This is a pattern for an easy but handy potholder. This might sound kind of funny, because most people who start learning how to crochet only really have the patience to make a potholder. Although, this one is special, and you can amaze your friends with your l33t skill5.
The first step would be to secure some sort of yarn. 100 percent cotton is the best, but also the most expensive and acrylic works fairly well too, though it can melt. Variegated yarn looks nice, and you can also change colors, but that takes a bit more skill and a bit of thought.
The second step would be to chain a length equal to the length of the potholder. Single crochet one row onto your chain row, now here comes the tricky part. Once to the end of the row, flip your work over, and continue a row of single crochet on the other side of the base chain. This should make it so that you're working in a circle, and you will eventually create a bowl.
At this point, you can do anything to make your pot holder distinctly yours. You can make ripple patterns, just go with a simple single crochet to make it solid and heat resistant, or you can create a pattern with different styles of stitches.
When you get to the point where you're happy with the size or fed up with working on it, either way you want to finish it off; here's how. Take both sides, this should be very obvious, and single stitch through both layers stitching them together. And depending on if you changed colors or what have you, you might flip your work inside out before you stitch it closed to hide loose ends or mistakes. Either way, this is a handy pattern, and a great pot holder.