Jewel Heptagonal Potholder

Here is a photo of three stacked Jewel Heptagonal Potholders.

There are two reasons for the "jewel" part of the name. First is that the center color and stitch is reminiscent of a jewel that is inset into a raised "setting." The second part is that yarn used in the main body has jewel-like colors.* The "heptagonal" aspect of the pattern is the shape of the potholder; it is a heptagon, a seven-sided object.

*The prototypes did not have the jewel and raised setting stitches. That was developed by the third potholder.

You are welcome to use this pattern. When sharing your project online or in print, please attribute your completed project to this pattern. Thanks. There are no other restrictions for its use.

Yarns used: Hobby Lobby, I Love This Cotton! (Ivory Print, shown here or High Sierra Ombre on the how-to page); Hobby Lobby, I Love This Cotton! (black); other various color cottons for center; J&P Coats Royale Fashion Crochet thread, size 3 (black).

Gauge: 5 hdc and 3 rows = 1" (Using I Love This Cotton!) The completed size of this two-sided potholder is 7.75 inches.

Yield: I can almost get two full potholders out of one skein of the I Love This Cotton. For sure you will get three sides (two fronts and one back) from a single skein.

Hooks: F and G

Needles: Large blunt-nosed tapestry needle and a smaller blunt-nosed needle.

Hanging ring: 1 plastic 1 1/8" ring per potholder.

Foundation round:

Size F if thinner center color. Size G hook, if thicker cotton.

With a solid color, such as purple, hot pink, or bright turquoise to match the yarn used for the main body, ch 5 and slip stitch to the starting ch.

Round 1:

Ch 2, 10 hdc in the loop, sl st to the top of the ch 2.

Round 2:

Ch2, hdc around (enough to almost lie flat). The total is not important but since the next round will stretch this one, don't be alarmed that it will be cupped.

Round 3

Spike stitch around. (Single chain by pulling up the yarn through the center hole, instead in the tops of the stitches in the preceding round.) The spike st's will cover up both of the hdc rounds to produce a rounded, jewel-like center.

Round 4:

Switch to a thinner crochet thread/yarn and a size F hook. Used here J&P Coats Fashion Royale #3 (black). Work in the front loops of the previous round. Dc around (probably 2 dc per front loop) so that the the finished round is cupped, rather than flat. Approximately 42 stitches. Fewer stitches, if a thicker yarn is used.

Round 5:

Sc around this way: pick up the back loop of black and the back loop of original color and sc. This will produce a ridge that stands up to incase or set the "jewel" center. The number of finished stitches, if you use a thinner crochet thread, will likely number 38-45 stitches. I ended with 42.

Round 6:

Here is the theory of this round. You will be starting your seven-sided potholder on this round using the main color. Each of the seven sides will contain 6 hdc and 1 chain (7) to total 49 stitches. (7 x 7 = 49)

First begin by counting the final number of stitches from Round 5. Still using crochet hook F for THIS ROUND ONLY, change to the ombre/variegated color. If you have 42 stitches from round 5, you will need to increase once stitch per each of the seven of the heptagonal sides. Here is an example of what to do if you have 42 stitches: chain 2 (to count as first hdc) and hdc in the same stitch. Hdc in each of the next 4 st. *Ch 1, 2 hdc in the next st and 1 hdc in each of the next 4 st. Repeat from * around ending with a ch. DO NOT sl st to the top of the ch 2 that begins the round.

Now STOP. Pin a little safety pin just below the start of the round so you will know the beginning of each round because you will NOT be making a sl st and then a ch 2 at the beginning of each round.

Round 7:

Switch to size G hook.

Here is what is happening with this round and in the next three rounds: You will be crocheting 2 hdc in the first and last st's of each of the heptagonal sides followed by a ch 1 between sections.

Here is the exact procedure for this round: *Hdc twice in the beginning st of the first of the seven sides, 1 hdc in each of the next 3 st, 2 hdc in the last st of this section. Ch 1. Repeat from * around. You will have 7 st in each of the seven sections, plus the ch between each section for a total of 56 st's. (7 x 8 = 56). It is more important to count your stitches in each section than to count the total st's around. In this round if you count 8 per section and a ch between, they you will have the exact number of stitches.

Round 8:

*Hdc twice in the beginning st of the first side of the heptagon. 1 hdc in each of the next 4 st, 2 hdc in the last st of this section of the heptagon. Ch 1. Repeat from * around. You will have 8 st's in each of the seven sides plus the ch between each for a total of 63 st's.

Round 9:

*Hdc twice in the beginning st of the first side of the heptagon. 1 hdc in each of the next 5 st, 2 hdc in the last st of this section of the heptagon. Ch 1. Repeat from * around. You will have 9 st's in each of the seven sides plus the ch between each for a total of 70 st's.

Round 10:

*Hdc twice in the beginning st of the first side of the heptagon. 1 hdc in each of the next 5 st, 2 hdc in the last st of this section of the heptagon. Ch 1. Repeat from * around. You will have 10 st's in each of the seven sides plus the ch between each for a total of 77 st's.

Round 11:

THIS ROUND IS DIFFERENT because you will be adding another increase in the center of each of the seven sides.

*Hdc twice in the beginning st of the first side of the heptagon. 1 hdc in each of the next 3 st, 2 hdc in the next st, 1 hdc in each of the next 4 st's, 2 hdc in the last st of this section of the heptagon. Ch 1. Repeat from * around. You will have 12 st's in each of the seven sides plus the ch between each for a total of 91 st's.

Round 12

This round will make the final scalloped round to give the potholder its distinctive shape.

Each heptagon side: *1 sc in each of the first 2 st, hdc in next 2 st, 2 dc in next st, (1dc, 1tr, 1dc) in next st, 2 dc in next st, hdc in nest 2 st, 1 sc in each of the last 2 st. Ch 1. *Repeat from * around. Sl st to end round and end of color.

Remove the safety pin marker.

With the black, thicker cotton and a tapestry needle and starting at the outer edge in one of the "valley" between the "peaks" of the potholder, insert your needle between the front and back loops. Make a line of chain stitches** between each of the seven sides down to the raised row around the center color. It is easy to see where to make this line of ch stitches because it has been defined by the ch 1's on each round. Secure the yarn ends of each black chain in the back of all seven sides.

**Note that chain stitches in embroidery are similar to crochet chain stitches in their look but are executed differently.

Round 13:

Using the F hook and the size 3 black crochet thread, sc around the entire potholder. The only increases you will need are near the tops of each scallop. 2 sc in st just before and just after the center top of each of the seven sides.

Now, make a second potholder side. Before attaching the front and back sides, lightly steam both sides on the BACK sides, only. Use a wet dish towel to place on the back side of the potohlder and when the iron is heated (cotton setting) press down in a few spots for a very short time to steam. Lift up and press down about 3-4 times. Do not slide the iron around. Just a few straight on placements of the iron for only a second each and not too heavily. If you steam with full weight, you will flatten the stitches too much.

Round 14:

Finally pin both finished sides together and sc around, starting on top of one of the black separating lines (between scallops). Leave a 12" tail before beginning to use when making the hanging ring after the sc chain around. Leave a 30-36" tail of the size 3 crochet thread.

Plastic loop: Place the plastic loop at the start of your sc around in the space between two of the seven sides. With the shorter blunt nosed needle, thread the short 12" tail and secure the loop in place with this tail. Thread the long 30 plus inch tail and go around the plastic loop with the button hole stitch. Make the stitches close and tight. Go over (cover) the secured thread with the button hole stitch. Secure the ends and hide.

All done!

Photos of some of the steps of this potholder have been added to another page of this blog.

Copyright 2010, C. Lowman/Delights. All Rights Reserved.