Add a kitsch touch to your kitchen decor with this crochet checkered potholder made in half double crochet stitches and bright yarn colors!
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know I love crocheting potholders! I’ve made so many over the years and I always find a good excuse to crochet a new one.
For this checkered potholder, the official excuse was that I wanted to make a little thank-you gift for my sister.
My sister is in her early twenties, shares an apartment with other two young students, and is starting to learn how to cook properly. So, I wanted to make something colorful and fun that a 20-something-year-old girl wouldn’t hate seeing around in her kitchen!
Since checkered patterns seem to be very popular these days, I went for some bold color combos with a final touch of kitsch, a.k.a. cute appliques, including flowers (see pattern below) and cherries.
For this potholder, we’ll be using tapestry crochet made with half double crochet (hdc) stitches. Hdc stitches create a less dense fabric than single crochets, but the potholder will still be solid enough to be used in the kitchen.
However, to make it extra safe, I really recommend you make it double or add a layer of lining fabric to the back to avoid any burning! You can find an easy step-by-step guide on how to do it HERE.
Find more potholders to crochet here…
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2024 International Crochet Month Blog Hop
The pattern of the Checkered Potholder is part of the 2024 International Crochet Month Blog Hop with Underground Crafter.
Every day during March, a new, permanently free crochet pattern will be released. You can make these projects to keep, for gifts, or to donate to charity while chatting with other crocheters and sharing your projects to win giveaway prizes!
We’ve partnered with GlassEyesOnline, KennyClayCo, KnitPal, Knitter’s Relief Balm, seashellcrafter, and Yazzii to bring you great prizes in our giveaway. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway in this post on Underground Crafter by Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
How To Join the 2024 International Crochet Month Blog Hop
- Visit this post on Underground Crafter daily to get the latest pattern and free PDF.
- Join in by crocheting the patterns as you have time.
- Share your progress and post pictures of your finished projects. Tag your projects and posts #undergroundcrafter on all social media.
- If you’d like to chat with other crocheters, join the Underground Crafters Facebook group.
- By the end of the Blog Hop, you’ll have up to 31 awesome projects.
Visit Underground Crafter to learn more about the prizes, enter the giveaway, and get links to each International Crochet Month Blog Hop post as it is released.
How to Get Your Free Copy of the Pattern
On March 28th, 2024, you can get a copy of the checkered potholder pattern on Ravelry HERE by applying the code checkeredkitsch at checkout.
The promotion is valid for 24 hours through 6:00 a.m. EST on the day after it is featured.
PRINTABLE PDF PATTERN
Get a copy of the ad-free, printable pattern of the Checkered Potholder on Ravelry HERE, LoveCrafts HERE, or Etsy HERE.
Materials
- 3.0 mm (11 UK) Crochet Hook
- Sport (2, Fine) Yarn
- Tapestry Needle
- Optional: Lining Fabric
YARN & YARDAGE
I used Schachenmayr Catania (137 yds, 125 m per 50 g) in the following colors and amounts:
- W – Nature (105) – 44 yds, 40.2 m
- B – Black (110) – 44 yds, 40.2 m
- A – Anis (245) – 5.5 yds, 5 m
- Y – Sun (208) – 1 yds, 0.9 m
- O – Orchid (222) – 1 yds, 0.9 m
- T – Turquoise (397) – 1 yds, 0.9 m
- V – Violet (113) – 1 yds, 0.9 m
Feel free to use any comparable yarn that meets gauge.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- Ch – Chain
- Hdc – Half Double Crochet
- Dc – Double Crochet
- MC – Magic Circle
- RS – Right Side
- Sc – Single Crochet
- Sk – Skip
- Sp – Space
- St – Stitch
- WS – Wrong Side
- Yo – Yarn over
Special Stitches
Magic Circle (MC)
Learn how to make a magic circle or adjustable ring HERE.
SIZE
6.6” (16.8 cm) by 6.7” (17 cm)
GAUGE
29 hdc sts per 19 rows in 4″ (10 cm) working in tapestry crochet using 2 strands of yarn.
PATTERN NOTES
- Find a step-by-step guide to tapestry crochet HERE
- If the pattern says “hdc 2”, you have to crochet 1 hdc in each of the next 2 sts.
- (…) – Repeat instructions within parentheses for the indicated number of times.
- […] – Crochet the instructions within square brackets all in the same indicated st.
- *… – Repeat the instructions from * for the indicated number of times.
Checkered Potholder – Free Crochet Pattern
The potholder is worked in tapestry crochet using hdc stitches.
With W, ch 47.
Row 1 (WS). [W] Hdc 1 in third ch from hook (turning ch-2 does not count as a st), hdc 2, ([B] hdc 3, [W] hdc 3) 7 times. (45 sts)
Row 2 (RS). [W] Ch 1 (does not count as a st here and throughout), turn. ([W] Hdc 3, [B] hdc 3) 7 times, [W] hdc 3 closing last st with B. (45 sts)
Row 3. [B] Ch 1, turn. ([B] Hdc 3, [W] hdc 3) 7 times, [B] hdc 3. (45 sts)
Row 4. [B] Ch 1, turn. ([B] hdc 3, [W] hdc 3) 7 times, [B] hdc 3 closing last st with W. (45 sts)
Row 5. [W] Ch 1, turn. ([W] Hdc 3, [B] hdc 3) 7 times, [W] hdc 3. (45 sts)
Row 6-29. Repeat rows 2-5 6 times.
Fasten off and weave in your ends.
Border
RS facing, join G in first st of row 29 (top, left corner).
Round 1 (RS). Ch 1 (it counts as your first ch-1 sp), and start single crocheting all around. On the left and right sides, sc 3 along the side of every 2 rows. At the corners, ch 1 and start crocheting on the next side. Sl st in the first ch to join. (44 sts on the left and right sides, 45 sts on the top and bottom sides, 1 ch at each corner)
Round 2 (RS). Ch 1, [sc 1, ch 15, sc 1] in first ch-1 sp, sc 44, [sc 1, ch 1, sc 1] in next ch-1 sp, sc 45, [sc 1, ch 1, sc 1] in next ch-1 sp, sc 44, [sc 1, ch 1, sc 1] in next ch-1 sp, sc 45, sl st in first sc to join.
Hanging Loop: crocheting inside the ch-15 loop (and not in each ch!), sc 20, or as many sts as needed to fill the loops. (46 sts on the left and right sides, 47 sts on the top and bottom sides, 1 ch at each corner)
Fasten off and weave in your ends.
Flower Applique
(Make 3)
With Y, make a MC.
Round 1 (RS). Ch 1 (it does not count as a st), sc 5 in MC. (5 sts)
Fasten off leaving a long tail for joining, and join the round with an invisible join.
RS facing, join O, T, or V in any st of round 1.
Round 2. [Ch 2, dc 1, ch 2, sl st 1] in same st as joining. *[Sl st 1, ch 2, dc 1, ch 2, sl st 1] in next st. Repeat from * 4 times. (5 petals)
Fasten off and weave in your ends.
Cherry Applique
The cherry applique pattern for the potholder in light blue, white, and orange is here.
Daisy Applique
The daisy applique pattern for the potholder in blue and pink is here.
Finishing
Sew the appliques in the same corner of the potholder as the hanging loop.
Fasten off and weave in your ends.
Optional: line the back of your potholder using your lining fabric, as explained here.
YOUR TAPESTRY CROCHET Checkered POTHOLDER IS READY!
I hope you enjoyed this free crochet hot pad pattern, and I’d love to see your potholders! Please, share a pic of your work on Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #raffamusadesigns!
Find more potholders to crochet here…
Hey!!
Just wanted to let you know how much I LOVE your work and really appreciate the freebies.
I am just learning TAPESTRY crochet b/c of YOUR LOVELY patterns. I wasn’t going to try it but I couldn’t stop myself . The Clover wash cloth (it’s too pretty for that) is the one that sealed the deal for me. I’m HOOKED now. Gotta master it now, but I’m working on it.
Thank you very much,
Susie