A pair of heart pot holders – a small, quick gift that gets used rather than admired and put in a drawer. Designed by Beverly Mewhorter.
Use cotton, and only cotton
This is the one point on this page that is not a matter of preference. Pot holders touch hot pans, and acrylic yarn melts. It does not scorch or singe – it melts, onto the pan and onto the hand holding it. Cotton chars slowly and safely.
Check the ball band before you start. A yarn labelled as a cotton blend may still contain enough acrylic to melt, so use 100% cotton for anything that goes near heat.
Making them thick enough
A single layer of crocheted cotton will not protect a hand from a hot pan, however dense the stitch. Work the two hearts and hold them together, or make the pot holder double-thickness as the pattern directs.
Many crocheters add a layer of cotton batting or an old folded tea towel between the two sides before joining them. It adds a minute to the project and makes a real difference to how much heat gets through.
Stitch choice
A tight, dense stitch. Single crochet worked firmly is ideal. Open or lacy stitch patterns look attractive but leave gaps that let heat straight through to the hand, which defeats the purpose entirely.
Finishing
Add a hanging loop at the top point of the heart. Pot holders live on hooks, and a pair without loops end up in a drawer.
Wash them before giving them away. Cotton softens considerably after a first wash, and a stiff new pot holder does not show the work off well.
