Double-Sided Crochet Potholders in Two Round Sizes

Double-sided crochet potholders use two matching circles to create a reversible cotton pad. The Really Crafty Store’s tutorial offers a regular version, a larger version and two ways to finish a hanging loop. You can keep both faces the same shade or use contrasting colors to make the two layers visible. This guide explains the shared increase sequence, the join and the difference between a fixed loop and a buttoned one.

Materials and sizes

The source uses cotton yarn suitable for a 3.5 mm hook. Its samples are made with Zen Mindfulknits cotton. The regular pad is approximately 17 cm / 6.7 inches across; the large pad is approximately 23 cm / 9 inches. The listed allowance is about 50 g of each face color for the regular version or 70 g of each for the large.

Gather a 3.5 mm hook, scissors and a blunt yarn needle. For the opening loop option, add a button approximately 1.5–2 cm across, sewing thread and a sewing needle. Test the button against the finished loop before stitching it permanently in place.

Use cotton rather than assuming any decorative yarn is suitable for kitchen use. A crocheted pad is not a certified heat barrier: keep it dry, inspect the fabric for gaps and avoid direct flame or prolonged contact with very hot cookware. Its two layers should sit together evenly without exposed holes at the join.

Work the regular circles

The pattern uses US dc for double crochet, sc for single crochet, ch for chain and sst for slip stitch. The ch 2 at the start of each dc round counts as the first dc. Place a marker in that counted position if it is easy to lose beside the join.

1. In a magic ring, begin with the counted ch 2 and eleven dc for twelve stitches. Join.
2. Double every position for a 24-stitch second round.
3. Increase by twelve stitches per round, spacing one more plain dc between increases each time. The counts are 36, 48, 60, 72 and 84.
4. Fasten off the first seven-round circle. Make a second circle with the same count, leaving its working yarn attached at the end.

Compare the two circles before joining. If one is visibly larger, recheck the hook, tension and round count. Blocking should not be used to disguise an extra increase round. The counted beginning chain is part of each total, so do not add a separate first dc without accounting for it.

Make the large version

Continue the same increase system for two extra rounds on each face. Round eight has 96 stitches, and round nine has 108. Both discs must stop at the same size. The source does not create the large pad by adding a very wide border to a small pair of circles.

Join the two faces

Place the discs wrong sides together, with both right sides facing outward. Using the attached yarn, single crochet around the edge through the corresponding stitches of both circles. Check the alignment after the first few stitches and again halfway around.

The joining edge should enclose both circles without gathering them into a bowl. If the final stitches no longer line up, count each edge before adding or skipping stitches. Hide the internal tails before the opening becomes too small to reach comfortably.

Choose a hanging-loop finish

For the source loop, chain 21 and work twenty dc back along the chain, starting in its second chain as the original explicitly directs. Secure the strip to the pad two edge stitches from the starting point. The unusually low turning allowance is part of the source’s loop instruction, rather than the ordinary starting-chain convention of the disc rounds.

For a fixed loop, fold and sew the strip tip to the pad. For an opening loop, secure the base, sew on the button and pass it through the space at the strip tip. You can also omit the loop altogether and finish immediately after joining the faces. Weave in all ends and wash according to the cotton label before ordinary use.

Frequently asked questions

How many circles are needed?

Two equal circles for one double-sided pad.

What changes between the sizes?

The regular circles stop at seven rounds and 84 stitches; the large circles stop at nine rounds and 108 stitches.

Can I omit the hanging loop?

Yes. Secure the yarn and weave in the ends after the joining round.

Original source and more crochet projects

Design credit: The Really Crafty Store, Crochet Double-Sided Round Potholders (2021). This article explains the supplied source and its construction; it does not claim an independently tested sample. The photographs are from that source, and the checklist is an editorial reading aid.

Open the original pattern in Drive. Source location: Whole PDF. Keep the original instructions and diagrams beside you when working the project.

For another project, explore Anima Floris crochet coasters, or Strand Basket pattern.