Crochet Your Own Fruity Hot Pads: A Fun Summer DIY Project
Are you looking for a cute and practical crochet project to brighten up your kitchen this summer? Look no further! Today, we'll walk you through creating adorable fruit-inspired hot pads. These versatile crochet pieces can be customized to resemble various fruits like watermelon, lemon, lime, or orange. Let's dive into this easy and fun pattern!
Materials Needed:
- Cotton yarn in colors of your choice (main fruit color, white for rind, black for seeds if making watermelon)
- Crochet hook size H (or size appropriate for your yarn)
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
Abbreviations:
- ch = chain
- dc = double crochet
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- sl st = slip stitch
Pattern:
Note: This pattern creates one circular side of the hot pad. You'll need to make two identical pieces and join them together.
Round 1: Start with a magic ring. Ch 3 (doesn't count as first dc), make 12 dc into the ring. Sl st to the top of the beginning 1dc to join. (12 dc)
Round 2: Ch 3 (doesn't count as a stitch), make 2 dc in each st around. Sl st to the first dc to join. (24 dc)
Round 3: Ch 3, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in next st*, repeat from * to * around. Sl st to the first dc to join. (36 dc)
Round 4: Ch 3, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of the next 2 sts*, repeat from * to * around. Sl st to the first dc to join. (48 dc)
Round 5: Ch 3, *2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of the next 3 sts*, repeat from * to * around. Sl st to the first dc to join. (60 dc)
Continue in this increasing pattern until your hot pad reaches the desired size. Each round will have 12 more stitches than the previous one.
Color Changes:
For fruits like lemon or orange, start with one round of white, then switch to the main fruit color. To change color, finish the last stitch of the white round up to the last yarn over. Then, yarn over with the new color and pull through to complete the stitch. Chain 3 with the new color and continue the pattern.
Making the Hot Pad:
1. Create two identical circular pieces following the pattern above.
2. Place the two pieces with wrong sides together.
3. Using the main color yarn, join the pieces by working single crochet or slip stitch through both layers around the entire circumference.
Adding Fruit Details:
- For Watermelon:
Use black yarn and a tapestry needle to embroider seeds. Make groups of three small stitches, spacing them about 3 stitches apart all around the hot pad. You can create one or two rows of seeds as desired.
- For Citrus Fruits (Lemon, Lime, Orange):
Use white yarn to create "segments" on the fruit. Start from the center and create straight lines outward to divide the circle into quarters. Then, add more lines to subdivide these sections further. You can do this by:
1. Attaching white yarn at the center.
2. Working slip stitches along a radius to the edge.
3. Fastening off and repeating for each "segment" line.
Tips:
- Experiment with different color combinations to create various fruits.
- You can make these hot pads as small or large as you like by adjusting the number of rounds.
- These make great gifts or summer decor items!
These fruity hot pads are not only practical kitchen items, but also charming decorative pieces that bring a touch of summer fun to your home. They work up quickly and are perfect for using up yarn scraps. Happy crocheting!