I LOVE this! I’m going to try and write up an official pattern for what I did, but here are my few notes, if anyone is interested.

I started with the “Best Crocheted Potholder” pattern where you work into two rows at once. I recommend doing that one first so you “get” how the stitches should go.

Rnd1: Start with 8 stitches into a magic ring. Join with a slipstitch, chain one and turn.
Rnd 2: Work 2 sc into the BACK loops only of each sc, join to your first sc and turn.
Rnd 2b: Go through the BACK loop of Round 2a, and the remaining loop of the sc in Rnd 1. Complete sc. In the next sc, since you are essentially increasing again, go through the back loop of the SECOND stitch of Round 2a and the SAME remaining loop of Round 1. You’re increasing into the stitch of Round 1 while maintaining even stitching on Round 2a. This is the hardest row because the remaining loops are fairly tight and hard to see, but work slowly. Continue around, working each increase as stated above. Join, ch1, turn. It gets easier now!
Round 3a: Work into the back loop of 2b and the remaining “front” loop of 2a, sc into next stitch, 2sc into next stitch and repeat around. Join, ch1, turn.
Round 3b: Work into the back loop of 3a and the remaining loop of 2b. Remember that your increases are now backwards, so instead of sc, inc you will be increasing first with inc, sc. Again, work the increases into the two DIFFERENT stitches of 3a and the SAME stitch of 2b (the lower row).

Continue as before, increasing with each “new” row, or every other row if you’re counting each row when you turn. I find it easiest to count the rows by counting the bars of the sc’s from the middle out. With each increase row, continue as follows:
Rnd 4a: sc in next 2 scs, 2 sc in next sc around, join, ch1, turn
Rnd 4b: increase in next sts, sc in next 2 sc around, join, ch1, turn
Rnd 5a: sc in next 3 scs, 2 sc in next sc around, join, ch1, turn
Rnd 5b: increase in next sts, sc in next 3 sc around, join, ch1, turn
Rnd 6a: sc in next 4 scs, 2 sc in next sc around, join, ch1, turn
Rnd 6b: increase in next sc, sc in next 4 sc around, join, ch1, turn
Rnd 7a: sc in next 5 scs, 2 sc in next sc around, join, ch1, turn
Rnd 7b: increase in next sts, sc in next 5 sc around, join, ch1, turn

…and so on. Continue with your increases until the potholder is as big as you want it, then finish out with a “b” row.

Final row: Working evenly into each stitch as before (back loop of current row, front loop of previous row), ss around. You may add a chained loop at this point, or a row of decorative edging worked into both loops of the ss, if you wish. FO and love your new round potholder!!