How to Use Yarn on a Potholder Loom

Add a layer of protection between a hot pot or pan and your table or hand with a potholder. Make your own potholders with a loom and yarn for a craft similar to crocheting or knitting, but much simpler. Choose yarn in colors that match your kitchen or the place settings for a holiday party table. Weave up a whole batch of the potholders to give to family and friends as gifts.

Things You'll Need

• 2 balls of yarn
• Potholder loom
• D crochet hook
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Take the ends of the two balls of yarn and line them up. Tie the ends of the yarn around the bottom right-hand corner of the potholder loom to keep the yarn from coming unraveled as you weave.

2. Bring the yarn straight up to the right-most peg on the top edge of the loom and loop the yarn around the peg from right to left.

3. Bring the double strand of yarn back down to the right-most peg along the bottom edge of the loom and loop the yarn around the peg from right to left. Continue snaking the yarn from right to left vertically on the loom in this manner until the double strand of yarn is looped around all the top and bottom pegs.

4. Weave a size D crochet hook over, under, over and under all the way across the vertical strands of thread, treating the double strand as a single strand, from right to left.

5. Take the double strand of yarn, loop it from bottom to top around the bottom-most peg on the left edge of the loom before hooking it on the crochet hook.

6. Pull the crochet hook back to the right side of the loom through the vertical strands with the double strand hooked on it, effectively weaving the yarn through the vertical strands.

7. Hook the loop of double strand of yarn hooked on the crochet hook on the bottom-most peg of the right edge of the loom.

8. Take the double strand of yarn on the left side of the loom and loop it around the next peg up from the bottom, from bottom to top.

9. Weave the crochet hook through the yarn again, this time starting under first.

10. Hook the yarn on the crochet hook like you did before and pull it through the vertical strands.

11. Keep looking, weaving and hooking in this manner all the way to the top-most pegs on the right and left sides.

12. Untie the ends of the yarn in the bottom right-hand corner. You now have the ends of your double strand of yarn in the bottom right and top left corners.

13. Stick your crochet hook through the loop of double strand around the bottom peg on the right edge of the loom. Remove the loop from the peg as you do this.

14. Hook the crochet hook on the next loop up on the right edge and pull it through the first loop, removing it from its peg as you do this.

15. Slide the loop up on the hook, so the hook is now through the loop, and hook the third loop up. Keep working your way around the loom in this manner.

16. Pull the loop you started with through the last loop in the bottom right-hand corner. Then, hook the strand in that corner around the hook and pull it through that loop to finish the potholder.

17. Knot the ends of the double strand in the bottom right and top left corners and trim the yarn.

Tips & Warnings

• Make your double strand of thread from balls of yarn in two different colors to add visual interest to your potholder.

• Be careful if using homemade potholders for extremely hot pots and pans as they are not insulated in the same manner as store-bought holders.

References

• Norene Crone Findlay: How to Weave With Yarn on the Potholder Loom