Golden Hour Sunburst Potholder Free Pattern

[ ] — square brackets group a set of instructions that you repeat together. For example, "[2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st] around" means: do the two things inside the brackets, then do them again, and again, all the way around the circle.

around — continue the instruction in every remaining stitch until you reach the end of the round.

* ... ; repeat from * — do the instructions after the asterisk, then go back to the asterisk and do them again as many times as stated.

magic ring — an adjustable loop of yarn you make with your fingers, which you crochet into and then pull tight so the center hole closes completely. (If you prefer, you can instead chain 4 and join with a slip stitch into a ring, then work Round 1 into that ring.)

round — one complete circuit around the circle. Rounds go around in a spiral; rows go back and forth in straight lines. This pattern uses rounds.

continuous rounds — you spiral around and around without joining the end of each round to its beginning. This means you do not slip stitch at the end of each round and you do not turn your work.

fasten off — cut the yarn a few inches from your work, then pull the cut tail all the way through the last loop on your hook and tug gently to lock it.

join with a slip stitch — attach a new color by making a slip stitch into the stated stitch.

through both layers — insert your hook through the stitch of the front circle and the matching stitch of the back circle at the same time, so the two circles get sewn together as you crochet.

picot — a tiny decorative bump. Made here by chaining 2, then slip stitching into the second chain from your hook.

second ch from hook — count back from the loop on your hook: the loop on the hook does not count, so the very next chain is the "first," and the one after that is the "second."

wrong side — the back/inside face of your work, the side you do not want showing. Weave your ends in on this side so they hide.

weave in ends — thread a yarn tail onto a tapestry needle and sew it back and forth through the back of your stitches for an inch or two so it disappears and cannot unravel.

Gauge

Gauge: 16 single crochet stitches and 18 rounds = 4 inches (10 cm) in single crochet worked in the round.

Why gauge matters: Gauge is how big your stitches come out. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern assumes, your potholder will be larger than 8 inches; if smaller, it will be too small to protect your hand comfortably. Because this potholder is double-layered, a big gauge difference also means the two circles may not line up when you join them.

How to check your gauge: Using your Tangerine Orange yarn and your G/6 (4.0 mm) hook, make a magic ring and work Rounds 1–4 exactly as written below. Lay the little circle flat and measure straight across the middle with a ruler. It should measure about 2 inches (5 cm) across. If it is noticeably bigger, switch to a smaller hook (for example an F/5, 3.75 mm). If it is noticeably smaller, switch to a larger hook (for example an H/8, 5.0 mm). Then begin the pattern again with the hook that gave you the right measurement.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Use a stitch marker to track your rounds. Because you are working in a continuous spiral, there is no seam to tell you where a round begins. Place a stitch marker in the very first stitch of each round. When you reach the marker again, you know you have completed one full round.
• Do not pull your yarn too tight. Tension is the number one beginner struggle. Your yarn should feel relaxed — snug enough to keep the stitches even, but loose enough that your hook slides in easily. If your hook squeaks or fights you, you are pulling too tight.
• Count your stitches at the end of every round. The stitch count in parentheses at the end of each round is your safety net. If you have 47 instead of 48, fix it now — a mistake found immediately is easy, but three rounds later it is confusing.
• Keep both circles the same size. Make the second circle with the same hook and the same relaxed tension as the first. If one comes out bigger, the layers will pucker when joined.
• Cotton has almost no stretch. That is exactly why it is right for a potholder, but it also means you cannot tug a too-small circle into shape. Trust your gauge swatch.
• Work over your starting tail as you go. On Round 1, lay the magic-ring tail along the top of the stitches and crochet over it for a few stitches — it disappears and saves you weaving later.

Step-by-Step Instructions

NOTES: The potholder is worked in continuous rounds — do not join or turn unless the instructions say to. You will make two identical circles, then join them with a border and a hanging loop. Remember: cotton yarn only.

Sunburst Circle (make 2 — make the second one exactly the same)

With Tangerine Orange, make a magic ring.

Round 1: Work 8 sc into the ring. Pull the tail tight to close the center hole completely. (8 sc) — place your stitch marker in the first stitch.

Round 2: Work 2 sc in each st around. (16 sc)

Round 3: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st] around — that is, increase in the first stitch, single crochet in the second, and repeat that pair all the way around. (24 sc)

Round 4: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 2 sts] around. (32 sc)

Round 5: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 3 sts] around. (40 sc)

Round 6: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 sts] around. (48 sc)

Round 7: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 5 sts] around. (56 sc)

Round 8: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 6 sts] around. (64 sc)

Fasten off Tangerine Orange. Join Sunshine Yellow with a slip stitch in any stitch.

Round 9: Ch 1 (this chain does not count as a stitch), sc in the same st you joined into, then sc in each st around. (64 sc)

Round 10: Sc in each st around — no increases, just one single crochet in every stitch. (64 sc)

Round 11: [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 7 sts] around. (72 sc)

Round 12: Sc in each st around. (72 sc)

Fasten off Sunshine Yellow, leaving a 6-inch tail. Weave in the ends on the wrong side. Repeat Rounds 1–12 for the second circle.

Joining and Border

Hold the two finished circles with their wrong sides together (the messier, tail-side faces touching in the middle), aligning the stitches of both circles.

Round 13: Join White with a slip stitch through both layers at any stitch. Ch 1, then sc through both layers in each stitch around, working 1 sc into each pair of aligned stitches. (72 sc)

Round 14: Ch 1, sc in each st around. (72 sc)

Round 15 (picot edge): Ch 1, sc in first st, *ch 2, sl st in the second ch from hook (picot made), sc in next st; repeat from * around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off White.

Hanging Loop

Join Sunshine Yellow with a slip stitch at the top edge of the potholder.

Loop Round 1: Ch 12, then sl st in the same stitch you joined into, forming a ring-shaped loop. (1 loop made)

Loop Round 2: Sc 14 times around the chain loop, working into the chain stitches themselves so the loop becomes a thick, sturdy cord. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off and weave in all ends securely. (14 sc)

Assembly and Finishing

• Seaming: There is no separate seaming step — Round 13 is the seam. Because you crocheted through both layers at once, the two circles are permanently joined. Before you begin Round 13, double-check that the circles are perfectly aligned stitch-for-stitch and that the wrong sides face each other; once joined, this cannot be undone without cutting.
• Weaving in ends: Thread each yarn tail onto your tapestry needle. Turn the potholder to the wrong side. Sew the tail back and forth through the backs of 6–8 stitches in one direction, then change direction and sew through 3–4 more stitches. Changing direction is what locks the end so it cannot work loose. Trim the yarn close to the fabric. Do this for every tail, including the ones inside the layers.
• Blocking: Lightly steam block to flatten the circles and even out the picot edge. How: pin the potholder flat, right side up, onto a towel or blocking mat, gently stretching it into a perfect circle. Hold a steam iron 1–2 inches above the fabric (do not press the iron onto the stitches, which flattens them) and let the steam penetrate for 20–30 seconds. Let it cool and dry completely before removing the pins.
• Final safety check: Give the hanging loop a firm tug and tug each woven end. Nothing should shift. If anything feels loose, weave that end in again.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap Tangerine Orange for deep red or plum for an autumn version, or use sage green and cream for a calm kitchen palette. Keep the White border — it makes the picot bumps pop.
• Make it bigger or smaller: To enlarge, continue the increase pattern one more round — [2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 8 sts]

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