Missing the cool old wallpapers from the ’60s and ’70s? Well, bring them back into your kitchen with this tapestry crochet That ’70s Potholder, a double-thick hot pad with a vintage twist!
The construction of this vintage potholder is based on that of the magic square potholder.
These kinds of hot pads are very easy to crochet. However, here, I introduced a little challenge by incorporating a very colorful tapestry crochet pattern.
This puts this pattern in the intermediate/advanced category, and I strongly suggest you first crochet a simple magic square potholder to practice the construction. Moreover, experience with tapestry crochet would be awesome.
Gather all your patience (there will be quite some yarn untangling to do!) and let’s start crocheting this vintage, double-thick potholder!
Find more potholders to crochet here…
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Printable PDF Pattern
Get a copy of the ad-free, printable pattern of That ’70s Potholder on Ravelry HERE, LoveCrafts HERE, or Etsy HERE.
Materials
- 2.75-mm (C/2 USA, 12 UK) Crochet Hook
- Sport (2, Fine) Cotton Yarn
- Tapestry Needle
Yarn & Yardage
I used Schachenmayr Catania (137 yds, 125 m per 50 g) in the following colors and amounts:
- A – Agave (244) – 63 yds (57.6 m)
- B – Greenery (418) – 54 yds (49.4 m)
- C – Natur (105) – 6 yds (5.5 m)
- D – Mango (411) – 13 yds (11.9 m)
- E – Altrosa (408) – 15 yds (13.7 m)
- F – Tiffany (432) – 27 yds (24.7 m)
Feel free to use any comparable yarn that meets gauge.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- BLO – Back Look Only
- Ch – Chain
- RS – Right Side
- Sc – Single Crochet
- Sl St – Slip Stitch
- St – Stitch
- Yo – Yarn Over
Size
6” (15 cm) by 6.3” (16 cm).
Gauge
31 BLO sc for 22 rows in 4” (10 cm) worked in tapestry crochet using 5 strands of yarn.
Pattern Notes
- The potholder is worked in tapestry crochet in the round always on the RS, and it uses BLO sc sts.
- Use five strands of yarn throughout. The pattern indicates which colors to carry.
- Find a step-by-step guide to tapestry crochet HERE
- Learn how to make invisible color changes in tapestry crochet HERE.
- If the pattern says “(A) 5”, you need to single crochet in each of the next 5 stitches using color A.
- (…) – Repeat the instructions within brackets for the indicated number of times.
- For each round, the stitch count is always 144 sts.
The color chart of the potholder is only available in the PDF pattern HERE.
That ’70s Potholder – Vintage and Magic! – Free Crochet Pattern
Working yarns: A, B, C, D, and E.
(A) Ch 74.
Round 1 is worked entirely in sc sts.
Round 1 (RS). Starting in the second ch from hook, ((A) 1, (B) 4, (A) 4, (B) 1, (A) 4, (B) 4) 4 times, (A) 1 in the last ch. Working on the other side of the initial ch, sk last ch (where you just made a sc in A) and from next ch, (B) 4, (A) 4, (B) 1, (A) 4, (B) 4, ((A) 1, (B) 4, (A) 4, (B) 1, (A) 4, (B) 4) 3 times. (Do not crochet any more sts on the other side of the first-made ch). (144 sts)
From round 2 on only work BLO sc.
Round 2. ((B) 1, (A) 1, (B) 2, (A) 5, (B) 1, (A) 5, (B) 2, (A) 1) 8 times.
Round 3. ((B) 1, (A) 5, (B) 7, (A) 5) 8 times.
Round 4. ((B) 1, (A) 3, (B) 5, (C) 1, (B) 5, (A) 3) 8 times.
Round 5. ((B) 1, (A) 2, (B) 5, (C) 3, (B) 5, (A) 2) 8 times.
Round 6. ((B) 1, (A) 1, (B) 5, (D) 1, (C) 3, (D) 1, (B) 5, (A) 1) 8 times.
Round 7. ((B) 1, (A) 1, (B) 4, (E) 1, (D) 2, (C) 1, (D) 2, (E) 1, (B) 4, (A) 1) 8 times.
Drop yarn C and start carrying F.
Round 8. ((B) 1, (A) 1, (B) 2, (F) 1, (E) 2, (D) 5, (E) 2, (F) 1, (B) 2, (A) 1) 8 times.
Round 9. ((B) 1, (A) 2, (F) 2, (E) 2, (D) 5, (E) 2, (F) 2, (A) 2) 8 times.
Round 10. ((B) 1, (A) 2, (F) 3, (E) 2, (D) 3, (E) 2, (F) 3, (A) 2) 8 times.
Round 11. ((B) 1, (A) 3, (F) 3, (E) 5, (F) 3, (A) 3) 8 times.
Round 12. ((B) 1, (A) 3, (F) 4, (E) 3, (F) 4, (A) 3) 8 times.
Round 13. ((B) 1, (A) 4, (F) 9, (A) 4) 8 times.
Round 14. ((B) 1, (A) 6, (F) 5, (A) 6) 8 times.
Round 15. ((B) 1, (A) 8) 15 times, (B) 1, (A) 6, (F) 2.
Round 16. ((F) 3, (A) 6, (B) 1, (A) 6, (F) 2) 7 times, (F) 3, (A) 6, (B) 1, (A) 4, (F) 4.
Round 17. (F) 4, ((F) 1, (A) 4, (B) 1, (A) 4, (F) 8) 7 times, (F) 1, (A) 4, (B) 1, (A) 3, (F) 4, (E) 1.
Round 18. ((E) 2, (F) 4, (A) 3, (B) 1, (A) 3, (F) 4, (E) 1) 7 times, (E) 2, (F) 4, (A) 3, (B) 1, (A) 3, (F) 3, (E) 2.
Round 19. ((E) 3, (F) 3, (A) 3, (B) 1, (A) 3, (F) 3, (E) 2) 7 times, (E) 3, (F) 3, (A) 3, (B) 1, (A) 2, (F) 3, (E) 2, (D) 1.
Round 20. ((D) 2, (E) 2, (F) 3, (A) 2, (B) 1, (A) 2, (F) 3, (E) 2, (D) 1) 7 times, (D) 2, (E) 2, (F) 3, (A) 2, (B) 1, (A) 2, (F) 2, (E) 2, (D) 2.
Round 21. ((D) 3, (E) 2, (F) 2, (A) 2, (B) 1, (A) 2, (F) 2, (E) 2, (D) 2) 7 times, (D) 3, (E) 2, (F) 2, (A) 1, ((A) 1, (B) 1) 2 times, (B) 1, (F) 1, (E) 2, (D) 2.
Round 22. ((D) 3, (E) 2, (F) 1, (B) 2, (A) 1, (B) 1, (A) 1, (B) 2, (F) 1, (E) 2, (D) 2) 7 times, (D) 3, (E) 2, (F) 1, (B) 1, ((B) 1, (A) 1) 2 times, (B) 4, (E) 1, (D) 2.
Drop yarn F and start carrying C.
Round 23. ((C) 1, (D) 2, (E) 1, (B) 4, (A) 1, (B) 1, (A) 1, (B) 4, (E) 1, (D) 2) 7 times, (C) 1, (D) 2, (E) 1, (B) 4, ((A) 1, (B) 1) 2 times, (B) 4, (D) 1, (C) 1.
Round 24. ((C) 2, (D) 1, (B) 5, (A) 1, (B) 1, (A) 1, (B) 5, (D) 1, (C) 1) 7 times, (C) 2, (D) 1, (B) 4, ((B) 1, (A) 1) 2 times, (A) 1, (B) 5, (C) 1.
Start folding your magic square potholder.
Folding
Hold your work up with one hand at the start of the initial ch and the other hand at its end. Slide your hands up to the last round and push the sides toward the center (see this tutorial HERE for more details).
The important thing is that the folded sides of the potholder touch in the middle!
Crochet round 25 only until you reach the next corner.
Round 25. ((C) 2, (B) 5, (A) 2, (B) 1, (A) 2, (B) 5, (C) 1) 7 times, (C) 2, (B) 4, ((B) 1, (A) 2) 2 times, (A) 1, (B) 5.
If you need more rounds to complete your potholder, please, find a few more rounds below.
Round 26. ((C) 1, (B) 5, (A) 3, (B) 1, (A) 3, (B) 5) 7 times, (C) 1, (B) 4, ((B) 1, (A) 3) 2 times, (A) 2, (B) 3.
Round 27. (B) 4, (A) 4, ((A) 1, (B) 1, (A) 5, (B) 7, (A) 4) 7 times, (A) 1, (B) 1, (A) 8.
Round 28. ((B) 1, (A) 5, (B) 7, (A) 5) 8 times.
Round 29. ((B) 1, (A) 3, (B) 5, (C) 1, (B) 5, (A) 3) 8 times.
Hanging Loop
Once you reach the next corner, ch 15, and BLO sc in next st.
Ch 1, turn. Sc 20 inside the loop you just created (and not into each of the chs you made!).
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. Your tail should be about twice the diagonal of your potholder.
Seaming
Match the stitches on the two sides of the potholder and seam them together using the long yarn tail. For seaming, use the mattress stitch, the whip stitch, or your favorite sewing method.
Weave in all your ends.
YOUR TAPESTRY CROCHET That ’70s 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…
Very beautiful! This brings back some fond memories from the ’70s! There were some wild clothing and wallpaper patterns back in the day!