Santa & Elf Hot Pads HELP

[Tampa Doll]

I just bought the Handmade Crochet Holidays magazine.

They have a pair of hot pads made with thread.  They are an elf and Santa.

I am having trouble with getting started.  Here are the first 9 rows. I understand the 40 chains, then you slip stitch down and then do 40 more chains and slip stitch down  Now it tells you to join in first chain.  How can you join to first chain, when you are in the middle of the 80 chains?  I am so confused.

Can anyone help?????????

 

[alacajun]

this sounds like a magic pot holder pattern i made so many of them.

[Granny Square]

Hang in there.  I really think it was written much more confusingly than it could have been. 

Last nite I grabbed some oddments of worsted acrylic and tried out my idea of making it like the more traditional folded hotpad pattern I linked, except starting with 24 chains so it's more coaster sized. I ended up sort of simplifying it even more due to my not liking the look of the color joins...I'll finish it up and post pics later today.

It really is a cute pattern, I saw the elf...and due to the season I could see possibilities of maybe a witch...

[Granny Square]

Ok, finished the crochet just not the seaming.

I thought about not showing you the 'flat pic' because it's not what the pattern said to do, BUT then I thought it helped show the 'face to be'. 

Now, remember I made it like the 'traditional' folded potholder, with the color changes at the edges, not the middle.

The pattern said to work in the round and turn, which was fine on the all white hat band section.  (In the flat photo, the hat band IS worked in the round).  But when it came to changing colors & connecting the sides and chaining up and turning...I just didn't like the jaggedy look of it.  Alternative would have been to work in a spiral, but then I'd have a lot of ends (which in hindsight I could have just knotted instead of woven in, wish I'd thought of it earlier) so I decided to work flat and sew the sides.

So first pic is obviously the 'flat' pic, next is showing the bag (just pinned for now and hopefully will look better when sewn properly; the hat band is across the bottom of the bag), then the back & front (edited to sub finished pics of the last 2)

 

 

[Tampa Doll]

Thanks.  That looks good.  I am going to try and see what I can do this weekend.

I really appreciate the help and sorry I drove you all crazy.

[Granny Square]

You're welcome, and I was intrigued, and I may now have a new favorite potholder pattern (the plain one, but this was fun too).

I'm just now sewing it up, and I have to say if I made it again I'd do the same thing (make flat and sew up).  Even though all the ugly parts would have been in the back, it looks so much cleaner color change wise.

[USpolishgirl]

I finally was able to take pictures  today & post that. Santa potholder in WW yarn I made. Here  is my version of that potholder. EASY, nothing complicated! :).

Happy crocheting:)

Krys

 

[Granny Square]

Another vote for flat! 

[Tampa Doll]

That is great.  It looks just like the picture in the magazine.  I did not get a chance to work on this over the weekend, as I had to start the tote.

Krys you make it looks so easy.

Granny Square I love the pattern you posted.  I may end up going with that.

I knew you guys could help.

[Tampa Doll]

Thank you all for the information.  I am going to spend the weekend to see if I can make this.  If not, then I will just put it aside and forget about it.

I hate it when you buy a magazine for a pattern and it is so confusing.  I do not think I am stupid, or to old to understand a pattern, but this one threw me.

I knew you all would help or try it to let me know where I was going wrong.

I will let you know how I make out.

[USpolishgirl]

16 minutes ago, alacajun said:

this sounds like a magic pot holder pattern i made so many of them.

With an exception, that dos not work that way and it was not done that way.

[USpolishgirl]

53 minutes ago, Tampa Doll said:

That is great.  It looks just like the picture in the magazine.  I did not get a chance to work on this over the weekend, as I had to start the tote.

Krys you make it looks so easy.

Granny Square I love the pattern you posted.  I may end up going with that.

I knew you guys could help.

Thank you Mary Jo:)

Krys 

[Tampa Doll]

Is the magic potholder the same as the one granny squares posted from Ravelry?

I will have to get a picture of the elf.

[Granny Square]

Mary Jo, you could probably use the row counts on your pattern, but work it flat.  You could still start in the middle; just make the hat/pompom side "up" and the face/beard side "down".  Starting in the middle (IMO) helped me keep mine square, since I wasn't following a pattern just eyeballing where the colors should change.  My flat pic photo has an odd perspective, it really is square.

[alacajun]

I see it is a square and folded like a magic pot holder done but done differnt then the magic pot holder it is cute hope you get it done Mary jo good luck.

 

[Granny Square]

6 hours ago, Tampa Doll said:

Is the magic potholder the same as the one granny squares posted from Ravelry?

I will have to get a picture of the elf.

Yep, the one I posted was titled Magic Potholder, but I've seen several versions of the pattern.  I thought the one I picked had some clear photos.

Picture of elf https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/santa--elf-hot-pads

[USpolishgirl]

1 hour ago, alacajun said:

I see it is a square and folded like a magic pot holder done but done differnt then the magic pot holder it is cute hope you get it done Mary jo good luck.

 

 Yes, you just solved that problem! 

 

[USpolishgirl]

After reading that part of that pattern that Mary Jo posted here I think that is a LOT of confusion very unnecessary to get that Santa potholder crochet-made LOL. And that is all because of those different colors above & below that hat brim.

That technique what Granny Square posted- link in her first reply it is a great idea. It is easy & quick to make. And it is reversible.! :). That will not work exactly the same way with that Santa. Anyway even IF someone would fallow that pattern on the end that potholder will not be reversible. Not only that will not have a face on the other side LOL. BUT, all those colors the way they will meet on that left side is nothing nice to look at that.

I took the EASY way to get that Santa potholder made. I made that as a bigger square (like I mentioned in my previous reply) It worked out great on both sides!:). And it was fast (no unnecessary "confusions") . I will post that picture Sat. or Sun.  I just need to make eyes/mouth & finish that off.

Yes, it  dos look different than that picture Mary Jo posted here. Because mine was crocheted using a  WW yarn/cotton and I did that hat brim little different. I guess I could made that little better looking (different way & different/thinner yarn). But at that time when I started that, that was NOT my main "concern". I just did not put any thought in to that LOL. I just want to see how that potholder will work-out making that the easy way- my way:). I did start that potholder from the middle (hat brim) . And that was not even necessary either to start that way.

IF I would made that using crochet thread that potholder would look very close (front & back) as on that picture from that magazine. With the exception my back got 3 seams (2 short & 1 long). But they are not very visible because the way those different colors meet at that back. I just did not see my self crocheting about TWICE as many tiny stitches with that tiny hook. Anyway, I think potholder should be thick. And I really do not think that even double layer of that thread crocheting would provide enough protection. But, that is only my opinion:).

Krys

[Granny Square]

OK, I tried that starting row and...it was sort of bulky.  But it does have 2 chain sides to work into (not exactly opposite of each other), which was interesting, I guess it solves the problem of the 'work around the chain' being less robust, and this is a pot holder after all.  

I've now been folding my paper Santa so much that it's getting sort of tattered, and my head is spinning a little playing with it.  I made it like a tube (because at one point I thought that might possibly be an advantage), so I can fold it with the colors changing at the sides (like my diagram above) or in the middle (like the pattern).  The only thing I'm seeing is that changing colors on the sides puts the sewn seam in the back (the ugly side), and changing colors in the middle puts the sewn seam in the front (face side).  

Why put the sewn seam across the front?  You could do that technique by chaining 80, slip stitching in the bottom loop across all 80, then working around the 2 stitch-top looking sides and changing color on the sides, with a sewn seam in the back.

At the end of the pattern, does it mention hand sewing the front or the back?

[bgs]

 

2 hours ago, Granny Square said:

OK, I'm going to have to take hook to thread and try this, maybe a coaster size in thread.  My origami paper version 'works' doing this like the normal potholder pattern I linked.  I'm just not understanding the point of the twist.   

Below is what my paper version looks like. Imagine the pattern I linked, the in-process pic showing it looking like a bag, closed at the bottom where you worked around the chain --this bag shape is the top 2 pics, front and back.  The chain is along the bottom, the ends of the chain are at either side, which is also the point where you'd be changing colors after the white hat band--after the hat band, the colors change at different points as far as I can tell from the photo (shorter pink face and longer white beard on one side, longer red hat and shorter white pompom on the other).  When you fold it up, one side looks like the Santa face (no seams, the chain is mid-way across the hat band). The back side looks like the bottom image.(oriented as if you grabbed the left side of the white hat band on the front, flipped it over, and the part you grabbed is on the top)  The seam is the dotted line.

So worst case, this is a more straightforward way to work this and get the same result on the right side.  Maybe the twist makes the back side look better.

Yes this is it.

Has everyone downloaded the pattern that Granny Square links to?  It has really good pictures showing how this works so really go look it over.  I know I dont explain things well.  When you are working it looks like a  pouch.   The ones I made and it looks like the one Granny Square links to does continous spiral method but Mary Jo's pattern has you join and ch up for next round.  Also  Mary Jo after reading the notes my guess was right it is having you start that way so the join and ch up to start next round is happening in the middle instead of end of one of the long sides of the pouch.  

 

[Granny Square]

OK, I'm going to have to take hook to thread and try this, maybe a coaster size in thread.  My origami paper version 'works' doing this like the normal potholder pattern I linked.  I'm just not understanding the point of the twist.   

Below is what my paper version looks like. Imagine the pattern I linked, the in-process pic showing it looking like a bag, closed at the bottom where you worked around the chain --this bag shape is the top 2 pics, front and back.  The chain is along the bottom, the ends of the chain are at either side, which is also the point where you'd be changing colors after the white hat band--after the hat band, the colors change at different points as far as I can tell from the photo (shorter pink face and longer white beard on one side, longer red hat and shorter white pompom on the other).  When you fold it up, one side looks like the Santa face (no seams, the chain is mid-way across the hat band). The back side looks like the bottom image.(oriented as if you grabbed the left side of the white hat band on the front, flipped it over, and the part you grabbed is on the top)  The seam is the dotted line.

So worst case, this is a more straightforward way to work this and get the same result on the right side.  Maybe the twist makes the back side look better.

[Tampa Doll]

Ok finally got the information I hope will help.  It is confusing me more and more.  Hope this is help.

 

[USpolishgirl]

I never made those "things". But from what I see on that picture & read some here... Is it possible that ONLY very start of that project is crochet around.  Than  2 half's: one up & one down? (from that center- hat brim) .  That would work with change of those colors. Well that would work according to me LOL.

Yes, on the end there would be 2 extra seam's in the back. All together would be 3 seams (2 short & 1 longer).

I do know that all of that would not make much sense. Because the simple way ( change of those colors consider) it would be just to start from the top and in the middle  crochet couple rows with different stitch (hat brim) and just continue..Flip all those corners to the back and you would end up with same thing. Yes, those seams needed to be done in the back.

For instance If I would just crochet a bigger square and fold EACH corner to the back I would end up with a smaller (double fabric) square. That what it is on that picture, isn't?. A square.

Now, all of you got me interested in that! LOL. I will try to crochet that from that picture.

Looking at that picture it looks to me that was crocheted with a very thin yarn or maybe a thread?. Just too many rows there for a hot pad size using WW yarn. I do not like to crochet with thread, I will try that with WW yarn

Krys

PS: After I replied above I was looking again at that photo above. ALL those crochet rows going above that hat-brim and below. They are NOT crochet in rounds.  They are crochet  from side to side (turned at the end of each row). Because sc do not look that way crochet in rounds. That look only comes with turning at the end of each row. 

[Granny Square]

This has been bugging me all day.  I kept thinking, why the odd foundation?  I also thought, would a tube work rather than working around the chain?

I tried this on a piece of paper, and the tube works, although it may not be an advantage as it requires 2 seams.  When you fold it, the front looks like your pic, but the tube will need a seam across the middle of the white on the front side, versus it not needing the seam in front if you start like my linked pattern.  The back looks odd, though (but it would either way), as the hat brim stripe is now white at opposite tips; there is a color split horizontally between the white tips with 1 side is red, the other pink (ignoring beard and pom pom).  The back seam is at right angles to this horizontal split (half the seam would be half red, the other half pink).  I'm not sure what the advantage of the (apparently) twisted foundation the pattern described would be.  Working back and forth, the color split down the back won't leave you with long strands of color, you will leave off where you need to pick it up where you turn around.

 

 

 

[bgs]

1 minute ago, Granny Square said:

OK, ... my bad for misreading this, Sorry Mary Jo... I'm back to being confused.  I'd interpreted the 'starting in the center' meant the hat band, which was in the center, but you'd also have to change colors in the center of each round to get red at one end and pink on the other, and it doesn't appear to do this (change colors at the edge, looking at the photo).

Then I thought you'd be working in a tube instead of a sort of closed bag like the pattern I linked, starting with the white, then at one end with red for the hat and picking up the under side of the chain with pink for the face, folding it up like the other pattern with the seam in the back.  But: (1) why not just start with 80 chains then?  (2) why does round 2 have you doubling the stitches from 80 to 160- it almost sounds like you'd be somehow working a mobius? but that can't be right.

 

 

That was the unusual thing (to me anyway) that they just didnt start with the 80 chains ( or number of chains to have 80 sc working in front loop then rotate and working the 80 sc in back loop of original chain.  You continue working in rounds and it would be 160 sc.  Maybe it looks better when you join it together and maybe the color changes look better this way.

[Granny Square]

OK, ... my bad for misreading this, Sorry Mary Jo... I'm back to being confused.  I'd interpreted the 'starting in the center' meant the hat band, which was in the center, but you'd also have to change colors in the center of each round to get red at one end and pink on the other, and it doesn't appear to do this (change colors at the edge, looking at the photo).

Then I thought you'd be working in a tube instead of a sort of closed bag like the pattern I linked, starting with the white, then at one end with red for the hat and picking up the under side of the chain with pink for the face, folding it up like the other pattern with the seam in the back.  But: (1) why not just start with 80 chains then?  (2) why does round 2 have you doubling the stitches from 80 to 160- it almost sounds like you'd be somehow working a mobius? but that can't be right.