Herringbone Half Double Crochet worked in the round provides one of my favorite crocheted textures. I used it in the Carlyle Slouch + Cowl set and the Herringbone Baby Hat, and it’s making an appearance again in this doubly-thick, modern potholder.
The color-blocking gives you endless possibilities for a more colorful potholder, but this pattern would look just as chic in a solid color, especially if presented in a set of two or three potholders of complimentary shades.
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Farmhouse Potholder
View on Ravelry
Difficulty: Easy
Finished Size: 7.75″ x 7.75″
Hook: E (3.50 mm) or whichever hook is needed to obtain correct gauge
Yarn: Approx. 160 yards (80 yards per color) of cotton in a medium (#4) weight. For my sample, I used I Love This Cotton in Dark Denim + Pale Denim.
Gauge: 15 rows of 18 HHDC = 4″ square
You’ll also need: Yarn needle
Terms and Abbreviations:
ST/STS (stitch/stitches)
SL ST (slip stitch)
CH (chain)
SC (single crochet)
HHDC (herringbone half double crochet; see “Special Stitch”, below)
Special Stitch:
Herringbone Half Double Crochet (HHDC): Yarn over, insert hook into stitch. Yarn over, pull loop through stitch AND through first loop on hook (this is similar to a slip stitch motion). Two loops remain on hook. Yarn over and pull through both loops.
(If you need additional help, Moogly has an excellent video tutorial here.)
Notes:
(1) This pattern is written in American Standard Terms.
(2) CHs do not count as a stitch.
(3) There is no stitch multiple for this pattern. If you want to make it larger or smaller, add or subtract chains at the beginning and repeat rounds as many times as necessary for the height you want. (If doing two colors, switch when potholder is half the height you want it to be.)
INSTRUCTIONS
To Begin: With COLOR A, CH37.
Round 1: SC in 2nd CH from hook. HHDC in each remaining CH. Working down the opposite side of the chain, HHDC across. (You have now worked in both sides of each chain.) Do not join. (72)
Rounds 2-15: HHDC in each ST around. Do not join. (72)
Round 16: You may notice that your starting point has shifted over a bit and is no longer right on the fold. This is normal and has to do with the anatomy of a stitch and the fact that we aren’t turning our rounds, but that’s a lesson for another day. For now, since we want to put our color change on the fold (where the jagged change won’t be as noticeable), HHDC in next few stitches (until you are back on the folded edge), then switch to COLOR B. HHDC in each remaining ST around. Do not join. (72)
Rounds 17-29: HHDC in each ST around. Do not join. (72)
Round 30: HHDC in each ST until you get to the first folded edge. Then, continue to HHDC around until you get to the next fold. CH20; SL ST back into the same ST to form a loop. HHDC in each remaining ST around. (72 + CH20)
To finish: Determine how many stitches are left between where your hook is now, and the folded edge. (There should be about 6 or 7, but don’t worry if yours is more or less.) SC in all but one of those STS, then SL ST in the final ST. (So your SL ST should be right on the folded part.)
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for seaming. Weave in your other tails, then use the finishing tail and a yarn needle to sew potholder closed. Tie a knot at the end; then run your yarn needle into the nearest opening and underneath about half a dozen stitches (going between the two layers of fabric). Pull yarn through, then reinsert yarn needle back into the exit point and repeat. Do this a few times, then cut yarn and pull fabric to make the tip of the yarn disappear completely into the potholder.
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Done! If you’re sharing on social media, be sure to tag me @yarnandchai.design. Hope you enjoyed it!
I love this pattern so much! I do have one question that I don´t read in the pattern, do you ever join them together? Or is there an opening left on top? 🙂
Hi
I’m new to crochet…. I don’t understand the part about “working down the opposite side of the chain, HHDC across? Is their a video I could watch or pictures.
Thanks so much 🙂
Thank you for the patterns! I’m in love with this one! I love the texture!
Yes the sides are a bit confusing on the first 2 rows. I’m not sure I’m doing the ends correctly and I keep getting too many or too little stitches in the second/third rows. Once I’ve done the 36 stitches on each side of the chain (72 stitches), do I just go straight over to the first stitch on the other side? No slip stitch or anything to make my way over? Is it possible to post a photo of what the end stitches look like as you work them. Or a video…I’m struggling to know where to place stitches.
Correct, you go straight over to the first stitch on the other side. Have you worked in a seamless (unjoined) round before? This is exactly what you’re doing; it just feels strange because you aren’t working around a circle, you’re working around a line created by the initial chain. After a few rounds you’ll notice it’s starting to form a pocket shape and you should see how it will eventually become a double-layered potholder.
Yes I have and it seems straight forward but for some reason I’m doing something at the ends that either reduces or increases the number of stitches. I wonder if there is a loop there that is not actually a stitch that I’m working into? Will persevere but any thoughts would be useful.
As long as you have the correct stitch count, you will be fine. If finishing the row gives you one too many stitches, then you probably stitched the last one into something you shouldn’t have. The only time you have to get the stitch count right is this first round (after that the spiral takes care of itself). Try this: At the very beginning, do your very fist stitch into your chain and then mark the other loop of that same chain with a stitch marker or bobby pin. That way when you come back around, you’ll know exactly where your final stitch should go; after that you’ll jump over to the first stitch of the round and continue in a seamless spiral.
Hi ! Writing from FRANCE and loving your work ! I don’t know why but each time i try to do one of your 3 potholders patterns there is a shift forming after a certain point of time and the result is not « straight – there is a sort of twist (would be easier to send a pic to explain) and in particular the borders of the final product are not straight. Do u know what I mean and what have I done wrong according to you ? Thank you in advance !
Hi Fred! I’m not sure I understand what’s happening, but you can send a photo to rebecca@yarnandchai.com. 🙂
I can’t figure out how to download the PDF version with my all access pass. Can you please help? I keep going in circles
Here are the steps to access your Pass:
1. Sign in to your Yarn + Chai account
2. Click “Passholder Area” in the very top menu (above the logo)
3. If the next screen says “content restricted”, hit the refresh button as instructed on that page. Otherwise you should see images of all of my patterns. Click an image to open the PDF.
If you need additional help, please email me at rebecca@yarnandchai.com 🙂
I am having trouble understanding your pattern. The first round, hhdc normally. Then go up to the starting chain and work opposite. I think i get that. But not sure totally correct. The 2nd row I’m having trouble understanding. The part i dont get are the sides. It looks like it goes around. But hard to keep track of the stitches especially at the ends. Can you clarify this.
Hi Donna! It is a bit difficult, so I would recommend using a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round. That will make it easier to keep track of them on that fold where it’s hard to see. You’re just working in a continuous spiral though so once you get past the first couple rows it should be smooth sailing.
I’m also having a hard time understanding the sides! Do the sides get HHDC or just SC.?
You’re just doing a seamless spiral, all HHDC. The only SC in the pattern is the one at the very beginning of the first round.
thank you so much for the patterns! They are gorgeous!
Nane from germany