and very much into the Smiley Faces, Peace symbols, etc. I told her I love color and kitsch and she gave me both! She also added extra goodies and sent some chocolate and a bookmark showing a photo of the Redwoods! This is why swapping is so fun!