Crochet crab potholder by Maria Antonia Ludovici Martinez, San Francisco, California, USA

Potholder made by my grandmother Maria Antonia Ludovici Martinez (1905-1991). Source of design unknown, crocheted of thick thread that feels like cotton, with tight twist, with the thread used for the rings being thinner with a sheen; the rings have a stiff support under them, white, probably a hard plastic. My grandmother used it, and I inherited it after her death--her dishes were the Franciscan Apple pattern, and she had a lot of reds and whites in her kitchen. The crab is crocheted separately and appliqued/stitched onto the two-layers of white backgrounds, the red edging crocheting the two layers of the white backgrounds together.  The black stitching of the crab's joints, carapace, and eyes is a black, embroidery floss weight thread, in a stitch resembling stem stitch.