How to Make Chenille Potholders
If you want to fill your kitchen with accessories that exude handmade appeal, try knitting simple and attractive potholders from chenille yarn. Cushy and soft chenille will protect your hands from burning hot dishes. If you know how to knit and purl, you'll have no trouble knitting a chenille potholder. In fact, if you devote an afternoon to the task you'll probably have enough time to complete two or three.
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Things You'll Need
- Worsted-weight chenille yarn
- US size 6-8 knitting needles
- Scissors
- Tapestry needle
Instructions
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1
Cast on 36 stitches.
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2
Knit six rows in garter stitch. (This will create three garter ridges.)
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3
Knit the first six stitches in the next row, then knit one stitch and make one stitch until you reach the last six stitches. Knit these stitches. You should now have 58 stitches.
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4
Begin working the double-knitting pattern. Knit the first six stitches, then knit one stitch, bring your working yarn to the front and slip the next stitch. Bring the working yarn to the back of the chenille potholder and knit the next stitch. Repeat the knit-one-then-slip-one pattern until you reach the last six stitches. Knit to the end of the row.
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5
Knit six stitches at the beginning of the next row. Bring the yarn to the front of your potholder, slip the next stitch, bring the yarn to the back of the work and knit the following stitch. Repeat this pattern until six stitches remain. Knit to the end of the row.
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6
Alternate between the two double-knitting rows described in the steps above until your chenille potholder measures 1 inch shorter than the desired length.
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7
Knit the first six stitches in the next row, then knit two stitches together until you get to the final six stitches. Knit these stitches.
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8
Knit six rows of garter stitch.
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9
Bind off, cut the chenille yarn, and thread the tail through a tapestry needle. Weave in the yarn tails to finish making your chenille potholder.
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Tips & Warnings
Although you can find chenille yarn in a variety of fibers, pick cotton chenille. Then you won't have to worry about hand-washing it when it gets dirty. You can just toss it in the washing machine with your other kitchen linens.
