Potholders - form or function?

[Knit Happens]

Some of them are clearly for looking at and those sort of "novelty" potholder patterns generally call for acrylic yarn...NOT good for heating. How do you use and/or make your potholders? Do you prefer them for beauty as a decoration, or for functional use?

[AutumnWindsong]

In the old days it was for looks...nowadays, it's only for the usage. And, if you make them for other people...they NEVER use the PRETTY ones. LOL

 

Blessed Be

[champygirl]

I prefer them for funtional use.

 

In the old days it was for looks...nowadays, it's only for the usage. And, if you make them for other people...they NEVER use the PRETTY ones. LOL

 

I have heard that before. I made a friend of mine dish clothes and she told me they were too pretty to use and ended up using them as doilies. I made her some more using sc only and used a color not as apealling (varigated cotton yarn). I gave them to her and kiddingly told her I made her some ugly dish cloths. She told me they weren't ugly and that the green in it was nice. I don't know if she knew if I was kidding or not.

[Feederofthepack]

I usually make them for gifts so I make some for use and a couple of pretty ones from the same yarn for a cute set.

[Craw]

I make all my own potholders now and I make them for use. I've always used cotton except for the first few I made before I realized acrylic wasn't a good choice. I've given some away as gifts and I hope they've been used. I've haven't made a real fancy one yet. Someday. I have old patterns from the 50s made from thread. Looks like they will be for show but that's ok, they're cute.

[cat3crazy]

I only use cotton yarn to make them. Even the decorative one like animals are all cotton because I use pearl cotton to make the eyes. I make mine completely functional regardless of how fancy I make them because you don't know when some one is going to grab one to use for real.

[nevadamama]

I've crocheted dozens of pot holders with RHSS yarn and never had a problem. I make them to be used even if they are too pretty.

:grandma

[Daydreamer-girl]

I always make potholders in cotton. I think thay can be both pretty and functional at the same time

[texasredhead]

It's cotton for me! I use them and love them!!! I make them for gifts and my MIL uses hers all of the time. My daughter in college loves hers in her favorite colors.

[ReniC]

............................. Do you prefer them for beauty as a decoration, or for functional use?

 

I usually use cotton and my favorite is the Diagonal Potholder, mostly because it is already double layered. Never a burn on fingers with this pattern.

I have made the decorative potholders in size 10 thread but that's about it because the acrylics are not what they used to be.

[LegalWoman17]

I make potholders for both uses. I have a couple in my own kitchen that hang on the wall to look pretty, and I have some that I use for every day.

 

And when I make some for friends or family, I usually make one decorative and two functional.

 

And always from cotton yarn.

[yarntotingmama]

I prefer functional beauty. If I put time into a potholder, whether for myself or as a gift, I want it usable as a potholder. I knit mine in cotton - I'm a huge fan of cotton. I haven't had any problems with what I've made but I have been considering making them double layered in future, just to feel safer.

[CLLinda]

I use them so I think they would be classified under functional for me.

 

I am so excited. I just got the new County Fair Catalog today and they have a catagory for potholders. I need to find a really cool potholder pattern and make it for the fair.

 

[Cliffnote]

I usually use cotton yarn, but I always make them for usage.

 

Kim

[crochetalot]

I make both kinds. Some are for the decor look and the others I use.

I make them using only cotton yarn or cotton thread. julie

[RainbowAzalea]

Mine are functional and always out of cotton...especially since I've recently decided to quit buying acrylic unless I absolutely need it for a specific project (like using Caron SS because it's kind of shiny and the project really could use that effect). I don't like to make anything I can't use, because then it sort of seems like a waste of yarn. Though I'm definitely into pretty and functional.

[adagio]

many, many years ago Annies Attic had a series of 'pot holders' shaped like various fruits. I did several of them. The strawberry 'potholder' was so nice, I mounted it on a small round bamboo tray and have it on display. The other fruit 'potholders' sit on display in a basket on a bookshelf.

[HomekeepingGran]

Function. Plain patterns out of cotton. But I am a plain kind of girl.