Knitted Potholders Just the Way I Like Them

I’ve been knitting and crocheting potholders for years now. Many of them look really cute, and some are real eye-catchers in my kitchen. But one thing kept happening: I would still burn my fingers from time to time.

I have to smile every time I take something out of the oven at my parents’ house, my mum still uses the potholder I crocheted back in school during crafts class — that must have been about 26 years ago now. She loves it, and that shows me just how much value handmade gifts can have. To me, they’re simply something very special.

That’s why I decided to write this blog post, to share which potholders are, in my opinion, the best. The ones that keep my fingers safe even at 230 degrees when I’m taking my freshly baked bread out of the oven.
I just love double-face potholders. They’re nice and thick, pretty quick to knit, and give you so many fun design options. And they’re always a real eye-catcher in the kitchen

I also have a blog post where I explain the double-face knitting technique in case you’re not familiar with it yet:
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/blog/3719/free-octopus-potholder-knitting-pattern

Which yarn is best for knitting potholders?
When it comes to potholders, it’s important that the yarn you use is heat-resistant and easy to clean, since potholders do tend to get the occasional stain — at least in my case, a corner often ends up in the stew 😊

I prefer using 100% cotton because cotton is heat-resistant, durable, and easy to wash. It also comes in so many gorgeous colours, which means I can knit all the lovely patterns I enjoy.
You could also use wool, as it is heat-resistant as well, but it’s not quite as easy to clean. That’s why I wouldn’t choose wool.
Linen or hemp are also great options, since both are very durable and washable. You can also use a blend of cotton, linen, and hemp.
I don’t have much experience with bamboo yarn yet, but I wouldn’t recommend it, as it can shrink under high heat.

You shouldn't, you use any synthetic yarns such as acrylic, polyester, or nylon, as they can melt when exposed to high heat. That’s why it’s also important to check blended yarns carefully to make sure they don’t contain any synthetic fibres.

Which yarn weight I use for knitting potholders?
I love working with weight 4 Medium (Aran), as the potholders turn out nice and thick and are also quick to make.
If I want to knit a more detailed design, I like to use weight 3 Light (DK/Double Knit). That way I have more stitches and rows for the same size and can create a more complex design.
If you use a thinner yarn than DK, I find the potholder becomes too light and too thin. And if you use a thicker yarn than Aran, it becomes too bulky and heavy for my liking.

Why do I prefer double-face potholders?
With this technique, the potholders become twice as thick, so you feel even less heat. You can create really beautiful designs, and there are no floats on the back which I love because I just don’t get along very well with floats.

What size are the potholders?
I usually knit with 3.5 mm needles and, depending on the design, use either 35 or 36 stitches and 48 rows when working with Aran yarn. This results in my potholders being approximately 20 × 20 cm. I find this size the most comfortable for potholders.

What kind of potholders I knitted for this post and what you’ll need:
For this blog post, I knitted two different potholders: one very simple version with one colour on each side, and one with a little easy design.
It is assumed that you already know how to knit the double knitting technique. If not, you can find a helpful explanation of how double knitting works in the post linked above.

For each potholder, you will need a 4 mm and a 3.5 mm knitting needle, as well as approximately 60 g of Aran weight yarn per colour (two colours in total).

Abbreviations:
ST: Stitch
E: Edge Stitch
K: Knit
P: Purl
M: Main Colour (Work the main colour of this side knit and the contrast colour purl)
C: Contrast Colour (Work the contrast colour of this side knit and the main colour purl)



Version 1: The Simple Potholder:
This is the simple and quick version. Cast on 36 stitches per colour using the 4 mm needles.

I always cast on holding both strands together, as I really like the look of this edge.
Now work 48 rows with the 3.5 mm needles. Simply knit one side in colour A and the other side in colour B.

I work the edge stitches as follows:
At the beginning of the row, slip both stitches together as if to knit. At the end of the row, purl the two stitches together. This creates a matching edge to the cast-on method.

Once all 48 rows are knitted, bind off the stitches together.
At the very end, use a crochet hook to make a hanging loop with approximately 15 chain stitches.

Version 2: The Little Pattern
Work the cast on and the Edge Stitches as explained in the first version.

1. Row: Cast on 35 St with both threads held together, work the row 1E, 33M, 1E (35 st)
2. – 8. Row: 1E, 16M, 1C, 16M,1E (35 st)
9. Row: 1E, 1M, 1C, 14M, 1C, 14M, 1C, 1M, 1E (35 st)
10. Row: 1E, 2M, 1C, 13M, 1C, 13M, 1C, 2M, 1E (35 st)
11. Row: 1E, 3M, 2C, 10M, 3C, 10M, 2C, 3M, 1E (35 st)
12. Row: 1E, 3M, 5C, 7M, 3C, 7M, 5C, 3M, 1E (35 st)
13. Row: 1E, 4M, 4C, 6M, 5C, 6M, 4C, 4M, 1E (35 st)
14. Row: 1E, 4M, 5C, 5M, 5C, 5M, 5C, 4M, 1E (35 st)
15. Row: 1E, 4M, 6C, 3M, 7C, 3M, 6C, 4M, 1E (35 st)
16. Row: 1E, 6M, 4C, 4M, 5C, 4M, 4C, 6M, 1E (35 st)
17. Row: 1E, 7M, 4C, 3M, 5C, 3M, 4C, 7M, 1E (35 st)
18. Row: 1E, 9M, 3C, 3M, 3C, 3M, 3C, 9M, 1E (35 st)
19. Row: 1E, 10M, 2C, 3M, 3C, 3M, 2C, 10M, 1E (35 st)
20. Row: 1E, 12M, 1C, 3M, 1C, 3M, 1C, 12M, 1E (35 st)
21. Row: 1E, 7M, 1C, 5M, 1C, 2M, 1C, 2M, 1C, 5M, 1C, 7M, 1E (35 st)
22. Row: 1E, 5M, 5C, 4M, 1C, 1M, 1C, 1M, 1C, 4M, 5C, 5M, 1E (35 st)
23. Row: 1E, 3M, 9C, 3M, 3C, 3M, 9C, 3M, 1E (35 st)
24. Row: 1E, 1M, 31C, 1M, 1E (35 st)
25. Row: 1E, 3M, 9C, 3M, 3C, 3M, 9C, 3M, 1E (35 st)
26. Row: 1E, 5M, 5C, 4M, 1C, 1M, 1C, 1M, 1C, 4M, 5C, 5M, 1E (35 st)
27. Row: 1E, 7M, 1C, 5M, 1C, 2M, 1C, 2M, 1C, 5M, 1C, 7M, 1E (35 st)
28. Row: 1E, 12M, 1C, 3M, 1C, 3M, 1C, 12M, 1E (35 st)
29. Row: 1E, 10M, 2C, 3M, 3C, 3M, 2C, 10M, 1E (35 st)
30. Row: 1E, 9M, 3C, 3M, 3C, 3M, 3C, 9M, 1E (35 st)
31. Row: 1E, 7M, 4C, 3M, 5C, 3M, 4C, 7M, 1E (35 st)
32. Row: 1E, 6M, 4C, 4M, 5C, 4M, 4C, 6M, 1E (35 st)
33. Row: 1E, 4M, 6C, 3M, 7C, 3M, 6C, 4M, 1E (35 st)
34. Row: 1E, 4M, 5C, 5M, 5C, 5M, 5C, 4M, 1E (35 st)
35. Row: 1E, 4M, 4C, 6M, 5C, 6M, 4C, 4M, 1E (35 st)
36. Row: 1E, 3M, 5C, 7M, 3C, 7M, 5C, 3M, 1E (35 st)
37. Row: 1E, 3M, 2C, 10M, 3C, 10M, 2C, 3M, 1E (35 st)
38. Row: 1E, 2M, 1C, 13M, 1C, 13M, 1C, 2M, 1E (35 st)
39. Row: 1E, 1M, 1C, 14M, 1C, 14M, 1C, 1M, 1E (35 st)
40. – 47. Row: 1E, 16M, 1C, 16M,1E (35 st)
48. Row: 1E, 33M, 1E

Cast off but don’t cut off the thread. Work 17 Chain stitches with the 3.5 mm crochet hook and reattach the chain to the base with a slipped stitch. This greatest the hanger for the potholder.



I hope you enjoyed this pattern. If you knit it, I would love to hear your feedback or read your comment. Feel free to share your project on Instagram and tag me: @_lovelyyarns
You can find many more free knitting and crochet patterns on my blog at Crazypatterns under “Posts.” Make sure to follow me so you don’t miss anything.