Bring a touch of cozy autumn charm into your kitchen with this farmhouse-inspired squirrel potholder. Crafted using the tapestry crochet technique, this project blends two contrasting cotton yarns to create a thick, functional, and beautifully detailed fabric. It features a decorative picot border and a built-in hanging loop for easy storage and display.
Pattern Specifics
Materials Required
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Hook Size: 3.0 mm (US C/2)
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Yarn Type: DK weight (Light, Category 3) 100% cotton yarn
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Colors Needed:
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Main Color (Color A / Cream): approx. 55 yards (50 meters)
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Contrast Color (Color B / Brown): approx. 35 yards (32 meters)
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Notions: Tapestry needle for weaving in loose ends, scissors
Finished Dimensions & Tension
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Size: Roughly ()
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Gauge: 28 single crochet stitches by 26 rows = () worked in the tapestry style.
Common Abbreviations (US Terms)
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Ch: Chain
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Sc: Single crochet
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Sl St: Slip stitch
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FLO: Front loop only
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St(s): Stitch(es)
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RS / WS: Right Side / Wrong Side
Special Stitch Instructions
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Triple Picot: Chain 3, slip stitch into the back ridge of the first chain made. Repeat this process two more times to form a cluster of three small loops.
Essential Tapestry Crochet Notes
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Carrying Yarn: You will work over the non-active yarn color along the top of your previous row, trapping it inside your single crochet stitches until you need to switch.
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Seamless Color Transitions: Change colors on the final yarn-over of the previous stitch. With two loops of the old color on your hook, pull through with the new color to finish the stitch.
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Stitch Count: Every main body row consists of exactly 45 stitches. The initial chain-1 counts as your very first stitch of the row and is always worked in Color A.
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Turning: Turn your panel at the end of every row. Odd rows represent the front (RS), and even rows represent the back (WS).
Step-by-Step Body Instructions
Using Color A, chain 46.
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Row 1 [RS]: Single crochet into the second chain from your hook and every remaining chain across. (45 sts)
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Row 2 [WS]: Color A across. (45)
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Row 3 [RS]: A 2, B 1, [A 4, B 1] 8 times, A 2.
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Row 4 [WS]: Color A across. (45)
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Row 5 [RS]: Color A across. (45)
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Row 6 [WS]: A 11, B 2, A 1, B 17, A 14.
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Row 7 [RS]: A 12, B 10, A 3, B 4, A 2, B 2, A 3, B 2, A 7.
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Row 8 [WS]: A 2, B 1, A 3, B 4, A 3, B 3, A 1, B 2, A 1, B 14, A 8, B 1, A 2.
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Row 9 [RS]: A 11, B 15, A 1, B 2, A 5, B 6, A 5.
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Row 10 [WS]: A 5, B 6, A 4, B 3, A 1, B 16, A 10.
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Row 11 [RS]: A 9, B 17, A 1, B 3, A 3, B 3, A 9.
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Row 12 [WS]: A 4, B 3, A 1, B 7, A 1, B 3, A 1, B 17, A 8.
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Row 13 [RS]: A 2, B 1, A 5, B 17, A 1, B 1, A 2, B 8, A 1, B 3, A 1, B 1, A 2.
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Row 14 [WS]: A 5, B 3, A 3, B 9, A 1, B 17, A 7.
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Row 15 [RS]: A 7, B 4, A 1, B 10, A 2, B 9, A 1, B 5, A 6.
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Row 16 [WS]: A 8, B 1, A 5, B 9, A 3, B 7, A 1, B 5, A 6.
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Row 17 [RS]: A 6, B 5, A 2, B 15, A 8, B 2, A 7.
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Row 18 [WS]: A 2, B 1, A 6, B 8, A 2, B 13, A 1, B 6, A 3, B 1, A 2.
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Row 19 [RS]: A 5, B 7, A 2, B 10, A 2, B 10, A 9.
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Row 20 [WS]: A 9, B 12, A 1, B 8, A 2, B 8, A 5.
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Row 21 [RS]: A 5, B 8, A 3, B 6, A 1, B 13, A 9.
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Row 22 [WS]: A 9, B 14, A 1, B 3, A 4, B 9, A 5.
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Row 23 [RS]: A 2, B 1, A 2, B 11, A 3, B 11, A 2, B 4, A 6, B 1, A 2.
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Row 24 [WS]: A 9, B 4, A 1, B 12, A 2, B 12, A 5.
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Row 25 [RS]: A 5, B 13, A 2, B 16, A 9.
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Row 26 [WS]: A 9, B 15, A 2, B 13, A 6.
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Row 27 [RS]: A 7, B 2, A 2, B 9, A 1, B 15, A 9.
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Row 28 [WS]: A 2, B 1, A 7, B 14, A 1, B 8, A 1, B 3, A 5, B 1, A 2.
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Row 29 [RS]: A 7, B 5, A 1, B 7, A 2, B 13, A 10.
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Row 30 [WS]: A 11, B 12, A 1, B 7, A 1, B 7, A 6.
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Row 31 [RS]: A 6, B 7, A 1, B 7, A 1, B 11, A 12.
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Row 32 [WS]: A 13, B 1, A 2, B 3, A 3, B 1, A 1, B 7, A 1, B 2, A 2, B 4, A 5.
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Row 33 [RS]: A 2, B 1, A 2, B 5, A 3, B 8, A 1, B 1, A 2, B 2, A 1, B 1, A 2, B 1, A 10, B 1, A 2.
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Row 34 [WS]: A 13, B 3, A 3, B 3, A 2, B 16, A 5.
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Row 35 [RS]: A 5, B 16, A 2, B 2, A 5, B 1, A 14.
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Row 36 [WS]: A 24, B 15, A 6.
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Row 37 [RS]: A 6, B 14, A 25.
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Row 38 [WS]: A 2, B 1, A 22, B 13, A 4, B 1, A 2.
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Row 39 [RS]: A 8, B 11, A 26.
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Row 40 [WS]: A 28, B 7, A 10.
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Row 41 [RS]: Color A across. (45)
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Row 42 [WS]: Color A across. (45)
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Row 43 [RS]: A 2, B 1, [A 4, B 1] 8 times, A 2.
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Row 44 [WS]: Color A across. (45)
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Row 45 [RS]: Color A across. (45)
Do not fasten off. Keep your strands attached at the top-left corner to begin the edging.
Border & Hanging Loop
Round 1 (RS):
Using Color A, work evenly around the perimeter by placing 45 single crochets down each of the four sides. At each corner point, work: (1 sc, ch 1, 1 sc) to cleanly turn the corner. Connect the end of the round back to the start with a slip stitch.
Round 2 (RS):
Switch to Color B at the first stitch of the previous round.
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Left Side Edging: Sc 2, then repeat the texture pattern
[work 1 triple picot, FLO slip stitch into the last completed sc, sc 5]a total of 8 times. Work 1 more triple picot, FLO slip stitch into the last sc, then sc 3. -
First Corner: In the corner chain space, work
(1 sc, ch 1, 1 sc). -
Bottom Edging: Work 45 straight single crochets across the base.
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Second Corner: Work
(1 sc, ch 1, 1 sc)into the chain space. -
Right Side Edging: Sc 3, then repeat the texture pattern
[work 1 triple picot, FLO slip stitch into the last completed sc, sc 5]8 times. Work 1 final triple picot, FLO slip stitch into the last sc, then sc 2. -
Third Corner: Work
(1 sc, ch 1, 1 sc)into the chain space. -
Top Edging & Hanging Loop: Single crochet across the first 22 stitches of the top side, then slip stitch into the next stitch. To build the hanging tab, chain 20 and slip stitch back into that same base stitch. Chain 1, turn your direction to work inside the loop, and place 25 single crochets inside the ring. Slip stitch back down into the base stitch to anchor it. Turn your work back to the right side, and single crochet across the remaining 22 stitches to finish the top edge. Join with a slip stitch to the start of the round.
Finishing
Cut your yarn, pull through the final loop to secure, and cleanly weave in all remaining yarn tails on the back of the potholder using your tapestry needle.
