Freebie Friday - Magic Potholder and Gift Bags That Keep on Giving

Earlier this week we learned all about the various ways we can use single crochet. Today I've got two patterns for you that are particularly suitable for beginners... but you can always make a practice stitch square and turn them into Fingerless Mitts like we did last week!

First, we have the Magic Potholder, the one Grandma's made, and tried to teach us as kids.  Next is a simply shaped bag, it's a little more complicated because it uses increases, decreases and back loop only.  All techniques included in the Tutorial.

Both patterns are available for free on Ravelry so be sure to add Magic Potholder and Gift Bags That Keep on Giving to your queue. 

You can also use these links to download .pdfs for the Magic Potholder and Gifts Bags That Keep on Giving.

The Magic Potholder uses single crochet in the round to create a double thick potholder.

For a 6 inch square potholder I used:
About 75 yards, worsted weight cotton yarn
H/5mm hook

Step by step!

Chain 30 – this chain will be the diagonal corners of your potholder, but once you begin stitching it will tighten up. My fingers show the approximate size of my finished potholder.

Round 1: Single crochet (sc) in back ridge loop of second chain from hook and each remaining chain. Do not turn. 

Rotate work 180 degrees clockwise and sc into the bottom of each chain back to your starting point. You should have 29+29=58 sc

Once you work your way back to your first stitch, do the same thing… without turning just rotate your work clockwise and make your next stitch into the top of the first stitch. You are now working in the round!

Don’t be surprised if the corners are a bit tight, we’re going to use that to our advantage!

See how that tight corner allows it to fold naturally as you continue?  Here’s how it looks flat, opened up, front and back:

Keep working sc round and round until long enough for the folded sides to meet in the middle.

 

Cut a length of yarn about 4 times the length of your seam, and use it to whipstitch the two sides together.

Once the seam is complete, I use the tail to crochet a chain hanging loop. Use your hook to pull up a loop, chain 10 and slip stitch back into the corner.

Weave several inches of that tail into the fabric and you’re done! 

One final look… I’ve pointed out the line of the original chain.

Notes on sizing: Use an initial chain based on what size finished potholder you need. I find a chain of 30 gives me about 6 inches, 35 about 7 inches, 40 about 8 inches.  Remember that larger sizes will require more yarn.

This is also the one my daughters request the most because it's so easy to coordinate yarn colors to match the rest of the kitchen!

Gift Bags That Keep on Giving is a great next step because it calls for increases, decreases and back loop only single crochet.

I've updated this pattern to include lots of step by step photos.

Be sure to pick up the free pattern on Ravelry here or download a .pdf here.

Tutorial - Single crochet!

If you already crochet, you know the humble single crochet (sc)  stitch is the basis of almost everything.

There are so many variations, as you know (or will soon realize), crocheters are a creative lot.  If there is a free loop, we will stitch into it.  Backwards. Ha!  This ability to think outside the box is what creates the amazing patterns and textures you see only in crochet.

Today's crochet is not necessarily your grandma's crochet (unless of course you are one of my grandkids!)... or the groovy granny squares some of us may have worn in 1972.  Those techniques are fantastic, and we'll be learning about them but also so much more.

Now that you know how to build your foundation and how to slip stitch to join and fasten off... let the real magic of building stitches begin!

A basic tenet of crochet in US terms is that a stitch is named by the number of loops on your hook when you begin.  So, single crochet begins with a single loop.

Insert your hook under the back bump of your foundation chain

Yarn over (YO)

And pull that loop to the front of your foundation chain.  You now have two loops on your hook.

Yarn over (YO) again

And pull that loop through both loops on your hook.

Repeat for each chain along the length of your foundation. 

Chain 1 to give yourself a little turning room, and turn your piece to work the next row back down to where you started.  Here's what that looks like before and after turning.

For your remaining rows, you'll work under the top two loops of the stitch below.  See that teardrop shape?

Insert your hook under those two loops, and proceed with making your stitch.

Here's what it looks like about halfway through the row. You can see that the teardrop shaped loops in the row below point one way, and the teardrop shaped loops in the row I'm working point the other.


Learning to recognize these loops will come in handy when you have to determine the right side or wrong side of your work.

But wait, there's more!  Some patterns call for an increase, where you work two stitches into the same space.  Some decrease, where you combine two stitches into one. Some are extended, which means you add an extra chain in there for extra fullness and height. Linen or moss or granite stitch and thermal stitch are all variations of single crochet.

Well here... let me show you.

Be sure to check in later this week to learn how to turn the single crochet stitch into something handy in the kitchen (and great for gifts!) as well as something handy to have... in hand.

Til next time!

Weekend update! Back on track...

After last week's derailment, I am feeling back on track this week.  The treatment I receive for Psoriatic Arthritis  (PsA) is as miraculous as it sounds.

After 24 hours I can sit (or stand or sleep) for more than a few minutes at a time.  After 48 hours I can walk more easily and get out of the chair without my cane. After 72 hours, I'm ready to go to the zoo with the grandkids.  True story! I was really tired after a couple of hours and went home, but I did it and loved being outdoors and feeling semi-normal again.

It changes just that quick for me, and I bet it does for lots of other people with lots of other challenges. If you know someone who has really good days and really bad days - believe them!  Anyway... here's what I've been up to this week:

Umm.  :tucks project bag back under the table:
Ok, so I didn't make any progress on  my African flower dragon this week.  But that's ok!  I was counting my spoons and being mindful of how I used them.

I did finish Clue 3 of Shannon Sanchez' Tiberian Shawl MCAL.  All together now... ooooo beads!

I'm using copper lined multi-green beads.  The copper lining gives them extra sparkle without being truly twinkly. I think they are going to be perfect for this shawl.

The general boomerang shape is continued as well.

You can't see all that stitch texture yet, but trust me... once I finish the final clue I'll get it blocked so I can share it in all it's glory next week.

I know what you're thinking... what about that awesome slip stitch Surfing the Clouds by Tanja Osswald?  In my best Doctor Who voice, please imagine me saying "I know." Yes, Eleven is my Doctor, because bow ties *are* cool and so are fezzes and fish fingers and custard and if you don't agree with me, well... that's totally cool because there's room for all of us in the Whoniverse.  *wink*

I FINISHED IT!  I had about 45 yards of yarn left over so it worked out perfectly.

Just look at the detail that comes out during blocking (aka wash, and lay flat to dry, gently stretching to open up the fabric).  Would you have guessed all those swirls and ripples and patterns were in there?  Me neither!

They show up a but better in  the blocking photo because the yarn was wet and therefore darker, but it's still pretty amazing dry!

Truly beautiful and perhaps the very definition of the art that can be found in crochet.

A few more just because eye candy!

Yeah.  Finished object of the week, and maybe even 2016 right there folks!

But I did finish another small project worth mentioning because it used a technique called "hairpin lace".  Hairpin lace is named after a tool that is often shaped like a giant hairpin... the kind Witch Hazel uses.

Nowadays they are often more rectangular, with adjustable ends for the rods.   You can find them at any craft store.

You use the tool to create a strip of loops, and then you crochet over, under and around those loops to make different patterns.

Here's my headband.  The bottom half shows the loops I made with the loom while the top half shows how I crocheted over them.

Here's a closer look after both sides are crocheted...

If you're used to seeing crochet stitches, you'll notice what looks like a shell. Below that you can see 4 diagonal lines - that's because I worked over 4 loops at a time. 

Right down the center you can see the line of single crochet that holds the hairpin loops in place, but because they're worked from alternate sides they zig zag a bit.

If you have no idea what you're looking at or what I'm pointing out, that's totally ok!  Stay tuned and eventually we'll get to this technique and you can learn it too.

It feels good to be back on track this week. Finishing the shawl means I can start another large project. My daughter asked for a blanket for her 3 yr old.  Grandkids you say?  I'm on it!  I think it's a good time to break out the Tunisian knit stitch.

Til next time... keep it real, and take care of yourselves!