Signed, Sealed, Delivered

I sent out my 5 potholders on Friday.



I decided to use wool, and to make each of them into a little piece of art. Each one is unique in size and color. I only used the same yarn on 2 of them. The pattern, of course, is Pretty Petals Potholder.

You can see closeups of all 5 potholders here in my Flickr set.

Thank you so much to Adrian and Maritza for organizing this swap. I usually knit, and crochet is very new to me. This swap reminded me of when I was a new knitter and every little knitted bit was very exciting. I was so happy to feel that way about crochet, because I was never really "into" it before. I can't wait to see the potholder collection that will come to me.

Colorful Willow

Following Hillary and Color & Texture, I decided to use the Willow pattern from 200 Crochet Blocks for my potholders. I crocheted them using Tahki Cotton Classic. I absolutely love the way they came out!


Many more photos and details on my blog. Thanks to Adrian and Maritza for hosting this swap!

Finished!

Five hot pads done! (Actually more, counting the test patterns and the test of the final selection, but who's counting?) All in the same pattern, but two different yarns. The jewel tones are done in Mirasol T'ika (Peruvian cotton yarn); the pastel ones are done in Tahki's Cotton Classic. I liked working with both - smooth, silky and soft.

The fronts are done in the American Beauty pattern (from "200 Crochet Blocks" by Jan Eaton), but I also crocheted a back to provide more padding and protection for use as a hot pad (I do not recommend using this as a pot holder). The backs are done in the knot stitch pattern (one is off-set, the other four are aligned) from “Textured Crochet” by Helen Jordan. The fronts and backs were then single crocheted together, and a shell stitch edging added (from "Encyclopedia of Crochet" by Donna Kooler).

I really had fun doing these! Thank you Adrian and Maritza. Tomorrow I take them to the post office for mailing. I look forward to receiving our swap - from the pictures I have seen here, they all look amazing!

deadline now June 8th

Hey swappers!

As we approach our deadline of the 31st, we hear that some folks might need just a little more time. Being as we are getting together on the 13th of June to sort through the potholders and put together all the packages, we thought it would be a good idea to extend the deadline to the 8th. Please have your potholders & hot pads sent to us by June 8th. Can't wait to see all of your wonderful work in person!

all done!

I'm happy to say that I managed to finish up my potholders for the swap and get them in the mail last Friday. Phew!





I had to borrow Adrian's idea of displaying her potholders on the clothesline - her photos looked so great!

These were crocheted with DK weight mercerized cotton yarn and a D hook. The back sides are completely different color combinations than the front sides.

This is the snail shell motif from the book Crochet Stitch Motifs - It's an interweave knits harmony guide book. The pattern is on pg 158.

I had so much fun with this swap and I can't wait to see what treats I get in the mail - thanks so much Adrian and Maritza!

Hot Pads!

 

I have a stack of these booklets that I found at a thrift store. They feature lots of projects using various needlecrafts, and almost always have a crochet feature. I thought there would surely be a potholder pattern, and I wasn't disappointed! This is the pattern:

Here are mine!

I used Elann Sonata yarn. Original size was 9.5 inches across, but then I washed them and they shrunk to about 8 inches. They are pretty squishy!

Fuzzy...

Whew, done! Thanks to my crafty sister, Rebekah, for teaching me how to crochet. And a certain lovely ferret for the use of her fancy camera :-)

I used the Scalloped Potholder pattern (here on Ravelry). I spun the top layer out of rainbow dyed wool locks - looked like a clown massacre in my living room post-carding / pre-spinning - and used some odds and ends from the stash for the bottom layer (including Noro wool/angora, and another handspun... merino I think).

Fun!

Bottle Cap Hot Pads by Dawn

Thank God we had two months to finish these potholders! I had a small collection of bottle caps that I started with,but soon ran out of. I enlisted my husband and friends to save theirs for me. Now, that I've finished using them, my husband doesn't know what to do with his. To him, it now seems a waste to throw them away.

I used every minute of it working on these darlings. I would crochet in the car, at the kids Doctor appointments, during knit nights, watching movies, and everywhere in between. Even once I finally got all 95 caps covered, I still had to sew them all together! : )

All the work aside, I absolutely love the way they turned out. They are very sturdy and they stay put when you set them down. (I find very important when you trying to put a pot on it.) Being crochet thread, I know they will last a lifetime with proper care.


So, to those of you who receive my lovelies, take care, enjoy, and know that a lot of love and hard work went into these.

Done!

These were done a while ago, but I got distracted by life and forgot to post themThe pattern is an adaptation of the Wool Eater Blanket which I was introduced to by my good friend and fellow Home-skills and Domestic Arts Diva Sara, aka Chicken Betty.
The yarn is Blue Sky Dyed Cotton. I really enjoyed doing this project. I have not had a hook in my hands in ages, and this was really a joy for me. Crochet is my first love. They could not get me to knit, but I was all over the hook and the shuttle (tatting!).
Adrian, you are awesome, and thanks for letting me play along!
(also I swear the orange is not that neon in person. Honest.)

Willow Potholders

Cross-posted to my blog.

I've finished my potholders. These have actually been finished since April 28th and I'm finally getting around to blogging them now. Sheesh! Busy isn't the word.



Anyway, I've already discussed the many things I love about this project. I enjoyed picking the pattern and working out the kinks. I enjoyed enhancing my crochet skilz. I really enjoyed seeing the finished product turn out exactly the way I hoped it would.

The only thing I'd change is the colors I selected. I like the colors and in most cases they worked out well. I'm not embarrassed by the results at all. I just think that with a bit more planning (as opposed to dropping a bunch of random "pretty" yarns in my virtual cart) may have made the results even more satisfying. It's not even a matter of color as much as it's about the shades. More contrast would be good.



I suspect that I'll make more of these because I'd like a few for our house. That's probably just my new excuse to make more of these. Initially I thought I'd make a few extra to send off but life got in the way.

Meanwhile I need to get these labeled and shipped out. I hope their new owners like them.

And I'm Done!

Finally. I feel as if i've spent the past year crocheting potholder. I know that's not the case but between the potholders for the swap and the practice ones i made before, i think i've got at least 15 potholders under my belt. But i'm finally done.

i really like these and kind of don't want to send them off. (and yes there are 7. i was kind of on a color binge and couldn't stop). anyway, this pattern is my own. i used an old vintage potholder that i had picked up at flea market as inspiration. i hope to write up the pattern and post it on ravelry in the next week or so. sorry, not in time for the swap. but you should be almost done by now anyway.

Potholders for the Swap

Woot! I'm done! Between practicing my crochet and trying to settle on a pattern for the swap, I must have made 10 potholders, so when it came time to do my 5, I was kind of sick of them. Great behavior for one of the hosts, right?

It turns out this pattern is super fun and I started a 6th last night, just because there was one more color combination that I needed to do.

Pattern: Old-Fashioned Potholders by Cathy Irish (rav link)
Yarn: a mix of Tahki Cotton Classic and Elann Sonata, 66 grams per potholder
Size: 8" across
Hook: 2.5mm
Extras: plastic drapery rings

Verdict: AWESOME! This is a totally simple pattern that lends itself to stripes and fun color combinations.

These potholders have 2 identical sides and are crocheted together on the last round.

White plastic drapery rings are used for the loops. When I got to the end of the joining/ last round, I did single crochet around the plastic rings and slip stitched through the first stitch.

These are heavy duty potholders. There's no chance a finger could poke through and be burned.

The Swap:
I hope you're all enjoying yourselves. The potholders have been arriving in waves. Mr. HelloYarn just came home from the post office and yelled up that he'd just picked up a ton more. I can't wait to go down and see them!

Ta da!

Potholders are finished and ready to mail. I used a pattern called "Classic Kitchen Potholders" that was in a little Leisure Arts pamphlet I've had for ages. It's basically a round granny square with a solid back. The yarn is Coats Creme de la Creme, which I really liked working with. I chose six colors - a light/medium and a dark in blue/green/pink.
Whew - this was fun and I can't wait to see what I get! Thanks Adrian and Maritza!
Bridget
Yarmouth, Maine

My potholders

Finished mine up last week. Will be mailing them on Monday. I used a square pattern that looks like stained glass for the potholder front and just added a basic back to it.

Took me a long time to decide what pattern I wanted to use. Did a lot of test patterns, etc.

Are We There Yet?

i have to admit that now i'm kind of sick of potholders and would like to move on. but i'm almost done. i probably shouldn't have made extras.

Ready for Mail!

Hey Everyone!

I finished the potholders last month, but am just now getting around to mailing them.
I made all of mine out of N.Y. Cotton (100% Mercerized Cotton), and I hope whoever gets them loves them as I do! :)
This was my first swap, and it was great to see all the variations on hot pads and potholders that everyone came up with.

The pattern I used came from the Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs by Edie Eckman, and it was motif #32.

hint + query

These are the snippets left from weaving in ends of my hotpads. I hope you like them! They are quite a happy, bright combination, no?

So, the fronts are done, and I'm contemplating the backs.... I could crochet a simple square, but tell me what you all think about a fabric backing with a bit of hand-embroidery. I'm envisioning natural colored linen with vibrant floss to coordinate with the fronts. I really like the idea but don't want to get too far away from the original path we all started on. Please, share your thoughts.

best - annri

I can't believe I'm done!

First I could not make up my mind which pattern to use, there are just too many. Then I thought maybe using one I made in elementary school, but that was boring. So after a lot of trying and unraveling and trying again I combined elements from a French and a Japanese stitch pattern book. I'm pleased with the result and know that these 5 were not the only potholders I made from those patterns.



I can't wait to see all other results and so want a picture of Adrian and Maritza sitting in a heap of all the potholders!

just a peek

although i did a lot of practicing with dk weight cotton yarns, i decided early on that i would embrace the whole vintage feel of the cotton crocheted potholder and work with a thinner cotton thread.

the potholder design i'm going with is one inspired by a potholder i found at a flea market last year and that i've had hanging on my kitchen wall since.

since this photo was taken, i've made 2 more. just one more to go!

once the swap is over i'll write out the pattern for these.