Ah, Malia. You are so versatile. You’ve been everything from clothing accessories to holiday decor to purses. I can’t get enough of you.
So, old friend… welcome to my kitchen!
With a double layer of thickness and a seam that hides inconspicuously on the folded edge, this potholder design is such a beautiful addition to your home.
If you’re like me and you’re always looking for ways to add more of your crochet obsession to your decor, potholders (or trivets or hotpads, depending on where you’re from) are a quick and easy way to do it. They also make great gifts!
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Malia Potholder
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Difficulty: Easyish
Finished Size: 7.75″ x 7.75″
Hook: E (3.50 mm)
Yarn: Approx. 170 yards of cotton in a medium (#4) weight. For my samples, I used I Love This Cotton in Dove.
Gauge: 19SC = 4″ in length. Stitch height does not matter for this pattern.
You’ll also need: Yarn needle
Terms and Abbreviations:
ST/STS (stitch/stitches)
SL ST (slip stitch)
SK (skip)
CH (chain)
SC (single crochet)
HDC (half double crochet)
BNS (bean stitch – see “Special Stitches”)
3rd LOOP (work stitch into 3rd loop only – see “Special Stitches”)
Special Stitches:
Bean Stitch (BNS)
Insert hook into stitch, yarn over and pull through (2 loops on hook). Yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, yarn over and pull through (4 loops on hook). Yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, yarn over and pull through (6 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through all 6 loops.
3rd Loop Only
Half double crochet stitches have a 3rd loop that we utilize in this pattern. When working in turned rounds, as in this pattern, the 3rd loop can be found just below the front loop on the side of the work that is facing you. When instructed to work in “3rd loop only”, insert your hook into this special loop. This creates a delicate braided look on the opposite side of the pattern.
Notes:
(1) This pattern is written in American Standard Terms.
(2) CHs at the beginning of rounds do not count as a stitch.
(3) Pattern can easily be adapted for different yarn thicknesses, hook sizes, or desired final measurements, by adding or subtracting any number of chains from the beginning.
(4) Placing a stitch marker or bobby pin in the first stitch of each round is strongly recommended.
(5) Weaving in your ends as you go will be much easier than leaving them all for the end.
INSTRUCTIONS
To Begin: CH37.
Round 1: SC in 2nd CH from hook and in each remaining CH. Working down the opposite side of the chain (away from your starting tail), SC across. You have now worked in both sides of each chain. Join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST. (72)
Round 2: CH1, turn. SK first ST, BNS in next ST, CH1. (SK next ST, BNS in next ST, CH1) around. Join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST. (72)
Round 3: CH1, turn. HDC in each ST around. Join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST. (72)
Round 4: CH1, turn. SC in 3rd loops of each ST around. Join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST. (72)
Round 5: CH1, turn. SC in each ST around. Join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST. (72)
Round 6: CH1, turn. BNS in first ST, CH1, SK next ST. (BNS in next ST, CH1, SK next ST) around. Join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST. (72)
Round 7: CH1, turn. HDC in each ST around. Join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST. (72)
Round 8: CH1, turn. SC in 3rd loops of each ST around. Join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST. (72)
Round 9: CH1, turn. SC in each ST around. Join with a SL ST to the top of the first ST. (72)
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Repeat Rounds 2-9, in order, until potholder reaches about 7.5″ in height. It does not matter which repeat round you end on.
– – – – – – – – – – – –
Final Round: CH1, turn. SC across first side of potholder until you get to the fold. CH20; SL ST back into the same ST to form a loop. SC in each remaining St around. (72 + CH20)
To finish: Fasten off, leaving a long tail for seaming. Use the tail and a yarn needle to seam 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 have a question about this pattern. I have gotten to about row 14 which should be a bean stitch row, right? If so, I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong after that. For some reason, the row that should create the braided look is now showing on the wrong side instead of the right side. I took out my work to where I thought I was off but the same thing is still happening. The first several rows including the first 3 rows with the braided effect look right. Any ideas what I might be doing wrong?
Hi Rebecca, thank you so much for your wonderful pattern. I just completed one in Sugar and Cream hot green yarn for a sweet, dear friend. I love it so much! I’ve been telling her about it but hadn’t shared with her what it looks like, as I want it to be a surprise. I know she will love it as much as I do. Thanks, again!
Also, do you have a tutorial for how you do your seaming? If so, may I have a link please?
I don’t 🙂
If I wanted to make this pattern with #4 acrylic yarn and a 4.5 mm hook, how many chains would you recommend?
That’s totally going to depend on the thickness of the #4 yarn and your personal tension. You can just grab a ruler and chain until it’s the width you want 🙂
I only make my potholders in 100% cotton. It protects your fingers and hands better and won’t burn so easily.
This may be a bit late – but don’t use acrylic, or any yarn that melts, for potholders – they can melt and burn you worse than just grabbing the hot pan
This is a beautiful pattern! I had a question about the bean stitch. When you skip and work the bean stitch in the next stitch, if I follow the special note instructions, I end up with 7 loops because of the chain 1 from the prior stitch. Is this correct or do I skip the first yarn over and just insert my hook into the stitch to make the bean stitch? I hope that makes sense.
The CH1 from the prior stitch is separate from the bean stitch; it won’t be around your hook when you get ready to pull through. You should only have 6 loops on your hook when following the instructions as written. 🙂
Thank you! One other quick question. For each round it says to chain one and turn. Is the turn so I’m continuously working in around or is it a turn so I’d be working on the last stitch I made and work “backwards” in a way?
You’d be working “backwards”. Don’t let the shape of the project fool you; turning (in crochet terms) always means the same thing.
thank you! One more quick question. When ending a round, do you skip over the slip stitch and chain main in the beginning to slip stitch to the top of the first stitch? I’m just making sure I’m ending the rounds correctly so my seam lines up with the fold and looks good.
Yes, you slip stitch to the first stitch of the round.
Thank you for this pattern. I do have a struggle when trying to make it, when I turn and start the SC in the third loop of the previous row of HDC my ribbed row ends up being on the inside or the potholder. I don’t know what to change?
Sorry, I’m actually wrong about that, as even though the pattern says to chain 37, the rows / rounds you’re working on are actually 72 sts because you’re working on both sides of the first row.
Hi, I have one more question about your pattern: When your directions say to skip the first stitch of a row, or to ch 1 then sc in each stitch, etc, do you mean the very 1st stitch, as in the one connected to and directly below the chain 1, or the next stitch (actually 2nd) st of row? When I crochet, I always count the actual 1st st of row, but many others do not count the very first stitch, they refer to the 2nd as the first. I understand that you do not count the turning chain, but I’m not sure which stitch you are referring to in your instructions.
Thanks Again.
You can take a look at the tutorial video for the Mosaic Bucket Bag to see my quick explanation of which stitch to start in when working in turned rounds. I talk about it at the 3:44 mark. 🙂 https://youtu.be/ZBqHZun-O-o?t=224
Thanks, I’m glad I asked and watched your video. I understand which stitch to start off with when turning to crochet the other side of the foundation chain, but I did not know which stitch you considered the one to skip or which one you label as the first stitch. So it is not the stitch or loops that are connected to and directly below the chain 1 made when turning it’s the next one. You explained it very well in the video, showed a close up, and did it more than once to be sure viewers know which stitch you are referring to. Thanks!
Hello, I love your Malia stitch pattern, this is the first time I’ve worked with it, but I’ve seen how nice it looks on your other beautiful projects. I have a question about this potholder pattern: In the pattern instructions, in the Notes section, it says, “(5) Weaving in your ends as you go will be much easier than leaving them all for the end.”, which made me think that there would be no turning involved, and that the different stitch rows (sc, bean, hdc) should all be worked on top of each other and all be kept front facing, rather than turning and continuing working without cutting the yarn. But I realized that could not be, due to the instructions saying to turn after each row, and also how the row of sc’s, except for the very first row, are stitched into the back 3rd loop of the hdc’s. Am I missing something, or is Note #5 just a general tip that you include with all of your patterns?
Thank You very much.
I’m not sure how you’re relating the need to weave in ends with whether or not we’re turning, so I’m not sure how to answer your question. The potholder is worked like a pocket, so the longer you wait to weave in ends (particularly the starting tail way at the bottom, which might be your only end if you don’t run out of yarn or encounter a knot), the harder it will be to turn the potholder inside out to get to the tail and you’ll risk stretching / warping the fabric. The directions are all there for a reason, and can be trusted 😉
I was not thinking of this pattern as a pocket done in rounds , but just flat, one piece, with all the rows facing the front, where I’d have to cut the yarn after each row so that no rows would be facing “backwards”. Sorry about that – for some reason, maybe because I’ve been making lots of projects with many ends to weave in, when I seen the note mentioning ends I assumed there would be many of them to weave in. Thanks!
If I want to make this a couple inches bigger what should my starting chain be?
My opinion is to make a Swatch of your stitches with the same yarn & hook you”ok be using, and measure if you want to be exact, it’s different for everyone due to your tension, yarn size, & hook size.
The SC & hdc titches used in this pattern do not require a certain number and work with an even or odd amount of sts. When it comes to the bean stitch, I’m not sure, but the only thing I know is that if you end a row with the bean St, it makes that row a bit too long compared to the previous rows, so you could end the bean st row by making your last St a skipped St and then you have to join the row anyways. I guess the safe thing to do, would be to begin with and odd number, as she did for this pattern (37) – just figure out how many of your sts equal however many inches you want to increase, then round up or down to nearest odd number, then add that to 37. And, since 37 is a prime number (not a multiple of any other number besides itself and 1), then an odd number would be the way to go on this. Hope this helps!
Sorry about the writing mistake, I meant “the same yarn & hook you’ll be using”. And I left out something – when I said to add an odd number of days to 37 since it’s a prime number, I meant that there would be no multiples needed for this st pattern, as there are no multiples of 37 except for itself and 1. The bean St might need an odd number to work for this stitch pattern, that’s the safest bet, since the designer used an odd number.
Anna, the bean stitch requires an even number of stitches. In the case of this potholder, since you are working down both sides of the chain, it doesn’t matter what you chain because it will be doubled, resulting in an even number.
Thanks for correcting me, I was not taking into consideration that both sides are worked on. I was not thinking straight that day at all!
Dee, more than likely, another 6-8 chains will get you an extra 2″ in width.