Me, You, & a Craft or Two: Pinwheel Pot Holder

I have seen these beautiful pinwheel pot holders and I've wanted to make them for a while. So I finally found the pattern and decided to give it a try. I found the pattern here.

The pattern I used says it takes about half a skein of each color you use. I am not sure how much yarn it actually took to make these since I was using some left over yarn that I had here at the house but it didn't take too awful much. I used a size J crochet hook instead of the H suggested in the pattern. It is just my preferred hook size.

The first step in the pattern I altered for myself. Instead of chaining 4 and doing a slip stitch to make a ring I went to YouTube.com and watched this tutorial on how to do a magic loop. I found it just makes a cleaner inner circle for me.

That's the only part of the pattern I altered.

So after making the magic loop I followed the pattern like so:

Chain 3 (counts as 1st dc) then do 13 dc in the magic circle. Slip stitch in top of chain.

(After I joined the round I pulled the loose end of the magic circle until the inner ring was tight enough to make the first round firm but not too tight where it rippled)

Then starts the really fun and interesting part.

The petals.

Round 1: *chain 27. (be careful your work does not flip and rotate when you are making this chain otherwise when it is connected you may have a twisted chain which will make the round a little more challenging. Not impossible just challenging.) Skip next dc, slip stitch in next dc.** (that is your first petal) Repeat from * to ** 5 times. Then chain 27, slip stitch at base of 1st petal (7 petals total)

Round 2: *1 sc in first 13 chains of first petal. 3 sc in next chain (top of first petal) 1 sc in each of last 13 chains of first petal**. (29 sc total for first petal) Skip the slip stitch and repeat from * to ** for the remaining petals.

You see the work really doesn't lay flat... that means you're doing it right. Let's continue...

Round 3: *1 sc in each of the first 14 sc of 1st petal. 3 sc in next sc (top of petal). 1 sc in each of the remaining 14 sc of 1st petal.** (31 sc). Repeat from * to ** for each of the remaining petals all the way around.

Row 4: *1 sc in each of the first 15 sc of 1st petal. 3 sc in next sc (top of petal). 1 sc in each of the remaining 15 sc of 1st petal.** (33 sc). Repeat from * to **for each of the remaining petals all the way around.

Row 5: *1 sc in each of the first 16 sc of 1st petal. 3 sc in next sc (top of petal). 1 sc in each of the remaining 16 sc of 1st petal.** (35 sc). Repeat from * to **for each of the remaining petals all the way around. Fasten off.

Hold the 1st petal at the tip (at the 3 sc in 1 sc point). Twist the petal clockwise 180°, folding the petal on top of itself.

Halfway down the left side of the petal, make a crease so the front portion near the base is facing. Spread and flatten to create the shape.

Continue folding all 7 petals the same way.

The back of the petal at the tip should be facing you. The front of the bottom half of the petal on the left should be facing you. Work Rows 6-8 with the work folded this way.

Row 6: Change the color of yarn. *Starting at the tip of the 1st petal, 3 sc in 1 sc. 1 sc in the next 7 sc. Attach the 1st petal to the 2nd petal using 1 sc at the 8th sc from the tip of each petal. 1 sc in the next 7 sc along the 2nd petal.** Repeat from * to **for each of the remaining petals.