Two Christmas-themed crochet projects

Here are two recently completed projects.  One is out-and-out Christmasy; the other could be used all winter as well as at Christmas time.  The project above is a vintage-style scalloped hot pad from this pattern: Scalloped Potholder.  (Although the pattern calls it a pot holder, I feel that this is too thick for a pot holder, so I always leave off the hanging loop.)  What these work perfectly for is just as a hot mat or trivet to use on your table for placing a hot dish on.

I made stacks of these in many different colors over last spring, summer, and fall.  The pattern is easily memorized and the project is small enough to be very portable.  I worked on these while overseeing my dad's home health care last spring, as well as countless hours in waiting rooms, hospital and nursing home rooms.

I ended up with many, many hot pads and so, this past Christmas, I took a bag full of them in so the members of my ladies' Sunday School class could each choose one as a gift from me.

The Christmas variegated yarn in the top photo is some that I acquired for free.  I had used it to make a Christmas doily

and thought it might also look nice in a hot pad.  You can't see it too well in the photo, but there is a metallic gold thread running through the red, white and green cotton yarn.  I was pleased with how the hot pad turned out and will make another one or two at some point, as I still have more of the yarn.

Then the second project is this snowflake hot mat:

I've made this one before, a couple of times, in blue.

It's a vintage pattern and relatively easy.  It does use a LOT of triple crochet, however, so if you don't enjoy doing that stitch (I don't; it just feels too floppy and unwieldy to me), you probably wouldn't care for this pattern.  I have sort of a love/hate relationship with these hot mats.  I love the way they look when finished, but they are a lot larger than I really like in a hot mat.  I may give the pattern one more chance using smaller hook sizes.

If anyone is interested in this pattern, it is from Annie's Pattern Club, December 1980.  I did locate a few copies of the magazine online, although I can't be sure they are still available at this time.  Here are the links:
Snowflake Hot Pad pattern on eBay or
Treasured Heirlooms Crochet.  You could probably find even more by doing an online search for Annie's Pattern Club, December 1980.

I've just started another of the scalloped hot pads in a combination of blue yarns to have as another portable crochet project in my needlework bag.  My gift stash is depleted, only four left in it, so I'll begin making more in free moments of waiting time.  I hate for my hands and brain to be idle!