Did you crochet or knit the handles to the tote or are they plastic, leather or something else? I know different people/stores have different handles to use on totes.
What colors are your potholders? Is it an on-line pattern?
I enjoy doing the origami fold-in-on-itself potholder sometimes, where you chain a length, SC in 2nd ch from hook, go to the end and SC up the other side of the same chain. You continue around and around, in a circle, until it folds in on itself, making it either square or rectangular, depending on the number of chains you make in the foundation chain. I crochet a chain loop, then turn it, to SC in that loop, cut off, weave in the loose end OR I sew on a white plastic cabone ring. I want to find some smaller wooden rings or metal ones, to not melt in the dryer or else they need to be dried for a little bit, then air dried the rest of the way. Laying on top of the dryer is a good drying place, in the sun or if you have a wood stove or fireplace fire, in the fall or winter, you can dry near that. I've also heard cabone rings don't melt in the dryer. Do you or does anyone else know? I've read it's safe to dry them, on-line. I'm leery of doing that.