Crochet Sea Waves Basket

The Sea Waves Basket is a sturdy, dual-colored container featuring a wave-like tapestry pattern. It uses thick T-shirt yarn to maintain its shape and offers two options for the foundation: a pre-drilled 20 cm (8-inch) wooden base or a fully crocheted bottom.

The finished piece stands roughly 7 inches tall with a 9.5-inch diameter, making it perfect for stylish home storage.

Project Specifications & Supplies

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Approximately 65 yards (60 meters) each of Super Bulky T-shirt yarn (5–6 wpi) in two contrasting shades (Color 1 for waves, Color 2 for background).

• Hook: 8.0 mm (US L/11) crochet hook.

• Tools: Tapestry needle and scissors.

• Base (Optional): A circular 20 cm wooden basket bottom featuring either 45 or 53 holes.

Sizing & Tension

• Dimensions: 9.5″ diameter $\times$ 7″ height (24 cm $\times$ 17.5 cm).

• Gauge: 10 waistcoat stitches $\times$ 9.5 rows = 4″ $\times$ 4″ (10 cm $\times$ 10 cm) worked in tapestry style.

Stitches & Terms (US)

• Ch: Chain

• Sc: Single crochet

• Sl st: Slip stitch

• Sk: Skip

• St(s): Stitch(es)

• Inc: Increase (2 single crochets worked into the same stitch or wooden base hole).

• Knit St: Waistcoat/Knit stitch (single crochet worked directly between the vertical legs of the stitch below).

• MC: Magic Circle

Crucial Pattern Notes

1. T-shirt Yarn Control: Maintain light, even tension. Stretching the yarn will warp the basket’s walls. Do not rely on factory knots; undo them and join strands manually.

2. Color Changes: Switch colors on the final yarn-over of the preceding stitch for a seamless transition. Carry the unused color inside your stitches (tapestry style).

3. Invisible Round Join: Drop the loop from your hook, bring the working yarn to the inside of the basket, insert the hook from inside to outside through the first stitch of the round, grab the dropped loop, and pull it through to the inside.

4. Stitch Count: The entire basket body requires a consistent count of 70 stitches per round. Initial chain-1s never count as a stitch.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1: The Base (Choose Option A or B)

Option A: Using a Wooden Bottom

Note: Work counterclockwise with the finished inside of the base facing up. Turn the work to face the outside when starting the main body.

• Round 1: Using Color 1, join with a slip stitch in any hole and place 1 sc into that same hole.

  • For 53-hole bases: Repeat *1 sc in each of the next 2 holes, 1 inc in the next hole* around to reach 70 sts. Join the round.

  • For 45-hole bases: Repeat *(1 inc, 1 sc) 4 times, then 1 inc* a total of 5 times around to reach 70 sts. Join the round.

• Round 2: Ch 1. Working strictly into the front loops (the loops facing the interior of the basket), slip stitch in every stitch around. Join. (70 sts).

Option B: Crocheting the Base

Note: Use Color 1. Join each round with a standard slip stitch.

• Round 1: 7 sc into a MC. Join. (7 sts)

• Round 2: 1 inc in every stitch around. Join. (14 sts)

• Round 3: Repeat *1 sc, 1 inc* 7 times. Join. (21 sts)

• Round 4: 1 sc, 1 inc, repeat *2 sc, 1 inc* 6 times, 1 sc. Join. (28 sts)

• Round 5: Repeat *3 sc, 1 inc* 7 times. Join. (35 sts)

• Round 6: 2 sc, 1 inc, repeat *4 sc, 1 inc* 6 times, 2 sc. Join. (42 sts)

• Round 7: Repeat *5 sc, 1 inc* 7 times. Join. (49 sts)

• Round 8: 3 sc, 1 inc, repeat *6 sc, 1 inc* 6 times, 3 sc. Join. (56 sts)

• Round 9: Repeat *6 sc, 1 inc* 7 times. Join. (63 sts)

• Round 10: 4 sc, 1 inc, repeat *8 sc, 1 inc* 6 times, 4 sc. Join. (70 sts)

• Round 11 (Transition Round): Turn the base so the wrong side faces up. Work 1 sc around the post of each stitch from Round 10 all the way around. Join. (70 sts). Ch 1 and turn your work so the right side (outside) faces you to begin the walls.

Part 2: The Basket Body

Note: Use the invisible round join method for all rounds. Carry the secondary yarn color inside your stitches as you work.

• Round 1: Using Color 1, ch 1, sc in every stitch around. Join.

• Round 2: Ch 1, Knit St in every stitch around. Join.

• Round 3: Ch 1 with Color 1. Begin carrying Color 2. Repeat *9 Knit St with Color 1, 5 Knit St with Color 2* 5 times total. Complete the final join using Color 2.

• Note: Use Color 2 for all remaining round joins.

• Round 4: With Color 2, ch 1, 1 Knit St. Repeat *7 Knit St with Color 1, 7 Knit St with Color 2* 3 times. Work 7 Knit St with Color 1, then 6 Knit St with Color 2. Join.

• Round 5: With Color 2, ch 1, 2 Knit St. Repeat *5 Knit St with Color 1, 9 Knit St with Color 2* 3 times. Work 5 Knit St with Color 1, then 7 Knit St with Color 2. Join.

• Round 6: With Color 2, ch 1, 2 Knit St. Repeat *5 Knit St with Color 1, 2 Knit St with Color 2, 4 Knit St with Color 1, 3 Knit St with Color 2* 3 times. Work 5 Knit St with Color 1, 2 Knit St with Color 2, 4 Knit St with Color 1, then 1 Knit St with Color 2. Join.

• Round 7: With Color 2, ch 1, 3 Knit St. Repeat *4 Knit St with Color 1, 2 Knit St with Color 2, 1 Knit St with Color 1, 2 Knit St with Color 2, 2 Knit St with Color 1, 3 Knit St with Color 2* 3 times. Work 4 Knit St with Color 1, 2 Knit St with Color 2, 1 Knit St with Color 1, 2 Knit St with Color 2, then 2 Knit St with Color 1. Join.

• Round 8: Repeat *With Color 2, ch 1, 3 Knit St; 4 Knit St with Color 1, 5 Knit St with Color 2, 2 Knit St with Color 1* 5 times total. Join.

• Round 9: With Color 2, ch 1, 4 Knit St. Repeat *4 Knit St with Color 1, 3 Knit St with Color 2, 3 Knit St with Color 1, 4 Knit St with Color 2* 4 times. Correction adjustment to maintain sequence: Work 4 Knit St with Color 1, 3 Knit St with Color 2, 3 Knit St with Color 1. Join.

• Round 10: With Color 2, ch 1, 5 Knit St. Repeat *8 Knit St with Color 1, 6 Knit St with Color 2* 3 times. Work 8 Knit St with Color 1, then 1 Knit St with Color 2. Join.

• Round 11: With Color 2, ch 1, 6 Knit St. Repeat *6 Knit St with Color 1, 8 Knit St with Color 2* 3 times. Work 6 Knit St with Color 1, then 2 Knit St with Color 2. Join. Fasten off Color 1.

• Rounds 12–13: Using Color 2, ch 1, Knit St in every stitch around. Join.

Part 3: Handles & Edging

If you prefer a basket without handles, skip directly to Round 16.

• Round 14 (Handle Openings): Ch 1, Knit St in the first 5 sts. Ch 12, skip the next 10 sts, Knit St in the next st. Knit St in the next 24 sts. Ch 12, skip the next 10 sts, Knit St in the next st. Knit St in the remaining 19 sts. Join.

• Round 15 (Handle Reinforcement): Ch 1, Knit St in the first 5 sts. Work 12 sc directly into the chain-12 space. Knit St in the next 25 sts. Work 12 sc directly into the second chain-12 space. Knit St in the final 20 sts. Join.

• Round 16 (Top Border): Ch 1. Working exclusively into the front loops (facing outwards), slip stitch in every stitch around.

Finishing

Cut the yarn, fasten off securely, and weave in all loose ends on the inside of the basket using a tapestry needle.