Christmas Star Potholder or Hot Pad

My sister-in-law, Patty, asked if I could deduce the pattern for the potholder pictured to the left. Here is a pretty close match:

Sugar N' Cream (Lily) crochet cotton Green (Color 00016) and Red (Color 00095); Crochet hook US size G (4.5mm).


2scdecr = draw thread through next st as if to sc and leave loop on hook; draw thread through next st as if to sc, now draw thread through all three loops on hook

3scdecr = draw thread through next st as if to sc and leave loop on hook; draw thread through next st as if to sc and leave loop on hook; draw thread through next st as if to sc, now draw thread through all four loops on hook

The work is all done from the same side, i.e. the work is not turned. When reach you reach the end of one round, proceed spiral-fashion into the next round; i.e. there is no sl st joining of the beginning and ending of the rounds.

R1: With Green yarn, ch 4, join with sl st to first ch, to form a ring.

R2: 10 sc in ring

R3: *(2sc, ch2, 2sc) in sc, skip 1 sc, repeat from * four more times

R4: sl st in first sc, *1 sc in the sc before the ch-2 space, in the ch-2 space work (2sc, ch 2, 2 sc), 1 sc in sc, (Note: you have to tug the stitches you just made a little to the right to find this sc that may have gotten buried a bit), 2scdecr, repeat from * four more times. To mark the beginning of the round, hang a recloseable stitch marker (the ones from Clover that resemble a plastic safety pin are good) on the st that is currently on the hook.

R5: *1 sc in the next 2 sc before the ch-2 space, in the ch-2 space work (2sc, ch 2, 2 sc), 1 sc in the next 2 sc, 3scdecr, repeat from * four more times. When working the last 3scdecr, the stitch holding the marker is the 3rd st of the decrease; move the st marker to the st that is currently on the hook.

R6: *1 sc in the next 3 sc before the ch-2 space, in the ch-2 space work (2sc, ch 2, 2 sc), 1 sc in the next 3 sc, 3scdecr, repeat from * four more times. When working the last 3scdecr, the stitch holding the marker is the 3rd st of the decrease; move the st marker to the st that is currently on the hook.

R7: *1 sc in the next 4 sc before the ch-2 space, in the ch-2 space work (2sc, ch 2, 2 sc), 1 sc in the next 4 sc, 3scdecr, repeat from * four more times. When working the last 3scdecr, the stitch holding the marker is the 3rd st of the decrease; move the st marker to the st that is currently on the hook.

R8: *1 sc in the next 5 sc before the ch-2 space, in the ch-2 space work (2sc, ch 2, 2 sc), 1 sc in the next 5 sc, 3scdecr, repeat from * four more times. Change to Red yarn when you are about to pull the final loop through the four loops on the hook in the last 3scdecr. When working the last 3scdecr, the stitch holding the marker is the 3rd st of the decrease; move the st marker to the st that is currently on the hook.

R9: You are now working with the Red yarn. *1 sc in the next 6 sc before the ch-2 space, in the ch-2 space work (2sc, ch 2, 2 sc), 1 sc in the next 6 sc, 3scdecr, repeat from * four more times. When working the last 3scdecr, the stitch holding the marker is the 3rd st of the decrease, move the st marker to the st that is currently on the hook.

R10: *1 sc in the next 7 sc before the ch-2 space, in the ch-2 space work (5sc), 1 sc in the next 8 sc, 2scdecr, repeat from * four more times. Note that we've changed to a 2scdecr to help the work lie flat. When working the last 2scdecr, the stitch holding the marker is the 2nd st of the decrease. Remove the marker. Sl st in next st, clip yarn and draw the thread tail through the loop on the hook.

Weave in ends.

Optional: make a loop for hanging by working the following in one of the ch-2 spaces when working the last round: 2 sc, ch 8, 2 sc.

Here's the one I made, at left. Not an exact match, you can see... but close. This one measures 7 1/4" at widest part.