To get started weaving a potholder, you need only minimal equipment--a potholder loom, a bag of loops, a weaving hook, and a crochet hook to bind off the potholder.
I bought my loom kit from Harrisville Designs, available from the Friendly Loom site. The Harrisville loom kits come in two sizes: the traditional size (makes 6"x 6" potholders) and the PRO size (makes 8" x 8" potholders).
The loops from Harrisville Designs come in many lovely colors (earth tones, neutrals, pastels, and bright colors). They are made of 100% cotton, have just the right amount of stretchiness, and are heat safe. These loops are popular with adult potholder weavers, so I've used the Harrisville loop color names when describing my own potholders.
I started out making the larger PRO-sized potholders but now mostly make the traditional size. The loops are fairly pricey. If you get addicted to weaving potholders (like I did), it becomes pretty expensive if you only make the larger ones. I also found it easier to make the smaller ones. Most of the patterns in my posts, however, can also be made on a PRO-sized potholder.
Here's how to make a potholder:
First, attach loops vertically to pegs:
Then, weave in loops horizontally. Below, you'll see in the first row, a white loop, weaving over and under the vertical loops. In the second row, the autumn-color loop is woven under and over the vertical loops, etc.
I use my fingers to weave, but you can also try using the weaving hook that came with your kit. This video from Friendly Loom shows you how to use the weaving hook.
The final step is finishing the potholder by binding off each loop. I start at the top right corner and work my way around. First, put your crochet hook through two loops.
Then pull the first loop over the second loop. continuing this throughout until you get to the last loop, which you'll pull through. See video below.
I learned how to make a potholder by watching this helpful You Tube video below from Tea Olive Home and Crafts. Very important: As she explains in the video below, when you are binding off the potholder, you will need to stretch one loop on each side and attach to a peg in order to maintain the tension. If you don't do this, the loops start to lift off the pegs. (I learned this the hard way!)
I find potholder weaving patterns on various online craft sites, Pinterest, Etsy, and You Tube. After you've made a few potholders, it's pretty easy to figure out how the potholders you see on these sites were made, even if they don't include instructions. The book, Potholder Loom Designs, has lots of patterns (both traditional and Pro) to try.
The Friendly Loom has a free online Potholder Design Wizard where you can try out patterns in different colors (first, click on either the traditional or PRO size before trying out the patterns).
Happy Weaving!
M.J.
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