Crochet Jewel Heptagonal Potholder

The Crochet Jewel Heptagonal Potholder is a delightful addition to any kitchen. With its unique heptagonal shape and vibrant colors, this potholder adds a touch of charm to your cooking space. The intricate crochet pattern not only makes it visually appealing but also provides excellent heat protection for your hands while handling hot pots and pans. Whether you're a seasoned crocheter or a beginner looking for a fun project, crafting this potholder will surely bring joy and a sense of accomplishment. Display your creativity and protect your hands in style with the Crochet Jewel Heptagonal Potholder!

Materials Needed

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 the 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: You can almost get two full potholders out of one skein of 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 and Rounds

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

Ch 2, 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 of in the tops of the stitches in the preceding round.) The spike stitches 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 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 the original color and sc. This will produce a ridge that stands up to enclose 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

This round begins your seven-sided potholder 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 one stitch for each of the seven sides. Here's an example: chain 2 (to count as first hdc) and hdc in the same stitch. Hdc in each of the next 4 stitches. *Ch 1, 2 hdc in the next stitch, and 1 hdc in each of the next 4 stitches. 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 the next three rounds: You will be crocheting 2 hdc in the first and last stitches of each of the heptagonal sides followed by a ch 1 between sections.

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

Round 8

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

Round 9

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

Round 10

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

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

Round 12

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

Each heptagon side: *1 sc in each of the first 2 stitches, hdc in the next 2 stitches, 2 dc in the next stitch, (1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc) in the next stitch, 2 dc in the next stitch, hdc in the next 2 stitches, 1 sc in each of the last 2 stitches. 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, start at the outer edge in one of the "valleys" 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 chain 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 the stitch 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 potholder, 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 use 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 buttonhole stitch. Make the stitches close and tight. Cover the secured thread with the buttonhole stitch. Secure the ends and hide.

All done!