Easy Crochet Potholder Pattern in Afghan Stitch

Free Crochet Pattern for Easy Afghan Stitch Potholders

Easy Crochet Potholders in Afghan Stitch: Free Crochet Pattern

These easy crochet potholders are beginner-friendly; if you haven’t already learned the afghan stitch, they offer you a fantastic opportunity to give it a try.

Crochet Skill Level: Easy

About This Crochet Project:

Even if you’re a complete beginner to needlework, you could succeed with making these easy crochet potholders. They are thick potholders worked in worsted weight kitchen cotton yarn.

This pattern is great for beginners, but is useful for crocheters of all skill levels. The only prerequisite: You need to know how to do the afghan stitch, otherwise known as Tunisian simple stitch.

If you haven’t learned afghan stitch yet, this pattern offers a fantastic opportunity to practice. The potholders don’t require any increases, decreases, or complicated shaping. They are basic squares joined together, with an added loop so you can easily hang the completed potholder in your kitchen.

Craft Supplies You Will Need for Making Easy Crochet Potholders in Afghan Stitch

Yarn:

For each potholder, you’ll need approximately 3 oz. of worsted weight kitchen cotton. The sample potholders utilized Lily Sugar ‘n Cream cotton yarn in the “Soft Ecru” color. Feel free to substitute any similar cotton yarn if you prefer.

Crochet Hooks:

For the Body of the Potholder: You’ll need a size J / 10 /6.0 mm afghan crochet hook measuring 10+ inches long, or your preferred size.

For the Edging: An ordinary J hook is a good starting point, but you may need to adjust up or down if you notice a significant difference in tension.

Other: Tapestry needle and safety pins

Crochet Abbreviations List for This Pattern

ch = chain
sc = single crochet

Size of Each Finished Potholder:

The potholders each measure approximately 8 ¾ inches square before washing. This measurement includes the edging. The potholders can be expected to shrink slightly when you launder them.

Gauge

11 stitches = 3 inches. The row gauge isn’t critical for this project.

About Afghan Stitch:

Afghan stitch has a tendency to curl up, so do not be alarmed if your work curls. The potholder will lie flat once you join the individual pieces together.

How to Crochet the Easy Potholders:

Ch 30.

Work in afghan stitch until you’ve created a square. After about row 25, measure your work periodically to check the progress.

When you’ve determined that your piece is square, work one slip stitch in each vertical bar all the way across the row. Work one last slip stitch into the end of the row, in the same spot you’d ordinarily work the last afghan stitch in the row. (29 slip stitches worked.)

Work 2 of these squares for each potholder you want to make. If you’d like to make a matching pair of potholders, you’ll need four squares all together.

Finishing the Squares

For each potholder you are making, detach the ball of yarn from one square (leaving a long tail of yarn to be woven in) but leave the yarn attached to the other square. Weave the loose ends into the wrong sides of all the squares.

Edging Instructions

The edging is worked in the round, and it is created using single crochet and slip stitches. The edging is used to hold the two pieces of the potholder together.

Round 1:

Ch 2 using the ball of yarn attached to a potholder square.

Place the wrong sides of the squares together. The “face” of the fabric is the side that was facing you as you were crocheting each square. You want these sides facing outwards. Be sure that you hold both the top edges together, as there is one stitch less on the top than the bottom.

You might find it helpful to safety pin the corners of the squares to help you hold them together as you join them.

Working through the front and back loops of both squares, work one single crochet stitch in each stitch, all the way around. When you get to the corners: (sc, ch 2, sc in the same stitch) and then continue working sc. At the end of the round, ch 12 to make the hanging loop for the potholder. Join the hanging loop to the body of the potholder with a slip stitch.

Round 2:

Work 1 slip stitch in each sc all the way around. When you get to the corners, work a slip stitch into the the ch-2 corner space. When you’ve worked slip stitches all the way around the potholder, end off, leaving a tail of yarn at least 6 inches long.

Finishing:

Weave in the end carefully using a tapestry needle. Your work will be visible, so be as neat as you can about it.

Tip:

After you’ve woven in 4+ inches of the tail of yarn, you can hide the end in between the layers of the potholder:

Insert your hook in between the layers of the potholder, starting from a spot in the middle.
Bring the hook up to the surface again in a spot that is really close to the tail of yarn.
Grab the tail of yarn with the hook.
Pull it through one layer of the potholder.
Carefully extricate your hook, leaving the tail of yarn buried inside the potholder.

Easy Crochet Potholders in Afghan Stitch

Your easy crochet potholder is now ready to use. If you want it to be part of a matching set, make 2 identical potholders. Enjoy!

Potholder Variations

Earthtone Ombre Crochet Potholders and Dishcloth

Earthtone Ombre Crochet Potholders and Dishcloth: Free Patterns

This potholder is really basic. Would you like to dress it up a bit? Here are some ideas:

Consider choosing a variegated yarn instead of solid-colored yarn.
Choose a fancier edging. Try this one: Pretty crocheted potholders
Instead of using a single color, change colors to make stripes. See these colorful potholders for inspiration.

Pictured above, you can see how the potholders look if you crochet them in variegated yarn in shades of earthy brown and beige. That exact yarn has been discontinued and is no longer available, but the idea is still a good one; just use whatever medium weight variegated wool or cotton yarn you happen to have available.