The Swirling Hot Pad/Trivet is knit holding four strands of yarn together. It is a flat circle that is knit in the round moving towards the center from the cast on edge by a series of decreases. It is similar to The Striped Spiral Hotpad/Trivet but differs in where the series of decreases is placed. The cast on edge of the Swirling Hot Pad/Trivet is finished with a slip stitch, chain one crochet border.

Materials Needed for The Swirling Hot Pad/Trivet:
Yarn:  Patons® Classic Wool Worsted™ in Natural Mix and Heath Heather colorway – 2 strands of each colorway yarn held together
Knitting Needles: US #9 (5.5 mm)16-inch circular needles and US#11 (8 mm) needles for cast on
Crochet Hook: H – 8 (5.0 mm)
Tapestry needle to weave in ends
Knitting skill level: Beginner to Advanced Beginner
Gauge: 3.5 stitches per inch in the garter stitch pattern with US #9 knitting needles after blocking
Size: about 9.5 inches in diameter

Abbreviations:
K: Knit
P: Purl
BOR: beginning of round
pm: place marker
sm: slip marker
rm: remove marker
K2tog: Knit the two stitches on the left needle together
[…]: stitch pattern repeats

The Swirling Hot Pad/Trivet Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Holding 2 strands of Natural Mix colorway and 2 strands of Heath Heather colorway, cast on 81 stitches with US #11 knitting needles
Transfer the stitches to US #9 16-inch circular needles, slip a BOR marker, join round and knit as follows:

• Round 1: [Knit 9 stitches, pm], repeat […] 7 more times, knit 9 stitches, slip BOR marker
• Round 2: [Purl 8, K1, sm], repeat […] 7 more times, P8, K1, slip BOR marker
• Round 3: [Knit to 2 stitches before maker, K2tog, sm], repeat […] 7 more times, knit to 2 stitches before maker, K2tog, slip BOR marker 
• Round 4: [Purl to 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm], repeat […] 7 more times, purl to 1 stitch before marker, K1, slip BOR marker (72 stitches remaining)
• Round 5: Repeat Round 3
• Round 6: Repeat Round 4 (63 stitches remaining)
• Round 7: Repeat Round 3
• Round 8: Repeat Round 4 (54 stitches remaining)
• Round 9: Repeat Round 3
• Round 10: Repeat Round 4 (45 stitches remaining)
• Round 11: Repeat Round 3
• Round 12: Repeat Round 4 (36 stitches remaining)
• Round 13: Repeat Round 3
• Round 14: Repeat Round 4 (27 stitches remaining)
• Round 15: Repeat Round 3
• Round 16: [P1, K1, rm], repeat […] 7 more times, P1, K1, slip BOR marker (18 stitches remaining)
• Round 17 K2tog till BOR marker, slip BOR marker
• Round 18: Knit all the stitches (9 stitches remaining)

Cut 6 inches of the working yarn (2 strands of each colorway), thread it onto a tapestry needle and weave the yarn through the remaining 9 stitches. Pull on the working yarn to tighten and close the gap. Secure the working yarn on the opposite side.

Slip Stitch Crochet Edging:

1. With a H-8 crochet hook and 4 strands of Heath Heather colorway yarn, make a slip knot and pull it under the V of the first stitch at the cast on edge
2. Chain 1
3. Insert crochet hook under the V of the next stitch at the cast on edge and slip stitch into the stitch on the crochet hook
4. Chain 1
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all the other stitches
6. Slip stitch into the first stitch chain 1 at the cast on edge. 
7. Cut yarn and weave in the ends

Weave in the all the other ends, wash and block the Swirling Hot Pad/Trivet